Spawn

Day 279 - 10/6/09 - Movie #279

BEFORE: Six days into Shocktober, and so far, no ill effects. I did have one dream with bats in it, but it wasn't all that scary. This is another movie based on a comic book, created by Todd Macfarlane. I tried to watch this a few years ago, but I lost interest in it (or fell asleep) since it's based on a comic I haven't read - I stopped paying attention to Macfarlane's work when he stopped working on Spider-Man comics. I'm much more interested in the movies in the Marvel and DC franchises.

THE PLOT: A mercenary is killed, but comes back from Hell as a reluctant soldier of the Devil.

AFTER: Problem #1 - the main character is a mercenary soldier, seen taking out a target at the start of the film, but also (accidentally) killing some innocent people. It's hard to feel sympathy for this character after he dies and is sent to hell. Isn't that what he "deserves" after killing innocent people?

Problem #2 - John Leguizamo's character, Clown, is incredibly obnoxious and annoying. I realize the character is supposed to be this way, but that doesn't excuse it, or make him any less unbearable to watch.

Problem #3 - I couldn't tell what any character's motivations were. Spawn wants revenge on the man who killed him, sure. But Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen) and the Clown seem to be on the same side, committing evil acts in the world. So why does Clown want Spawn to kill Wynn? And using a lethal virus to "take over the world" - why would you want to rule a world that's been infected with a virus? This doesn't seem to make much sense...

Problem #4 - I still find the movie loud, flashy and ultimately pointless. Something got lost in the translation between comic book and film, I think. Yeah, some of the giant demon FX are cool, but it ends up like cotton candy - tasty but completely unnutritious.

RATING: 3 out of 10 tombstones.

SHOCK-O-METER: 6 out of 10 (for graphic depictions of hell + giant demons)