Spawn (1997)

What a beautiful movie!

Redundant and unnecessary.

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Honestly, I really don't understand why this movie has such a low rating. I theroughly enjoyed this movie. John Leguizamo was hilarious! In fact, I think Leguizamo and White and great acting chemistry. Lots of action, great special effects for it's time, and it had a perfect blend of dark comedy that not that many writers can pull off. Guys, lighten up, this has got to be my ultimate favorite Michael Jai White move.

In many ways, this film is as tragic as Spawn's own backstory. As mentioned above, the actors are beautifully suited to their roles. Particularly Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo in the leading roles. Everyone breathes a real life into one of the greatest comic series ever written.The story, on the other hand, is unbecomingly light-hearted for Spawn. Perhaps they were worried about the movie being to broody, but if that was the case, they grossly overcompensated. Some of the most emotionally pivotal scene of the opening comic issues are instead played for laughs here. It isn't Joel Schumacher's Spawn, by any means. But the out-of-place gags can take you out of the story when the horrid CGI doesn't. The make-up, costumes and practical effects are honestly breathtaking, but that and the strength of the actors alternates from helping you forget that you're watching the generic cola of Spawn, and highlighting all that now seems even weaker by comparison. In short, it's a lukewarm movie at best. With good points and bad in equal measure. I can't recommend it as such, but it is an interesting study in "so close, and yet so far".

Spawn sucks, did you see my summary? It's like right above this part. Spawn sucks, here's why- The comic book isn't that great, then they made a movie based off that comic book; if a movie is the gutless version of a lame-ass comic book you know there is a bag of dicks about to be sucked by you, the viewer. Spawn sucks, here's why- John Leguziamo. His portrayal of the Clown/ the Violator is so profoundly sh*t, just big piles of sh*t, it physically causes pain to watch him as the Clown. Why did the director encourage this performance? Was no one able to stop Mr. Leguziamo like once he got started? The cascade effect? Also, did you read the IMDb summary of the movie, a page back? That plot sounds so stupid, is that what happens in the movie? Full disclosure: I've never been able to watch more than an hour of this awful movie so I don't know how it ends, but I can live with that, easily.

Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is an agent of a covert government agency headed by Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen). He is angered by the civilian casualties of the latest hit. Wynn sends him on the next mission to attack a North Korean biochemical plant. Wynn double-crosses him with assassin Jessica Priest (Melinda Clarke). He is sent down to Hell where demon king Malebolgia offers him a deal. It's 5 years late. Al returns to earth to see his love Wanda Blake (Theresa Randle) who is now married to his best friend Terry Fitzgerald (D.B. Sweeney) and raising his daughter Cyan. Evil minion Clown/The Violator (John Leguizamo) reminds him of the deal to kill Wynn and lead the demon army upon Armageddon in exchange for Wanda. Cogliostro was also an assassin from Hell but he saved his soul and battle for Heaven.It tries to be a darker and uglier type of comic book movie but it ends up more or less campy. I can't really take John Leguizamo seriously. Danny DeVito would have been much better. Everybody is trying too hard to be a cartoon character. Martin Sheen doesn't have to act evil. He would be so much more effect if he acts Presidential. The visual style looks cheap although Spawn himself looks good. The makeup looks pretty good and the CGI is incorporated as well as can be expected. I guess most of the effort was concentrated on the look of Spawn and everything else took a backseat.