6B
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/The Charlotte Post
Thursday August 7, 1997
‘Spawn’ lacks story, acting
By Winfred B. Cross
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Spawn
Starring; Michael Jai
White, John Leguizamo,
Martin Sheen, Theresa
Randle and Nicol Williamson
Directed hy Mark Dippe
New Line Cinema
☆ L2
Turning a wildly popular comic
book into a movie is a foreboding
task. If you get it right, true fans
and the curious will flock to the
film. Get it wrong and the studio
is stuck with a huge bill.
The movie version of “Spawn,”
Todd McFarlane’s dark and
brooding version of “Dante’s
Inferno,” gets a lot of stuff right.
It sticks closely to the comic book,
which will no doubt satisfy fans.
But the movie may have trouble
pleasing a big audience.
It’s not that the story isn’t
interesting. A1 Simmons
TMichael Jai White) is a trained
assassin who’s betrayed and
killed by his boss, Jason Wyim
(Martin Sheen). He goes to Hell,
where he’s offered the chance to
lead Malebogia’s (the devil, I
think) army to start
Armageddon and bum down
heaven. In return, he gets to see
his wife Wanda (the often under
used Theresa Randle).
Five years pass and Simmons
returns to Earth where he even
tually turns into Spawn, a war
rior with incredible powers and
weapons. He’s followed aroimd
by Clown (the odd John
Leguizamo), a hell-grown
mutant with a sadistic streak.
But Coghostro - once a bad guy
now turned good (Nicol
Williamson) - wants to work for
good and pits him against Clown
and Malebogia.
The problem is the execution.
The story muavels in fragments.
It’s hard to follow if you are not
familiar with the comic book.
Also, not much attention was
given to the script. None of
Leguizamo’s one-liners are
fimny, nor is much of the dia
logue even interesting. White’s
lines consist of monosyllabic
phrases which he delivers with
little conviction.
Spawn (Michael Jai White) is about to be attacked by Vioiator.
None of the acting is convincing.
Sheen is much too hammy as
Wynn (Doesn’t he look a lot like
Wayne Newton with all that
black dye in his hair?).
Leguizamo is the most interest
ing, in an irritating way. He has
the right attitude, but the jokes
are stale and fall flat most of the
time.
The film’s redeeming moments
come in the special effects, which,
for the most part, are dazzling.
Spawn’s cape and chains - a liv
ing outer shell - do incredible
things. 'The computer generated
cape is a stunning crimson color.
It renders him invisible or forms
various shields. The chains grasp,
crunch, crush and sever objects
and creatmes.
The effects run amuck in the
heU scenes. The computer gener
ation becomes busy and it’s hard
to tell what’s going on. 'The
Animatronic effects aren’t very
scary. Malehogia looks like a
Muppet on steroids, \fiolator -
Clown’s true form - is better, but
hardly registers a blip on the
scare scale.
'The most aggravating aspect of
“Spawn” is the hype that this is
the first time an African
American super hero has been
featured in a film. Not true.
Robert 'Ibwnsend’s mildly enter
taining “Meteor Man” had that
distinction. Also, Spawn is a con
voluted character which is basi
cally evil. That’s nothing to be
proud of, African American or
not.
Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ Classic;
☆☆☆☆ Excellent
☆☆☆ Good;
☆☆ Fair;
☆ Why?;
No Stars Given - A mess.
"General Motors
believes in my goals
as strongly as 1 do."
“lieing () successful woman in what's seen
as a 'man’s world' is quite an accomplish
ment. What makes it important is sharing
that success. (Jencral Motors believes that
as strongly as 1 do.
With (iM training, I have the know-how
to run a successful car dealership; and I
have something else...an opportunity to
show young minority women that they
can be successful too.
Who said it's a 'man's world’?"
El* General Motors,
We Never Torgei Who's Driving,
Chevrolet 1
I’dnij.sc: • O i.nsM 1)1! I i.i: • • ca i) i mac • Cil
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