Anyone remember the old Spawn film?

[Chaos Bringer]

i liked the HBO version

 

[Spider-Fan]

Was never a huge Spawn fan.

The movie looked cool, but was weak in the other departments.

 

[Cyrusbales]

If they'd of just stuck to keeping it as faithful as possible, it'd have been one of the best comic book movies, sadly it sucked.

At least the animated series was brilliant.

 

[Orko Is King]

Spawns costume and Clown's makeup were pretty damn cool, but I can't find myself saying anything else positive about this movie. The HBO cartoon was much better I think.

 

[Superhobo]

If they'd of just stuck to keeping it as faithful as possible, it'd have been one of the best comic book movies, sadly it sucked.

At least the animated series was brilliant.

Well, no it wouldn't have been. I was a big supporter of the film and comic from way back, but even I've realized that their main ideal was and still is style o'er substance. The film got all the story points right; it is in fact a very faithful film.
Perhaps its not as dark as the comics wanted to be, but that's just it: they wanted to be dark. That's why we had frankly pointless scenes of that one child killer dressing up in wigs for half an issue and gluing little girl's fingers to construction paper. That's all well and good, but (and, once again, I WAS a fan, am not anymore) none of the writing, or the dialogue, is written particularly well. It was all about trying to be 'dark,' creating a certain mood instead of actually focusing on the other more important aspects of it (that would have in turn helped to establish said mood, probably), and this hurt the comic immensely. But, aesthetically, it's a great book. He can't write, but he can damn well draw, can Mcfarlane.
The film is much the same. It tries to be this dark, brooding action film, but, while the special effects are great, the writing and dialogue just falls flat. So do the characters. You never care for Spawn, you're never actually concerned for Wanda's life when the Clown takes them hostage.
The animated series is an example of the product being adapted to another medium and actually gaining in quality. I've no qualms about that. It's everything the comics and the movies wanted to be, and better. THAT's a TV show. You do feel for Spawn, and the end of the first episodic arc is just awesome.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Film didn't try to be dark, it left out so much of the clown's dialogue, and the whole thing with wyn was wasted.

The drama and poignancy of the events was great, it wasn't about physical battles, but internal ones.

 

[The Amazing Spider-Man]

I still have a poster of that because it's a damn cool picture.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

If they'd of just stuck to keeping it as faithful as possible, it'd have been one of the best comic book movies

No, it wouldn't. The movie would still be badly directed, badly acted, badly written and with bad special effects.

 

[Cyrusbales]

No, it wouldn't. The movie would still be badly directed, badly acted, badly written and with bad special effects.

Wow, not sure how you figured that one out.

 

[Superhobo]

Easily. Here, let me explain. The original product is not a particularly well-written or complex product. It's flash. And, while neverminding that, the film would still be directed by a horrible first-time director, written by bad writers, and acted by Showtime cable access level actors (aside from Leguizamo and Sheen).

It did, in fact, try to be dark. Why the use of all the modern gothic set pieces like the church, Rat City, and all the others? Plus the use of music by Marilyn Manson, Korn, Mansun, Incubus, and Slayer? All of these are goth or metal bands, and I've got nothin' against that. But that's just from a glance at the sound track on Wiki.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Easily. Here, let me explain. The original product is not a particularly well-written or complex product. It's flash. And, while neverminding that, the film would still be directed by a horrible first-time director, written by bad writers, and acted by Showtime cable access level actors (aside from Leguizamo and Sheen).

It did, in fact, try to be dark. Why the use of all the modern gothic set pieces like the church, Rat City, and all the others? Plus the use of music by Marilyn Manson, Korn, Mansun, Incubus, and Slayer? All of these are goth or metal bands, and I've got nothin' against that. But that's just from a glance at the sound track on Wiki.

Lighting, framing and editing were so pathetic, if you set up a good team on it, there is no reason why it would be bad. I found the Spawn comic quite different from a lot of other stuff around, which is why many people had an adverse affect to it, however, whilst not every issue was brilliant, look at how the animated series worked, that could easily be transmuted to film.

