SPAWN

Based on a comic book which, at times, outsold chapters of BATMAN, SPIDERMAN and SUPERMAN, SPAWN is a complex, sometimes morally convoluted, African-American super hero who has literally traveled to Hell and back. He received powers from Satan but uses these powers for good. Utilizing computer animation, sometimes to excess, this frantic, violent and dark story should have been rated R as it deals with Christian and anti-Christian elements.

Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is an assassin working for a covert government operation. Though highly skilled in weaponry, All wants out of this dirty business. He tells his boss Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen) that he wants to leave. His boss agrees to let him go after one final mission, but Al doesn’t know that Jason never lets people just leave, so the final mission is a set up for Al’s death in a fiery explosion.

Al descends to Hell (here, a computer animated furnace) and meets the Devil. When Al cries out to his wife, Wanda (Theresa Randle), the Devil tells him that he can return to earth to see Wanda if he will lead Hell’s army in the destruction of mankind. Al agrees to this request and wakes up in a slimy dark alley not knowing who he is or what secret powers he now holds. Al’s memory is slowly restored to him by a grotesque demon, named Clown (John Leguizamo), who looks like a circus freak. Clown helps Al, now dubbed Spawn, realize who he is and what his responsibilities are to the Devil. Spawn comes to understand that he now has a special exoskeleton that can transform into any tool or surface. When Spawn realizes that his wife and child no longer recognize him, he vows to exact vengeance on Wynn.

A second mysterious guide, named Cogliostro (Nicol Williamson), encourages Spawn to use his powers for good and fight the Devil. Uninterested, Spawn seeks vengeance against Wynn, who now seeks world domination. Wynn has strategically planted bombs containing an ultra-deadly virus, Heat-16, in major metropolitan cities across the globe. Spawn doesn’t realize, however, that Clown has convinced Wynn to place a triggering device on his heart that will detonate the bombs if Wynn’s heart stops beating. Hence, if Spawn kills Wynn, he will automatically play into the Devil’s plans to rid the earth of all mankind.

If this morality tale seems a little convoluted and hard to follow, it is. Though Wynn is clearly a villain, the hero, Spawn, vacillates between good and evil. Though Al was a good family man, he worked as an assassin. Though interested in getting out of the killing business, Spawn wants nothing more than to see Wynn dead. Furthermore, Al makes a deal with the Devil (the second time this happens this summer after HERCULES) but later refuses to lead Hell’s army.

For being such a dark, anti-Christian, Satanic movie, it does contains a few Christian elements. God, Satan, Hell, demons, and Armageddon are considered reality. One demon cringes at the mention of God. This same demon also says, “Why does God get all the good followers, while we get the worst?” The movie also states that it is “the choice we make that enslave our souls.” Regrettably, the truth that salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ is not mentioned, although this movie may prepare some to consider the Truth.

For all its technical marvel in computer animation, unintentional laughs came forth when Satan didn’t movie his mouth when speaking. Looking sort of like a reptilian dog, the fallen angel acted like a oversize, primitive puppet.

The biggest problem however, is its violence. This is the darkest and most violent PG-13 rated yet released. The BATMAN movies are dark and PG-13, but they are also played with a tongue-in-cheek delivery and humor. This movie takes its darkness seriously and is too scary for 13-year-olds. However, most moral parents will want to discourage their children of any age from seeing a movie about a vengeful man who has made a pact with the Devil.