Spawn (1997)

reviewed by
Justin K. Siegel


S P A W N -- a movie review by Justin Siegel

Hey, I'm a hip guy; I like comics. How come I didn't like this movie? It could have something to do with the fact that I don't like Todd McFarlane's comic of the same name, on which the movie is based. SPAWN is a gorgeous-looking, but intellectually numb science-fiction soon-to-be-cult film that, like all dark, dank, depressing action-films, contains balsa-wood acting, a script thay would earn the writer a C- on any 10th Grade creative writing assignment, and about a gazillion dollars worth of special-effects.

What do I _really_ think og this movie? That's a mystery, even to me. While I enjoying looking at it, I was bored with the storyline.

Michael Jai White plays Al Simmons, a trained assassin who, after being set up in North Korea and burnt to a crisp by bad guy Martin Sheen, goes to hell. Then he comes back (?) as Spawn, a superhero. Albeit an ugly, badly scarred superhero with a bad additude. He is befriended by a sadistic little demon named Clown (John Leguizamo), who wants him to lead the Army of Darkness in a war against Heaven. The movie portrays Satan as an "overgrown Gecko," and he, uh, it, is the most interesting character in the movie (not to mention the best looking, although Theresa Randle, as Simmons' estranged wife, comes close).

As the plot plods along, Spawn's old wife (Randle), her new husband, and their daughter are all put in danger, and Spawn has to save them. Of course, Spawn doesn't die or turn back into Simmons or anything crazy like that, since there has to be a sequel, according to Law no. 442 in the Superhero Movie Code.

SPAWN runs long at only an hour and 34 minutes. I enjoyed looking at some of the eye-popping special effects the film has to offer, but, as far as plot, story, or character development goes, look elsewhere.

        C (report card)           5 out of 10                    ** (0 to ****)

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