Reviews (1047)

Spider-man spins a complex web of humanity in characters
An excursion to Columbia University science lab transforms the bespectacled Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) with miraculous vision, sculpted body after a genetically-altered spider bits him. He possesses agility in leaping from skyscrapers and can spin webs from his wrist. Henceforth he assumes the identity Spider-man to combat evil manifested in the form of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), a Species-look-alike perpetrator that terrrorizes the city with a glider that drops bombs.

Spider-Man embodies the heroics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko who had graced the popular Marvel Comics to become an comic icon as a crime-buster - and now the film further increases the fanaticism. It is a US 140 million blockbuster and gaudy with sleek costumes and galvanizing stunts. It is digitally-enhanced F/X to capture panoramic swings in its most realistic and The Times Square action-sequence is one of the most dazzling in cinematic history.

Yet the superhero adventure fails to surprise because of its conventional storyline of good-vs-evil. The self-discovery and mutation renders so much punch that the second-half falls relatively lack-lustre. Fortunately Spider-Man spins a complex web of humanity and empathy for the characters - and Tobey Maguire as the lead is the emotional core who captivates with his vulnerability in handling his growth traumas, doubts and fears. No less sterling is Willem Dafoe who is all hysterics and maniacal in his split personality inherited from the aftermath of a blundered experiment. Kirsten Dunst as his love-interest Mary Jane, James Franco as his buddy and even his uncle Ben played by Cliff Robertson show surprising dimensions.

Spider-Man is thus an evocative tale of a hero struggling with his adolescence, betrayal and murder. And Sam Raimi displays the same sensitivity here with his eariler works like Darkman with his flawed avenger. He directs it with eye-popping visuals like Army of Darkness and the comic hero resonates in its true-self. Its brooding hero is what makes Spider-Man a nifty web - and Maguire has definitely triumphed the cynics with his soulful spin.

Spinning A Worthy Web
Spider-Man is an entertaining film that is a great summertime, popcorn movie. The film explores the origins of the transformation of Peter Parker from nerdy high school student to the web slinging superhero Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire is quite good in the title role. He plays the character with the right amount of torment as an outcast who has been put down all his life, but injects pride, joy and happiness into the Peter from his newly bestowed powers. Kirtsen Dunst is Peter's next door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson. Ms. Dunst is not given much to work worth in the character, she is the requisite love interest, damsel in distress but she is appealing in the role. Willem Dafoe is plays the Green Goblin who is the villain in the film. The Goblin's alter ego is Norman Osborne who is the rich father of Harry (James Franco), Peter's best friend and roommate. Mr. Dafoe is perfectly cast as the Goblin and he handles the character's schizophrenic outbursts with creepy aplomb. Mr. Franco plays Harry sullenly and he appears as if he is moping through the picture. J.K. Simmons plays Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson as a pushy, demanding blowhard who listens only to himself with hilarious results. People have criticized the fighting and action scenes, but they are really no better or worse than most current action films. There are some Matrix like sequences with the slow motion, but these scenes actually help show Spider-Man's spider senses that allow him to anticipate and react quickly to danger. The film was a box office smash and we should expect to see numerous sequels that will hopefully be as appealing as the first installment.

ETMR - Spiderman
1. Humanity: What events in the film drove Peter Parker to adopting his vigilante attitude toward crime?

2. Implications: How is Spiderman's understanding of "with great power comes great responsibility" an example of contemporary American thought? Think specifically about the nature of evil and the propensity toward intense individual classification when one's existence becomes threatened.

3. Evolution: Spiderman was a hero born out of the 60s, springing from both the dangers of genetic manipulation and the problems of substance abuse (in the form of Oscorp Chemicals). Raimi makes little mention of the chemical abuse in the story, and paints it in a much simpler picture of the probable evil in man's soul and the strange world of pseudoscience. Therefore, it is obvious that in many ways, the film departs from its traditional conditioning while remaining loyal to the original personalities of the characters. In which ways is Spiderman the hero shown to be a creation of the contemporary age, versus a creation of the 60s, in the film?

