A wrongfully executed man named Alex(Eric Mabius), resurrected from the dead by the crow, returns with a vengeance to find the man with a scar on his arm that killed his beloved Lauren(Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). To find that man, Alex will first seek out the four men who falsely accused him on the witness stand which led to his death via electric chair. The crow will guide him on his journey to finding those responsible. Erin(Kirsten Dunst), Lauren's sister, and Peter Walsh(Grant Shaud;was Alex's attorney)are Alex's only allies in the search for retribution. Soon dirty cops are unmasked leading straight to the Captain(Fred Ward)and even Erin and Lauren's own father, Nathan(William Atherton). I like this film and think the reason it turns out better than I expected is due to the heart of the picture..one man's will to find the one's responsible for the death of his love. There is some strong talent in the cast for a direct-to-video feature and the young leads of Mabius and Dunst{..not to mention Ward, Atherton, Midkiff, and Shaud}bring much to this film. The film's budget is exceedingly lower, but I felt it makes up for it in keeping the plot simple instead of overloading us with an overkill of sick visuals. Now, that's not to say it doesn't lack punch and edge. There are some very gruesome moments indeed and much flesh is displayed, but the levels are down exceedingly. Plus, this film doesn't make out the perversion as beautiful, but with a disdain towards those young ones exploited{example being when Alex confronts the young girl tied to a pole in the strip club owned by the dirty cops}. The film doesn't speak highly for the cops on the force under the Captain. The world of this film isn't Gothic like the other two but just as corrupt. While the other two felt like they were set in a much darker time and place, this film feels closer to our time in modern society. That might turn some away who like the dark, noirish vision of the first two. But, I do feel the heart of the story is still here and the element of man's link with the crow is quite present here.
Review of The Crow: Salvation
