User reviews

Now let's be real, there's only one good Crow film. They were just never able to catch that midnight magic again, though they tried, with four more films and a dud of a TV series. Each of the sequels is nearly the exact same as the first, in terms of plot: a man is killed by feral urban thugs, only to be resurrected one year later by a mysterious crow, blessed with invincibility and begins to work his way through the merry band of scumbags in brutal acts of revenge, arriving at the crime lord sitting atop the food chain, usually a freak with vague ties to the supernatural or occult. All the films in the series are structured that way, but only one deviated and tried something slightly different with the formula. City of Angels, the second, is a boring, almost identical retread of the first, it's only energy coming from a coked up Iggy Pop. Wicked Prayer, the fourth, had a premise with potential aplenty, and turned out so maddeningly awful I'm still dabbing the blood from my eye sockets. Salvation, however, is the third entry and almost finds new air to breathe by altering the premise slightly. Instead of lowlife criminals, it's a posse of corrupt police detectives who frame an innocent dude (Resident Evil's Eric Mabius) for crimes they themselves committed, fry him to a crisp in the electric chair and get off scott free. His girlfriend (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) is also killed in the process. Now, not only is it cops instead of criminals, but the arch baddie at the top of the pile is the police commissioner, who has occult written all over him. *Not only* that, but he's played by Fred Ward, who is brilliant in anything. While nowhere near an iota of the atmosphere or quality of the first film, this one works better than any of the other sequels, thanks to that spark of an idea that changes the game ever so much. The detectives are a nice and skeevy bunch too, played by the reptilian likes of William Atherton, Walton Goggins and others. Ward wears the starched, proper uniform of an authoritative figure, but his eyes gleam with the same secrets and dark magic we saw in the two other previous underworld kingpins, Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) and Judah Earl (Richard Brooks), but it's that contrast that takes you off guard and makes things more intriguing. And as for Eric, does he hold his own with the others who've played the role? Mabius he does, Mabius he doesn't, you'll just have to watch and see. He definitely knocks Vincent Perez out of the park, that silly Frenchman. Real talk though, no one will ever dethrone Brandon Lee, not even whatever pisant they get for the remake that's been hovering on the fringes of preproduction for the last half decade. On top of it all we also get Kirsten Dunst, of all people, as a sympathetic attorney who works alongside Mabius to clear his name, as he clears the streets of no-good crooked cops. So there you have it. If you ever find yourself meandering around the kiosks in blockbuster, and see the Crow films lined up on the shelves like emo ducks in a row, the first film will naturally already be rented out. Where then to turn? You can certainly do worse than this one.

First the cast was okay not the best cast for a crow film but anyways . The villain played by Fred Ward is a sick mother fu*ker and you really get a sense that he's in his role he really portrays the villain well! The crow .... Alex Corvis played by Eric Marbius is an okay crow he really shows he's back to avenge his loss. He moves like the character should but for the love scenes more or less.

This is movie is really entertaining from beginning to end lots of blood and action for your average crow fan. Some of the fight/gun/chase scenes are quite quick in a way some you wish could have been longer! This movie get's a 6.5 on 10 from me!

"The Crow: Salvation," the fourth installment in the popular series of murdered men brought back from the dead to avenge their deaths, is certainly a step in the right direction after the travesty of previous entries. The first Crow, which is best known for being the film in which Brandon Lee was killed (duh), is a cult classic directed by Alex "Dark City" Proyas, and even today, it is regarded as probably the greatest of the gothic/action/modern noir films. It's sequel, "The Crow: City of Angels," starred Vincent Perez, and while it featured some nice ideas and beautiful images, it was nothing more but a poor remake of the first film lacking all the heart of the original. "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" came next, and it was two episodes of the TV show of the same name re-edited into a motion picture and released as a sequel to the first film. Instead of being a remake in disguise as a sequel like "City of Angels," "Stairway" goes ahead and just literally remakes the first film with the same characters, basically the same plotline, and none of the magic (though Mark Ducascos as the title character certainly demonstrates a type of charisma in his martial arts).

