It’s been over thirty years since Brandon Lee donned the black-and-white face paint, and honestly, the legacy of that 1994 film is massive. So when the 2024 reboot arrived, everyone immediately looked at the Crow movie rating to see if Bill Skarsgård could actually fill those boots. It didn't go great. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes slapped it with a "Rotten" score in the 20% range, while audiences were a bit more forgiving, landing it somewhere in the 60s. Why the massive gap? It’s complicated.
Movies like this don't exist in a vacuum. You’ve got the original cult classic, the James O’Barr graphic novel, and then three sequels that most people try to forget ever happened. When you look at the numbers, you aren't just looking at a measure of quality. You're looking at a clash of nostalgia versus modern gritty realism.
The Numbers Behind the Crow Movie Rating
Let's get into the weeds. If you check IMDb, the 2024 version sits around a 4.6/10. Compare that to the 1994 original's 7.5/10. That's a gut punch. Most reviewers, including professionals from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, felt the new version lacked the "soul" of the original. They called it sluggish. They called it "joyless."
But here is the thing: some younger viewers who never saw the Brandon Lee version actually dug the vibe. They liked the FKA Twigs romance. They liked the ultra-violent, John Wick-style opera house sequence. To them, the movie isn't a replacement; it’s just a dark, gothic action flick. The rating reflects a generational divide that Hollywood keeps running into.
Critics often look for narrative cohesion and pacing. The 2024 film takes almost 45 minutes just to get Eric Draven into the face paint. For a lot of people, that was a dealbreaker. It felt like a long intro to a movie that never quite started.
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What Rotten Tomatoes Doesn't Tell You
The "Tomatometer" is a binary. It’s a thumbs up or a thumbs down. It doesn’t capture nuance. A 20% rating doesn't mean the movie is 20% good; it means only 20% of critics gave it a passing grade. If everyone gave it a 5/10, the score would be 0%. That’s a weird way to measure art, right?
Many fans felt the 2024 the Crow movie rating was "review bombed" by people who felt that remaking the original was disrespectful to Brandon Lee’s memory. Alex Proyas, the director of the 1994 film, even spoke out against the reboot, saying it should remain Lee's legacy. When a director of the original source material weighs in like that, it heavily influences how both critics and fans perceive the product before they even sit in the theater.
Comparing the R-Ratings and Content
Both the original and the reboot carry an R-rating, but they use them very differently.
- 1994 Version: High on atmosphere, stylized action, and 90s grunge aesthetic. The violence is there, but it feels like a dark fairy tale.
- 2024 Version: This one goes full "body horror." We are talking swords through chests, slow-motion blood spray, and a much grittier, "wet" look to the violence.
The R-rating for the new film is definitely earned. It’s brutal. If you’re looking at the Crow movie rating to decide if it’s a family movie—it’s not. It’s bleak. Rupert Sanders, the director, leaned heavily into the "tragic romance" aspect, which honestly made the first half feel more like a dark indie drama than a superhero movie.
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The Financial Fallout
Ratings usually correlate with box office, and this was no exception. With a budget estimated around $50 million, the film struggled to make back its investment. It opened to just $4.6 million in its first weekend. That’s low. Like, really low.
When a movie scores poorly with critics and then fails at the box office, it usually disappears. But The Crow has a weird staying power. Even the "bad" sequels from the 90s and early 2000s—like City of Angels or Wicked Prayer—still get talked about at conventions. People love the archetype of the resurrected lover seeking vengeance. It’s primal.
Why the "Vibe" Matters More Than the Score
If you ignore the numbers for a second, you have to look at the aesthetic. Bill Skarsgård's Eric Draven looks more like a modern SoundCloud rapper than a gothic rock star. He’s covered in tattoos. He’s got a mullet. For some, this was a cool update. For others, it felt like it was trying way too hard to be "edgy."
The soundtrack also plays a massive role in how these films are rated by fans. The 1994 soundtrack is legendary, featuring Nine Inch Nails and The Cure. The 2024 version has a more eclectic, modern mix. Music is the heartbeat of this franchise. If the music doesn't hit, the rating usually sinks.
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Expert Opinions and Nuance
Film historian and critic Leonard Maltin often talks about how "cult" films aren't made; they are born from failure. A movie fails today and becomes a classic in ten years. Is that possible here? Maybe. But the consensus right now is that the 2024 film lacked the "lightning in a bottle" energy that propelled the original into the stratosphere.
Realistically, the the Crow movie rating suffered because it tried to ground a supernatural story in too much reality. Sometimes, we want the stylized, impossible world. We don't want to see the protagonist hanging out in a rehab center for 30 minutes. We want the rooftop chase scenes.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Fans
If you are on the fence about watching the latest iteration or you are confused by the scores, here is the most practical way to approach it:
- Check the "Average Rating" over the Percentage: On Rotten Tomatoes, look past the 20% and find the "Average Rating" (usually out of 10). This gives you a better idea of whether critics hated it or just thought it was "meh."
- Contextualize the "Rotten" Score: Understand that many 2024 reviews are comparisons to 1994. If you haven't seen the original, you might actually enjoy the reboot more because you aren't mourning Brandon Lee’s performance while watching.
- Watch for the Cinematography: Regardless of the plot, the 2024 film is visually striking. If you value cinematography and lighting over script, it’s worth a rental.
- Revisit the Source Material: If neither movie hits the spot, go back to James O’Barr’s original graphic novel. It’s raw, black-and-white, and carries an emotional weight that no film has quite captured 100%.
The legacy of The Crow isn't defined by a single number on a website. It’s a story about grief. Whether that's told through 90s grunge or 2020s grit, the core theme remains the same: "It can't rain all the time." Except, for this reboot’s critical reception, it definitely poured.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, watch the 1994 film first to understand the DNA of the franchise, then approach the 2024 version as a standalone reimagining rather than a direct remake. This shift in perspective usually leads to a much more satisfying experience than comparing them frame-for-frame.