The Crow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 84
from 9 reviewers
Review Date:
A fitting tribute to Brandon Lee's legacy, Paramount's 4K UHD remaster of The Crow offers stunning visual fidelity and a superb DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio upgrade, highly recommended.
Disc Release Date
True 4K
HDR10
Dolby Vision
DTS-HD MA
Video: 89
The Crow's 4K UHD Blu-ray from Paramount is a triumph, delivering a superbly detailed, grain-rich presentation that retains its gritty, stylized look. The Dolby Vision HDR enhances inky blacks and vibrant contrast while preserving texture and depth, making it a standout remaster for fans.
Audio: 85
The Crow's 4K UHD Blu-ray maintains a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, echoing its gritty 90s roots with heavy use of surrounds and impactful bass. While dialogue can occasionally be muted, the atmospheric rain effects and potent musical elements, notably the Dark Metal/Goth rock soundtrack, create an engaging auditory experience.
Extra: 74
The Crow's 4K UHD Blu-ray offers a robust compilation of legacy and new features, including two audio commentaries, extended scenes, a deleted footage montage, and a three-part featurette "Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow." The standout additions are insightful reflections on the film's design and an interview with Edward R. Pressman.
Movie: 80
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of 'The Crow' revitalizes the film's brooding gothic aesthetic with a stunning 2160p/Dolby Vision video transfer, enhanced by a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. While the tragic death of Brandon Lee looms over the production, the movie remains a cult classic, showcasing his powerful final performance.
Video: 89
The 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of "The Crow" brought to us by Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment UK is a masterfully executed upgrade. The disc delivers a 3840x2160/24p BT.2020 image in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with High Dynamic Range through Dolby Vision and HDR10 enhancing the visual experience. The remastered 4K video breathes new life into the film, maintaining its gritty, textured aesthetic faithful to the original source material. The film’s noir visual style, with its near-monochromatic palette and stark contrasts, is preserved beautifully. Blacks are incredibly deep and rich, with excellent shadow detail even in the darkest scenes. The inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR is pivotal, accentuating the vivid reds and fiery explosions against the pervasive darkness and adding depth to the imagery without sacrificing the film's original look.
Detail and clarity in "The Crow" are particularly striking. The fine textures of facial wrinkles, pores, and fabric grains stand out sharply, enhancing the grungy, lived-in feel of the urban landscapes. Despite its heavy grain structure, the image maintains a thoroughly filmic quality without excessive DNR or AI processing. This remaster handles the delicate balance of preserving film grain while enhancing detail, creating a natural yet refined presentation. Additionally, the film's 90s era special effects show some softness and blur, but this does not detract significantly from the overall visual impact of this remaster.
The HDR grading enhances color reproduction substantially. While the film predominantly uses dark tones and muted colors, specific elements such as blood and explosions pop vividly, providing visual relief amidst the shadowy backdrops. The black levels are impeccably maintained, contributing to a high-contrast presentation that remains true to the director's vision. Paramount’s remastering effort results in a UHD release that is bound to satisfy fans and provide a significant upgrade over previous Blu-ray editions. The seamless blend of modern technology with classic stylistic elements ensures that "The Crow" looks better than ever on today’s 4K displays.
Audio: 85
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Crow" presents a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that brings the film's gothic and action-heavy dynamics to life with impressive intensity. The soundscape adeptly balances the iconic Dark Metal/Goth rock/orchestral soundtrack with powerful sound effects, creating an immersive atmosphere that suits the film's gritty aesthetic. Notably, the track is consistent with previous Lionsgate releases, retaining the immersive qualities without upgrading to an object-based format like Dolby Atmos.
Environmental details such as persistent rain and the intense urban backdrop provide a rich ambient backdrop, enveloping listeners in the film's dark, moody setting. The rear channels are prominently utilized, enhancing scenes with well-defined environmental sounds and contributing to an engaging 360-degree auditory experience. Although the track's bass isn't particularly heavy, it supports action sequences effectively with enough depth and punch to deliver impactful moments without overwhelming the dialogue.
