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Spawn

Threat advisory: Low - Low risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Born in darkness. Sworn to justice.

Spawn is a scarred warrior and fearless, dark hero with the skills of an assassin, the weaponry of an extraterrestrial army, and the supernatural ability to transform himself in to an extraordinary arsenal of shapes and textures.

Five years after being murdered by corrupt colleagues in a covert government agency, Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) makes a Faustian pact with the Devil so that he can be resurrected to see his beloved wife Wanda (Theresa Randle) one last time. In exchange for his return to Earth, Simmons agrees to lead Hell's army in the destruction of mankind.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film superhero action crime fighter

Persons of interest

Michael Jai White .... Al Simmons/Spawn
John Leguizamo .... Clown/Violator
Martin Sheen .... Jason Wynn
Theresa Randle .... Wanda Blake
Nicol Williamson .... Cogliostro
DB Sweeney .... Terry Fitzgerald
Melinda Clarke .... Jessica Priest
Miko Hughes .... Zack
Sydni Beaudoin .... Cyan
Michael Papajohn .... Glen, Zack's Dad
Frank Welker .... The Devil Malebolgia
Todd McFarlane .... Author
Alan B McElroy .... Storywriter
Mark AZ Dippé .... Storywriter
Alan B McElroy .... Screenwriter
Mark AZ Dippé .... Screenwriter
Mark AZ Dippé .... Director

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Ooops. Another comic book superhero flops on the big screen.

While you can tell this film is based on a comic, that doesn't do anything to make it worth seeing. there is a big difference between pictures and text on a page and light and sound in a cinema which the creators of this film haven't discovered. This is unfortunate, not the least because John Leguizamo's clown is an incredibly consistent and riveting (if sometimes incomprehensible, but you try talking with that many extra teeth in your mouth) performance: I had no idea who this short fat guy was they got to play clown until I read the credits.

Michael Jai White is caught up in the immensity of his character, while Martin Sheen makes comic books look real. Some of the effects are great, some are crap. It's an uneven film that comes off as two-dimensional when compared to classics like Terminator. You know a movie's in trouble when the hero is upstaged by his cape.

This is a marketing exercise in reverse: a comic book leading to toys, novels, an animated TV series and finally a film. About the only consolation is that it would have been worse the other way round. Watch it only if you've already seen everything else.