I remember back in the late 90s, "Spawn" was one of those films that just looked really cool, in the same vein as "Blade" or "The Matrix" (or maybe it's because they all had similar-looking DVD releases). Films like these capitalized greatly on then-impressive special effects, slick cinematic style, frequent action, a dark and gothic subject matter, and really awesome soundtracks. As cool as "Spawn" seems, however, it's nowhere near as cool as these other films.
The coolness of "Spawn" is that it has a lot of action. It doesn't really drag all that much. It has a cool concept behind its antihero character and the overall story; one that offers potential for some epic special effects and some interesting plot twists. And, it has one of the coolest soundtracks on the market.
The lameness of "Spawn" is that the dialogue is often very corny, the villains are standard megalomaniacs, the special effects are horrid (even by 1997 standards), a few parts are way too cartoony for its own good (especially regarding the clown character), the style of editing can be pretty erratic and weird, and the film overall is watered down for a PG-13 rating (even the R-rated cut doesn't really push the boundaries much).
The thing I find most disconcerting is the execution of the story. The original story for "Spawn" is a pretty dark and compelling drama, on a level similar to "The Crow." It was handled with just the perfect level of respect and quality with the HBO animation. This film takes the material, keeps the core story, but skims over a huge amount of the plot in a short runtime. As such, parts of it are rushed and choppy.
Regardless, it does handle a few aspects appropriately. It is inherently compelling to watch the main character suffering betrayal and loss, before being forced to choose between vengeance and morality. It is a story with promise; it's just told in a goofy way.
For what it's worth, the photography is not bad. The film is edited with some really weird and fancy editing effects, which can be erratic at times and stylish in others. With the iffy special effects, the film sometimes comes off as appearing rather gaudy. Still, the actors do their best: Michael Jai White brings the Spawn character to life with just the right amount of emotional punch and machismo, while Martin Sheen, John Leguizamo, and Nicol Williamson all put on very hammy performances (for better or for worse). Despite the gaudy CGI, this production has fine and dandy sets, props, and costumes. Music is really awesome.
I personally recommend the HBO cartoon version of "Spawn" first and foremost, for it is an excellent and earnest attempt at adapting the original comic. This film may have seemed right at its time, but after all this time it's apparent that it's mostly wrong. It does entertain, but interested parties would do better to rent it first and make up their own minds.
3/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Marginal)
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