Now comes "The Crow: Salvation." Eric Mabius stars as Alex Corvez, who is wrongly executed for the murder of his girlfriend and returns from the dead to take out the real killers, with the help of his dead girlfriend's sister and a lawyer friend. As a sequel, it thankfully works because it has a premise completely different from the first film (something the other sequels failed to pull off) and it stands on its own, introducing its own magic and its own intruiging plot elements. It certainly is a good film and a good sequel, and while some points in the movie seem contrived, what film nowadays doesn't have at least a few obvious plot points?

The bad: Much of the film is underdeveloped, especially many characters. While the plotline is good, it seems rushed much of the time, and the viewer has to draw their own conclusions about many things. Some of the dialogue is also atrocious.

The good: Well well, there's much more of that. Eric Mabius as the central character shines throughtout. For the first time, we have a character in one of these movies *not* ripping off Brandon Lee, but instead, bringing his own qualities and characterizations to the character. The results are an effective performance that makes us forget about Lee altogether...at least until the film comes to a close. The plot, something of a murder mystery, would have made a good film even if it hadn't been a Crow film, and the images and notions presented only add to the appeal, especially with the character of the Crow itself, which at the beginning, acts as if this is just a routine thing to bring someone back to the dead, and that he's done it before. Later, however, it genuinely gets intruigued by Corvis' vendetta and begins aiding him more.

All in all, this is certainly much more acceptable that previous entries, and it succeeds where the others failed: Introducing new elements into a Crow franchise that, so far, has been nothing more but rip offs of the first film.

*** out of ****

Erin (Kirsten Dunst) and her father Nathan Randall (William Atherton) attend the execution of Alex Corvis (Eric Mabius) for the murder of her sister Lauren (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Alex maintains his innocence to the end. After the execution, he is resurrected by a crow into The Crow. He uncovers that Lauren was killed by a group of corrupt cops and he seeks revenge.

This is an inferior sequel of the cult classic. There are a few solid actors. The story is simple revenge as the Crow franchise tends to be. The effects and action are limited B-movie fare. There are explosions and car crashes but nothing special or filmed that well. Eric Mabius' strawberry blonde hair doesn't really fit my vision of the Crow and he doesn't have the threatening intensity. He doesn't have the darkness to be The Crow. The most annoying part is Kirsten Dunst's over-acting in big emotional moments. She has fair acting chops even in her younger days but her cry-acting really annoyed me. The blubbering diffuses all the tension. It makes this B-movie even campier.

This has nothing to do with its two predecessors. Some guy is electrocuted for a crime he claims he did not commit. "No problem: let's bring him back to life. You know what? Let's say he becomes the crow! I don't know why, but we desperately want a sequel." Of course, he finds out who really killed his girlfriend and he avenges her and himself. Nothing is left of the original storyline, except for a crow. The special effects are rather bad, the main character seems to have walked straight off the set of Beverly Hills 90210 (Brandon Lee, we miss you so!) and the plot is as thin as that of the worst "Kick-some-ass-films". Hated it!

Now, the main problem with this film was the plot. It wasn't the actors, because they actually did a decent job. It wasn't the director, because it seemed like he knew what he was doing. It was the plot, plain and simple, the plot. First off, Corvis turning into the crow? No, didn't work for me. I didn't feel for these characters at all to tell the truth. The script didn't develop them as well as the first "Crow" did. So that was a major problem, I didn't feel that Corvis and Lauren had a strong love because they repeatedly showed the same loving scene between them. "Was that their only romantic moment?" I thought. See, the first "Crow" showed many memories of Shelly and Eric that were loving and touching, it showed how much they loved each other and it would never die.

Another problem I had was the make up was naturally on Corvis and didn't give any depth to his anger on the murder of his girlfriend. Kirsten Dunst seemed really out of place and was just another copy off of Sarah from the first "Crow". The villains, they were not that disturbing.

Everything just didn't go in depth enough for me to care. For the "Crow" fans, I would recommend to complete the trilogy. But to other movie fans looking for a good rent, forget it.

5/10

I love "The Crow," and there's not much in my mind that could be done in a sequel to top it. "Salvation," unlike "City of Angels," doesn't try to top the first one, or rip it off... The characters are solid, the performances are great, and the action is non-stop. But what singles this movie out is the story. It's a good story, not just another "Crow" movie. The direction of the film reminds me of the first, very dark, yet crisp (not gritty like the 2nd), and the trick camera angles mixed with the impressive special effects keep the supernatural elements alive as the very human story rolls along.