4. Realism: America has a long history, not only in comics but in legendary history, of people who take the law into their own hands. If a being like Spiderman existed, could he survive in our real world, or is he only a dream?

5. Stageplay: Spiderman is classicly a cynic, an individual thinker, an avid contemporarian (someone "in" the times), a man of passions (versus someone who could care less), an irreligious jokester and a man who is not sure of his destiny, but lives to succeed. Do you feel Maguire fulfills this role? Some critics say he is too much of a "boy" to fill Spiderman's shoes, while others claim it is his boyishness that charms us into belief. What do you think?

Spiderman
This was a good movie with lots of great special effects and action sequences. If you like superhero-type movies you'll really enjoy this family oriented movie. I would recommend this movie.

Spiderman, Spiderman, watch this movie when you can
This movie has exceeded my expectataions of it far beyond my belief. Probably because I went in thinking that it would suck. I'm just not into this kind of stuff. Of course, I'm a closet "Batman" fan so I guess it does say something. Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. The cinematography was awesome! From all the camera dynamics following Spidey's twists and flips, you really felt that you were flying through the air with him. The cinematography also had a warm, upbeat feeling to it. It was one of the main reasons the movie kept my eyes glued to the screen.

The second reason is, of course, the actors. From Tobey Maguire's clumsy but lovable Peter Parker to Kirstin Dunst's beautiful Mary Jane Watson to Willem Dafoe's deliciously evil Green Goblin, the actors most definitely made the movie. The producers certainly picked the right people to handle the characters.

The only downside to this movie was that the opening credits were too long and too boring. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Eraser is one of of Arnold's best action films.
Eraser is Arnold's action spectuclar in years scene The terminator, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgement day and True lies. the story is about US Witsec officer John Kreuger (Arnold Schwarzengger) who protects, and takes out the ID's of federal witness's where he is recruited to protect witness Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who is trying to get evidence about a weapons company selling new deadly guns, where Lee is a target of the company's renegades, where John plans on helping her, as his Witsec friend Robert (James Cann ) is invovled with them as John goes to put a stop to the madness. The film features very good special effects featuring Arnold firing EM rail guns, beging attack by crocodiles and sky diving out of a plane, if your a Arnie fan buy this right now or rent it in you nearest video store END

ERASER??? More like TRUE LIES 2! A real Arnold thriller!!!
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER explodes to the TV screen as U.S. MARSHALL JOHN KRUGER of the WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, assigned to protect LEE CULLEN (Vanessa Williams), a woman who is willing to testify against illegal weapon dealers. But, something goes wrong. A fellow Marshall and friend of JOHN's is working for the wrong team and trying to cover up the deadly plot to take out KRUGER's witness. Now, everyone at WITSEC is trying to kill KRUGER and CULLEN believing that they are the real enemies. Will ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER be able to prove his innosense and save the day in an explosive action thriller?!!!

Directed By: Charles Russell (The Mask, Bless the Child) and starring ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (End of Days, 6th Day, Predator), JAMES CAAN (Mickey Blue Eyes), VANESSA WILLIAMS, and DANNY NUCCI (Crimson Tide, The Rock, Titanic)- ERASER is an action rush of sheer explosive adventure!

MOVIE NOTE: This movie might as well be TRUE LIES 2. ARNOLD is back, he's a U.S. MARSHALL SPY-Like hero, He has big guns, he's protecting a woman against a vengeful nemisis, he has great one-liners, he battles terrorists, crocodiles, jumping out of a speeding plane- trying to catch his parachute, shooting huge EMP guns, breaking into a high security weapons building, and blowing up a house by making a trap that will light a fuse in the house! That is TRUE LIES 2 to me! Anyway, we'll have to see what TRUE LIES 2 has in store for us when it comes to theaters sometime within the next 5 years...

