Darkman

While some of the technology and situations are a little over the top, "Darkman" is a comic book film that succeeds because it is grounds its hero in a world that could conceivably be true; much in the same manner that made "Batman Begins" a successful reinvention of that franchise. "Darkman" is a film that given the technology, the character and the world he inhabits could exist. The only ´stretch´ of the imagination in the film is the skin generating capabilities of Peyton. Other than that, everything seen in the film is not too terribly far fetched. The film is enjoyable because it is a departure from the typical conventions of a super hero / comic book movie.

The film´s director, Sam Raimi, is the person most deserving of praise for this picture. It was his ideas, story and vision that brought "Darkman" to life. This is his movie and his movie alone. Raimi´s storytelling style and visual aptitude come into play throughout the film and "Darkman" never becomes boring. There is always something going on. Although some would ponder why Raimi didn´t cast his lifelong friend Bruce Campbell in the starring role, the choice of Liam Neeson was a good one. Frances McDormand is another fine actor and helps give credence to "Darkman." She shares good chemistry with her costars and is a very believable lawyer in distress. With good acting, good direction and an entertaining little story, "Darkman" may be one of the finest comic book style films to date.

Video:
"Darkman" arrives on HD-DVD alongside a three disc box set containing all three of the "Darkman" films on DVD. While the recent catalog titles from Universal have been a mixed blessing, "Darkman" falls into the happier bucket of releases and its 1.85:1 / VC-1 encoded transfer is sharp and colorful. Director of Photography Bill Pope has created a film with a visual style that will remind many of the older "Evil Dead" films and this manner of photography does not lend itself to creating the most awe inspiring high definition film, but the transfer does the best it can with the allotted source materials. Darkman´s skin works best in low light situations, but that doesn´t stop the character from venturing outdoors and when the sun is high, the colors are aplenty in this fine looking HD-DVD title. Every color of the rainbow is present and nicely saturated. When the protagonist is hiding in the shadows, black levels and shadow detail are solid. There were a couple times when a little detail was lost in the darkness, but I´m not sure that is entirely a bad thing as the burned face of the main character would fall into the grotesque category. A few minor moments of posterization were the only examples of digital artificing throughout the mix. The source materials were generally clean. Overall, this was a nice looking seventeen year old film.

Sound:
There should be some rejoicing among the fanbase as Universal has provided "Darkman" with a decent Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. The 5.1 TrueHD mix is joined with a comparable Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 multi-channel surround mix and a French Dolby Digital Plus 2.0 stereo surround mix. The film´s sound design is at times quirky, with effects popping up throughout the film and mimicking the entertaining visuals provided by Raimi. If you are all familiar with the "Evil Dead" films, then you know Raimi´s enjoyment of creating a playful environment for his films. The TrueHD mix is not as strong and fulfilling as today´s more powerful mixes, but it holds its own nicely given its vintage. The rear surrounds are easy to pick out and plentiful. The musical score by Danny Elfman is especially noteworthy. The music will sound familiar to Elfman followers and mimics the "Batman" score in some instances. Front channels are clear and powerful, but never drown out the vocals. The vocals are clear. I was pleasantly surprised by the TrueHD mix and felt it held up rather nicely.

Extras:
None.

Closing Thoughts:
I have to admit something. I love the "Evil Dead" films. Always have. However, I never sat down and watched "Darkman" in its entirety. It has been on cable television a few times and I´d catch a bit here and a bit there. The film entertained me enough, but I never completely watched it in one sitting and never fully put the pieces together properly. After finally sitting down and seeing the film from beginning to end, I have a greater appreciation for the film and certainly understand it better. It is an entertaining little super hero film that pays homage to the comic books and Universal monster films that Sam Raimi grew up loving. The HD-DVD does the film justice with a better than average picture and surprising Dolby TrueHD mix. Sadly, there are no supplemental materials to make the package more enticing, but hopefully a three film set will eventually make its way to HD-DVD.

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