With bad dialogue, worse acting, and a tired premise, The Crow: Wicked Prayer is another example of a franchise that has fallen so far from the greatness established in the first film.
The movie, which is the fourth in the series, stars Edward Furlong as Jimmy Cuervo, an ex-con who is resurrected from the dead with the power of the Crow to get revenge on the satanic cult (consisting of Tara Reid, David Boreanaz, and Tito Ortiz) that killed him and his girlfriend.
Furlong, decked out in black from head to toe and sporting minimal Crow make-up, stalks each member as he tries to get his revenge and stop the group from destroying any more lives.
There are some aspects of the film that I enjoyed - such as changing the story from an urban tale to a desert one. Blending in the Native American religion with the Crow mythology also worked well, but not enough to save the movie.
I also liked certain aspects of Furlong’s performance as The Crow – such as his desire not to have the power and not to kill. He does a halfway decent performance as the character, but falls short of the level that was established in the first movie – a level that has never been matched in any of the sequels.
Any time you start to like the move, Wicked Prayer’s problems drag it right back down and keep you from enjoying any aspect of the film.
Boreanaz and Reid are truly awful in this movie
For starters, Boreanaz and Reid are truly awful in this movie, and come off more as comical than threatening. Both overact in almost every scene, and don’t have any real purpose in the film other than waiting for Furlong to kill them.
The movie’s plot is jumbled around a bunch of subplots that never really build into a good solid story. There is one plot focusing on the Boreanaz and Reid’s wacky relationship; one about the Indian reservation opening a new casino; one about the mine on the reservation being contaminated by toxic waste; and Furlong’s relationship and his seeking revenge.
While multiple plots don’t always ruin a good movie, such as in Traffic, they cause this film to just drag into the ground, and make you too confused to care about any of the characters – not that you would anyway.
Furlong’s Crow differs from other actors and is one of the best parts of the film
By the time the movie reaches its ending (which features Dennis Hopper in a role he should have declined – a satanic pimp), it has gotten so bad that it almost plays like a comedy or reaches the level of stupidity not seen since Batman and Robin.<!--page-->
Wicked Prayer Main Menu
The DVD comes with several special features including deleted scenes, storyboards, a making of feature, galleries, and feature commentary.The deleted scenes do nothing to save the movie from its problems, and it is so bad that I can’t image anyone wanting to sit through more footage of the film.
Overall, The Crow: Wicked Prayer is a waste of time and a movie that should have stayed in the can.
It is a far cry from the emotional impact or gothic feel of the first film. The movie’s faults keep it from ever having a chance to be good..
Wicked Prayer Special Features
I would not recommend this film to any fan of the Crow series. It had certain elements, mostly through Furlong’s performance, that could have made it into a good movie, but failed to help it in the end.
The Crow: Wicked Prayer is available at Amazon . There is no UK release date announced yet. Visit our database for more information about the film.
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