It’s entirely possible, approaching even quite-likely status, that you’ve seen The Crow, that 1994 goth superhero classic starring Brandon Lee, and none of the three sequels that followed up until 2005. With the original on its parade of anniversary celebrations and the 2024 remake now here, you may be looking into sequencing all The Crow movies in order, seeing that the critics and audience receptions for anything post-original isn’t exactly sterling, and wondering if you should even bother. The answer: Probably not, unless you’re looking to become a true Crow-natic.
There’s no overarching plot, and there is only one shared character between the first two movies, with none of the original actors back. Instead, the franchise is driven by a baseline premise of a guy deep in a passionate, committed relationship who’s murdered and then subsequently resurrected as the avenging angel known as The Crow, back to inflict maximum righteous bird law before returning to the grave.
Lee is a star and revelation in the original ’94 Crow, and was tragically killed during an on-set accident involving a prop gun. Director Alex Proyas and his team make the most out of stark lightning, practical scale models and architecture, and those rooftops you’ll see later in Dark City and The Matrix to create a stylish fever dream film. The sequels feature performers in various going-ups and coming-downs of their careers, including Kirsten Dunst, Tara Reid, and Edward Furlong. Naturally, Danny Trejo is in one of them. But most fans would recommend just watching the original a few more times over anything else.
#1
Adjusted Score: 90992%
Critics Consensus: Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.
#2
Adjusted Score: 15962%
Critics Consensus: The Crow: City of Angels is a sloppy pretender that captures neither the mood nor energy of the original.
#3
Adjusted Score: 9106%
Critics Consensus: The Crow: Salvation adds nothing new to the series and is plagued by bad acting and dialogue.
#4
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#5
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.