3) Darkman
If you love Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, you might like to know that the director previously tried his hand at another superhero. After he failed to acquire the rights to both the Shadow and Batman, Raimi created his own similarly grimdark hero – enter Darkman.
Darkman sees Liam Neeson (for once swapping his signature Irish tones for a sort of transatlantic accent) as Peyton Westlake, a man who becomes a vigilante after he is hideously disfigured by the mob.
The movie is an ambitious blend of comic books, horror movies and old-fashioned gangster films but somehow it all comes together. As a sign that Raimi had bigger things to give to the superhero genre, it is classic, pulpy entertainment.
A definition of a cult film, Darkman had enough of a core fanbase to warrant two direct-to-video sequels, though without either Raimi or Neeson’s involvement.
Published: Apr 12, 2016 01:16 pm