The original 1994 release of The Crow was a groundbreaking film, capturing a dark, gritty atmosphere that resonated with audiences.
Unfortunately, the 2024 reboot misses the mark in almost every way, resembling what happens when someone ignores the memo not to tamper with a carefully prepared dish for an upcoming party.
While the film attempts to carve out its own identity rather than being a carbon copy of the original, it fails in execution. The writing is subpar, leaving the plot feeling half-baked and underdeveloped. Surprisingly, there’s very little action, and instead, the movie leans heavily into a supernatural thriller vibe that simply doesn’t work. The pacing is dreadful, dragging the story along with an overly drawn-out first act that focuses almost entirely on the romance between Eric and Shelly—a romance that feels forced and lifeless, lacking any real chemistry between the characters.
Much of the movie consists of Skarsgard brooding as he walks through the city, with no significant development or depth to his character. Even his performance seems disengaged as if he wasn’t invested in the role. The only redeeming quality is a decent action scene during the climax, but it’s far too little, too late to save the film from its long, dragged out buildup.
The most glaring flaw, however, is the complete lack of emotional investment in the characters. Eric and Shelly are so one-dimensional that it’s impossible to care about their fates. The supporting characters are equally shallow, offering no additional depth before or after the couple’s tragic deaths. The antagonists, a group of forgettable hired hands, fail to elicit any sense of justice when they meet their inevitable ends.
The Crow is unbearably slow, turning what could have been a thrilling revenge tale into a dull, lifeless experience. Aside from a few unintentionally humorous lines of dialogue, nothing is entertaining about this film—it’s not even bad enough to be fun. Instead, it feels like a chore to watch, leaving viewers questioning whether it’s worth continuing after the opera house scene towards the end.
Instead of offering a fresh take, this reboot feels like a bland first draft that was hastily made, exemplifying the need to remake good or great films to cash in on nostalgia. It’s like watching paint dry since the villain and the minor roles have no personality or motivation. As a whole, it can be said that The Crow (2024) is a film that should never have been made, as it fails to capture just what made the previous film so special, and leaves its audience with nothing but disappointment.
