Darkman (1990) *** (out of 4) Scientist Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is brutally beaten and left for dead when a gangster (Larry Drake) pays him a visit after his girlfriend (Frances McDormand) learned of a crooked business deal. Peyton is left deformed and burned beyond recognition so he sets out to seek revenge against those who did it.Sam Raimi's DARKMAN isn't a great film by any stretch of the imagination but there are certainly enough good things to make it worth sitting through. For starts, director Raimi certainly knows how to build up a lot of energy and he certainly handles the action scenes like a pro. The film manages to tell a good revenge story but it also works as an action film that isn't afraid to wink at the viewer and have a good time.There are a lot of references to other horror movies and it's clear that Raimi just wanted to have some fun with the dark character and the over-the-top villain. The violence itself is never graphic as it always stops short of showing anything too disgusting but the violence has a certain comic book nature to it. It's not graphic but you get the pain that the characters are feeling but in a fun way. Technically the film is extremely well-made with some good special effects, some nice cinematography and a ripping score.It also helps that the performances are so good. Neeson is certainly believable in both of his roles. As the scientist he's perfectly believable as this genius and he certainly makes you feel for the character. He pulls off the pain that the character is going through and of course he's very believable during the action scenes. McDormand is good in the role of the girlfriend and Drake nearly steals the film each time he's on the screen. He's certainly one of those old-fashioned villains that would have been hissed at.DARKMAN has its flaws along the way but it's certainly an entertaining movie.

Why Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand ever signed on to play the leads in this badly made low budget sci-fi/action movie is beyond me. And how Sam Raimi could direct such a crappy movie is also beyond me.This is right up there with Maniac Cop. Only with a bigger budget and better actors. But the budget is still not big enough to make the embarrassing green screen effects and fake looking explosions convincing. And even for a movie from 1990 the effects looks as bad as they did in Freejack.Larry Drake is one ugly guy and not a very good bad-guy.Do not be fooled by either the leads or the director. This movie is a bomb!!

Long before Liam Neeson was Brian Mills, Qui Gon Jin or Oskar Shindler, he was Peyton Westlake AKA The DarkmanSam Riami's wanted to make a superhero movie, and unable to secure the rights to either The Shadow or Batman, Raimi decided to create his own superhero and struck a deal with Universal Studios to make his first Hollywood studio film. The result featured Neeson in the title role as "The Darkman"Plot in A Paragraph: Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) a scientist who is attacked and left for dead by a ruthless mobster, Robert Durant (played by a fun Larry Drake), after his girlfriend, an attorney (Frances McDormand), runs afoul of a corrupt developer (Colin Friels). Neeson is great in both roles, and Larry Drake is a pantomime villain as he hams it up as finger collecting Robert Durrant (all that was missing was a spot of moustache twirling!!) fifteen years later, some of the green screen special effects have not held up that well, but the make up definitely has.There were two direct-to-video sequels, "The Return of Durant" in 1994 which Drake returned for, and "Die Darkman Die" in 1996

Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels and Larry Drake star in Sam Raimi's 1990 action film. Neeson (Taken) plays scientist, Peyton Westlake who is on the verge of completing a synthetic skin experiment. Soon, he's badly burned and left for dead after a gang of thugs break into his lab seeking a document. Peyton hides in the shadows desperately trying to regain his life and exacts revenge on them and their boss, Robert Durant (Drake) by cleverly disguising himself with their looks. McDormand (Fargo) plays Peyton's girlfriend, Julie Hastings who is a lawyer and Friels plays her crooked, business partner, Louis Strack who is the one pulling Durant's strings. Raimi's brother, Ted appears briefly as Rick, one of Durant's thugs, Director, John Landis and his "An American Werewolf in London" co-star, Jenny Agutter also make cameos along with Raimi and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead). This a good action/revenge flick with Gothic, comic book and slapstick aspects. Neeson is great as usual, He & McDormand have good chemistry, Danny Elfman's score is great as usual and Tony Gardner's make-up effects are also great. I recommend this.