STARRING: Liam
Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake, Nelson Mashita, Jesse Lawrence
Ferguson, Rafael H. Robledo, Danny Hicks
1990. 95 Minutes, Directed by Sam Raimi
Description:When attorney Julie Hastings (Frances McDormand) uncovers corrupt city
real estate dealings, evil thugs attack her scientist boyfriend, Peyton
Westlake (Liam Neeson). Left for dead after his lab is detonated, he
miraculously survives when the ensuing blast hurls him into the nearby
harbor. Treated as a John Doe at a city hospital, he is unknowingly
submitted to radical therapy which numbs his nerves to feeling--but which
heightens his strength and his emotions. Once conscious, Peyton escapes from
the hospital and builds a ramshackle lab in an abandoned industrial plant.
Horribly burned and scarred by the lab explosion, he uses synthetic skin to
impersonate his would-be murderers and seek retribution for their evil
deeds. Peyton also tries to reunite with Julie, who believes him to be dead.
—
Amazon.com
Comic book revenge tale as
a scientist is left for dead by bad guys and, transformed, he seeks revenge. Standard
stuff, but this film with director Sam (Army of Darkness) Raimi's
over-the-top filmic style tries too hard for cult movie status and becomes
boring somewhere along the line. True cult movies are however born,
not made, that way.
Darkman was
followed by two video sequels in 1995 and 1996.
