The Crow: Salvation tries to make a name for itself by trying something new in the series. Not only is it about revenge and love, but the film incorporates a mystery element, bringing much-needed freshness to the franchise. I liked it! Story: Salvation begins at Alex Crovis' execution. Alex had been convicted of murdering his love, Lauren. Obviously, Alex is innocent, and the real killer is at large. After being executed, Alex is brought back to life and guided by a crow to seek vengeance. With the help of Lauren's sister, Erin, Alex tries to figure out why he was set up, and why his love was killed. Alex soon uncovers a conspiracy and a bunch of corrupt cops. Let the vengeance begin! Directing: Personally, I didn't like Bharat Nalluri's directing style. The way he shot things seemed way to T.V. movie-ish. There's a lot of close-ups, and tight spaces in the film. All of the scenes are evenly lit, and don't differ much from each other. There is an occasional nice shot, however, such as a scene with Alex walking down an alley towards the screen, with it snowing. Nalluri was alright, I suppose, but nothing special.<br /><br />Acting: Eric Mabius(Alex Corvis) brought a totally different feel to the role. He has a definite liveliness about him that I liked. However, I wish he would have drawn me in more during the emotional scenes. I was very disappointed with Kirsten Dunst, who acted very amateurish in this film. It was like she hardly knew what to do with her part. What's the deal? Fred Ward(The Captian) did a fine job as the villain in the picture, and did no wrong that I could see.<br /><br />Score: Marco Beltrami did an outstanding job scoring the film. The music has never been a problem in the Crow series. Beltrami takes a slightly different tone as far as the music, but still stays true to Revelle's Gothic roots.<br /><br />Violence: The violence is prevalent, and quite bloody. Shootings, stabbings, impalings, even a severed arm. However, although graphic, the blood is a really bright red, and has a definite fake look to it.<br /><br />Profanity/Sexual Themes: As with the other two, the f-bomb is used throughout the film. There is also a fair amount of female nudity, as one of the settings is a strip club.<br /><br />Substance Abuse: No drug use going on, and I don't recall alcohol abuse either.<br /><br />Overall: The Crow: Salvation is a good attempt to take the series in a slightly different direction. I think given a different director, the film really would have shined. It's still enjoyable, however, the mystery subplot did seem to take away from the love story a bit. A good action flick a fair bit better than City of Angels, and worth a look. 8.5/10