The Crow

I’ve mentioned before how important The Crow was to me, both in its original comic version and the subsequent film adaption. As I sit here typing I am listening to the original score by Graeme Revelle and I can picture the scenes in the movie, and with that I am brought back in time.

I went to a signing by James O’Barr at a Boston comic store called Comicopia. At that show I ended up getting passes to a sneak preview of the movie with a Q&A where we got to ask James questions about the movie. I got to ask him about how he felt about Brandon Lee’s death, and I got a great response about loss which of course I can’t exactly recall. But the point I wanted to illustrate was that I was a BIG fan of The Crow. For a period of time there even was a Crow themed store on Newbury Street that I loved. There was a whole gothic vibe there which was helped by the shop next door selling used church statues and pews.

I’ve got crow comics. I’ve got the collected reprint comics. I’ve got posters, making of books, and even a limited, hard bound slipcase with a soundtrack to the comic. For a point in my life, I really, really dug The Crow. While I’ve grown up quite a bit, the movie and comic still hold a dear place in my heart.

I’m rambling now. Sorry.

This is a review about the Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece 1/6 scale Eric Draven from The Crow. It’s my second Hot Toys purchase, the first being Sam Flynn’s Lightcycle from TRON. While I don’t think it will make me a Hot Toys collector, it’s very cool.

First off, the box. It’s not too big, just a bit bigger than a shoe box. There’s beautiful printing all around with mixed finishes to give the box a sense of texture. On the back are the credits for the figure.

Lift off the lid and you get a cover that resembles the broken stained glass window. Beneath that are a few clear plastic trays enclosing the figure.

The Crow comes packaged wearing his long leather jacket that shows signs of wear. Right out of the box the figure is ready to go with no assembly required. He stands freely and he looks like he jumped right off the screen. The facial sculpt is incredibly lifelike.

While it DOES look like Brandon Lee, it also resembles actor Jason Mewes (Jay from Jay and Silent Bob),

The Crow’s outfit is faithfully recreated, right down to Shelly’s ring hung around his neck.

Two additional sets of variant hands are included along with an additional set of wrist pegs. Better safe than sorry.

A basic stand is included with The Crow logo branded boldly at front.

Included in the set is an actual black Crow and a stand that allows the crow to either hover or perch on his shoulder. The crow has zero points of articulation and unfortunate stand peg placement.

His black coat can be removed if you take the hands off first. The instructions warn you that the shirt cannot come off the figure, so don’t even try. This is a bit of a letdown as there are many signature scenes in the movie where he is shirtless.

With his coat removed we get a better look at the intricacies of the costume. Check out the detail on the boots.

Included with The Crow is an electric guitar as Eric was a guitarist in his past life. It appears to be an Ibanez guitar, and has six actual strings and articulated whammy bar. There’s even a working adjustable guitar strap.

Variant hands allow Eric to rock out.

Remember that cover? It also serves as a neat backdrop for the figure, resembling the blown-out window in his old apartment.

Overall this is a great looking figure, but for $197.00 USD I expected a bit more in terms of accessories. I would have liked to see an alternate face, or even the signature PERS eye movement system, or the option to remove the shirt. I also wonder about the inclusion of alternate wrist joints – does this mean that they are prone to breaking? I shall have to keep an eye out.