Rating of
2.5/4
Liam Neeson's 1st action movie was not Taken!
Indyfreak - wrote on 12/07/14
Back in 1990, "Spider-Man trilogy" director Sam Raimi gave curious audiences a superhero movie featuring a protagonist much more similar to the mad scientists of classic monster movies. Economically made at a time when comic-book films were rare (and rarely successful) "Darkman" is less interested in showing a hero rescue cats from trees or send criminals to jail but rather murder them in cold blood out of vengeance instead of justice. Again, harkening back to those monster movies, the hero is less concerned about others but more so for himself a good chunk of the movie. It is this and the gruesome manner he is transformed that would make Darkman a melancholy if not downright bleak film for some.
Still, there is an appropriately campy approach to the proceedings and Liam Neeson devotes himself to the character, doubtlessly a sign of how intense he'll become in later action films like Taken. It's odd seeing Frances McDormand here but Larry Drake and Colin Friels do a good job as the villains.
Due to the schizophrenic character development, off-kilter humor, lack of pace, and an atypically gloomy atmosphere, Darkman is more fascinating as a purported cult film than a competent blockbuster in terms of style although Sam Raimi does mount an admirable effort at convincing us otherwise.
