In The Crow: City of Angels, mechanic Ashe Corven and his young son, Danny are brutally murdered by a vicious gang. Both father and son are shot, and their bodies are dumped into the harbour.
On All Saints’ Day, the harbour is visited by a mysterious crow. Moments later, Ashe returns from beyond the grave.
At the moment of his resurrection Ashe is met by Sarah Mohr, the friend of the late Eric Draven – another murder victim who was once visited by a crow. Sarah helps Ashe understand his resurrection, then paints his face a ghostly white to mirror that of her deceased friend.
Temporarily revived and rejuvenated, Ashe takes to the night to seek revenge. He plans to hunt down the gang responsible for his death, as well as the death of his son.
Directed by Tim Pope, The Crow: City of Angels stars Vincent Perez, Mia Kirshner, Richard Brooks, Vincent Castellanos, Ian Dury, Tracy Ellis, Thomas Jane, Iggy Pop, and Thuy Trang. The movie is based on the comics of James O’Barr, is the second entry in The Crow movie series, and acts as a sequel to 1994’s The Crow, although it’s a loose sequel at best.
The character of Sarah Mohr (now played by Mia Kirshner) is carried over from one film to the next, but other than this it’s all new players. New director, new cast, and a new set of characters.
A wise decision? Well, arguably it was the only way forward for this film.
Eric Draven’s story was completed in the previous movie, plus lead actor Brandon Lee had sadly passed away. There was no way to deliver a direct sequel without significant compromises, so it was decided a new set of characters was needed, and a new direction of sorts.
Unfortunately, this new direction isn’t really new at all and The Crow: City of Angels is essentially a rehash of what came before. Ashe dies, he returns as an almost immortal ghost, and he seeks revenge on his killers, so it’s really just same old, same old.
This film may have a fresh coat of paint, but it’s merely a different shade. Problem is, this shade is far less appealing.
Sure, there are a couple of bright spots, but unfortunately The Crow: City of Angels is largely a dud and dead on arrival. It’s a shame, because there are moments when you can see director Tim Pope trying to pull it all together, but the picture just doesn’t cut it.
When it comes to positives, Vincent Perez is decent as Ashe Corven, and does a fairly admirable job in the lead role. Perez is unable to match the screen presence of previous Crow actor, Brandon Lee, but he’s certainly not bad and at times gives an emotive performance.
The film also benefits from some decent shots and imagery, including a fairly well-staged finale at a Day of the Dead festival. Having composer Graeme Revell back on music duties is also a welcome return, and this means from a visual and audial perspective The Crow: City of Angels makes attempts to entertain.
As for the negatives, there are some ropey performances from some of the supporting cast, including a dreadful turn from Iggy Pop, while the action sequences are fairly bland and do nothing to interest or excite. The story also never hits the level it needs to, and the pacing is all over the place.
For a film which runs less than 90 minutes it sure does drag. Worst of all, it’s quite boring.
While The Crow: City of Angels isn’t awful, it’s simply not that interesting. The film walks a path which is too similar to its predecessor, and ends up being a massive slog.
Die hard fans will find parts to enjoy, and Vincent Perez gives it his best shot, but it’s a mixed bag. Ultimately its greatest crime is it is largely a retread and a pointless one at that, so approach with caution.
Should you wish to watch The Crow: City of Angels, the movie is currently available on digital platforms.
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