Customer Reviews

Crow

5 star:		(168)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Fans have not been able to see and hear THE CROW movies like this before (in the case of Salvation, this is its intro). The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound & DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound further enhance the impact on the senses (the movies are viewable in Widescreen 1.85:1 or full screen Enhanced 16x9). The picture is flawless and the soundtracks gloriously spring from the speakers with added power. The quality of the video and audio alone make owning the re-issue DVDs a must.

Miramax was forced to issue the first movie's DVD without Proyas' commentary, or any other supplementals that had his image, which include the advertised Schow 90min "chronicles", a stills presentation taken from pics Schow took, and appx 6mins of the "making of" featurette that featured Proyas. An unfortunate circumstance for sure, but one that dealt with unknown agendas and legal issues not a thumbs down of the disk by Proyas as a previous reviewer has tried to insinuate.

The first movie's disk still contains plenty of supplementals to satisfy the fan pallet. The James O'Barr interview is a fantastic look inside the man who created this great story. Deleted scene montage & extended scenes are fantastic looks into things that many fan chat sites have discussed and debated for years. A highly informative "making of" feature that was shot during production; original poster conception art, production design stills, and storyboards. And a highly informative commentary track by Jeff Most (producer) and co-script writer John Shirley . The extras don't stop there, in the DVDrom section there is a trivia game and a commentary playback feature that each in their own right tests the average fans knowledge of THE CROW while also giving us tons of never before seen or heard inside stories and trivia. The text commentary track is of special interest as it flashes information in regard to each scene while the movie plays, in some cases, allowing you to stop the movie to view pictures, more information or connect to the web. Also, the entire original shooting script can be read while you watch the movie.

The second movie's disk (The Crow: City of Angels), along with the sound and video enchancements mentioned above, has the best "making of" featurette of the 3 Crow movies. It is over 20mins and is a gem. Along with that, it has an extremely detailed Production & Design featurette that is another great addition, original poster concepts & production design stills (over 50). The commentary track is very informative and unlike the first movie's commentary track, contains most of the people involved in the movie. The DVDrom section has two priceless additions. The full original shoot script of the movie, never before seen by most fans and the complete Chet Williamson novel (which can be printed). Both can be read while the movie plays.

Salvation contains three "making of" featurettes, one focusing on the birds which is fantastic, production design featurette and commentary track that unlike the previous two movie's commentary tracks, has the total representation of the main actor/production persons. It is a highly informative track. The DVDrom section features the script.

The Crow disk has 11 supplementals, COA has 7 and Salvation has 6. More than enough quality supplementals to purchase these disks.

For those of you don't know this movie is Brandon Lee's last. Tragically, he died during the last days of filming. This film would have catapulted Brandon Lee into major-stardom.

Knowing this only makes the movie darker, sadder, and more heart-wrenching.

Based on the comic book series of the same name by James O'Barr, the movie stays close to its comic book roots. Dark imagery, up-close shots, and stark contrasts add to the comic book feel and gothic look of the movie. The music in the film, both soundtrack and songs, convey thoughts and imagery.

The Crow is a story of love and revenge, loss and retribution. It is a portrait of the struggle between the pain of seeing the past, and the peace of gaining closure. Director Alex Proyas did a wonderful job of capturing this struggle on film.

While the bulk of the supporting cast is at the very least believable, Michael Wincott is disturbingly creepy as the main antagonist "Top Dollar." Ernie Hudson, here playing a cop who thinks he's seeing a ghost, delivers an even performance.
But the movie is ALL Brandon Lee. He brought his martial arts background and talent to this film and gave 200%. He was also the movie's fight choreographer. This means: sit up and watch!

This movie is 80% action, 5% comedy, and 15% heart-wrenching, tear-jerking tragedy. Be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat, and use up a box of kleenex.

Excellent box set... still in my top 10 over 7 years after my initial Amazon review. The O'Barr interview remains a treasured highlight, and City of Angels has even grown on me considerably over the years (can't say the same for the latter two films in the series).

Now if we could just get a restored, uncut version of City of Angels on the market...

With a third version of Highlander 2 available, anything is possible! :p

Sadly, this film was thrust into the stuff of legends first by the untimely demise of its star, Brandon Lee. Then by it's beautiful story. The story should have been enough, Lee should have lived to make other films. But that's just wishing in the wind.

The story of a murdered man's return one year after his death to exact vengeance on those who killed him and his wife is based on the popular comic book. The idea of love transcending the borders of Life/Death allow the violence to be overlooked, if not accepted as just. Filled with darkness and rage, Eric Draven (Lee) seeks out those who killed him and his wife, guided by a psychopomp crow. Brandon Lee's portrayal of the tortured spirit is nothing but masterful. Alex Proyas's direction is both superb and haunting. The script by John Shirley brilliant. Not only was The Crow one of the best and most memorable movies made in the 1990's but it did a wonderful thing in this age of teenage illiteracy, it prompted teens to seek out and read the source material. Even if it was just graphic novels, kids were reading. Interested in the written word. Because they had been shown that magic could be found on the page. A killer soundtrack didn't hurt either. A movie that will one day be hailed as a classic. To me it already is.

I splurged and treated myself to this set on my last birthday (Devil's Night.) I wanted to have all three films available should I feel the need to watch them again. The concept of supernatural justice has always appealed to me- it seems to be the only kind that really exists....

I wasn't dissappointed in this set. It contains all three of the "collectors series" versions, which means that they are packed full of special features. The profile of James O' Barr the creator of the original comic series was especially good. Plus, there is a special little booklet that gives an outline of the making of the films.

I really can't quite get the resentment of some people over the last two films. I mean, the original comics were about the reoccuring theme of different Crows and different injustices to be righted. Sure, the original film is by far the best, almost supernaturally superior, but the other two also manged to stay true to the vision.