Dialogue reproduction, while generally clear and centered, occasionally falls short in volume, sometimes getting overshadowed by the more explosive sequences. This might require some volume adjustment on the listener's part. However, the musical elements, particularly Graeme Revell's score, maintain superior clarity and integration within the soundfield, making for an energetic listening experience. While an upgrade for more sophisticated audio codecs would have been welcome, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix remains a robust and faithful representation of "The Crow’s" signature audio profile.
Extra: 74
Paramount's 4K UHD release of "The Crow" offers a comprehensive collection of legacy and new extras that will delight fans. This release notably includes most legacy features from previous Blu-ray and DVD editions, ensuring a rich historical perspective. Noteworthy additions include a three-part featurette titled Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow, which provides an insightful look into the film’s production design, music, and cinematography. Complementing this is an interview with Edward R. Pressman focusing on Sideshow Collectibles. The release also features archival material such as two audio commentaries, extended scenes, and behind-the-scenes content which offers a deeper dive into the film’s making and its cultural impact.
Extras included in this disc:
- Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow: A three-part feature.
- Angels All Fire: Birth of the Legend: Explores production design and music.
- On Hallowed Ground: The Outer Realm: Discusses cinematography and set design.
- Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces: Focuses on set decoration and Brandon Lee's performance.
- Sideshow Collectibles: An Interview with Edward R. Pressman: Covers collectibles and Pressman's career.
- Audio Commentary with Director Alex Proyas
- Audio Commentary by Producer Jeff Most and Screenwriter John Shirley
- Behind the Scenes Featurette: Insights into the film’s production.
- A Profile on James O’Barr: Explores the creator’s influence and contributions.
- Extended Scenes: Includes The Arcade Bombing, The Funboy Fight, The Shootout at Top Dollar's.
- Deleted Footage Montage
- Trailer
Movie: 80
"The Crow," directed by Alex Proyas and starring the late Brandon Lee, remains an iconic film rooted in tragedy, style, and significant cultural impact. Adapted from James O'Barr's graphic novel, the film narrates the haunting tale of Eric Draven—a musician resurrected to exact vengeance on his murderers. The dark and atmospheric cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, combined with Graeme Revell's score, crafts an immersive gothic universe that has notably influenced subsequent films and media.
Despite a modest budget, "The Crow" showcases impressive practical and optical effects, reinforcing its moody, rain-soaked aesthetic. Lee's impassioned performance elevates the film; his embodiment of Eric Draven is both physically commanding and emotionally profound. His tragic death during the final days of shooting meant significant rewrites and visual effects to complete the film, adding a melancholic layer to its legacy.
The character-driven narrative is supplemented by strong supporting performances from Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, and Bai Ling. However, while the film's posthumous release heightened its cult status, it's undeniable that Lee's promise as a rising star contributes heavily to the movie's enduring appeal. Ultimately, "The Crow" is remembered not just for its unique visual style and compelling score but also as a poignant tribute to Brandon Lee's unfulfilled potential.
Total: 84
Alex Proyas’s "The Crow" remains a captivating and tragic story, heightened by Brandon Lee's poignant final performance. Paramount's 4K UHD release marks the film's 30th anniversary with a significant audio-visual upgrade. The Dolby Vision HDR provides an impressive native 4K remastering that brings out the film’s darkly gothic visuals in stunning detail. Although some might miss the absence of an Atmos track, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is robust, enhancing the atmospheric score and sound effects integral to the film's brooding ambiance.
The packaging, particularly the steelbook edition, is a standout, capturing the film’s aesthetic perfectly and making it more than just a collector’s item. Additionally, both old and new extras add value, making this release a fitting tribute to a cult classic. While "The Crow" stirred controversy and emotion due to the on-set tragedy, this version does justice to Lee's legacy and the film’s enduring impact on pop culture.
In conclusion, Paramount's 4K UHD release of "The Crow" is highly recommended. The remastering effort delivers the film in its best possible presentation, ensuring that it resonates with both long-time fans and newcomers. This beautifully packaged edition celebrates the film’s legacy and Brandon Lee's unforgettable performance, making it a must-own for any serious collection.
avforums review by Casimir HarlowRead review here
Video: 100
The Crow comes to Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment UK, and thankfully - despite the studio's questionable 4K history - the results are universally excellent, revitalising...
