Now available from Arrow Video, reviewed on Blu-ray
When a mercenary is killed by his employer, he comes back as a vengeful figure spawned from Hell.
Based on the Todd McFarlane comics, from a screen story by Alan B. McElroy and Mark A.Z. Dippé, with McElroy credited with the screenplay, and directed by Dippé, Spawn is an early comic book adaptation that went for the dark side of things, taking a page from The Vrow and a chapter from more action-centric films like Street Fighter. There is some great stuff in here and some not-so-great stuff, showing that sometimes, there is a reason something is not done often or at all. To be honest, the good and the bad here come together to create a film that is purely late 1990s fun, nonsense and all. The story here is simple enough, man dies, goes to Hell, is spat back out, given a second chance, figures out how to be a better hero, and saved the day. Ok, maybe not all that simple, but it works here and there isn’t too much head-scratching going on, so it’s enjoyable. Of course, suspension of disbelief is a big thing for this film, so for those unfamiliar, be ready to watch some things that don’t all make sense, but all work out in the end. The writing here is a bit messy in spots; the direction shows that there is some flare and talent, but something is missing. It’s a good movie, it’s a fun movie, but it’s also a bit of a mess.
The cast here makes the most of it all and turns this film into their own playground. From Michael Jai White as Spawn, to John Leguizamo as Clown, to Melinda Clarke, Martin Sheen, to Miko Hughes, it seems everyone in this is a familiar face and here to make this film the most fun film they can. Michael Jai White of course carries the majority of the film, and he does do in a great way, making Spawn his own within the confines and limitations of the suit, showing a solid physical performance with a vocal performance that does a lot of the heavy lifting in some scenes. John Leguizamo disappears in his prosthetics-heavy costume as well, making Clown something that looks and feels right out of a comic book, making him a larger-than-life villain and a solid counterpart to Spawn. The rest of the cast looks to be having fun, making their way through the film and its insanity while getting to fight, run, and do comic book adaptation things. There is a pretty wide cast list here, and everyone seems to be hellbent on delivering the best performance they can for the material.
The cinematography by Guillermo Navarro works great for the story, making the most of the light and the dark, playing with the light sources available, rain, wet surfaces, and more. The work here is calculated and perfect for the comic book adaptation style this film has. Working within these images to make the film look as good as it can, the special effects and animatronics give the film charm and make it look so good. The work here is stunning and seeing the names Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, and Greg Nicotero is not a surprise to anyone who knows their work.
Spawn is a comic book adaptation that came early on in the landscape of it all, a year before Blade, 3 years after The Crow. It’s one that has left its mark with the folks who have love it from the start and is starting to get more fans as the nostalgia crowd gets into it as well. This new release is a solid way to discover or rediscover the film as it includes both the theatrical and director’s cut of the film and a ton of extras. The new restoration here looks fantastic on Blu-ray with solid sound quality. The extras are so plentiful that it’s hard to pick favorites. However, a few of these extras come up above the rest. The commentary with McFarlane and Dippé is a highlight here, so are the new interviews with Michael Jai White, Melinda Clarke and D.B. Sweeney, Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, and the archival features. There is something for everyone on here.