The Crow: Salvation Blu-ray Review
Shout Factory Exclusive Limited - 1,620 copies
Score: 53
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The Crow: Salvation struggles with lackluster performances and direction, but offers a solid 5.1 audio mix and decent Blu-ray upgrade despite its budget constraints.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 35
The Crow: Salvation's Blu-ray presentation uses an outdated AVC encoded master, likely from DVD days, resulting in filtered details, lifeless skin tones, and muddy colors. While some facial and costume details are decent, the image lacks vibrancy and depth, revealing its need for a fresh scan and restoration.
Audio: 75
The Crow: Salvation's audio presentation shines with its DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, offering clear dialogue and emotive scoring, utilizing surrounds for musical and atmospheric depth, while balancing front-heavy focus with dynamic low-end effects in action scenes.
Extra: 51
The Blu-ray extras for 'The Crow: Salvation' offer a comprehensive revisit of legacy content with in-depth audio commentary featuring Bharat Nalluri and crew, insightful behind-the-scenes looks, including interviews with key cast and creatives, as well as intriguing features on production design, makeup, and bird training intricacies.
Movie: 46
The Crow: Salvation, the third entry in the series, struggles with uninspired plotlines and a thin budget, relying on Eric Mabius’s earnest performance and scarring makeup concept. Attempts at suspense falter into repetitive 90s action clichés, but the film remains a serviceable if unremarkable continuation of the Crow's legacy.
Video: 35
The video presentation of "The Crow: Salvation" on Blu-ray, encoded with AVC in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, appears to be sourced from an older HD master, likely from the days of DVD releases. The presentation results in a generally lackluster display where image detail, particularly on skin and costume textures, is noticeably filtered out. Exterior shots suffer from a slight blur, while interior scenes come across as fuzzy, lacking clarity in decorative elements. The colors, showing signs of age, display limited vibrancy with muddied extreme hues, such as reds, while primary colors offer only mild appeal. Skin tones appear notably lifeless, yet the compression holds together satisfactorily, indicating the source is in decent condition.
Although the transfer seems to stem from an aged master, perhaps even the same one used for previous DVDs and EU market discs, it delivers a "better-than-average" upscale quality. Facial and costume details are discernible, which adds some value to the visual experience. However, the transfer clearly could have benefitted from a fresh scan and comprehensive restoration to elevate the image with more depth. Colors appear relatively well-maintained; nonetheless, black levels present a challenge with their thick, chunky presence that contributes to the overall flatness of the image.
Despite these visual shortcomings, it is not devoid of merit and carries an acceptable quality that supports the film’s narrative without significant distraction. This release maintains competence in its video compression but falls short of delivering a truly revitalized experience, leaving room for future improvement should an opportunity for a remaster arise.
Audio: 75
The audio presentation of "The Crow: Salvation" on Blu-ray is largely facilitated by a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, accompanied by a DTS-HD MA 2.0 option. The 5.1 track, which stands out as the preferred choice, adeptly manages the film's primarily dialogue-driven scenes, ensuring clarity and emotional resonance in performances. Music from Marco Beltrami’s score is delivered cleanly, enhancing the atmospheric tension with commendable instrumentation and strategic positioning across the soundstage. Sound effects remain crisp and impactful, while the low-end frequencies lend weight to the film's more violent sequences without overwhelming the overall balance.
The soundtrack selections emerge vigorously, particularly in surround channels that inject an aggressive edge to musical elements while maintaining the integrity of vocal delivery. Surrounds are effectively utilized during pivotal action sequences, enriching the experience with dimensionality and cityscape immersion, though they may revert to a more front-heavy focus during less dynamic scenes. The film's atmospheric layers are well-articulated, capturing urban sounds and crowd movements with accuracy.
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track provides a competent alternative for viewers employing stereo systems or headphones, translating the core audio elements adequately, though it lacks the spatial richness of the 5.1 mix. For those seeking an engrossing auditory experience that capitalizes on the Blu-ray format’s capabilities, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is recommended for its encompassing audio landscape and effective support of the film's emotive and narrative cues.
Extras: 51
The Blu-Ray extras for "The Crow: Salvation" offer a comprehensive exploration of the film's production, artistry, and unique elements. Key to these extras is the audio commentary featuring director Bharat Nalluri and other pivotal contributors, offering a well-edited tapestry of insights into the film's creation. The Behind the Scenes featurette provides a glimpse into the film's atmosphere, lauding Nalluri's stylistic direction and dedication. "Who's That Bird?" introduces Magic, the crow, and his trainer Larry Payne, underscoring the feathered star's significant role across the three movies. The "Behind the Makeup" segment delves into the creative makeup design process, essential in bringing the protagonist to life. Complementing these are technical insights from production design and collective visual nostalgia via an image gallery and trailer.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Insights from various key contributors, edited seamlessly.
- Behind the Scenes: Interviews and making-of insights.
- Who's That Bird?: A focus on the crow Magic and trainer Larry Payne.
- Behind the Makeup: Make-up process and design discussions.
- Featurette: Focus on production design.
- Image Gallery: Collection of posters and stills.
- Home Video Trailer: Original promotional content.
Movie: 46
"The Crow: Salvation," directed by Bharat Nalluri and scripted by Chip Johannessen, struggles to uphold the legacy of its cultural predecessor. The narrative follows Alex Corvis, portrayed by Eric Mabius, who finds himself posthumously unraveling a web of deceit and corruption following his wrongful execution for the murder of his girlfriend, Lauren. While Alex’s resurrection, propelled by a supernatural crow, adds intrigue, the film falls into the pitfalls of formulaic storytelling, lacking the vitality and stylistic edge that defined the original 1994 offering. Nalluri’s direction attempts to inject visual flair reminiscent of a White Zombie music video, but is often hampered by uninspired menace and dystopian elements. The soundtrack choices, intended to provide an alternative edge, fall flat, failing to elevate the film above its pedestrian execution.