Audio: 90
a slew of excellent song tracks Dialogue has always been a little muted with this film, not least because of the lack of a star to complete ADR - but we've had it a lot worse, including on lossy prior...
Extras: 90
It's not perfect, we're still missing a couple of stills and storyboards galleries for no apparent reason, but in terms of new material the short new Interview with the Producers offers a few nice reflections...
Movie: 80
These scenes, at least in the comic, showed a love and warmth that was not present in the rest of the story, and would have worked well when juxtaposed with it (think about the horrific Gasper Noe drama...
Total: 90
A flawed but compelling vision, Alex Proyas’s The Crow was steeped in tragedy – not least in its horrific revenge plot, but also of the real-life variety: both the needless death that inspired the story,...
AV Nirvana review by Michael ScottRead review here
Video: 90
Daylight scenes have a weird sepia look to them, but the majority of the film is bathed in blackness....
Audio: 90
Back channel musical bits are strongly represented, and while the dynamic range isn’t massive, it still gives us some hot and heavy action bits....
Extras: 80
• NEW Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow -- Angels All Fire: Birth of the Legend -- On Hallowed Ground: The Outer Realm -- Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces • NEW Sideshow Collectibles : An Interview...
Movie: 100
There’s some dated green screen effects going on, but overall the movie itself is visceral, powerfully scored, and has that absolutely perfect amount of 90s angst mixed into a blood soaked revenge action...
Total: 90
There’s been some halfway decent sequels ( City of Angels wasn’t half bad, but the rest are garbage) and a new remake coming out this year, but the original will still go down as one of the best kept secrets...
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 100
Black levels are absolutely critical to a viewing, and the Dolby Vision grading presents blacks with awesome depth and accuracy, offering viewers a prime experience that hits blacks for stability and realism,...
Audio: 90
The track soars (literally as the case may sometimes be) but really finds its footing in the more intensive musical and action elements, the former of which often favors popular music as much as score,...
Extras: 80
Angels All Fire: Birth of the Legend (7:07): Production Designer Alex McDowell explores music in the film, the production design and stylization, the noir inspired visual elements, and more....
Movie: 70
A few new extras are included and most of the legacy content from the original 2011 Lionsgate release is also included....
Total: 80
It's a gorgeous image supported by a terrific 5.1 lossless soundtrack (fans might bemoan the absence of an Atmos mix, but this is at least Parmount's established pattern and not a dis to this specific...
Blu-ray Authority review by Matt MaloufRead review here
Video: 80
Sharpness and all were on point and the extra details that 4K brings to what is a considerably dark film visually are nice....
Audio: 80
Vocals had the crispness I expected, and the rear channels stayed active throughout a large portion of the film....
Extras: 70
Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces – Finally we get a look at the set as well as around it and also commented on is Lee’s performance in the movie....
Movie: 0
Certainly, he handles the physical stuff well, and it’s certainly a good performance, considering the extensive reworking that had to be done after his death....
Total: 70
It’s a film whose fate may not be known otherwise had its star not been killed in such a tragic and senseless manner....
The Digital Bits review by Stephen BjorkRead review here
Video: 95
The bright reds and oranges of the explosions now really stand out against the black backgrounds, the reds and golden hues of the flashbacks are more vivid, and the strobe effects like the one during the...
Audio: 90
Of course, it’s the music that matters the most in creating the world of The Crow, and both the score and the songs are well-supported in the mix....
Extras: 85
The Alex Proyas commentary was originally recorded for the 2011 Lionsgate Blu-ray release, and he states up front that he wants to address some of the myths about the film that have developed over the...
Movie: 90
The source of grief for all of these films has proven to be finite, and the wounds have begun to fade....
Total: 90
Paramount has been a bit inconsistent with their 4K releases, and while it would be a gross exaggeration to call them hit-or-miss, there’s no denying that some of the results of their digital restoration...
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
Early digital composites have unavoidable issues, but the rest maintains a consistent clarity and precision....
Audio: 80
In 5.1, rears engage often throughout the soundstage, rain and thunder seemingly a constant presence....
