Fans of The Crow generally seem skeptical about the upcoming remake. But could the new rating change some minds? According to FilmRatings.com, this year’s gothic superhero film, The Crow, has been officially rated R, promising to be darker, more intense, and more violent than the 1994 original.
R-Rating Details
Like its predecessor, The Crow received an R rating for “bloody violence, gore, language, sexual content/nudity, and drug use.” However, unlike the '90s version, this remake sounds like it will push the boundaries even further. The original film starring Brandon Lee was also rated R, but for “strong bloody violence and language, and for drug content and some sexuality.” Only time will tell if more gore will make The Crow a better film.
The Story Behind The Crow
The Crow is based on the 1989 comic by James O’Barr, which tells the story of a young man named Eric who is forced to watch his fiancée, Shelly, murdered by a group of street thugs after their car breaks down. Eric is subsequently shot and later dies in the hospital. Soon after, a mysterious crow resurrects him, and he seeks revenge on the murderers, tracking them down and killing them while dealing with the pain of losing Shelly. Here’s the official synopsis of the reimagining:
“Soulmates Eric Draven (Skarsgård) and Shelly Webster (FKA twigs) are brutally murdered when her dark past catches up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.”
The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders, with a script by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider. The cast includes Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven (aka “The Crow”), FKA Twigs as Shelly Webster, Isabella Wei as Zadie, Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger.
Early Reactions: “Unwatchable”
While this year’s remake of The Crow may add more violence and sex, it might not be enough to save it, as initial reactions have called the film “utterly unwatchable.” This (now-deleted) review came from screenwriter Cliff Dorfman, who collaborated on The Crow for years until the studio decided to go in a different direction. He recently shared his thoughts on what he saw on social media, suggesting the studio may have taken a wrong turn…
“Suppose someone happens to see @Lionsgate’s @TheCrow_Movie #thecrow coming out in August, he might say that it was so bad as to be utterly unwatchable, that one should not waste the money, or that he couldn’t believe it was worse than the original. Which it is. But don’t say that.”
This isn’t the only negative reaction to the project. Star Bill Skarsgård has also questioned the film’s ending. In a recent interview with Esquire, Skarsgård revealed some concerns about the ending of The Crow, which seems to leave the possibility of a sequel open. The actor stated…
“I personally liked things to be more definitive.”