#darkmanmovie

[naarrt]

They say the perfect car air freshener doesn’t exist. #iamdarkman #whoisdarkman #darkman #darkmanmovie #airfreshener #cinnamon #liamneeson #samraimi #horror #naarrt #nathananderson https://www.instagram.com/p/CkktFoAO6zF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[adamwatchesmovies]

Darkman (1990)

As a nutty, comic book popcorn movie, Darkman is fun. Made way before Spider-Man, this is Sam Raimi’s first attempt at a superhero picture and plays somewhat like a cross between Robocop and Batman.

Scientist Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) was just minding his own business when vicious thugs attack and leave him horribly disfigured. Driven mad by the pain, he swears revenge. Using the synthetic skin he developed to create masks and sneak around unseen, he settles his score one by one while also attempting to get back with his girlfriend, Julie (Frances McDormand)

I like Darkman, the story, and the way it borrows from The Phantom of the Opera and other horror and superhero films. There are just a few too many strange elements here for me to love it. Let’s begin with what works. Darkman is a cool avening angel. His shredded visage means he wears bandages everywhere he goes, and his costume otherwise consists of a dark overcoat and fedora - nice and simple. He’s a brilliant scientist, his nerve endings have been severed so he’s more resistant to injury than your typical doctor and lastly, he frequently goes full-on crazy. He throws wild tantrums, screams out loud, gets needlessly violent. What better way to channel this rage than to destroy the very people who created him? When he does, he’s as cold as ice. Sometimes he doesn't even reveal to his victims why they're about to die!

An interesting aspect of the character is his ability to blend in. The film uses it in several creative ways. Another aspect of the picture to look forward to are the villains. They’re so senselessly cruel and sadistic you can’t wait to see them pulverized under the fists of justice. The head mobster, Robert Durant (Larry Drake) is a standout. The makeup and special effects hold up surprisingly well for something made in the early nineties that uses computer graphics extensively. The action scenes are great. All this good stuff makes me fully endorse the movie. I see why people have come to think of it as an underappreciated gem.

And then there are times where it gets a little bit too crazy. Darkman's psychotic episodes are fine but the visuals which accompany them are excessive. There are points of unintentional hilarity because Liam Neeson is way over-the-top in his performance of Darkman. He’s pretty good overall but probably wasn’t right for the role. While overall the action is solid, the action sequences towards the end are badly written. Darkman is either being able to prepare way too much for his attacks against the baddies, or the villains make moves that simply make no sense. Perhaps the unpolished aspects will endear you to Darkman but they also make it feel like more of a prototype than a fully-realized breakthrough.

I like Darkman, but I don’t love it and thought that frequently, it was simply bad. That’s just me though, the average viewer is likely to enjoy it more than I did and ignore my nitpicks. Even with my problems, they only add up to knocking the film down to a 3,5/5 rating, which is solid. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 2, 2015)

[sachsillustration]

Almost done. Working on the details of Darkmans eyes and getting some nice texture for his bandaged face. #darkman #darkmanmovie #liamneeson #samraimi #actionmovies #fanart #horrorart #scifiart #fantasyart #comicbookart #art #drawing #illustration #painting #digitalpainting #digitalart #90smovies #actionmovies #wacomtablet #photoshoppainting #uplate #latenight #instaart #instapainting #instamood #instadaily #instaartist