Darkman

One of Sam Raimi’s best films, Darkman follows Liam Neeson’s Peyton Westlake as he’s tortured and left for dead by a sinister gangster (Larry Drake’s Robert G. Durant) – with the movie detailing Peyton’s eventual transformation into the title figure and his continuing efforts at avenging his fate. It’s a fairly irresistible premise that’s employed to consistently engaging and unapologetically over-the-top effect by Raimi, as the filmmaker has infused the briskly-paced proceedings with a comic-book sensibility that’s been hard-wired into its various attributes – with Raimi’s larger-than-life modus operandi, which is reflected in everything from the performances to the visuals to the narrative, certainly perpetuating the picture’s compulsively watchable vibe. Neeson’s sympathetic and engrossing turn as the increasingly conflicted protagonist certainly plays a key role in confirming the movie’s success, while Raimi has done an absolutely superb job of filling the supporting cast with one memorable periphery performer after another. (This is especially true of the movie’s roster of compelling villains, which includes Colin Friels’ Louis Strack Jr, Nicolas Worth’s Pauly, and Ted Raimi’s Rick.) The somewhat episodic storyline moves quickly and efficiently and contains a raft of compelling sequences (eg Peyton loses his cool at a carnival, Durant finds himself face-to-face with Peyton’s double, etc, etc), and it’s clear, too, that the film benefits substantially from an escalating sense of momentum that peaks with an (admittedly drawn-out) action-packed finale. The end result is a fantastic comic-book movie that isn’t actually based on a comic book, with Raimi’s exuberant approach to the material ultimately playing a key role in confirming Darkman‘s undeniable success.

***1/2 out of ****