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Spawn

Spawn

1997
Suspense/Thriller, Fantasy
1h 36m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 25.8% from 3605 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3605)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 08 Jan 2021
46
16th
I was unaware that the aesthetics of nu-metal had been fashioned into a feature length film.
Rated 12 Feb 2019
13
2nd
I turned it on for the first time ever thinking to myself, "Eh, it can't be THAT bad" and boy-howdy was I wrong. So, so wrong. It's like everything stylistically bad about the late '90's made somehow nastier. It's not even intentionally nasty, which would be redeemable. Just, plain nasty. You find yourself hating things even more than usual after this.
Rated 01 Jul 2021
30
0th
In 1997 there were only a few ways to do a superhero film: either crowd friendly like Superman or brooding like Batman or The Crow. Spawn boldly found a far worse third option. The expository dialogue would be bad in a porno. The editing & bad video game FX make entire scenes confusing. One stuntman spends more time onscreen than his actor. And the comic's superpower gimmick isn't even mentioned until the last act--thus avoiding some cool world-building. Possibly the worst comic book movie ever.
Rated 04 May 2016
28
3rd
Awkwardly terrible way to treat the source material whatever your thoughts on it. Not without certain pathetically trashy fun that mostly just makes you loath yourself and possibly all other human beings. Save yourself some existential pain and watch Brian Yuzna's Faust instead.
Rated 17 Jul 2008
27
8th
It relies almost entirely on its special effects, which weren't even very good at the time.
Rated 20 Apr 2007
51
35th
When I was a kid, this was the greatest movie ever made, and then, I grew up.
Rated 30 Apr 2008
1
6th
When I was a kid this movie was BADASS. My judgment has gotten slightly better.
Rated 12 Oct 2009
35
11th
I loved the comic book, back when I was a teenager, but even at the tender age of 16, this was just pure trash, with laughably bad CGI and the weakest excuse for a plot. I enjoyed the soundtrack though... back then... when I was a teenager... I want to make that absolutely clear.
Rated 03 Mar 2010
1
4th
Mark A.Z. Dippe, director of Spawn and, ten years later, Garfield Gets Real. About time you learned that some things were just not meant to be, Mark.
Rated 17 Feb 2012
35
9th
Whenever Spawn got a new power revealed to him he'd be all "AW HELLS YEAH". Hey movies, if you want me to like Leguizamo as an actor put him in this clown suit in everything.
Rated 01 Jul 2012
15
2nd
And the award for "Worst Use of Wipes in Cinema History" goes too...
Rated 24 May 2020
10
1st
Spawn effortlessly secures a top spot in the pantheon of disastrous comic book movies based on its bungled story, horrendous dialogue and eye-wateringly bad effects alone, but Leguizamo's unbearable performance as flatulent demon-clown Violator drops a tank of hydrogen on the already flaming wreckage of Todd McFarlane's creation.
Rated 08 Dec 2007
38
23rd
Leguizamo is good. Sheen does what he can with his role. I remember when I was young this was the most awesome thing ever. Then I grew up and I realized it's really not.
Rated 09 Jan 2008
20
0th
Movies like Spawn are the main reason why non-Batman/Superman superhero flicks weren't considered to be viable or worthwhile. The special effects are simply put...a fucking joke. There are a couple of Violator scenes that are ok (and the cape is ok too, I guess), but Hell and Malebolgia are completely unforgiveable and just look awful. But there's the comedy, right? No, it's all cheesy/crude bullshit with no substance. Not even worth watching if you're looking for a campy mess.
Rated 21 Jul 2008
34
19th
Terrible plot, and it relies mostly on special effects.
Rated 26 Jul 2008
12
1st
How somebody takes such a good character as Spawn and completely screws it up is beyond me. This comes off as campy even though it's going for a serious tone. The special effects weren't great to begin with and they don't hold up now, except for maybe the cape, which seems to be where all the effort was put. 80 for the cape.
