calvinnme Raimi had wanted for years to adapt and make a film version of The Shadow. However, the studios he shopped the project around to balked at the idea: He was still somewhat unknown at the time, and there wasn't much confidence behind the comic strip's popularity.Raimi, in response, chose the next best thing--he created his own version, blending elements of the original comic book hero, Phantom of the Opera, and even a little of The Elephant Man for pathos. What came about from it--spawning two very bad sequels in the process--was a film demonstrating a filmmaker's inspiration, but one pumped through his own vivid, wild imagination; and it makes for one of the most original entries into the comic-book movie canon in the last 25 years.Still the studios had no love for this film in its finished form. They slated it for release in August 1990 at the end of the summer release cycle. You know, the same month of the year they released "Coyote Ugly"? But the film was a success garnering almost 50 million on a 16 million dollar budget.Liam Neeson plays Peyton Westlake, a scientist on the verge of inventing synthetic skin from a series of photographs of the subject. Thus disfigured people could wear his synthetic mask and be moved toward a more normal life. Peyton's girlfriend, Julie, a journalist, has found a memorandum indicating a developer she knows made a Mafia payout in connection with a development he is building. She makes the mistake of telling said developer that she has this proof of his crime, but that she doesn't have it on her. So evil developer has his psychopathic buddies go to Peyton's loft/lab, blow up the place while taking the memorandum, and in the process Peyton's assistant is blown to bits. Peyton is burned beyond recognition but lands in the nearby bay.With no ID, as a John Doe, Peyton is given really good treatment by the hospital which takes the drastic step of severing nerves that allow him to feel pain, else he would spend all of his time screaming in pain from the burns. He escapes from the hospital, and meanwhile his assistant is buried as Peyton. You'd think family or friends would come looking for the assistant, but I guess that's another film.So Peyton continues his work on skin regeneration, with his lab now acting as a kind of batcave, and things are urgent because Peyton needs this cure for himself as his face and hands are horribly disfigured. As things are he has only 99 minutes before the artificial skin decomposes. And this works for some good fun for the next part of the film, because Peyton wants revenge on top of a cure. Plus he needs money. He finds a chance for revenge and money by posing as the different people who "killed him" and then just counting on the worst instincts of these thugs - and they have plenty of them - to turn on each other.But then a mistake - Peyton lets Julie know he's alive -wearing artificial skin of course - and that memorandum that was the whole point of ruining Peyton's life? It turns up on a desk, with the coffee stain Julie put there herself at Peyton's loft, right before he died. And now Julie knows Peyton's "death" was no accident. I'll let you see how things work out from here.The real revelation here was Larry Drake as evil Robert Durant. He strokes a small furry pet wearing gloves and an apron that says "Kiss the Cook" while maintaining his collection of human fingers he has taken from people who do not pay their debts to him. The reason he was a revelation? For years before this he had played a mentally handicapped man who has been working at the law firm showcased by "LA Law". It was a kind of last request from his dying mother to the firm so her son would have a purpose in life. To go from that gentle persona to a heartless monster shows Drake had range most people did not think he had.Give it a try. The special effects have aged a bit, but the human factors make it still relevant.

vegasjunkie888 So this film is a fantastic practical effect film. What else would you expect from Sam raimi?. It definitely bridges the gap between evil dead and Spider-Man. It's great for what it is, a semi super hero flick with the love of vaudeville humor intertwined with disturbing effects that progress the story.

jamariana Those are just a few words I choose to describe Darkman. Watching the film was a great experience - and I'll remember this movie as being one of the movies that make you lose track of time, genuinely interested in what will happen next, and feel like you're somehow "part" of the movie.The story is like a comic-book origin tale, but was written originally as a screenplay. Sam Raimi has excellent direction with this films and manages to do interesting, new things with the action and horror genres.Occasionally some parts of the film seemed kind of amusing and silly, like the melodramatic acting at some points or the visual-effects, but I was seriously engrossed for the majority of the film. It's the perfect length, though I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt, even though I liked the idea in the conclusion.I would recommend this film about your not-so-average anti-hero protagonist, driven by consuming revenge and resentment for the villainous criminals that did him wrong, to any action film-buff or fan of Sam Raimi. It's certainly one of his better films. Perhaps a perfect rating may seem high for this film, but it simply reflects how much I enjoyed the film.

ersinkdotcom Many people think the "Spider-Man" trilogy was director Sam Raimi's first crack at the comic book and super hero genres. Although Darkman was an original creation of the "Evil Dead" helmsman, the character was born out of Raimi's frustration at not being able to acquire the rights to make a Batman or Shadow movie. In essence, he worked backwards. The movie came first and then the comic followed.Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is on the brink of discovering the secret to creating synthetic skin when his laboratory is raided and destroyed by mobsters. Left for dead, the scientist is scarred and deformed beyond recognition. He takes on the alter ego of Darkman, using his synthetic skin to take on the identity of his enemies and exact revenge upon them for his plight."Darkman" Collector's Edition is rated R for violence and language. If the movie were put out today, it easily would've been given a PG-13 rating. There's no nudity or adult situations.Some people might be offended by Darkman's willingness to take a life. Unlike Superman or even Batman these days, the character has no problem dropping bad guys from a flying helicopter or blowing them up in his lab. You might say he lives by the credo "An eye for an eye."The movie also delves into the concept of unconditional love. Can Dr. Westlake's girlfriend (Frances McDormand) accept him the way he looks now? It also begs the question, "What are you willing to give up to get revenge?""Darkman" is a great example of Sam Raimi's early work as he climbed the ladder to become one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. It's a testimony to the perseverance of a filmmaker doing what he wants. If Raimi couldn't make his Batman or Shadow movie, he'd just combine the two into one character and do his own thing. He was successful as is proved by the large cult following the movie has.