I work at a video store, and I see all kinds of movies that bypass theatres and come direct to video, and usually there's something about them that tells you why, even the good ones. This had the look and feel of something that, if released at the appropriate time, would have done well in the theatres. It wouldn't have been a smash hit, and it certainty wouldn't bring in as many people as the original did, but it deserves much better than this.

If you're fans of the franchise, I highly recommend that you see this. If you like the first one, but that's it, then expand your horizons a little and try to see this for what it is, and not what you thought it would be. It's a sequel to a GREAT movie, and it ends up being a pretty good movie on it's own...

What a complete travesty this film is. Everyone keeps saying they learned their lesson after City of Angels. Are you blind? This film rips off the original film even more than the first sequel! Would it kill them to give us something new? A female crow? Another time period? Something other than a young male out hunting thugs...

The acting in this film is horrid. The villains are paper thin. The same cliche bad-asses we've seen thousands of times. Remember the first movie where each villain was clearly distinct from the next? T-Bird, Tin-Tin, Skank, and Funboy are still vivid in my memory. I couldn't tell you the name of one of the clowns from this movie. Just more second rate goons working for some puppet master... overkill.

The film definetly looks straight to video quality. The direction is totally uninspired. A total rehash of the first two movies. The original Crow is one of my all time favorite movies and it's almost painful to see how low this series has gone.

For the record, I think this pile of garbage is worse than City of Angels. And for those of you totally hateful towards that film, read the screenplay that comes on the Special Edition DVD for a look at what that film was supposed to be before producer Jeff Most got his hands in it. That man has tainted something that was once great and refuses to let go. They've totally misread what made the first film so incredible. If there is a Crow IV, I'm not expecting a lot...

The Crow: Salvation is a very good movie, not even close to being the masterpiece The Crow is but it's the best sequel you can ask for. There has been a lot of press about Salvation's release and I to am puzzled as to why it's basically direct to video, the producers blame Dimension and politics and yes Salvation is grim but I don't know how true that statement is. The Crow: Salvation is, in my opinion, the most violent of The Crow movies, some is over the top and some is pretty grim stuff but hey it's all good. Eric Mabius seemed a strange choice to some cause he doesn't have the look of what you think of as the typical Crow good guy BUT he is very good at what he does, ranging from fights to anger, sadness...all are touched upon and he delivers in all areas. Kirsten Dunst does good also, I don't think she was bad like some reviews have said, she does seem kinda off in some scenes (the graveyard comes to mind) but she does fine. It's hard to explain Fred Ward's character because it will give away plot details (which honestly isn't hard to figure out anyway) but he does well and has some funny lines also, Fred's been a cool actor for a long time playing in some quirky movies like Remo Williams, Tremors and it's sequel, and Cast A Deadly Spell. Jodie Lynn O'Keefe's role isn't big at all and she doesn't have much to do but she's beautiful and the scenes she has are effective and the scene where she and Mabius are playing around doing fake karate is cute and touching, actually that whole scene is one of my fave's especially when Alex is at her grave talking about wanting to be with her but he can't...it's really touching and sweet, yes to those confused that and the karate scene are the same...you'll understand when u see the movie. The look of Salvation is closer to part 1 than 2 was and yet it has a look all it's own, Salvation is grounded more in reality than the first 2 were but the city is still dark, gritty, and depressing, and the sets were cool...especially the execution chamber with the words on each wall. The rest of the cast does fine with what they have but it isn't much, they are all paper thin bad guys with few characteristics to distinguish differences between them other than the way they die. Which brings me back to the violence, no I don't have a problem with it and am not talking about it to warn you because violence in movies does NOT make people kill others (what movies did Hitler and Stalin watch). Yes Salvation is the most violent Crow and it's not all fun some scenes are closer to the violence in Taxi Driver than The Matrix. But we do get some cool scenes like when Alex shoots himself in the mouth and the camera goes through the mouth as the wound heals and also the scene where Alex and the Dale Midkiff character are in the car and hit a bus and both fly through the windshield but I kinda think The Crow: Salvation is a little brutal but it's all good. Credit must go to Bharat Nalluri for making a cool looking movie with pretty cool camera work and effects and also credit Marco Beltrami for making a really good score that doesn't ape Graeme Revell's but is something all it's own. The ending is really good also but I pretty much figured out who was the man with the scarred arm (which was cool but also too derivative of The Fugitive) but another cool thing was his room looked like it was out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the stuffing room in The Lost Boys, but anyway the end was cool how the bad guy manipulated Alex into thinking maybe he did kill Erin...it was weird. And the end credits play over the new Crow symbol like the credits played over the Batman symbol at the end of Batman Forever. Oh and to just throw it in here it was cool that the markings if Alex were scars and not the paint like in 2 (which had really no reason for it other than cause it was part 2). I'm sure some will give Salvation hell because The Crow is so sacred to them but I say let the series live on and not die. Brandon Lee did give a truely great performance in The Crow and it's a tragedy that he died but I will not hold that against Salvation or City of Angels (which was kinda sucky). I do think Salvation could have been better with a little more money invested in it but that would be in the sets and scope department but then again I like Salvation a lot and Eric Mabius is a gifted actor (for further proof see Black Circle Boys). I hope to see more of Bharat Nalluri and hope he doesn't drop of the face of the earth like COA's director (Tim Pope what are u doing these days). The Crow was better yes because ALL of the characters were better drawn and Brandon's death which I'm not saying was good for the movie but did make the movie more of an emotional experience...it IS a masterpiece and no Salvation is no masterpiece but it is a great movie experience. You won't come away giddy (it is a Crow movie remember) but like part 1 you will come away thinking of Life, Love, and Death.