Rated 26 Apr 2009
60
15th
Dated effects and bad acting don't help what could've been an awesome, dark comic book movie.
Rated 07 Apr 2013
49
29th
"But Spawn...I sell drugs to the community!"
Rated 18 Jul 2017
1
1st
How does "Batman and Robin" keep getting the label of worst comic book movie in a world where this fucking thing exists?
Rated 21 Oct 2019
59
9th
Although most of his jokes aren't funny the Violator's Bugs Bunny-like presence makes this mostly painless. Still, the direction & script (characters speak in overt exposition) are very bad & the efx awful. The comic was badly written too but at least it looked great. No doubt this is partly a result of budget (stunts include alot of throwing people around & Spawn uses machine guns & a motorcycle) but also probably bc McFarlane believed he could do everything his way & hired cheap amateurs.
Rated 16 Apr 2020
10
3rd
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #44: They spend $45 MILLION on this movie and it STILL looks like a VoD release. Spawn makes Fantastic Four look like The Dark Knight in comparison.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
46
17th
Sometimes this a cool movie but most of the time it makes me want to die.
Rated 27 Jun 2007
33
22nd
Giant mess that wastes the considerable talents of all involved. Avoid at all costs.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
29
13th
Somehow, they made Spawn even lamer than he is the comic.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
1
0th
1/100. Reference grade terrible. Spawn.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
37th
Spawn is a choppy, often sloppy, oddly paced film, but the action is cool, and the special effects were top-shelf at the time. Also, John Leguizamo gives a performance to remember as the mentally twisted, stubby little Clown. Meh!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
35
26th
Not a good adaptation of a comic book. Low budget casting, acting and directing. Effects are ridiculous. But great music: mix of techno and metal. Great.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
38
26th
Despite the aesthetic pleasure of ocassionally satisfying special effects, the narrative doesn't make a lick of sense, and the tragically underdeveloped lead has to make do with nemeses like the embarassed Martin Sheen and the embarassing John Leguizamo.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
17
3rd
Martin Sheen's parts are fun, the rest is worthless. Probably one of the worst big-budget comic movies ever, besides Batman & Robin.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
42
21st
Not very good, but then I wasn't expecting very much.
Rated 21 Aug 2007
9
14th
Crap
Rated 31 Dec 2007
42
8th
Awful movie based on awful comic series. Avoid pretty much anything bearing the Spawn name.
Rated 30 Apr 2008
0
4th
lol spawn
Rated 28 Jul 2008
40
13th
You know, this movie kinda grew on me. The ending theme music would have made a great theme for a pro wrestler.
Rated 18 Oct 2008
1
10th
Very bland and soulless. Only caught it in bits and pieces.
Rated 20 Nov 2008
80
17th
For those of us who like eye candy, this film is a nice way to while away some down time; it's also excellent MST3K fodder.
Rated 29 Nov 2008
15
2nd
One of the five movies I've walked out of in 33 years.
Rated 29 Dec 2008
1
7th
This is a bad, bad movie.
Rated 19 Apr 2009
0
0th
Unbearable.
Rated 04 Jul 2009
45
9th
Generic and completely forgettable. John Leguizamo is the only moderately interesting thing about Spawn.
Rated 06 Aug 2009
63
16th
Luigi is the best part of this movie.
Rated 04 Dec 2009
0
15th
Exceptionally dreary, noisy nonsense that shows the cinema of mindless sensation at its worst: it makes little narrative sense, displays no imagination in its repetitive action sequences, and is peopled by uninteresting characters.
Rated 08 Dec 2009
45
36th
This is no good, which is a shame, because in terms of the graphical novel McFarlane is really on to something, and the overall feel of the movie does have a certain cartoonish appeal. Perhaps in more skilled hands this could have really been something. Imagine Fincher directing this! Wait. I say that about every movie.
Rated 14 Jan 2010
15
8th
A huge amount of compacted ass-shit.
