He uses his skin process to make masks that help him cast doubt and uncertainty among the thugs, and leads to a thinning of the herd, so to speak. All of this leads to a final showdown between Peyton and the man responsible for this situation.

While Darkman is definitely a B-movie, don't hold it against the film. Sam Raimi continues to impress with his lively directorial style. He is flashy without being overbearing, injecting great energy to the project. Joining him behind the scenes is composer extraordinaire Danny Elfman, who provides a Batman-esque score that is darkly heroic, and cinematographer Bill Pope, who does a great job of capturing just the right angles. Beyond that, there is some really good makeup work done to capture elements as important as Peyton's disfigurement.

Moving onto the screen, there is a strong cast that includes a leading couple that would go on to garner Oscar nominations and an Oscar win between them, Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, a pair who would not immediately spring to mind when thinking of a B superhero/horror film. Neeson keeps the movie grounded, selling the reality. He does a great job of drawing you into his plight and rooting for him to garner his revenge.

It is a fun movie that is as easy to make fun of as it is to enjoy. I admit that, but that does not take anything away from what Raimi and his team are able to accomplish with this film. Perhaps you could look at it as a trial run for Spider-Man?

Audio/Video. This film is part of the Darkman: The Franchise Collection set released by Universal. This is also the first time the film has been released anamorphically, and it looks okay. It does not seem to have gone through any extensive remastering, which it could use. The disk is a bit too dark and some detail is lost. Perhaps we will get a better transfer on Blu-ray?

Extras. The original trailer, full-frame no less, and that's it.

Bottom line. There are some great moments of violence and laugh out loud comedy, and at the same time there is tender emotion and genuine thrills. What more can you ask for? Pop some corn, call some friends, and have some fun.

Recommended.