Despite its flaws, "The Crow: Salvation" offers some redeeming qualities. The transformation of Alex's crow persona through execution scars rather than traditional makeup provides a fresh twist on a familiar formula. Mabius delivers a commendable performance along with Kirsten Dunst as Erin, Lauren's sister. Their dynamic adds some emotional depth amid a narrative bogged down by cliché and predictability. The film integrates a mystery element that initially promises a "Whodunit?" twist, yet it ultimately succumbs to the conventions of 90s action thriller tropes.
Overall, while "The Crow: Salvation" presents itself as a marginally superior effort compared to its predecessor "The Crow: City of Angels," it remains hindered by budget constraints and reliance on recycled themes. The film serves as a cursory addition to the franchise, unable to come close to the profound impact of its iconic predecessor. Fans of the series may appreciate it for its attempt to maintain continuity, but it's unlikely to resonate as a standalone piece in cinematic history.
Total: 53
"The Crow: Salvation" attempts to carry forward the legacy of a beloved franchise but falls short in several critical areas. The film struggles to deliver suspense as the lead performance by Eric Mabius lacks emotional depth, leaving the character's turmoil unconvincing. Similarly, the supporting cast fails to ignite the material into something memorable, and the antagonist, played by Fred Ward, appears disengaged. The film prioritizes action over character development, sacrificing the franchise's characteristic grit for a more forgettable execution, despite director Bharat Nalluri's efforts.
Despite these shortcomings, "The Crow: Salvation" presents a respectable attempt within the confines of its budgetary limitations. Transitioning from Miramax to Dimension Films, the reduced resources are evident, yet there appears to be genuine effort behind the production. The Blu-ray release by Scream Factory provides an enhanced viewing experience compared to previous DVD versions, though it could benefit from a more thorough restoration. The 5.1 audio mix delivers satisfactorily, and bonus features offer enough insights to keep fans engaged, though not enough to fully redeem the film's shortcomings.
In conclusion, while "The Crow: Salvation" doesn't meet the expectations set by its predecessor or establish itself as a standout sequel, it still holds value for franchise enthusiasts. The audiovisual quality is serviceable but may not justify the asking price for newcomers. Nonetheless, for dedicated fans, it remains worth exploring, particularly as it distinguishes itself as a relatively stronger entry following the iconic original.
Blu-ray.com review by Brian OrndorfRead review here
Video: 40
Detail is largely filtered out, with a limited view of skin particulars and costuming choices, and some haloing is present....
Audio: 80
Scoring is clean, offering appreciable instrumentation and position, supporting dramatic moods....
Extras: 70
The interviewee celebrates the animal's intelligence and playfulness, also highlighting how he works with the elements of "Crow" world, including night shoots and rain....
Movie: 40
"The Crow" worked as a stylish offering of doom and revenge, and Lee was incredible in it, but instead of walking away from a horrible situation, producers made the decision to keep going, with plenty...
Total: 40
Love is the power that's meant to fuel this version of "The Crow," but relationships aren't emphasized, pushed aside for T.V.-style bad cop action and lackluster direction from Nalluri, who's trying to...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 40
It has the look and feel of a better-than-average upscale, there are some decent facial and costume details, but it definitely could have benefitted from a fresh scan and some restoration TLC....
Audio: 80
The 2.0 track handles the workload nicely overall, I only previewed a few scenes with it and if you’re rocking headphones for your viewing it’s a nice mix, but the 5.1 is the better of the two....
Extras: 40
The audio commentary is the meatiest piece of the set, it’s a stacked collection of participants, they were recorded separately but it’s nicely edited together so each individual offers their experiences...
Movie: 60
After one amazing film, three sequels of mixed quality, and a bizarre but entertaining television show, we now have the remake The Crow to look forward to....
Total: 60
It’s not amazing, you can feel the slim budget as the property moved from the prestige Miramax banner and slid down to the more genre-focused (and budget-conscious) Dimension Films, but you can also feel...
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Actors: Kirsten Dunst, William Atherton, Debbie Fan
PlotAlex Corvis is wrongfully convicted for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Lauren Randall. Despite his protestations of innocence, Alex is sentenced to death by electric chair. On the day of his execution, he vows to uncover the truth and find Lauren's real assassin. After his execution, Alex is resurrected by a mystical crow, which grants him superhuman abilities and allows him to communicate with the spirit world. Now guided by vengeance and supernatural power, Alex sets out on a mission to unearth the conspiracy surrounding Lauren's death.
Using clues from his fragmented memories, Alex investigates those involved in the case, discovering corruption within a group of officers linked to a crime syndicate. As he tracks down the individuals who framed him, Alex forms an alliance with Erin Randall, Lauren's sister, who is determined to clear Alex's name and seek justice for her sister's killer. As allies, they face danger at every turn, peeling back layers of deception, while Alex struggles with his own humanity. Together, they connect pieces of evidence that lead them ever closer to exposing the hidden truths. As the web of lies unravels, Alex realizes that revenge alone will not bring peace, and he must decide between vengeance and justice.
Writers: James O'Barr, Chip Johannessen
Release Date: 28 Jun 2000
Runtime: 102 min
Rating: R
Country: Germany, United States
Language: English