Rated 18 Jun 2012
47
17th
Unpleasant and ugly
Rated 18 Jun 2012
0
0th
hell is john leguizamo as the "violator" farting eternally in your face
Rated 26 Feb 2013
50
3rd
Overall insanely crappy for a mainstream (reasonably) big budgeted cinema adaptation of a comic book hero. Terrible scripting, bad acting, and the CGI... Dear lord, like it came out of a Quake 2 game. Tho Leguizamo tries very hard to save this stinker (and gives the only entertaining performance in the movie) its still so bad i was cringing thru most of it. For the kids. No older than 16.
Rated 03 Mar 2018
48
19th
Spawn didn't work in 1997 and time has not improved it. Some effort has clearly gone into its visual design, but the budget wasn't generous enough to successfully realize its digital vistas--the CGI looks ropey in the hell sequences and is highly variable across the entire film--and while Dippe does stage a few good action scenes, the direction on the whole is unremarkable. The performances are mostly bad (Jai White can't act) - only Leguizamo as a demonic clown leaves any kind of impression.
Rated 20 Apr 2018
73
85th
Pretty decent overall, it's tough to cram many, many hours of material into one rather short movie, not a lot of backstory done with Al Simmons. The best part is pretty good cinematography in the dark scenes. They made the movie almost campy and not nearly dark and violent enough, but it is still a decent attempt. There is still talk of another live film in the works with McFarlane's involvement, so us fans can keep hope.
Rated 27 Mar 2019
65
23rd
The VFX in hindsight didn't age well, but Todd McFarlane's original premise for the character of Spawn holds up. John Leguizamo steals the show with his wild and wacky performance. I felt the pacing was off, almost rushing to a conclusion in the third act.
Rated 24 Apr 2021
0
0th
Garbage.
Rated 15 Oct 2023
30
11th
Spawn is the epitome of the 90s. He is cool because he's an antihero and he doesn't speak much. But when he does, he has two emotions -- steadfast or angry. The humour mostly comes from the Clown, who soon after we meet, removes his underwear to show his skid marks. I would say Martin Sheen phoned his performance in, but even picking up a phone would be more effort than he showed here. The CGI looks to be taken from a Playstation 1 cutscene. For some reason, Ebert loved this film.
Rated 29 Jan 2007
20
6th
Extremely disappointing.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
50
19th
Great story, very cool hero, but poory told...
Rated 12 Feb 2007
40
19th
Not bad.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
15
15th
A Shame for the Comic...
Rated 26 May 2007
35
12th
Horrible fucking movie.. and I love Spawn.
Rated 04 Jun 2007
38
13th
The only review I give that doesn't end with a 0 or 5. It's too terrible to be good, but it's too entertaining to be horrible.
Rated 06 Jun 2007
25
11th
I wish they had waited at least 5 or 6 years to make this movie and had a bigger budget. It's a shame that such a cool comic had to be translated into such a shitty movie.
Rated 12 Jul 2007
25
0th
Pretty poor effects and kind of simple childish plotline. But, it was amusing... a little.
Rated 13 Jul 2007
75
18th
Better as a comic book. Not *completely* unwatchable, but pretty bad. Leguizamo salvages something with his role.
Rated 07 Aug 2007
67
31st
Flawed, but a faithful adaptation.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
19
8th
Has all the production values of a TBS original movie. Completely dumb. Be sure to watch the special version with Todd McFarlane's rambling 30 minute rant; it's more entertaining than the film is.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
27
8th
This movie has one, and only one, saving grace: John Leguizamo is fantastic as the Violator! Other than that, AVOID THIS MOVIE. I own Spawn 1- 25 and I loved the animated series that was on HBO, so my opinion may be a little jaded. The worst part about it is that this movie could have been so much better.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
10
11th
In England, Spawn rhymes with Scone. I like the quaint tea-time pastries better than this movie.
