Nearly three decades after filmmaker Alex Proyas (Dark City) brought James O'Barr's graphic novel The Crow to the screen to dazzling effect, Sideshow Collectibles have created a statue that more than lives up to the film's legendary stature. The Crow Premium Format Figure presents undead avenger Eric Draven with the likeness of Brandon Lee, doing justice to both the character and the late actor's portrayal. FANGORIA unboxes this dark spirit of vengeance in all his glory, which you can check out in detail below.
Art Box
The image of Draven standing amid fire brings to mind the original British Quad poster for the film, whose brazen tagline boasted "Darker Than The Bat." The design of both sides of the box is formidable, delivering a somewhat obscured view of the statue while emphasizing the fire element prevalent in the base.
Packaging
As always, Sideshow earns high marks for its thoughtful packaging of the delicate elements of this very breakable statue. Everything is wrapped to avoid shipping or storage damage, with the Styrofoam cavities created to specifically limit movement in transit.
Base
The firey base helps to establish the hellish turmoil Draven is in during the story and also evokes the way fire is used in the film. The illustration on the bottom of the base is lovely, ensuring that there's something to look at on every inch of this piece.
Body
Luckily you don't have to take agonizing minutes carefully dressing the figure in the black leather trench coat since it's already pre-applied to the body. This simplifies assembly and prevents any weird creases from packing the coat separately. One peg in the rear boot is all that's needed to attach.
Hand
The hands are the one area where a little more care could have been applied. Painter Bernardo Esquivel's work on past statues (and on the rest of The Crow piece) is usually stellar, but the hands have the leather straps painted with some flesh-tone overlap that doesn't vibe with the realistic work on the rest of it. There's also very little hand detail (creases, color variation) in comparison to some other pieces Sideshow has done. That said, it's a pretty minor glitch in an otherwise well-made statue.
Shotgun
This weapon is very straightforward and cool, the size of it giving The Crow an impressive silhouette. The hand here suffers from the same minor glitch the other one has.
Head
This is easily the highlight of the statue, where Esquivel's gradations in the forehead face paint are gorgeous, as are the subtle cross-hatchings on the eyebrows, which evoke the original comic book illustrations. Steve Lord and Matt Black's sculpting brings Lee's memorable visage to life and a soulful look to the eyes.
Crow
In the original comics, Draven could actually transform into a crow, but that was altered in the film to him merely having a telepathic connection to the animal. The crow serves as something of a gothic Jiminy Cricket, resurrecting Draven and guiding him on his quest for vengeance. As you can see, the likeness of this crow is simple and effective. The mid-flap pose brings a dramatic flair to our harlequin hero. The peg attaches to the back, although the leather jacket makes the connection somewhat precarious, so make sure the peg is firmly placed. Although Sideshow lists the statue as being entirely polystone, the crow itself may be a more flexible material so as to prevent breakage.
Full Reveal
There he is, Eric Draven, ready for action. The trenchcoat has a built-in wire armature to allow easy posability, and the left hand is positioned to grab onto the fabric. Standing 22" inches tall and 11.3" inches wide, everything about this pose and the overall design brings instant recognition of the 1994 film down to the smallest detail.
Face
Although we already looked at the head sculpt, this alternate direct angle on the face shows off how haunting and beautiful the work is here. It looks exactly like the character portrayed by Lee (and later by his stunt double Chad Stahelski under heavy makeup), emphasizing not the COOLNESS of revenge but the SORROW of it.
Profile
If you wish to display the piece at a different angle, the profile is also quite nice. One of the best ways to judge a statue is if it looks good from any angle, not just head-on. This one passes with flying colors.
Torso
Esther Skandunas always does amazing cut and sew work, but what she's done here is outstanding. Look at the individual buttons and the brace around the leg. The material and craftsmanship are all next-level.
Boots
Whatever detail is missing from the hands is more than made up for in the boots, which are intricately detailed right down to the haphazard lacing that gives Draven his raggedy, on-the-edge appearance.
Trench Coat
Skandunas' brilliant work continues to the jacket, emphasizing why a fan would go the extra mile to get a Sideshow piece. The work that's put into the soft goods is unreal. Just look at the individual buttons, ΒΌ scaled perfectly.
Reverse View
The back of the statue cuts a similarly striking pose, with the crow itself more visible along with the shotgun. If you were to display it this way, there would still be no doubt which hero this piece represented, with Draven walking towards his hellish destiny.
Bullet Holes
In a detail most companies would never bother with, there are three noticeable bullet holes in the back of the coat, with blood effects applied around the tearing.
Overhead
Not every statue looks great from an overhead vantage, but this one does. It's the kind of vertigo-inducing composition Alex Proyas might have employed in the film, and if you displayed this piece on a lower shelf, just know that it will still look tight.
Tribute
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed the life of actor Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow. During a scene shot on March 31, 1993, a prop gun accidentally loaded with a bullet lodged in the barrel went off and fatally shot Lee (as chronicled in Shudder's Cursed Films). The circumstances of Lee's untimely death at age 28, combined with the movie's content emphasizing the afterlife, catapulted The Crow to not only initial box office success but a longstanding cult following for both the character and Lee himself. His powerful characterization showed a range that would have made him an enduring star had he lived to complete the movie. It could have been a dicey prospect creating a statue with Lee's likeness had it not been done with the greatest respect for the actor, which this one has.
Worth It
Although the movie is almost three decades old (with an impending remake), the legacy of The Crow endures to this day. Along with healthy repeat viewings of the film, Sideshow Collectibles' The Crow Premium Format Figure is the perfect way for fans to keep Brandon Lee's legacy alive in their homes. In the realm of most of the Premium Format line, it retails for $600 dollars with flexible payment options available. The company also has a sixth-scale The Crow action figure loaded with accessories (including a guitar) available in a limited edition.