MY REVIEW: This movie ROCKS! The special effects are great, the stunts and action sequences rule, the story, acting and directing are spectacular, and the humor is good too! THIS MAY NOT BE ARNOLD's BEST FILM EVER, BUT IT SURE MAKES HIS TOP 10 LIST!!!

Rent this movie or buy this movie today action fans!

ERASER is rated "R" for STRONG LANGUAGE and STRONG ACTION VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT. 1 hr 55 min.

Excellent action thriller!
Austrian accented "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run in his career in the 1996 action thriller entitled "Eraser" and let me tell you, this movie is truly unsettling and not to mention will make you angry as such acts could in fact happen in real life as we know it although the items are a bit far-fetched with today's technologies.

A special agent U.S. Marshall named John Kruger works for the Witness Protection Agency, an organization that takes witnesses of major crimes away, wipe out their identities, in order to shelter them from potential criminals who aim to kill those who witness their crimes. His latest mission is to protect a worker named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works for a corporation named Cyrez that produces top secret weapons but a massive scandal is brewing and Lee discovers what's really going on and aims to expose the scam to the FBI. However, high level government marshals who are crooks themselves aim to kill Lee and Kruger to attempt to stop the truth from coming out. The Cyrez corporation, under the leadership of a corrupt CEO, is involved in an illegal arms deal with a Russian Mafia hitman who has had a history of murder and terrorist acts against civilians. The arms deal involves trading extremely advanced weapons that don't use any conventional ammunition and instead use magnetic pulses to fire rounds of aluminum at nearly the speed of light and if the arms trade succeed it will bring forth a horrific new era of high-tech terrorism worldwide and John Kruger must stop the arms shipment before it's too late while also protecting lee from corrupt high-ranking officials participating the scam.

If Lee Cullen and John Kruger are killed, then the FBI will lose any leads and/or evidence to bring the Cyrez officials to trial and to expose the scandal to the public.

This movie sometimes makes me angry not because it is bad because it is a really great movie but it's the whole concept of high-ranking government officials actually being a part of the problem than as the people trying to fight the criminals committing these crimes. I sometimes wonder how one can be able to fight such acts of capitalist greed even if they're totally fictional events.

The special effects while limited are really well done especially with the way the bullets create those smoke trails when speed through the air at speeds nearly that of light plus the action sequences are really awesome especially towards the climax.

The high-tech weapons are really terrifying with not only the light-speed ammunition but also how they seemingly can scan through buildings and make out movements all around the immediate vicinity. One can't help but feel really paranoid when viewing the scenes where they scan the area when seeking their targets.

Once again Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run right out of the ballpart playing the U.S. Marshall John Kruger. Arnold's action sequences are once again in top form as he fights against the crooks aiming to eliminate both Kruger and Lee. If you loves his "I'll Be Back" and/or "You've just been terminated" lines from the "Terminator" movies, then he comes up with another brilliant line which is "You've just been erased". God I love it. Vanessa Williams is also very good playing Lee Cullen as she tries to escape the assassins pursuit of her while trying to deliver the evidence of the crime to the FBI. In all honesty, Vanessa is far better when she's acting in movies and singing and releasing albums as opposed to wasting her time on these numerous bland commercials and infomercials!!

My favorite though of the main characters was Star Trek actor James Caan. Man, his portrayal of the traitorous agent Degeurin is absolutely terrifying and truly vivid and brings the horrifically callous nature of the corrupt agent to 'life' on the movie. I just can't help but feel really sometimes ticked off at Deguerin because of his horrific acts against the country but I've got to admire Caan's incredible acting in this movie because he was perfect for the role of the bad guy and Deguerin is one of the greatest bad guys I had seen in many years at the time of this movie's release.

While only a minor role, James Cromwell's performance as the CEO of the Cyrez corporation was also compelling and sometimes really scary. While not as bad as let's say Deguerin, Cromwell's character in this movie is just enough to make you upset at his callous nature.