Rated 15 Aug 2007
35
6th
It had some good visuals for it's day, but it was ultimately just a shitty comic book movie. Which sucks because Spawn is a great comic book. Just not one that translates very well into a movie.
Rated 20 Aug 2007
9
62nd
Like comic goth mashups? Here you go - superb.
Rated 14 Sep 2007
75
45th
They oughta make more r-rated comic book flicks. This one was good.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
60
39th
cheesy but kinda fun
Rated 14 Oct 2007
40
0th
did not enjoy at all
Rated 09 Nov 2007
60
27th
WHAT A YAWNER! Another movie about a man who looses his lover and can not do anything about it, except join the dark forces to avenge himself.
Rated 26 Nov 2007
70
18th
A bit crazy with the over-acting...the fat guy was funny. But the movie was worth it's entertainment value.
Rated 25 Feb 2008
30
6th
film based on a comic and done very poorly
Rated 27 Feb 2008
42
24th
ger; als ein agent von seinem machtsüchtigen vorgesetzten eleminiert wird, wird dieser als spawn wiedergeboren
Rated 08 Mar 2008
10
17th
Embarrassing. Besides even the weakness and juvenility of the material itself, this movie is a good argument against letting any of the ILM gearheads have a chance to direct (like Dippe was/is). Except for Sheen (who probably didn't need any direction), all the performances suck
Rated 27 Mar 2008
67
34th
Great effects, but didn't go well from the comics to the screen
Rated 31 Mar 2008
60
58th
The opening credits alone are an image bludgeon. I gotta say this is pretty cool, the pacing is pretty solid, the monsters, while fake, neato. The picture looses points for its plot, dialogue, and preachy voice over, none of which are particularly interesting. One awesome babe with gun.
Rated 21 Apr 2008
40
33rd
Mcfarlane makes good toys and comics, but bad videogames and movies.
Rated 02 May 2008
25
16th
John Leguizamo's Clown character was as disturbing and unappealing as anything, too bad this movie reeked.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
60
63rd
okay movie
Rated 30 Jun 2008
60
43rd
Give this one a chance, and also to this movie.
Rated 05 Jul 2008
50
21st
Ha ha ha, never read the comics. But this kind of failed.
Rated 31 Jul 2008
78
55th
Bad ass.
Rated 02 Aug 2008
25
8th
Goddamn terrible.
Rated 04 Aug 2008
16
6th
Comic deserves a much better adaptation...watch the anime instead!
Rated 27 Aug 2008
2
0th
One of the worst things I've ever been submitted to. Everything about it was wrong, bad, and ill-planned. One of the nadirs of (relatively) big-budget Hollywood movies.
Rated 18 Sep 2008
61
90th
Ujævn
Rated 14 Oct 2008
86
40th
freaking sick
Rated 18 Dec 2008
4
4th
I liked the comics but the movie was laughably bad
Rated 18 Dec 2008
45
12th
Good plot, bad CG
Rated 26 Jan 2009
65
30th
amusing
Rated 02 Feb 2009
80
42nd
One of the early second wave comic book films that started the revolution. Pretty good film.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
30
31st
Loved the comic - felt the movie missed important components.
Rated 23 May 2009
45
31st
At the time it was released, did not seem so bad. But today compared with other comics adaptions, is pretty bad.
Rated 01 Jun 2009
50
7th
Interesting super hero. Terrible film.
Rated 12 Jun 2009
100
94th
The ascension of "Spawn" to the big screen is less of a cinematicevent than the poorest excuse outside of an "X-Men" convention to get a lot of comic-book dweebs in a central location.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
69
65th
Guilty pleasure!
Rated 20 Dec 2009
50
41st
black guy come back from hell to kick some ass and there's a funny evil clown too.
Rated 24 Mar 2010
2
19th
I wanted to like it, even back when I first saw it as a kid.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
21
6th
The comic book is a one trick pony (albeit a somewhat interesting one) and this movie can't capture any of the feel. Stick to the HBO animated series.

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