I don't know why this movie is so hated. I really don't. The acting was good, writing was good, characters were good. I just do not see it. Okay, I still haven't seen Wicked Prayer but I'm not expecting big things, this movie was the best Crow sequel so far, nothing compared to the original, but good. The character of Alex Corvis is really likable, as opposed to ashe, I always get those two mixed up because they have the same first initial and last name, so that bugs me. I can really understand Alex's plight and that he really does love his girlfriend, his journey (unlike Ashe's) emotes feelings in the viewer, and the actor playing him was really good too. (Another contrast to Ashe, the makeup is decent)

I hated this movie, I would give it a zero if I could.

I love the first crow movie. Even the second movie had it's moments (some great scenes). The third movie was really bad. The villains I couldn't remember any of them except the main villain.

The action is boring, I almost fell asleep. A small kid could direct better action then this.

Not even a good revenge story.

In the first two crow movies you could remember key scenes (goth type artistic stuff), here it's non-existent. The crow makeup is very poor too. He didn't look right.

Stay away. I heard crow 4 is worse, I don't know how that is possible.

Brandon Lee rest in peace, as for The Crow Salvation, well I'll just say that it keeps James O'Barr's ideas and spirits alive with the Crow series. You'd have to read the comics to understand what the Crow is really about. It's not just one person but the Crow itself, it's the idea that if something terrible enough happens a spirit can come back and revenge its death. The Crow then becomes a guide and shows the spirit the way to it's enemies. Salvation takes the heart of the crow and makes it its own. You can relate to each character and are surprised as to whats going to happen next. The story never leaves you questioning what just happened. You are with Alex every step of the way. You understand his love and caring for Lauren and want to see his revenge succeed. The more bloody shots are necessary and never too much. Each situation is explained and necessary to continue the story line. If you didn't cry at the end you either went into the movie thinking it was going to suck or you didn't understand the purpose or reason of the crow. For the most part you held back tears of happiness for a love that was truly meant to last.

I recommend this movie to any Crow fans and also to those who are looking for action as well as a meaningful plot with a love story all together in one eventful movie. Try it, and let me know what you think.

I first saw elements of this film in NYC as it was unveiled by some cheesy representative of the U.S. distribution film company (I think Miramax)was trying to get the audience hyped. He was greeted with a few cheers, mostly boos that were louder and more noticeable than the cheers, no matter how energetic they were intended. The films star came on stage, but nobody cared. I think he could tell the lack of interest in the room, so he quickly departed off stage, ego intact. And for good reason, the film is typical garbage. To cry at this films emotional content is like to cry in reaction to the emotionality of "big daddy" ... you better visit your doctor for a higher dose on prescription medication...

