Darkman (1990)

 

Some people thought it was surprising that someone like Sam Raimi got to direct the first Spider-Man outings on the big screen, especially as he was most known for his outlandish (and most excellent) low budget horror with 'The Evil Dead'-franchise. But Raimi did wet his teeth in the comic book world with 'Darkman', a film that clearly has the Raimi-stamp all over it. Which means you'll either love it or don't like it all that much.

It is a lot of fun though, in its own dark and twisted way. 

Peyton Westlake is a scientist who is working on artificial skin, to help burn victims, for example. The only problem is that his skin deteriorates after 99 minutes in the light. He somehow doesn't seem to be able to crack this conundrum. Nevertheless, his life is pretty peachy, as he has a wonderful girlfriend who works as an attorney and who adores him. 

But things turn dark as she discovers a wealthy real estate developer uses bribes to get what he wants. Because of this, a band of thugs under the leadership of a man called Durant visits Peyton's lab and not only destroys the place, but leaves him horribly scarred and burnt, unable to feel pain and prone to psychotic episodes. 

How's that for another origin story, ey? True, most superheroes have some horrid accident that gives them superhuman abilities, but this guy pretty much got maimed and scarred and just doesn't feel pain instead of something fanciful like flight. In a weird way, this is much more realistic. 

Of course, Westlake decides to use his science and knowledge to get back at the hoodlums that attacked him, and when his girlfriend is thrown back in the mix, the stakes are upped once again. 

So of course, storywise this might not be the most innovative of the superhero films, even if it is somehow different thanks to the gritty tone. Heck, the opening scene has got the evil henchman Durant snapping someone's fingers off with a cigar cutter. Pretty gruesome across the board. The same goes for Westlake's scars that look pretty gnarly. And then there's a scene where he breaks someone's fingers. Yep, easy on the brain, this isn't. Raimi's direction is snappy, with some off kilter humour thrown in and what is especially apparent: some shots evoke that comic book feel to a T. You know, the stuff Ang Lee tried to do with his version of the Hulk and failed? Raimi nails it. It is at times over the top and incredibly colourful, but certain images seem to spring right from the pages. 

Cool.

That some pretty fine actors give life to our main characters, is a nice touch. Liam Neeson is surprisingly emotional as Westlake and even though she is mostly a damsel in distress, Frances McDormand (yes, thàt Frances McDormand) is endearing as his girlfriend Julie. But you know who steals the show? Larry Drake as the evil Durant. In fact, he is so memorable in this role, that they brought him back for the sequel, even if there is a scene here where his demise is pretty bloody permanent. 

Ah well, the magic of films, right? 

'Darkman' is a lot of fun to watch, just don't expect it to be as slick or lighthearted as the latter day comic book films most people have grown accustomed to. This is one of those darker ones. You could set it along 'Blade' in the category of comic book adaptations before they became a massive thing. But this one is absolutely worth checking out if you like your films quirky and different.