 

[Rez]

I never understood the hate Spawn gets nowadays. The comic's main arc throughout the first 100 issues remains a sheer masterpiece, despite some meandering and ****** issues to get there(show me 100 issues without a dud and I'll stop talking). Yes, the art is definately it's stand out strength, but the concept and in turn a good portion of the writing is just as good.

The movie, sadly, sucked. Effects wise, it's the most inconsistant film I've ever seen. The alleyway fight with Violator looks just as amazing today as it did then. In fact, I'd say it's probably in line right behind Jurassic Park in terms of believable creature effects.
And then you look at the scenes in Hell, mainly near the beginning and ending of the film. Literally Playstation 1 worthy cgi graphics. Worse perhaps. The showdown in hell at the end has some stop motion or maybe even claymation miniatures that look worse than stuff that came out in the 1950s.
But oh well. Effects do not a movie make, and everything else about it was pretty terrible. A damn shame.

 

[lordofthenerds]

It was a wet one.

 

[dmbdmbdmb]

the movie wasn't true to the comic except for spawn getting burned alive but everything else was bad because they the studio wanted it pg-13 and spawn is a character you can't translate pg-13 it should've been like the animated series on hbo but that was what the studio wanted.

 

[CFE]

At least, suffice to say, there are worse comic book films to be seen than Spawn

It's fun for what it was back then, but nothing too terribly impressive. But that's also in part because, as Kevin said, the premise of the character was already faulty to begin with in the books.

The film certainly didn't aid in support of the Spawn character. Makes you wonder why no other IMAGE character has had a film adaptation since.

CFE

 

[doc ock rules!]

It was on twice tonight on FX earlier.

I must've "seen" this movie about twenty times. The special effects were awesome, but it's never actually held my attention to the end.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Wow, not sure how you figured that one out.

Because I watched the movie! The movie has all those faults. If it was made more faithful to the comics, it wouldn't make Dippe a better director, the script any less pathetic, or the CGI any better.

 

[KenK]

I don't buy the excuse that the film couldn't have been good under different circumstances because they comic was style over substance. Most of us already agree the HBO series was great, so obviously, there was a chance for the movie to be good as well. The cartoon worked as a drama, horror, crime, action, etc.

As others have stated, the first mistake this film made was hiring Mark Dippe. Spawn was clearly a film that New Line wanted to make into a Batman-level franchise, as the character's popularity had reached a fever-pitch back in 96-97. The last thing they should have done was trusted the film to someone with ZERO experience as a director. At that point, they might as well have gotten someone like Brian Yuzna or Albert Pyun. Yeah, you probably would have gotten a very expensive B-movie, but at least they've got SOME directorial experience.

 

[Brian Braddock]

At least, suffice to say, there are worse comic book films to be seen than Spawn

It's fun for what it was back then, but nothing too terribly impressive. But that's also in part because, as Kevin said, the premise of the character was already faulty to begin with in the books.

The film certainly didn't aid in support of the Spawn character. Makes you wonder why no other IMAGE character has had a film adaptation since.

CFE

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=273476

 

[Rorschach2012]

I (Dont flame me) loved Spawn!

 

[CFE]

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=273476

Now THAT would be something t:

CFE

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I (Dont flame me) loved Spawn!

But the characters are completely unlikeable, and the middle of the film just goes nowhere. You could cut out the entire midsection, and go from beginning straight to the climax. Cut out an hour and ten minutes.

It would be called 'Spawn: The Merciful Cut'.

 

[CFE]

It would be called 'Spawn: The Merciful Cut'.

haha

Now THAT's funny...t:

CFE

 

[nocomics]

The HBO spawn specials were way better than that dreadfull movie.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

The HBO spawn specials were way better than that dreadfull movie.

Ghost Rideris better than that awful movie....even Catwoman is better-!