Other favorites are the late Joe Pastorelli as Johnny C. along with his mob crime family and some of the characters are really funny especially Johnny C. It's really sad that Pastorelli departed us so soon because he was a talented actor. I also thought that the late Joe Viterelli was phenomenal playing the pug-faced mafia gangster. :-(

This movie is really very well done and delivers incredible action sequences, not to mention an original plot idea. The DVD as of this writing offers little of anything in the way of bonus material but is a grand improvement on the VHS.

Really excellent action-thriller! 2 Thumbs up!
Austrian accented "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run in his career in the 1996 action thriller entitled "Eraser" and let me tell you, this movie is truly unsettling and not to mention will make you angry as such acts could in fact happen in real life as we know it although the items are a bit far-fetched with today's technologies.

A special agent U.S. Marshall named John Kruger works for the Witness Protection Agency, an organization that takes witnesses of major crimes away, wipe out their identities, in order to shelter them from potential criminals who aim to kill those who witness their crimes. His latest mission is to protect a worker named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works for a corporation named Cyrez that produces top secret weapons but a massive scandal is brewing and Lee discovers what's really going on and aims to expose the scam to the FBI. However, high level government marshals who are crooks themselves aim to kill Lee and Kruger to attempt to stop the truth from coming out. The Cyrez corporation, under the leadership of a corrupt CEO, is involved in an illegal arms deal with a Russian Mafia hitman who has had a history of murder and terrorist acts against civilians. The arms deal involves trading extremely advanced weapons that don't use any conventional ammunition and instead use magnetic pulses to fire rounds of aluminum at nearly the speed of light and if the arms trade succeed it will bring forth a horrific new era of high-tech terrorism worldwide and John Kruger must stop the arms shipment before it's too late while also protecting lee from corrupt high-ranking officials participating the scam.

If Lee Cullen and John Kruger are killed, then the FBI will lose any leads and/or evidence to bring the Cyrez officials to trial and to expose the scandal to the public.

This movie sometimes makes me angry not because it is bad because it is a really great movie but it's the whole concept of high-ranking government officials actually being a part of the problem than as the people trying to fight the criminals committing these crimes. I sometimes wonder how one can be able to fight such acts of capitalist greed even if they're totally fictional events.

The special effects while limited are really well done especially with the way the bullets create those smoke trails when speed through the air at speeds nearly that of light plus the action sequences are really awesome especially towards the climax.

The high-tech weapons are really terrifying with not only the light-speed ammunition but also how they seemingly can scan through buildings and make out movements all around the immediate vicinity. One can't help but feel really paranoid when viewing the scenes where they scan the area when seeking their targets.

Once again Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run right out of the ballpart playing the U.S. Marshall John Kruger. Arnold's action sequences are once again in top form as he fights against the crooks aiming to eliminate both Kruger and Lee. If you loves his "I'll Be Back" and/or "You've just been terminated" lines from the "Terminator" movies, then he comes up with another brilliant line which is "You've just been erased". God I love it. Vanessa Williams is also very good playing Lee Cullen as she tries to escape the assassins pursuit of her while trying to deliver the evidence of the crime to the FBI. In all honesty, Vanessa is far better when she's acting in movies and singing and releasing albums as opposed to wasting her time on these numerous bland commercials and infomercials!!

My favorite though of the main characters was Star Trek actor James Caan. Man, his portrayal of the traitorous agent Degeurin is absolutely terrifying and truly vivid and brings the horrifically callous nature of the corrupt agent to 'life' on the movie. I just can't help but feel really sometimes ticked off at Deguerin because of his horrific acts against the country!

Other favorites are the late Joe Pastorelli as Johnny C. along with his mob crime family and some of the characters are really funny especially Johnny C. It's really sad that Pastorelli departed us so soon. :-(

This movie is really very well done and delivers incredible action sequences, not to mention an original plot idea. The DVD as of this writing offers little of anything in the way of bonus material but is a grand improvement on the VHS.

