The Crow (1994) (30th Anniversary) (Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Alex Proyas

Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

Release Date: May 7, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis:

Young musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) is brutally murdered alongside his fiancée by members of a violent gang.  On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave and assumes the gothic mantle of the Crow, a supernatural avenger.  He then sets out on a macabre mission to mercilessly hunt down everyone responsible and make them answer for their crimes.

THE MOVIE:

‘The Crow’ tells the story of musician Eric Draven who is brutally murdered alongside his fiancée and returns one year later on the anniversary of his death to enact vengeance on those responsible. Assisted by a mysterious crow and an ability to regenerate, Eric heads out on a violent quest for revenge, intent on eliminating each individual involved in the unforgiveable attack with the help of his new abilities. But when the chain of command goes further than he expected and some familiar faces notice his return, his simple quest for vengeance becomes increasingly more complicated, but no less determined.

The iconic cult classic was directed by Alex Proyas from a screenplay written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, based on the comic book series and comic strip by James O’Barr. Proyas does a fantastic job at the helm of ‘The Crow’ guiding along the moving vengeance tale with heart, style and a gothic atmosphere that complements the story beautifully. The film stars Brandon Lee in his tragic, final performance and also stars Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, David Patrick Kelly and many more who contribute generally capable and fitting performances altogether in each of their respective roles.

‘The Crow’ was originally released into theaters in 1994 after production was completed using a double and a few digital tricks following the tragic death of Brandon Lee during filming. The film was inspired by the iconic graphic novel and was met with heavy praise, becoming a beloved cult classic in the years that followed, with a powerful final performance by Lee due to his heartbreaking death. The film still holds a special spot in the hearts of many including myself and serves up a brutal, thrilling and wildly action-packed ride that balances the aggressive violence with some real heart and passion that helps this one to become an unforgettable tale of vengeance that has largely stood the test of time.

Embracing its dark and gloomy tone and utilizing colors throughout in incredibly clever ways that help various elements and moments within to stand out beautifully and even emphasize the tone, with an unforgettable performance by Brandon Lee that unfortunately as fate would have it serves as a key part of his legacy. If you’ve never had the pleasure of this outstanding and moving thrill ride and tend to enjoy a well-crafted revenge tale with style and heart to spare, then I can’t encourage you strongly enough to go out of your way to give ‘The Crow’ a chance because this is one unforgettable film with a heartbreaking legacy behind it that’s not to be missed.

THE 4K UHD RELEASE:

Paramount Home Entertainment celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of ‘The Crow’ and brings the beloved cult classic home on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever. The new release features a newly remastered full Ultra High Definition video presentation of the film with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 that looks absolutely stunning and better than it’s ever looked at home previously. The outstanding new UHD presentation is nicely complemented by a multichannel DTS-HD MA soundtrack and a solid collection of bonus content that includes a brand new three-part documentary along with some other new and previously released extras which all come together to make for a rewarding 4K UHD debut of the unforgettable ‘90s film. The release is available both in a standard 4K UHD edition and in a Limited Edition Steelbook release which is the version that I was sent for review and features nice artwork on the front, rear and interior of the steelbook case, along with a slipcover that as a whole looks quite nice. If you’re a fan of ‘The Crow’ that’s fully 4K capable and you’re already contemplating a purchase, then this release is definitely highly recommended.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Crow’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition video presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR10 presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks spectacular as a whole and provides a wonderfully sharp, clean and impeccably detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any unexpected issues to be uncovered along the way. Detail is remarkable throughout and everything on display from character faces and clothing, along with the dark city views, grimy club interiors and shadowy rooftops all look spectacular and sharper than we’ve ever seen before. The Dolby Vision HDR also offers a splendid boost to it all by providing some richer, more detailed and accurate colors noticeable in flashbacks, blood and some other areas, which is all beautifully complemented by deep, clean and problem-free black levels that perfectly enhance the consistent shadows and dark corners. Overall, this is a magnificent Ultra High Definition presentation that shines at every turn and should have fans absolutely thrilled.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This multichannel soundtrack is by no means lackluster and it delivers a clean, crisp and hard hitting audio presentation throughout. It repeatedly takes advantage of all five available channels in order to send the music, along with gunshots, rain and other action and weather effects, along with crowd chatter, vehicle activity and more zipping throughout the various speakers quite regularly, while always making certain that any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously remain clean and fully audible at all times. Overall, this is a solid and fully capable 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack that does its job well and shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Crow’ includes a nice collection of bonus content that features some previously released extras paired with some brand new extras. Included on the release are ‘2 Audio Commentary’ tracks; the first is an ‘Audio Commentary with Director Alex Proyas’ and the second is an ‘Audio Commentary with Producer Jeff Most and Screenwriter John Shirley’. The release also includes the new three-part documentary ‘Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow’ (running approximately 24 minutes in length altogether) and the new to disc ‘Sideshow Collectibles: An Interview with Edward R. Pressman’ (running approximately 13 minutes). Also included are numerous previously released extras including a ‘Behind the Scenes Featurette’ (running approximately 16 minutes), ‘A Profile on James O’Barr’ (approximately 33 minutes), along with a few ‘Extended Scenes’ (11 minutes combined) and a ‘Deleted Footage Montage’ (5 minutes). A ‘Trailer’ for the film (90 seconds) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the previously released Blu-Ray disc by Lionsgate and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8.5/10

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‘The Crow: 30^th Anniversary Edition’ Arrives on 4K Ultra HD & Limited Edition 4K UHD Steelbook on May 7, 2024 from Miramax & Paramount Home Entertainment

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You can purchase your copy of ‘The Crow’ 4K UHD’ on Amazon HERE!

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