I saw this movie at the Brussels International Filmfestival on closing day, and I have to say it didn't convince me. It definatly had a sense of style to it, but the storyline (if there was any) was utterly confusing and very hard to follow. Kirsten Dunst is completely wasted in a small and weepy role as the daughter of a corrupt officer, and Eric Mabius as the Crow has a great presence although his dialogue is quite appaling and clichéd. The plot again evolves around the same subject as the previous two films. A guy is wrongfully accused of killing someone, but during his execution something goes wrong and somehow he is revived by a crow. From there on he goes on a quest to kill the men who killed him. So far so good, but from there on the movie rapidly goes downhill. Aside from some stylish action and a really great 'cop-nearly-abuses-young-girl scene', there is not much going on at all. 3/10

The Crow Salvation was a very entertaining movie. It has good action and violence. I think it is visual better than The Crow and it has good effects, and the story is better then The Crow. It got some plot holes and some really bad acting and writing. But if you are The Crow and action fan like me you will love this movie and don't get hooked up in the plot holes, bad acting and hopeless dialogue. And it got an awesome sound track and Kirsten Dunst is great in this movie. But it is Eric Mabius' movie and he is not just an Brendon Lee rip off. A great movie to watch a Friday night with your friends.

This movie was really terrible.I would only give it 2/10 but that's because The Crow 2 was even worse.The Crow's make-up job made him look like an extra in a Marilyn Manson music video.How anybody could find him intimidating is beyond me.

Kirsten Dunst acts well(and is hot)but what why she agreed to do this mess is beyond me.The movie is WAY to long and is edited very badly.The LOUD rock music over every action(if you can call them that)scene becomes annoying really fast.

Please,i beg you don't watch this.Not even on t.v.Ever.Don't encourage them.Don't make the same mistake i did-and i saw it in a theatre for free!

I don't often watch sequels to movies, because they are often disappointing, but since this one starred Kirsten Dunst I decided to give it a try. And I loved it. Contrary to general opinion, or so it seems.

The acting is strong with quite a good cast for a second sequel, the imagery is beautiful with nice camera movements and an interesting use of light and contrast, and the soundtrack exists of really cool industrial rock music. this creates a very dark, atmospheric movie that managed to thrill me for the whole ride. The script might not be the most original or best script ever, but at least the dialogue wasn't too corny, and the story quite interesting.

I can't recall the first Crow movie too clearly, but then again this gives me an opportunity to watch this installment in the series as a movie on it's own, and from that point of view it is simply a good movie. And isn't that perhaps what you should expect from a sequel? Most sequels end up as cheap B-movies that are completely dispensable. But a strong sequel doesn't neccesarily always have to fit in with the first movie (why should every crow have to have long black hair and a painted face for instance), as long as it is enjoyable on its own. And that is what this one was to me: Another story by a different storyteller about the crow. And (as often in oral storytelling) no two storytellers will tell you the same story, but sometimes both stories can be just as fascinating.

I watched this before the original The Crow. In fact, I'm not sure I realized that this was part of a series, much less the third part. Now, having watched the original(I have not seen the second movie), comparisons are unavoidable, and they are, I'm afraid, entirely and mercilessly unfavorable. This "gets" rather little from the first at all, and even less of it gets done right. There are attempts for the tone, but in spite of introducing new perverted enemies for the undead bird to seek out and combat, it just doesn't have the impact of the first. The language and nudity is present, but that's hardly what made the first excellent. The style... I don't know, it tries. More often than not, the film comes off as silly(unintentionally, I'd wager). The plot could have been better, and it seems like there was at least one point where they go for demystifying some of the supernatural elements(fantasy is by no means a genre I venture into often, much less enjoy, but in the original, it definitely worked). The powers may have also been altered. The pacing is reasonable, I guess. The acting is usually unimpressive, except for perhaps moments by the two leads. The music isn't bad, mostly rock, and dark in mood, fitting. I wouldn't exactly put up much of a fight if someone tried to sell me the soundtrack. The action has some to offer, as well(if it gets terribly overblown and overdone at parts, in its attempts to outdo the first film), though I can't claim that it'll stay in your memory for long(and, come on, if we're going to watch a young man fight, are we going to choose Eric Mabius over Brandon Lee any day of the week, on a dare, to win a bet *and/or* any other reason? I refer you to Will Smith's oft-used catch-phrase of many of his movies for an answer(hint: it's the one where he uses a word that refers to downstairs, and no, I'm not talking about a basement). The effects are good. The movie is shot and edited fine, if there aren't really any ground-breaking moments. A lot of this seems almost remade from the first, just lacking what made that film great. Gone is the poetic justice. Images, events and the basic *structure* of the film are recycled from the first, almost to the point where you start to wonder if these film-makers actually had or even thought they had *anything* to actually contribute to the franchise, or if they just saw a cash cow, grabbed a teet each and squeezed, as hard as they could. Actual fans of The Crow should steer clear of this. If all you want is a revenge flick, and you either don't mind or prefer them with some touch of fantasy and/or the supernatural, knock yourself out. I recommend this to those who find themselves in the latter group(I've got no problem with people in said group... I just want to make it clear who are likely to enjoy the film). 5/10

