Darkman III: Die Darkman Die
Darkman III: Die Darkman Die | |
---|---|
Directed by | Bradford May |
Written by | Michael Colleary Mike Werb |
Based on | Characters by Sam Raimi |
Produced by | David Roessell |
Starring | Arnold Vosloo Jeff Fahey Darlanne Fluegel Roxann Dawson |
Cinematography | Bradford May |
Edited by | Daniel Cahn |
Music by | Randy Miller |
Production company | Renaissance Pictures |
Distributed by | MCA Universal Home Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Countries | United States Canada |
Language | English |
Darkman III: Die Darkman Die is a 1996 Canadian-American superhero film directed by Bradford May, starring Arnold Vosloo, Jeff Fahey, Darlanne Fluegel and Roxann Dawson. It is the second sequel to 1990's Darkman, whose director Sam Raimi serves as executive producer.[1] Vosloo once again stars as Darkman, who stands against power-hungry entrepreneur Peter Rooker (Fahey), and forges a strange emotional bond with his enemy's neglected wife and daughter.[2]
Plot
Peyton Westlake is still searching for the key to creating a permanent liquid-skin formula to repair his burned face and hands. After Westlake, as his alter-ego Darkman, stops a criminal exchange spearheaded by corrupt businessman and crime boss Peter Rooker, he is approached by Dr. Bridget Thorne. Thorne, one of the physicians who saved Westlake's life following his brutal attack at the hands of Robert G. Durant, convinces him that she wants to help perfect his liquid skin, and also repair his nervous system, allowing him to finally regain some of his sensory loss. Using a laboratory Thorne has set up in an abandoned industrial complex, Westlake manages to create a small amount of permanent liquid skin, which does not break down in sunlight as his other samples have.
Thorne then reveals she is actually Rooker's mistress. Rooker arrives and explains that he desires the super-human strength that Westlake has at his disposal. The two plan to use Westlake as a guinea pig to unlock the secrets behind his strength. Westlake is captured and his liquid skin sample and research are taken. Westlake has an electrical shock device implanted in his body and is put through a series of tests. Eventually, he manages to remove the device and escape Rooker's grasp.
Westlake, trying to learn more about Rooker, encounters his neglected wife Angela (Roxann Dawson) and her young daughter, Jenny. At first concerned, he eventually develops feelings for the two upon realizing how lonely and empty his life is. He uses his liquid skin to assume Rooker's identity and pours his energy into being a loving father and husband, including seeing Jenny perform in her school's production of Beauty and the Beast.
Rooker uses the data from Westlake's tests to create a super-strength formula. He gives it to his men, and orders them to assassinate an idealistic district attorney at a public gathering. Westlake arrives and is able to stop the assassination attempt. Rooker, discovering how Westlake has stolen his identity, murders Thorne and takes his own family back to Thorne's laboratory, holding them hostage. He then injects himself with the super-strength formula, and fights Westlake when he comes to rescue Angela and Jenny. Westlake reclaims the sample of permanent liquid skin during the fight, but his research disk is destroyed by Rooker. Darkman finally gets the upper hand and tricks Rooker into falling in an industrial shredder, killing him.
A damaged natural gas line then explodes, causing the lab to catch fire; Westlake is able to save Angela and Jenny, but Jenny's face is terribly burned. Westlake decides to use the liquid skin to repair Jenny's face rather than his own. After Angela thanks Westlake for saving her daughter, he leaves them, vowing to continue his work on the formula while fighting crime as Darkman.
Cast
- Arnold Vosloo as Dr. Peyton Westlake / Darkman
- Jeff Fahey as Peter Rooker
- Darlanne Fluegel as Dr. Bridget Thorne
- Roxann Dawson as Angela Rooker
- Nigel Bennett as Nico
- John Novak as District Attorney Ryan Mitchell
- Shawn Doyle as Adam
- Joel Bissonnette as Mayo
- Ronn Sarosiak as Mack
- Peter Graham as Joey
- Vieslav Krystyan as Ivan
- Chris Adams as Whit
- Rick Parker as E.K.
