Darkman is just Sam Raimi’s fourth film and it is a worthy effort. It comes in 1990, the year after Batman, and with Darkman using a Danny Elfman score and obviously living in the same subgenre (this would happen again with Spider Man), it is hard not think of Tim Burton’s work.
At the 20-minute mark, Raimi uses a superimposed transition from Frances McDormand (playing Julie Hastings- the love interest of Liam Neeson’s Peyton Westlake- and this is far from the best work of either actor). As always, Raimi blends the dark mood with comedy- “All they found was an ear- it didn’t take long to bury that”.
At the 27-minute mark there is a nice sewer drain to eyeball graphic match dissolve
This predates Guillermo del Toro (Cronos is 1993) but it is a compliment to Raimi that large section of this film could pass for a del Toro film. There is also a film firmly rooted in the 1930s Universal Studio monster films as well- like The Invisible Man (1933). The montages used here are not modern at all- but homages to these earlier films- like Neeson’s Westlake experimenting scene.
The greatest composition in the film is spotlight coming in as Westlake discovers the perfect lair for his work (above).
Some of the action special effects (this is the auteur behind The Evil Dead films of course) is played for laughs- it is fun- but it does take some of the teeth out of the drama and story.
The little Bruce Campbell cameo end is a miss- I get that he and Raimi are buddies (he wanted Campbell for the lead I guess), and he wants to get him in the film- but it is distracting.
@Drake-Is Batman Returns(1992) in the archives?
@Malith – It is not, at least yet.