DVD Review: Darkman

Way back in 1990, Sam Raimi was not a terribly well known name. He was still a decade away from becoming a superstar director with Spider-Man and his claim to fame was as the director of the cult horror films Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. So, considering is rather low name recognition, it should come as no surprise that he was unable to get the rights to the film he really wanted to make, The Shadow (eventually made by Russell Mulcahy with Alec Baldwin in 1994). Still wanting to make a superhero/comic book style film, he went about creating Darkman and developing a script with Chuck Pfarrer, with input from Ivan Raimi, Daniel Goldin and Joshua Goldin. The result is a wonderful concoction of superhero, gothic horror, comedy, and action. It will never be known as a great film, but there is no denying the fun one can have when watching it.

Let's set the stage. Peyton Westlake is a brilliant scientist with a loving fiancee. His latest project is the creation of an artificial skin to use with burn victims. The only problem is that he cannot seem to make it last longer then 99 minutes when exposed to sunlight, it is breaking down the molecules. Something else they are able to do is make the formed faux-skin look like whatever image they feed into the system.

Peyton's troubles begin through no fault of his own. His fiancee, Julie, is a lawyer investigating a land developer and believes there is something a little underhanded going on. While investigating for potential wrongdoing, she accidentally leaves some incriminating papers at Peyton's, which leads some thugs, with a distinctive leader, hired by said developer to arrive at his lab and proceed to torch the place. Peyton is thrown clear of the explosion, but suffers major burns to his face and body.

Washing up along the nearby river, he is picked up, unconscious and in pain. The hospital he is taken to uses him as a guinea pig for a new procedure that severs nerve clusters so as not to feel the pain. This has the effect of not only stopping the pain, but all feeling, not to mention allowing adrenaline to flow freely through his system, allowing for enhanced strength.

Now, tell me, and be honest, is that not a great superhero origin or what? It gives you a nemesis, sets up the hero's intelligence and abilities, and provides the necessary damsel in distress that the hero needs. It has all of the necessary elements, and it sets them up quickly and efficiently so we can see plenty of our hero in action.

Anyway, Peyton sets up a new lab in an abandoned factory, where he resumes work on his fake skin. Not only is he trying to find a way to resume his life, he also has his eyes set on revenge. The lack of feeling and free-flowing adrenaline is also causing his emotions to run wild, in particular rage and anger. You never know when he is going to be set off into a rage. However, through it all, he still retains his intellect and it is his intellect that will allow him to exact his revenge on Durant and all of those involved in the dismantling of his life, hopes, and dreams.

He uses his skin process to make masks that help him cast doubt and uncertainty among the thugs, and leads to a thinning of the herd, so to speak. All of this leads to a final showdown between Peyton and the man responsible for this situation.

While Darkman is definitely a B-movie, don't hold it against the film. Sam Raimi continues to impress with his lively directorial style. He is flashy without being overbearing, injecting great energy to the project. Joining him behind the scenes is composer extraordinaire, Danny Elfman providing a Batman-esque score that is darkly heroic, and cinematographer Bill Pope who does a great job of capturing just the right angles. Beyond that, there is some really good makeup work done to capture elements as important as Peyton's disfigurement.

Moving onto the screen, there is a strong cast that includes a leading couple that would go on to garner Oscar nominations and an Oscar win between them. Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, a pair that would not immediately spring to mind when thinking of a B superhero/horror film. Neeson keeps the movie grounded, selling the reality. He does a great job of drawing you into his plight and rooting for him to garner his revenge.

It is a fun movie that is as easy to make fun of as it is to enjoy. I admit that, but that does not take anything away from what Raimi and his team are able to accomplish with this film. Perhaps you could look at it as a trial run for Spider-Man?

Audio/Video. This film is part of the Darkman: The Franchise Collection set released by Universal. This is also the first time the film has been released anamorphically, and it looks Okay. It does not seem to have gone through any extensive remastering, which it could use. The disk is a bit to the dark and some detail is lost. Perhaps we will get a better transfer on Blu-ray?

Extras. The original trailer, full-frame no less, and that's it.

Bottomline. There are some great moments of violence and laugh out loud comedy, at the same time there is tender emotion and genuine thrills. What more can you ask for? Pop some corn, call some friends and have some fun.

Recommended.