Extras: 60
The first explores The Crow’s design, the other a unique (if clearly commercial) piece that focuses on Sideshow Collectible’s process....
Movie: 80
Ethically, it’s a debate without end, but without Miramax salvaging the broken production, The Crow’s lasting influence wouldn’t have redirected the genre away from its cartoonish pulpy action....
Total: 75
A grungy comic book flick ruminating on death, The Crow left a lasting impact on a subset of pop culture....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Still, primaries appear a tad fuller and accurate than its HD SDR counterpart, and in spite of whatever minor drawbacks exist, the Dolby Vision HDR presentation is nonetheless the best the movie has ever...
Audio: 80
There is also better rear activity with various ambient effects discretely and smoothly moving all around the listening area, creating a more immersive and satisfying soundfield than before....
Extras: 60
Designing The Crow (HD) is a short three-part documentary looking at various aspects of the production, from the adaptation and overall design to the music and performances Angels All Fire: Birth of the...
Movie: 60
Much of this news ran concurrently with the filmmakers still planning to complete the movie — which was met with some controversy of its own — using the latest advancements in CGI effects, stunt doubles...
Total: 80
Along with a couple of new extras joining the same set of supplements as before, the UHD SteelBook makes for a Recommended addition to the library....
Home Theater Forum review by Neil MiddlemissRead review here
Video: 90
Filmed with 35mm and shot with J-D-C cameras (framed at 1.85:1), the film grain is protected and natural, black levels are lovely, and the Dolby Vision HDR grading is modest....
Audio: 90
Dialogue is clear, surrounds active enough with the persistent rain, and Graeme Revell’s score benefits nicely....
Extras: 70
A mix of old and brand-new special features, including the three-part making of that runs about 25 minutes....
Movie: 90
His likable charm and humanity are vital pieces of The Crow’s power, a lightness amongst the darkness without which the film would have been a tougher view....
Total: 90
A dark and moody piece of filmmaking, it’s a classic form of origin filmmaking that we’ve seen before, and certainly myriad times since, but it remains a potent example of how to create a world, a hero,...
Why So Blu? review by Brian WhiteRead review here
Video: 90
Fine detail like cracks in the white makeup, facial wrinkles, hair follicles, pores and even leather grain is prominently chiseled throughout despite all the darkness....
Audio: 80
The Crow‘s audio presentation on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray will rock your viewing environment in both the action sense and musical, which I highlighted above in regards to the film’s stellar soundtrack....
Extras: 70
Newly remastered, The Crow arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc with new and legacy bonus content and access to a Digital copy of the film....
Movie: 70
It’s because when I think of The Crow I think of the movie’s soundtrack that came out prior to the film and contained Stone Temple Pilot’s “Big Empty,” which would would go onto huge commercial success...
Total: 80
This one is purely for the fans as it looks to be the trend right now as they seem to be releasing everything they can nowadays on 4K Ultra HD to get every last buck possible....
Director: Alex Proyas
Actors: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis
PlotOn the night before Halloween, known as Devil's Night in Detroit, rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée Shelly Webster are brutally murdered by a gang of criminals. The couple, who were supposed to be married the following day, meet a tragic end at the hands of the violent thugs. Eric is killed when he is thrown out of a window, while Shelly is subjected to a horrendous assault before dying at the hospital from her injuries. Their souls cannot rest, and a year later, driven by the profound injustice of their untimely deaths, a supernatural force intervenes.
Accompanied by a mysterious crow, Eric is resurrected from the grave to exact revenge against those who took everything from him. The crow serves as a guide and protector, leading Eric on his relentless quest for vengeance. His resurrection grants him otherworldly abilities, including being impervious to physical harm, which he uses to track down and confront the gang members responsible for the attack. Driven by love that transcends death and a need to right what was wronged, Eric's crusade becomes a dark, poetic justice for both himself and Shelly, as he seeks to bring peace to their spirits. As he systematically tackles the gang, the depths of corruption within the city's underbelly begin to unfold, revealing a larger web of crime and evil than initially anticipated.
Writers: James O'Barr, David J. Schow, John Shirley
Release Date: 13 May 1994
Runtime: 102 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English