‘I’m everyone – and no one. Everywhere – nowhere. Call me… Darkman.‘
In many ways, director Sam Raimi is more responsible for the rise of the superhero movie than anyone. His first two Spider-Man movies are still the pinnacle of the genre and they set the template for everything that came after. Spidey wasn’t Raimi’s first foray into the superhero genre, however. That accolade goes to Darkman, and in many ways, this movie is a dry run for what would come later…
Following an explosion at his lab, passionate scientist Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is transformed into a face-changing freak with super strength and horrific injuries. Separated from his beloved girlfriend Julie (Frances McDormand), Peyton, or the eponymous Darkman as he becomes known, seeks revenge on those that have caused his disfigurement.
Fans of Raimi will love Darkman. It features many of his director trademarks including an insistence on physical effects, a mixture of horror and comedy and striking cinematography. Neeson plays Darkman as a tragic Phantom of the Opera-type figure and it is his commitment to the role that makes Darkman such a striking success. Watching this film made me long for a time when comic book adaptations could have their own look and style before they were ruined by reliance on CGI and filmmaking by committee.
Darkman is a superhero movie but it is also stubbornly its own world with its own cinematic language. There have been whispers of a sequel over the years (I’m not including the two direct-to-video efforts from the ’90s) and while that opportunity has probably gone now, I would have been happy to have spent another couple of hours in this world. Another Raimi success.