Spawn (1997)

SPAWN is worth skipping, unless you're a comic-book fan, in which
case you'll probably enjoy the special effects.  Viz wiz and first-
time director Mark A.Z. Dippe proves, once again, that a caped 
crusader can at least be *visualized* on film.  The soulless, joy-
less story is *less* enjoyable, but it certainly goes a long way to 
easing to pain of that other hotly anticipated four-color failure, 
BATMAN AND ROBIN.  (To be fair, at least Mr. Schumacher's film had 
entire *sequences* worth watching.)  Really, there's barely anything 
here to hook the viewer.  The tone is black, but not black enough.  
The costumed villain (a squat and obscenely padded John Leguizamo) 
is a grotesque delight, but doesn't get enough screen time.  Even a
literal rendition of Hell-- complete with a CGI rendition of the Big 
Guy himself-- gets boring after the first look-see.  Sigh.  With 
Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, Nicol Williamson, D. B. Sweeney, 
and Theresa Randle.

Grade: D+

Copyright 1997 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies in MOVIE HELL: August 7, 1997