12 years before Sam Raimi delighted superhero fans with his hugely successful Spider-Man trilogy, the horror-comedy master took his first crack at a superhero story with Darkman. Originally planned as an adaptation of The Shadow, Raimi was unable to secure the rights to the character and decided to make up his own. The film stars Liam Neeson as a scientist who is horribly disfigured in an attack by mobsters. When treatment for his injuries unexpectedly results in him obtaining super strength and mild insanity, the scientist sets out for revenge against the men who tried to kill him. It’s an odd mix of comic book heroism and violent vengeance that only an innovative filmmaker like Raimi could pull off. Let’s take a look back at one of the best superhero horror movies and Raimi’s first foray into superhero filmmaking.
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Superhero Movie or Monster Movie?
Universal Pictures
Though Darkman is ostensibly a superhero origin story, Raimi’s principal inspirations were classic horror films. According to Horror Obsessive, “Using inspiration from the classic Universal monsters, Raimi focused on crafting a tragic figure in the vein of the Phantom of the Opera.” Indeed, the character of Darkman has much more in common with the Phantom of the Opera than Batman. While Batman wears his mask to conceal his identity, Darkman wears his to hide his horrifying scars. Additionally, unlike most superheroes, Darkman isn’t necessarily a benevolent force for good; though he hunts down criminals, he doesn’t do it for the good of society, but rather to satisfy his desire for revenge.
The way Darkman exacts his vengeance is brutal, and more akin to a slasher villain than a superhero. Despite this, the film manages to still feel like a superhero movie. This is because of Raimi’s staunch dedication to a zany tone and a heightened sense of reality that lends it an overall comic book feel.
Introducing a Movie Star
Liam Neeson is bonafide action movie royalty, so it’s difficult to imagine a time when he wasn’t a household name. Although his true rise to stardom began in 1993 with his Oscar-nominated performance in Schindler’s List, it was Darkman that gave Neeson his first starring role. A relative unknown at the time, Neeson brought both an unhinged lunacy and a reflective sensitivity to the role of Darkman. Even when his face is entirely obscured by bandages, Neeson’s eyes convey the sadness, rage, and delirium of his tragic character, and give an early indication of the tender brilliance he’d tap into it as Oskar Schindler 3 years later. Clearly, Darkman still holds a special place in the veteran actor’s heart, as he recently expressed interest in bringing the character back in a legacy sequel.
Laying the Foundations for Spider-Man
As evidenced by his great Spider-Man films and the recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Raimi has a knack for translating the look and feel of comic books to motion pictures. Darkman afforded him his first attempt at building a superhero film world, and presents many of the stylistic touches that he would later perfect in Spider-Man. From the crazy, visually overloaded montage that depicts Darkman’s transformation, to the abundance of quick-pans and snap-zooms, all of Raimi’s signature traits present in Darkman have a foil in Spider-Man. According to ScreenRant, Spider-Man even includes footage from Darkman, further connecting the two Raimi superhero properties. It’s safe to say that the stylish web-slinging antics of Spider-Man owe a great debt to Raimi’s earlier gothic tale of superhuman revenge.
An Underrated Gem
Darkman, which Raimi salvaged from being cut to oblivion with his secret last-minute edit, is an underrated and underseen moody superhero masterpiece. As the title implies, it is dark – a full on tragedy, in fact – but is also full of creative energy and fun surprises. Darkman’s ability to create and wear synthetic replicas of other people’s faces is a unique concept, and Raimi masterfully uses it to dramatic, shocking, and comedic effect in a variety of memorable scenes. The villains are terrific, from smarmy developer Strack to the sadistic mobster Durant, and even a goofy henchman with a false leg that doubles as a machine gun.
The action is intense, the special effects look great for the time, and the doomed romance at the center of it all is sincere. It was moderately successful upon release, and has since been praised as one of the best non-Marvel or DC superhero movies, but it hasn’t quite reached the classic status that it deserves. Perhaps talks of a sequel will come to fruition and breathe new life into this oft-overlooked tragic hero’s story. In the meantime, give Darkman a revisit and revel in its wild and weird superhero horror antics.
