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Best movie of this year hands down!

Must See Movie...

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I have long maintained that in an age when Hollywood seems to have run out of inspiration there is no better place to go then into the past. Not the 80s or even 90s but even further back, the 60s and older. The best movies that should be remade are bad movies, this is no truer then with old b-movies most of which had interesting ideas but were held down by the technical and financial restrictions of the time. This is why remakes of those old movies work so well; 'John's Carpenter's the Thing' is of course the best example but what about Alien? Technically speaking Alien could be considered a remake of 'It! The Terror From Beyond Space', a movie which the filmmakers had seen, hence the term 'a B-movie done A'. Need further convincing? Well then look no further then Darkman. While the plot of 'scientist uses experimental research to take revenge on those who wronged him' is not new this is the first time it is taken to its logical next step and used as the backstory for a superhero. Despite this the movie never sheds its root; throughout the film you can see influences of a lot of old b-movies; The Projected Man, the Amazing Colossal Man and The Phantom of the Opera. In fact the Phantom of the Opera is the most subtle because it manifests itself in a particular design choice; most Phantom of the Opera adaptations have the phantom having a normal face except for the right half which he covers with a mask, Darkman's face is disfigured except for a small part which is on the left. This is no coincidence, director Sam Raimi did have the old Universal films in mind when he made this film and he succeeds in creating an updated looking version of the style. More subtle then Tim Burton's interpretation of the Hammer look for 'Sleepy Hollow'. Raimi also brings his distinct directing style to the project which infuses it with high energy through creative camera work, mind blowing effects (the helicopter chase scene blew my mind) and creative editing. This distinct visual style combines with the sly humour of the film to give it its own personality similar to RoboCop. Then there's the acting; the cast all do a great job but points go to Darkman himself. Raimi wanted to cast regular Bruce Campbell in the role of Darkman but Universal didn't like a relatively unknown actor in the role and so Raimi cast Liam Neeson instead (for Bruce Campbell fans don't worry, he gets his obligatory cameo at the end of the film). This decision was for the best because Neeson knocks it clear into orbit with his performance and manages to situate himself as one of my favourite actors; He goes from tortured to angry to insane to tragic in the space of a nanosecond and still allows the audience to empathise with him. Another thing I want to compliment is the film's content; most times when a film is rated R it feels like they add sex, violence and language unnecessarily. This film is ultra-violent but more in a RoboCop style and the rest of the R content feels natural, nothing feels like it was artificially added afterwards to crank the rating up. The final thing I want to compliment is the music. It's incredible how superhero soundtracks seem to fall into two categories; Danny Elfman or background noise. Despite also being composed by Danny Elfman (does he just compose all Superhero movies scores?) Darkman has a distinct soundtrack which manages to escort the audience on the film's roller-coaster ride while sounding distinct and original. All in all Darkman is a masterpiece; a textbook example of how to rework an old idea and how to make a superhero film. Not for younger audiences obviously but well worth the wait.

Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels and Larry Drake star in Sam Raimi's 1990 action film. Neeson (Taken) plays scientist, Peyton Westlake who is on the verge of completing a synthetic skin experiment. Soon, he's badly burned and left for dead after a gang of thugs break into his lab seeking a document. Peyton hides in the shadows desperately trying to regain his life and exacts revenge on them and their boss, Robert Durant (Drake) by cleverly disguising himself with their looks. McDormand (Fargo) plays Peyton's girlfriend, Julie Hastings who is a lawyer and Friels plays her crooked, business partner, Louis Strack who is the one pulling Durant's strings. Raimi's brother, Ted appears briefly as Rick, one of Durant's thugs, Director, John Landis and his "An American Werewolf in London" co-star, Jenny Agutter also make cameos along with Raimi and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead). This a good action/revenge flick with Gothic, comic book and slapstick aspects. Neeson is great as usual, He & McDormand have good chemistry, Danny Elfman's score is great as usual and Tony Gardner's make-up effects are also great. I recommend this.

Many people think the "Spider-Man" trilogy was director Sam Raimi's first crack at the comic book and super hero genres. Although Darkman was an original creation of the "Evil Dead" helmsman, the character was born out of Raimi's frustration at not being able to acquire the rights to make a Batman or Shadow movie. In essence, he worked backwards. The movie came first and then the comic followed.Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is on the brink of discovering the secret to creating synthetic skin when his laboratory is raided and destroyed by mobsters. Left for dead, the scientist is scarred and deformed beyond recognition. He takes on the alter ego of Darkman, using his synthetic skin to take on the identity of his enemies and exact revenge upon them for his plight."Darkman" Collector's Edition is rated R for violence and language. If the movie were put out today, it easily would've been given a PG-13 rating. There's no nudity or adult situations.Some people might be offended by Darkman's willingness to take a life. Unlike Superman or even Batman these days, the character has no problem dropping bad guys from a flying helicopter or blowing them up in his lab. You might say he lives by the credo "An eye for an eye."The movie also delves into the concept of unconditional love. Can Dr. Westlake's girlfriend (Frances McDormand) accept him the way he looks now? It also begs the question, "What are you willing to give up to get revenge?""Darkman" is a great example of Sam Raimi's early work as he climbed the ladder to become one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. It's a testimony to the perseverance of a filmmaker doing what he wants. If Raimi couldn't make his Batman or Shadow movie, he'd just combine the two into one character and do his own thing. He was successful as is proved by the large cult following the movie has.

There are so many superheroes out there that they have lots of similarities vis-a-vis appearance and behavior - thus, the plot and/or depiction should contain catchy angles. I think the team under Sam Raimi has succeeded in this: although Darkman has obvious references to e.g. Shadow, Zorro and Phantom of the Opera, the result is good and interesting to follow, with good character actors (Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Larry Drake, above all), and all this in the style of older film noir. There are not too many supernatural things, but decent fight between good and evil, honesty and greed, where losses are suffered by both sides. And as the creators realized their technical options, then the movie is watchable even today even by admirers of digital effects (apart from a helicopter chase, perhaps). The pace is even, and less than 1,5 hours is just the length for pensive entertainment, without ridiculous profundity or protracted tearful scenes.