Completely overshadowed by Batman on its release, Raimi’s splendid
revenge fantasy is zany and overblown in the most satisfying way
imaginable. Neeson brings both anger and anguish to perhaps his best
pre-Schindler role, as a hideously deformed scientist pursuing those
responsible for his mutilation. He’s able to restore his face to its old
shape – but only for 100 minutes at a time, making his relationship with
girlfriend McDormand problematic at best. The typically manic
quality of Danny Elfman’s score gives the film great pizzazz, but
underneath all that a tortured pathos special to this genre lurks in
spades.
