Spawn

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Spawn

PG-13

1997

1h 37m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

17%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

37%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Covert government assassin Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is killed after being double-crossed by his boss, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen). Upon arriving in Hell, Simmons is offered an opportunity to return to Earth if he's willing to lead an evil army. He accepts, and is reincarnated as a "Hellspawn" -- a twisted, horribly disfigured version of his former self. However, Spawn serves as a force of good, much to the dismay of the Devil's henchman, a wicked clown (John Leguizamo).

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Critics Consensus

Spawn is an overbearing, over-violent film that adds little to the comic book adaptation genre.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

This barely coherent hunk of junk is like a cheap horror film with only a suggestion of the grisliness that appeals to fans of cheap horror films.

May 6, 2016

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Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

It's simply a parade of toys and tricks, without a jot of playfulness, knowing humour or campery to endear itself.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 12, 2010

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

The film gives you the pleasurably junky sensation of living inside an apocalyptic videogame.

Rated: B-

Jul 6, 2010

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Spawn may have a rather dark, morbid narrative, filled with over-the-top performances and ridiculously cheesy special effects, but taken altogether, it makes for a somewhat amusing & entertaining comic book outing.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 7, 2025

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

If it’s meant to snare the uninitiated, I must say it failed to hook me.

Rated: F

Sep 1, 2022

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Unfortunately, as a product of the '90s, the film relies heavily on dated, primitive, terribly unconvincing computer graphics.

Rated: 2/10

Sep 24, 2020

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

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Audience Member

Its slightly funny and a bit entertaining, im sure it was amazing for its time but its just not for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/27/25

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Jason H

Whether it's the theatrical version or the R-rated version, this movie is rubbish.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

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tommy J

I beleive it won the special effects movie of the year. Spawns costume looked awesome. I think the acting of Michael Jai White was not very good, but the movie as a whole is great.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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Mitch B

Not a masterpiece, not a really standout film, but a fun guilty pleasure that you can't help but enjoy. Loved the cape and the story, but if it had been slow and a more serious tone and if the Clown had not been so over the top, I'd give it four starts out of five.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

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David L

How dare they give this movie a bad rating. Its so good and memorable because of how cheesy it is. The one liner, the 90s Cgi, everything. Its a must. I didnt know the made 2 more after this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

Full Review

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Mark A.Z. Dippe

Director

John Leguizamo

Clown

Michael Jai White

Al Simmons

Martin Sheen

Jason Wynn

Theresa Randle

Wanda Blake

Melinda Clarke

Jessica Priest

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Synopsis

Covert government assassin Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is killed after being double-crossed by his boss, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen). Upon arriving in Hell, Simmons is offered an opportunity to return to Earth if he's willing to lead an evil army. He accepts, and is reincarnated as a "Hellspawn" -- a twisted, horribly disfigured version of his former self. However, Spawn serves as a force of good, much to the dismay of the Devil's henchman, a wicked clown (John Leguizamo).

Director: Mark A.Z. Dippe
Producer: Clint Goldman
Screenwriter: Alan B. McElroy
Distributor: New Line Home Video [us], New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Juno Pix
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.0M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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