08/14/06 The Crow: Salvation

The Crow: Salvation (2000), directed by Bharat Nalluri

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ car ride (from East Dixfield, ME to St. Johnsbury, VT)

Wow, this trip has been so amazing so far...we spent time with family, and then we reached one of our destinations at Acadia National Park in Maine to be at one with nature (and avoid the grizzly bears)...then we headed off to experience a little man-made loving in Vermont with the Ben & Jerry's factory tour. Yup, a little respite from stress-ville...a sort of salvation from our daily hustle & bustle if you will...nice segue Brad! Yes, this film has slipped through the cracks for me over the last few years, as I was a huge fan of the original "Crow" film, a wonderful adaptation from the James O'Barr graphic comic book series. With all the tragedy that befell that particular filming of a franchise...I try not to look at the continuation of said franchise to seem watered down or greedy in basis. For me, a bit fantastical I know, the stories may seem very similar, but they hold the true essence of what "The Crow" legend is all about. A sort of inhuman redemption and rebirth amidst dire tragedy, a vengeful vigilante of justice, and sexy in its gothic swagger. Yeah, this movie is a sequel, but every bit as rock star as the previous two. Here, Alex Corvin (kind of like the "Batman" series, continually played by a different leading man...here Eric Mabius) has been framed for the murder of his beautiful young girlfriend and sentenced to be executed. Using the dark magic of the crow, and the legend that "love is stronger than death," Alex re-emerges as the incarnation of the crow figure to settle his score. Enlisting the reluctant help of his girlfriend's sister Erin (Kirsten Dunst), Alex must prove his innocence and lay revenge upon the crooked system and authorities that framed him. He struggles with the memories of his girlfriend haunting him, never allowing him to rest until everything is set right. The story takes little time to set you right into the action, with its dark comedic tones and industrial strength soundtrack...behold the bloody rollercoaster of fun! I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it was terribly campy and misunderstood by critics. I don't know what it really has to do with ice cream...but I'm about to go and leave my trademark ice cream imprint behind when I kill a pint at Ben & Jerry's, sending them to the Flavor Graveyard.

4 out of 5 stars