The Crow

Tired of actors who look off-balance and rigid while doing elementary fight scenes? Mark Dacascos brings a fluidity and balance to both the fight scenes and his normal motions that lend his character credence. I find it hilarious watching TV or movies where the lack of natural balance of the actor makes it difficult to suspend disbelief when he engages in activities that require controlled body motion. When the stunt double is obvious, not through build, or looks, but rather because he or she demonstrates a gracefulness that the actor doesn't possess. The show itself is fine, not something I religiously tune in to, but entertaining enough. What makes it most enjoyable is the fact that Mark Dacascos sells being The Crow through his body language and attitude.

to take on a role that became so identified with an actor. Particularly when the actor died while performing the character. Brandon Lee was just entering his prime when he tragically lost his life while filming the motion picture "The Crow". After he died the film took on an almost mythical aura to it. For anyone who has seen the sequel movies you know how the actors playing the title role has fallen flat. Yet in this television series the star managed to avoid the trap of simply doing an imitation of the late star. Mark Dacascos took the role of Eric Draven and made it his own.

While there is a vast difference between this series and the parent movie, the producers should be applauded for not trying to do a simple carbon copy. They knew they could not get away with the more graphic and disturbing elements of the source material and instead tried to capture the overall feel of "The Crow". The series spends more time on the emotional turmoil that Draven deals with being dead while existing in the world of the living, and having to do what he can to get back to the one thing he came back for.

For those who claim that Dacascos is just a pale imitation of Lee and that the series does not go as far as the first movie did into the Gothic I have to say take off the blinders and look at this for what it is. It doesn't try to be Brandon Lee's "The Crow", it just tries to be a syndicated television series based on the same source material.

First there was the cult following for the Highlander Movie. The sequels were not up to the originals. The series followed. People had a fit. But Adrian Paul (and every recurring character on there) changed everything. He IS the Highlander. The show took on a life of its own, and it certainly didn't confine itself to the boundaries of the movie.

Next there was La Femme Nikita. Point of No Return followed in the US and it was a pale comparison. Then the series followed. Peta Wilson (& Roy Dupuis and the rest of the excellent cast) changed everything. Now she IS Nikita. This show also soared way above and beyond where the movie couldn't go.

And finally, there was the classic Crow movie which gave the world a short glimpse of a brightly shining comet that soared across the sky. His name was Brandon Lee and may he rest in peace. Vincent Perez followed with a different (and really quite decent) turn of the crow that few liked, more out of respect to Brandon than anything. Immortality and all that. There was something missing, just like with Highlander 2 and 3, and with Point of No Return. Then along came the series The Crow:Stairway to Heaven. Slowly, because yes, there are big shoes to fill. A legacy to continue. And a fanbase who is fanatically loyal to Brandon Lee. Mark Dacascos is changing things once again. Bryce Zabel and Marc Gomes, and Katie Stuart and everyone else are good at what they do, and the show is starting to gel in the middle of the first season. They honored the story, while keeping different avenues open. Some things have changed, some things have stayed the same. It IS a good show. It is the BEST show on TV besides LFN, right now. No one could fill Brandon's shoes, but my friends, no one can fill Mark's either. He is a real talent. A graceful, expressive man. And a master of martial arts. So put your comparisons aside. Like Highlander and La Femme Nikita, The Crow:Stairway to Heaven has a life of its own. Brandon would have wanted it that way. You can't go back. It's not the movie, it wasn't meant to be. You have to go beyond the boundaries, just like it does. They have good writing, and good atmosphere, and good music and good acting and good action sequences. What more do you want? Let The Crow Fly.....

This TV series version of the crow explains a little better how The Crow comes to be and what his motivation is.There's action tenderness,while Draven searches for the one thing he wants the most...to be reunited with his lost love Shelley...A must for the true crow fans .....I give it two thumbs up....Brandon Lee would be proud of Mark Dacascos's portrayal of Eric draven. There's a great support cast too. Sabine Karsinti plays Shelley Erics love,Mark Gomes plays erics friend the cop.This series has something for everyone.I highly recommend this if your a crow fan.Mark Dacascos gives Eric Draven a sense of humor which makes for great entertainment. They end the series beautifully....

I have noticed that Brandon Lee's Eric Draven seemed to be very distant, very ghost like. He would talk in riddles and just had a supernatural demeanor or presence about him. You would get a cold shiver down your back just by looking at him and talking with him, even without him using his abilities. Mark Dacascos' Eric Draven seems much more human. He seems like a human being who has been given supernatural powers and is trying to figure them out. Brandon Lee knew what he had to do, while Mark Dacscos has to discover it on his journey. I like this series and the new direction that it has taken. People see one episode and then they judge it. They then miss out on the new mythology that is created i.e. The Crows & The Snakes constant struggle. I reserved judgement until I had seen a number of episodes and I think it is well written with great new ideas and new conflicts i.e. Eric Draven being arrested for Shelly Webster's murder. It's a great show that I will watch every week!