Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23094 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-06-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Director's Cut, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
After being murdered for quitting his role as a ruthless yet moral government assassin, Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is sent to Hell, where he makes a pact with the demon Malebolgia--if Simmons is allowed to see his lover, Wanda, again, he will agree to lead the demon's armies to storm the gates of Heaven. Transformed into a superhuman entity with shape-shifting powers and quick regeneration capabilities, Simmons (soon to be dubbed "Spawn" by Malebolgia's crony, the Violator) returns to Earth and attempts to reunite with Wanda, not knowing that five years have passed. He also seeks revenge on his former boss and killer, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen), who has made a deal with the Violator to develop a lethal virus to take over the world, where Wynn is promised to be king. Spawn wages an inner battle between good and evil as he tries to come to terms with selling his soul and what it could mean for humankind. Despite excellent special effects and great potential, Spawn seems to come up short. While White certainly displays verve in his characterisation of the twisted hero, he cannot overcome some forced dialogue. On the flip side, the usually engaging John Leguizamo portrays the sinister Violator--an evil monster masquerading as a rotund, weird-looking clown--as an irritating lackey who spews overbearing sarcasm and incessantly banal one-liners. Admitted, many of Spawn's action sequences are fun, and the transitions effectively brisk, but more could have been done to explore how Simmons grapples with his humanity in these daunting circumstances. But if you want sizzling action sequences and digital effects, this film should keep you happy. --Bryan Reesman

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby Pro Logic Stereo English
Dolby Pro Logic Stereo
Commentary Audio Track
Todd McFarlane Chapter And Verse Interview
The Making Of
Filter And The Crystal Method Music Video
English

Synopsis
The ambitious, visually extravagant big-screen adaptation of comic artist Todd McFarlane's popular eponymous Gothic serial, helmed by first-timer Dippe (formerly of Industrial Light & Magic). After burning to death in the munitions factory he was commanded to destroy, a reluctant CIA operative strikes up an uneasy bargain with the devil--he'll lead the armies of Hell in their war against the earth in exchange for the opportunity to see his wife from afar. Available in the original theatrical version and in an R-rated director's cut.

Customer Reviews

Good attempt but not good enough.
Let's face it, Spawn the comic was never going to be easy to transfer onto the big screen.

I think that Todd McFarlane & co didn't do all that bad a job of the movie, however, I do believe that the movie could have been MUCH better than it turned out. If only they made the film darker, like the comics, more in the style of say "Blade" with Wesley Snipes.

A great prospect that was never given the right script, actors or director, Spawn could have been so much more than just another action movie with some eye-catching special effects, but alas it isn't.

Although Michael Jai White wasn't a bad choice for Al Simmons, Tony Todd should have been brought in for the voice of the deceased Simmons, aka Spawn. Also, someone like David Fincher could have directed this better in my mind and Todd McFarlane could have co-wrote a fantastic script with someone like Kevin Smith.

I have heard rumours of a sequel, which is promised to be a LOT darker than this, the first Spawn movie, I hope this is true, as Spawn really deserves to be a big budget, cleverly scripted box office & critical hit of a movie, not this half-... attempt.

Diabolical in every way
I'm quite a fan of good comic book adaptations, but sadly this isn't. The script is appalling, particularly the dialogue, the villains are laughable, the acting is worse (with the exception of the lead, who does his best given the lousy material). Even Martin Sheen as the villain looks if he'd rather shoot his agent than Spawn. Avoid like the plague, and rent Hellboy instead.

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.