The Crow: Salvation tries to make a name for itself by trying something new in the series. Not only is it about revenge and love, but the film incorporates a mystery element, bringing much-needed freshness to the franchise. I liked it! Story: Salvation begins at Alex Crovis' execution. Alex had been convicted of murdering his love, Lauren. Obviously, Alex is innocent, and the real killer is at large. After being executed, Alex is brought back to life and guided by a crow to seek vengeance. With the help of Lauren's sister, Erin, Alex tries to figure out why he was set up, and why his love was killed. Alex soon uncovers a conspiracy and a bunch of corrupt cops. Let the vengeance begin! Directing: Personally, I didn't like Bharat Nalluri's directing style. The way he shot things seemed way to T.V. movie-ish. There's a lot of close-ups, and tight spaces in the film. All of the scenes are evenly lit, and don't differ much from each other. There is an occasional nice shot, however, such as a scene with Alex walking down an alley towards the screen, with it snowing. Nalluri was alright, I suppose, but nothing special.

Acting: Eric Mabius(Alex Corvis) brought a totally different feel to the role. He has a definite liveliness about him that I liked. However, I wish he would have drawn me in more during the emotional scenes. I was very disappointed with Kirsten Dunst, who acted very amateurish in this film. It was like she hardly knew what to do with her part. What's the deal? Fred Ward(The Captian) did a fine job as the villain in the picture, and did no wrong that I could see.

Score: Marco Beltrami did an outstanding job scoring the film. The music has never been a problem in the Crow series. Beltrami takes a slightly different tone as far as the music, but still stays true to Revelle's Gothic roots.

Violence: The violence is prevalent, and quite bloody. Shootings, stabbings, impalings, even a severed arm. However, although graphic, the blood is a really bright red, and has a definite fake look to it.

Profanity/Sexual Themes: As with the other two, the f-bomb is used throughout the film. There is also a fair amount of female nudity, as one of the settings is a strip club.

Substance Abuse: No drug use going on, and I don't recall alcohol abuse either.

Overall: The Crow: Salvation is a good attempt to take the series in a slightly different direction. I think given a different director, the film really would have shined. It's still enjoyable, however, the mystery subplot did seem to take away from the love story a bit. A good action flick a fair bit better than City of Angels, and worth a look. 8.5/10

Some flaws, but a pretty well paced movie that's usually entertaining. The iconic bird helps a wrongfully executed man, who was framed for his girl friend's murder, return to exact revenge against those responsible.

So it blends the horror theme of the franchise with a murder mystery story, and the mixture is accomplished reasonably well. The opening execution scene skillfully sets the mood. There are a few well used metaphors, but the bird's appearance may not make sense if you haven't seen the original film. The guilty conspirators and their motive is way too obvious and transparent, but the plot works in spite of this.

William Atherton as the victim's father and Fred Willard as a militaristic police captain do the best acting jobs. The flashback sequences showing the ill-fated Romeo/Juliet style couple's back story are executed very poorly; the 360 degree pans are intrusive, and the girl playing Laura overacts painfully. These scenes, intended to be romantic, and establish pathos for the victimized characters, are just irritating. The copter explosion looks as phony as a politician speech and it doesn't even fit, given what the film spends so much time telling us about the main character.

There are some routine clichés, such as shooting a guy a thousand times who won't die (lol), and the makeup on the vengeful Crow guy changes from scene to scene. But, if you can overlook these goofs, it's a good popcorn flick.