Review: Darkman (1990)

With Drag Me To Hell being heralded as a return to his roots, and word of yet another Spider-Man film, Sam Raimi’s Darkman deserves a revisit. Made on the heels of Tim Burton’s hugely successful Batman, Raimi’s vision of comic book hero plays up to his strengths as a no-holds-barred filmmaker willing to push the boundaries of live action horror, action, and comedy. With Darkman, Raimi crams a plethora of pyrotechnics, camera effects, and bizarre lighting touches into each frame that it’s hard not to feel both exhilarated and exhausted. It’s simply not enough to have a stunt where Darkman (disfigured scientist Peyton Westlake, played by Liam Neeson) battles the formidable henchman Robert G. Durant (Larry Drake) on a helicopter. No, Raimi has Darkman hanging on the end of a long wire as the helicopter weaves in and out of L.A.’s office towers. It’s not enough that the final battle takes place atop a skyscraper; instead Raimi pushes further and has them battling on a partially built skeleton skyscraper, while the characters hang precariously on steel beams. There are several moments in Darkman where Raimi’s over-the-top style threatens to smother the film in artifice and production design, but Raimi grounds the film by giving Neeson’s character a proper through line, focusing on the anguish and indecision plaguing him. His style, which is a fusion of satire, dark humor and the macabre, work seamlessly together, creating a superhero film that’s fun and darkly poignant at the same time. It’s no wonder the studios sought Raimi when they undertook the Spider-Man franchise. Several sequence in Spider-Man—particularly the ending with Mary Jane hanging on for dear life as a damsel in distress—owe their roots to Darkman. And speaking of origin stories, the sequence early in the film that details the horrific lab accident and the transformation of Liam Neeson’s character into Darkman is one of most thrilling and wildly original sequences in the history of comic book films. The music by Danny Elfman heralds back to some of his best work, including Batman, but here it is more playful, mixing high drama with a bittersweet, poignant melody reminiscent of Carter Burwell’s work Miller’s Crossing. The film is fun, dark, and in every respect original. And besides, there’s a cameo appearance by Raimi regular, Bruce Campbell.

Richard Saad
© Cinephile Magazine, 2009