‘Darkman’ Steps Into the Ultra HD Light [4K Review]
Anthony Arrigo
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We have (finally) reached the point where the honeymoon period for superhero movies has ended. As of this writing the latest endeavor, Sony’s Madame Web (2024), is being utterly trounced at the box office. A few years ago even dreck like that could have cleaned up with a tidy sum. Without delving into the many issues surrounding that genre out stands out in particular: homogenization. If you want to watch something truly novel you’d have to go back nearly 35 years, when horror maestro Sam Raimi put his own imprimatur on the comic book world with a grim tale that didn’t even come from a comic—Darkman (1990).
Raimi wanted to make an adaptation of The Shadow, a fictional 1930s radio narrator and literary character that went on to be adapted into every medium possible. But he was denied the rights. So, Raimi took inspiration from that character, as well as Universal’s classic monster movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s, throwing in a dash of the tragic anti-hero. The result is a brooding, colorful, kinetic, wildly imaginative take that, to this day, feels fresher than the majority of comic book-based and inspired features.
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Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is researching synthetic skin that could revolutionize treatment for burn victims. But, he can’t get the formula to hold its composition for longer than 99 minutes. One day in his lab, with the blinds closed, he’s able to make it past that mark and realizes the key to stability is the darkness. Unfortunately, on that same day, he’s visited by a group of thugs, led by crime boss Robert Durant (Larry Drake). They’re looking for some incriminating paperwork uncovered by Peyton’s girlfriend, Julie (Frances McDormand), which implicates Durant in some high-level corruption.
The thugs find what they’re after but still kill the lab assistant and disfigure Peyton before blowing the building sky-high—and Peyton literally goes up with it. His burned body is brought to the hospital as a John Doe, where he undergoes a radical treatment that nulls his sense of pain and enhances his strength due to an overload of adrenaline. With these newfound “powers” Peyton absconds to a warehouse to pick up his research and take revenge, rebranding himself as Darkman.
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Raimi was coming off Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987) and he utilized that same bag of filmmaking tricks for Darkman. Hardly any shots here are done with standard coverage; instead, the camera zips and zooms and crouches low and angles high to capture all the action. When the thugs are roughing up Peyton the camera is inside a set of glass cupboards, gliding behind each one as Peyton’s head is slammed through the glass. Raimi and D.P. Bill Pope make almost every shot special, and this was in an age before CGI could be used to enhance or trick the shooting. Some optical effects are used to great effect but the majority of what viewers see is done in-camera. Phenomenal stunt work, too. The entire helicopter sequence is non-stop thrills.
Tony Gardner and his team did all of the practical effects, delivering high-quality work that holds up well under the scrutiny of 4K. Darkman is bandaged and disfigured; his face more charred flesh than skin, with no lips and exposed teeth. The FX work helps this character to seem still human despite the loss of these attributes. Scenes of the synthetic skin failing, bubbling, and bursting apart, don’t look like cheap latex gags. There’s even some solid stop-motion work, like when Peyton’s hands are electrified and we get to watch the skin and flesh literally burn away from his bones. The entire picture is a special effects extravaganza but Raimi always ensures the work is in service of the story and not a substitute for lack of one.
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Liam Neeson has the right look to play someone who is a scientist, a lover, a tragic figure, and also a man capable of committing serious bodily injury to his foes. Frances McDormand is a tough attorney who lets her guard down with her lover, grieving over his loss and both concerned and befuddled by his return and new personality. Larry Drake as Robert Durant has the calm but insanely violent crime boss character down cold. I was never a fan of Strack (Colin Friels) being the ultimate big bad because he never feels like the credible threat Durant possesses. Longtime fans of Raimi’s work will also spy Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, and Dan Hicks. And, of course, the Delta 88 makes its requisite cameo.
Coming a decade after their solid Blu-ray release Scream Factory issues Darkman on 4K Ultra HD, with a scan from the original camera negative approved by Raimi and D.P. Bill Pope. The 1.85:1 2160p Dolby Vision enhanced image is a major leap forward in terms of picture quality. This is crisp, with strong color density, refined film grain, and tightened details. Online screencaps can’t capture how good this thing looks in motion. Optical effects are always going to appear on the rough side, that’s just the nature of those shots. But on the whole, the work done here is exemplary and a strong selling point for upgrading any existing copy viewers might own.
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The audio remains the same – and it sounded great already – with English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround soundtracks included. This is one of Danny Elfman’s best scores, capturing triumph and tragedy in equal measure. Dialogue is prioritized within the mix, and sound effects have real-world weight to them. The multi-channel option offers a solid immersive experience. Subtitles are included in English SDH.
The 4K disc contains only two audio commentary tracks – a returning option with director of photography Bill Pope, and a new track with filmmaker and superfan Josh Ruben.
Those same tracks can also be found on the included Blu-ray, the transfer of which also comes from the new 4K restoration.
Another major selling point for this release is the inclusion of deleted scenes – a whopping 37 minutes’ worth, comprised of 33 scenes that were excised. Most deepen the characterization of Strack, including introducing us to his father, and would have explained why he’s the bigger foe than Durant. There’s also more with Julie, additional bits with Peyton, and alternate versions or extensions of Darkman meting out his justice to Durant’s lackeys. These are presented in SD and a 1.33:1 ratio.
The rest of the extra features, of which there are many, are all returning from the previous collector’s edition disc.
Special Features:
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY
- NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE approved by Director Sam Raimi and Director of Photography Bill Pope
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmaker And Darkman Superfan Josh Ruben
- Audio Commentary With Bill Pope
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0
- Optional English subtitles for the main feature
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY
- NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE approved by Director Sam Raimi and Director of Photography Bill Pope
- NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmaker And Darkman Superfan Josh Ruben
- NEW Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentary With Bill Pope
- “Dissecting Darkman” – An Interview With Actor Liam Neeson
- Interview With Actor Frances McDormand
- “The Name Is Durant” – An Interview With Actor Larry Drake
- “The Face Of Revenge” – Interview With Makeup Designer Tony Gardner
- “Henchman Tales” – Interviews with Actors Danny Hicks and Dan Bell
- “Dark Design” – An Interview With Production Designer Randy Ser And Art Director Philip Dagort
- Vintage “Making-Of” Featurette – Featuring Interviews With Sam Raimi, Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, And More…
- Vintage Interviews With Sam Raimi, Liam Neeson And Frances McDormand
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Galleries – Posters And Production Stills, Behind The Scenes, Make-Up Effects And Storyboards
- Optional English subtitles for the main feature
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Darkman
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Special Features
Summary
If you love Darkman (and how couldn’t you) the picture quality alone is reason enough to buy this release but Scream Factory adding in 37 minutes of deleted footage along with all the previous bonus features make this the definitive edition.