This boxed set is an excellent edition to any Crow fan's DVD collection. Even though the hour and a half "Crow Chronicles" is indeed missing from the first film "The Crow," there still are plenty of extras. You get to see some of the early poster concepts, many of which are cooler looking than most out today. You get to see the storyboard of the mysterious Skull/Ghost Cowboy, the convient store robbery, and a couple others scenes. The extended scenes, including the shoot out at Top Dollars, are awesome. And while it isn't quite an hour and a half long, there still is a short documentary on the film. The movie itself, which is presented on a disk seperate from the extras, has excellent picture and sound quality, leaps and bounds over my old video tape. The City of Angels DVD is not quite as cool as the first, but there are still some cool extras. The picture quality again is great, as is the sound quality. Salvation is the latest installment to the Crow films, and well worth a look. While it seems to be an elongated version of an episode from Stairway to Heaven (The Crow television show), it is still a fresh take on The Crow. The short film on the birds that played in the trilogy is neat to look at as well. The DVD menus are some of the coolest ones I've seen. They aren't as interactive as some, but they are beautifully done. Definately worth it if you are a fan of any of the films. Plus, you get a commemorative booklet. Not too shabby. Five stars to any Crow fan, without a doubt.

I recently watched the blu ray and the picture quality is a big improvement over the standard dvd. This movie has alot of dark and night scenes but it looks very very good. I saw very minimal film grain in a few scenes but nothing to worry about. The 5.1 dts sound was also sweet. I've waited a long time for this movie on blu ray and It was worth it.

This was my favorite movie when I was 16 years old. I love the story, the characters, the cast. The film is very dark, literally and figuratively. Still though, in the midst of that darkness is the love story of Eric and Shelly. Their murders spawn one of the most twisted and bittersweet revenge-from-the-grave stories I have ever seen. The love story is a central figure to Eric's return, but it doesn't weigh down the movie by going into the sappiness territory. You really feel for Brandon Lee's character, and you can't help but cheer him on as he wastes those punk losers who murdered him. Michael Wincott (playing yet ANOTHER villain, what's with that?) is perfect as the sadistic Top Dollar, and I love the little girl on the skateboard. The soundtrack is great too--a combination of industrial, alternative, and a very haunting score. The ending of the movie always makes me cry. I won't give it away, but it does give you a sense of hope in this dark and cynical world. I love this movie and would recommend it as much for the drama as for the action sequences, which are good too. A beautiful tribute to Brandon Lee's memory.

THE CROW movies are my favorite action movies of all time. They are each well acted, well directed, well written, and are all beautiful in their own ways.

THE CROW is one of my favorite films of all time. It has great performances by Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Rochelle Davis. Alex Proyas was a great director for this film, showing the present in either a dark way or with lots of red with the sad flashback scenes very colorful. When there is no talking, the film is still highly interesting with the fun action scenes, the great music, and the exciting, gloomy visuals. I give this a 5 out of 5!
RIP Brandon Lee!

THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS is very underrated. People put it down because they compare it to the original, but it's really a completely different story with the same concept. This one has great performances by Vincent Perez, Mia Kirshner, and Richard Brooks (and an ok performance by Iggy Pop). This time, the director (Tim Pope) shows a post-apocalyptic/S&M-like Los Angelus and the colors are yellow, green, red, and blue. The main villain is not as cool as in the original and his death is kind of silly but that is the only negative thing I can say about this beautiful, dark and haunting sequel. I give it a 4 out of 5.

THE CROW: SALVATION is another great story to add to THE CROW legacy! Starring great actors like Eric Mabius, Kirsten Dunst, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, William Atherton, and Fred Ward, and a tone more close to the original, this one is probably better then number 2. Eric Mabius plays a better Crow then Perez (but no one will beat Brandon Lee), and Kirsten Dunst is great as the heroine who helps him. This one also adds something fresh: a murder mystery. Alex is searching for the killer (or killers) who butchered his girlfriend and framed him for the murder. The only bad thing I can say about this is that the villains (especially the main one) were one-dimensional losers. I give this a 4.5/5.

Overall, this is a great series. I can't wait for THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER starring Edward Furlong as The Crow and David Boreanaz as the villain. Overall, I give this series and boxset a 5 out of 5!

The Crow - An absolutely brilliant film, and one of the best adaptations of a book (or graphic novel, for that matter) I've seen. James O'Barr's twisted world is conveyed perfectly. My only issue with the film stems solely from my unbridled passion for the book: Eric isn't nearly as demented in the film as he ought to be. Book!Eric had absolutely and completely lost his mind in his hunger for revenge, where Film!Eric was a teeny bit twisted sometimes. This is easily ignored, though, in light of the excellent acting, directing, cinematography, etc.

The Crow: City of Angels - My personal favourite of the three. Sarah, the little girl from the first film, returns as an incredibly hhhhot young woman. She guides Ash, the new Crow, seamlessly bringing in the mythology and spirituality of the first film. Iggy Pop costars as The Villian With The Coolest Death Scene Ever, exuding insanity and badassitude. The visuals set the perfect mood, somehow transforming L.A. into a believeably dark and broken city, and the imagery and themes of the Day of the Dead celebrations running throughout the film are perfect.

The Crow: Salvation - I didn't like this film nearly as well as the other two, mostly because it didn't bring in any of the totemic and mystical themes for which the series ought to be known, and because the high-school-boyfriend concept seemed a little immature compared to the other Crows. However, it was deliciously dark and violent, and I'm a sucker for the mystery element, something that the other Crow films lacked.

This boxed set is definitely worth one's time, if one can resist the urge to pick at the minor flaws - just sit back and enjoy the ride.

And one should definitely do a search in the books section for 'The Crow'.