STEEL
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.0 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 8/15/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:45 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson, Richard Roundtree, Irma B. Hall Director: Kenneth Johnson Producers: Quincy Jones, Savid Salzman, & Joel Simon Screenplay: Kenneth Johnson Cinematography: Mark Irwin Music: Mervyn Warren U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
STEEL may be the title, but the real metal of this lame superhero flick is more like tin. After striking gold big time at the box office with SUPERMAN and BATMAN, Warner Brothers has decided to bring to the screen another, less familiar DC Comics protagonist. Like the Caped Crusader, Steel is just an impressive physical specimen in an extraordinary suit that's equipped with a lot of neat gadgets. And, as was true of the most recent BATMAN flick, STEEL is far too silly to be taken at all seriously. The concept may not be bad, but there are times when the execution borders on embarassing.
STEEL is the second comic book-to-screen adaptation to arrive in theaters this month. But, aside from the inspiration's format, there are few similarities between this movie and SPAWN. Whereas the latter was all style and little substance, this isn't the case with STEEL. This movie has decidely unimpressive set designs and takes place in a mundane, modern Los Angeles. The film is story-driven, even if that story is distinctly juvenile. The PG-13 rating is based exclusively on violence. The target audience appears to be young teenage boys; anyone not in that category may find themselves less-than-enthralled by this experience.
STEEL begins with an interminable "origins" sequence that explains (albeit not very convincingly) how Steel came into existence. John Henry Irons (Shaquille O'Neal), Lt. Sparks (Annabeth Gish), and Nathaniel Burke (Judd Nelson) are all members of an elite military weapons development team. In keeping with the film's pure black-and- white morality, John and Sparks are good guys; Burke is driven purely by self-interest. To curry favor with a visiting senator, Burke cranks up the power too high on a weapon, and the result is a disaster. The senator is killed and Sparks loses the use of her legs. As a result, Burke is thrown out of the military and goes to work for himself. John also leaves, although of his own volition, and returns to L.A., where he helps his uncle (the venerable Richard Roundtree) out at a local junk yard.
Then Burke's weapons start appearing on the streets of L.A., and John realizes he has to do something to stop them. So, like any law- abiding citizen, he creates a superhero alter-ego. With the help of Sparks and Uncle Joe, Steel combs the benighted streets of the City of Angels, seeking to stop crime wherever it can be uncovered. He confounds a mugger, stops a gang fight, and, eventually, comes face to face with the group of theives using Burke's sonic weapon to gain illegal entry to the Federal Reserve.
Annabeth Gish (BEAUTIFUL GIRLS) has a winning smile and is suitably sweet as Sparks, and Judd Nelson has the villain's sneer down pat. But STEEL's lead actor, Shaquille O'Neal, shows that he's got a long way to go before being considered a competent actor. O'Neal is fine when he's in the Steel suit, but, out of it, he's prone to bouts of uncontrollable stiffness. It's not a pretty sight. Back when I reviewed the awful KAZAAM, I indicated that O'Neal has a palpable screen presence. My opinion hasn't changed -- it's just that, at this point, his acting has a distance to go before it catches up with his charisma. In supporting roles, Richard Roundtree (the immortal SHAFT himself) and Irma B. Hall are both delightful. In fact, Roundtree gives the film's most memorable peformance, continually stealing scenes from all of his co-stars.
Comic book collectors will insist that there's more depth to the characters than one might expect from the medium. That may be true, but it's not evident in STEEL, where everyone has a clearly-defined role and personality. None of these characters undergoes any significant growth, and the few stabs made at character development are trite and ineffective. Writer/director Kenneth Johnson is the same man who once wrote for THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN television show, and was credited for some of that program's most innovative storylines (including "The Bionic Woman" and "The Secret of Bigfoot"). But, while I enjoyed THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN when I was about ten, I no longer find it particularly satisfying or enjoyable (except, perhaps, in a campy sense). Much the same is true of STEEL -- its appeal is limited, and not adult in nature.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
"A film is a petrified fountain of thought." - Jean Cocteau
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