- Alicia Panetta as Jenny Rooker
- Christopher Bondy as Gibson
- Von Flores as Johnny Lee
- Walker Boone as Sergeant Troy
- Eric Hollo as Paul Raney
- Bob Windsor as Uncle Owen
- Lorne Cossette as Dr. Leonard
- Diana Platts as Herself
Production
Development and writing
Darkman III: Die Darkman Die is the sister picture to its predecessor, Darkman II: The Return of Durant.[3] Both films were greenlit together by Universal Pictures in 1992, and developed alongside one another.[4]
Darkman III was written by
Due to Larry Drake's prior commitments, the sequel he appeared in was scheduled to be shot last, and it was initially assumed that this would be its release order as well. For this reason, Darkman III was known as Darkman II during production.[7][9] However, in a March 1995 interview, actress Roxann Dawson said she was unsure of the film's final title.[10] It was eventually decided to switch the releases around and alter their numbers accordingly, which led to some minor inconsistencies in the now renamed Darkman III, as research concerning synthetic skin is less advanced than in its purported prequel.[6]
Filming
Like The Return of Durant, Die Darkman Die was shot in
May prioritized key
Release
Home video
Darkman III: Die Darkman Die was released on
Die Darkman Die was re-issued on DVD by Universal on January 5, 2004 in the U.S., as part of the budget priced "Universal Studio Selections" collection. It was devoid of features other than a chapter selection.[14] An international pressing predates the domestic version. Listed with a release date of October 23, 2000 in the U.K.,[15] it included a brief biography of lead actor Arnold Vosloo.[16]
Television
Like its predecessor, Darkman III received a
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 33% approval rating based on a limited sample of 7 reviews, with an average rating of 4.2/10.[19]
Jeff Fahey's dual performance as Darkman and Rooker was widely praised. Ian Jane of DVDTalk called the actor "fun as the crazed bad guy",[20] while TV Guide commended him "for creating a new nemesis for Darkman who is not simply a retread of the first two films' sinister Durant".[21]
The film's production values received mixed reviews. TV Guide said "The production boasts impressive visuals in the form of blue screen pyrotechnics and various makeup effects. It is clear that Darkman III is not a mere cash-in on the original's popularity". Ballantine Books's DVD and Video Guide was less impressed, commenting that it had to make do "without the outrageous stunts and hyperkinetic visuals that made the first film so memorable."[22] Richard Scheib of Moria Reviews thought that "the low budget shows through at times".[23]
The film's story was generally viewed as more ambitious than that of Darkman II, although some preferred the more straightforward nature of its predecessor. Alan Jones of the
Possible sequel
While Darkman II and III were made after Fox passed on a
In a May 2022 interview, Raimi acknowledged that Universal was considering a new Darkman film, and had named a
References
- IMDb
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". filmaffinity.com.
- ^ a b Szebin, Frederick C. (December 1994 – January 1995). "Darkman II: Durant Returns". Cinefantastique. Vol. 25, 26, no. 6, 1. New York: Frederick S. Clarke. pp. 36–37, 126.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (October 19, 1992). "U TV ups deal-making pace". Variety. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Szebin, Frederick C. (December 1995 – January 1996). "Darkman III: Die, Darkman, Die". Cinefantastique. Vol. 26, 27, no. 6, 1. New York: Frederick S. Clarke. pp. 36–37, 126.
- ^ a b Vern (February 28, 2009). "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". outlawvern.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ a b Duvall, Kathy (archivist) (2011). "Inventory of the Film and Television Movie Screenplay Collection (1924–2005)". Los Angeles: Loyola Marymount University. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ Vern (March 12, 2019). "The Mask". outlawvern.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ a b Verheiden, Mark (April 2, 2008). "Battlestar Galactica – Episode 415!". Famous Mark Verheidens Of Filmland. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Spelling, Ian (March 31, 1995). "Sometimes Folks like Klingons Have to Grow on You". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) [42653]". lddb.com. February 15, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996)". moviefone.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Universal DVD releases for September/October…". dvd-fever.co.uk. September 23, 2000. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ McIntosh, Dean (November 22, 2000). "Darkman III: Die, Darkman, Die". michaeldvd.com.au. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". shoutfactory.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending July 4, 1999". ratingsryan.com. Nielsen Broadcasting. June 7, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Jane, Ian (August 7, 2007). "Darkman Trilogy". dvdtalk.com (in French). Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die Reviews". TV Guide. Retrieved June 10, 2006.
- ISBN 0345449959.
- ^ a b Scheib, Richard (June 15, 2008). "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996)". moriareviews.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ Jones, Alan. "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die". BBC Radio Times. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Teh, Hock (August 21, 2007). "The Darkman Trilogy Review". ign.com. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ Teh, Hock (August 21, 2007). "The Darkman Trilogy Review". ign.com. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ Nichols, Peter M. (August 16, 1996). "Home Video". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "U TV stays committed to drama". Variety. May 1, 1995. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ Gray, Marianne (June 20, 1999). "Return of the Mummy". South African Sunday Times. Johannesburg.
- ^ Drew Taylor (May 5, 2022). "'Darkman' Again? Sam Raimi Says Universal Has Started Talking About a Legacy Sequel". TheWrap. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
External links
- Darkman III: Die Darkman Die at IMDb