Darkman III: Die Darkman, Die!
"In the darkest hour theres a light that shines on every human being...but one!"- I know, I've put that quote on every Darkman review...I can't help it...I think its kind of cool. So sue me.
THE STORY: This is the third Darkman movie. I'm not sure if there is or will be a fourth but as far as the series goes I hope there will be one. I enjoy Darkman movies, but I have always liked tragic heroes. Darkman movies are a guilty pleasure...you don't expect them to good, you just shut your brain off and go along for the ride. Suprisingly I saw in the Internet Movie Database, that there was a Darkman TV show in the early 90's. I have never seen it, but I spent most of the early nineties living abroad. If anyone has seen it, please drop me an email. I'd like to know if it was any good.
Darkman is approached by Dr. Brigette Thorn, one of the surgeons that operated on him after his accident in the first Darkman movie. Thorn claims to have perfected a procedure that can restore feeling to Darkman's body. Darkman agrees to go to her secluded lab because she has the needed equipment to help him perfect his liquid skin and become whole again. Its a dupe...Thorn is in league with Peter Rooker, a crime boss. Rooker wants a new steroid to sell on the street and the secret of Darkman's damaged nervous system (which gives him adrenalin powered super strength) can help him. Plus, Rooker knows that Darkman has stolen money from his illegal drug operations. (Darkman stole the money to fund his own experiments to cure himself) Thorn doesn't fix Darkman's nervous system but implants a pain device instead to control him. Unfortunately for her, Darkman soon removes the device with some rusty pliers. Rooker has the only copy of Darkman's liquid skin research on floppy disk so Darkman plots to recover it. He finds that Rooker has a wife, Angela, and a daughter, Jenny. Rooker, being a scumbag crimelord, treats them like sh*t. Using his ability to disguise himself, Darkman manages to uncover a plot to kill Angela by Rooker. Rooker uses the drug synthesized by Darkman's blood to give several of his goons super strength but Darkman defeats them all. Rooker injects himself with the drug and confronts Darkman. In the battle Jenny is burned by accident. Darkman destroys Rooker and recovers his liquid skin sample...the only sample that can survive in the light after 99 minutes.(The disk was destroyed however) Though he tells himself he doesn't care, Darkman, as Dr. Peyton Westlake, uses his only sample of permanent skin on Jenny.
Okay, not too shabby. Better than the hated Batman and Robin movie, but a film of me farting could claim that. Anyhoo, after Jenny got burned and the disk got destroyed anyone with a brain cell knew Darkman would sacrifice his happiness for the child. Other than the fact that its a cheapo flick I have no problems with this installment into the Darkman story except this gripe... I can't remember why, but I have had a grudge against Jeff Fahey for awhile. This movie only helps that...his acting is so wooden they should have saved some money and got a third year acting student to play Rooker.
Trek fans will note that Rooker's wife, Angela, is played by the beautiful Roxanne Biggs-Dawson, AKA Lt. Be'Lanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager. The character of Johnny Lee is played by Von Florres. Fans of Earth: Final Conflict will know him as Agent Sandoval.
best lines: "Life's a bitch and so am I." - Dr. Thorn, betraying Darkman.
"Yes, I'm sure she knows all about trash..."-Angela Rooker when she catches her husband doing the nasty with Dr. Thorn.
"You always talk about strength, but a strong man loves his wife, takes care of his children..."-Darkman before he kills Rooker.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:
1.) Can't Westlake find a better place to go into his sewer hideaway? He always does this on a well lit street with traffic in the background. That only increases his chances of being seen!
2.) Hey! If Rooker's wife had ridges on her head she'd look just like a klingo---oooh...its Roxanne Biggs-Dawson!
3.) What is it with these scientists and their secret labs in abandoned factories. In "Darkman" Westlake holes up in an abandoned factory and builds a secret lab, in "Darkman II: The Return of Durant" a colleague of Westlake has a lab in an abandoned factory and in this movie Dr. Thorn has a lab in an abandoned factory! (I think its the same factory too and the studio has a lease and wants to use it or something!)
4.) Darkman Trusts this chick (Dr. Thorn)? Shouldn't Darkman be al ittle more paranoid? she's offering to do surgery on him by herself! No assistants, no hospitals, no nothing! If this procedure is so great why isn't there anyonev else around?
NUDITY AND SEX: none
HUH?: Darkman pulls the agonizer out of his neck with rusty pliers? What?! Isn't it connect to his nervous system? Even if Darkman can't feel pain isn't he ripping out nerves and stuff?
Why didn't Darkman get ready before Rooker and his men came to his hideout? Didn't he think Thorn would tell them where his base was?
Darkman tricks a rocket chasing him by slowing down...I don't get it either...rent the movie.
The Tally: I'm sorry, all you Darkman haters but I have to give the movie a four devil head rating...yeah, it had its dumb parts but its true to itself and I thought it was fun to watch. Your mileage may vary if you're not a fan of antihero movies..