Action packed fun for the masses!
This movie is awesome!!! Starring Ahnold as an adventurous U.S. Marshall he is assigned to protect a female witness to an illegal arms deal between a U.S. business and Russian mafia terrorists and the witness and Ahnold are the targets for assassination by the corrupt federal marshalls taking part in the arms deal. The arms shoot rounds of aluminum near the speed of light. California's governor once again hits another home run with awesome acting and incredible special effects. Go and see this movie today!!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

an ok flick!
ahhh,this movie is ok, the plot does kinda suck but oh well it has pamela in it! and what more can you ask for pamela will definitely keep your attenion!! and they show some very nice steamy scenes! as well. but if you want more of pamela and a little my exposure of her, check out raw justice you won't be dissapointed!!!...

what is this world coming to????????????
saying that a film is worse than Barb Wire is VERY scary, but this is. I don't get why this was made. Pamela Anderson does pornos for just as much money, but since society doesn't deem themj as "films" I don't have to watch them(being the movie buff that i am)

Very hot stuff!
It's a great movie who would have got 5 stars if there had been more nudescenes wih Pamelas breasts in action.

This is the hottest most sexiest movie of 1995 !!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! what a movie.This is a great movie for everyone that loves to see Pam Anderson!She played a very hot role in this movie.Although the plot was in a way stupid,there was a lot of action and very sexy scenes with Pam Anderson!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

little big league a big league comedy for kids
I thouroughly enjoyed the movie and have waited to see it being released on DVD. I bought 2 copies of the VHS so that when my son is older he can enjoy the idea that a 12 year old boy become the manager/owner of his homestate Minnesota Twins. The "sweetness" level is high but if you enter into viewing it with that in mind you will find it a very funny and touching movie of the Major league category.

Little Big League
I rented this movie because my younger brother loves baseball!!!! I have always love basball movies but never I have I watched a more funnier movie then this. Its not only great for you but a great movie for the whole family!!! Its really funny, and it shows how a team( in this case the Minnosota Twins) can be the worst team to the greatest team. It shows leadership and that ball players need to have more fun and not worry about everything else and enjoy the game because after all Baseball is Americas fav. sport. So if you are ever in the need for a baseball movie loads with laughter this is the movie for you!!!!! It also has Great Music. I recommend Major League, Bull Durnham, The Natural and of course Little Big League. I hope this was a help.

great must see family|baseball|comedy
buy this movie its a great
the new angels in the outfield does not even compare to this one. its worth every cent.

A great baseball movie
If you have a question about baseball, then Billy Heywood (Luke Ewards) is the person to ask. I bet there is not one thing Billy does not now about baseball. Plus looking at the presious reviews they are not helpful, so I'm hope you will find this review helpful. And I can't think of many baseball movies with famopus people themself. People playing themself includes Ken Griffey Jr, Sandy Alomar, Randy Johnson, Tim Raines and Chris Berman. There is about 15 people playingthemselves and they are all men. When the movie opens, Billy Heywood is playing a baseball game and his mom and grandfather (Ashley Crow & Jason Roberts J.R) are in the stands watching. Billy's grandfather owns the Twins. But then his grandfather dies and then Billy learns from a tape, that his grandfather has gave him the Twins. And says "I'd rather have my grandfather." But when Billy has problems with the team's manger (Dennis Farina), Billy fires him and when can't find a replacemnet, his friends talk him into maning the Twins, but of course his mom doesn't like it.

Loved the movie!!
My kids and I love the movie. However after buying the DVD it was in Full screen format only. The description said that it was a widescreen format, so lovers of wide screen formatted movies like myself, Beware! ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Mildly Funny & Entertaining -- Worth a Look
This is another film by one of the regulars from "Saturday Night Live," and following a long tradition of films by SNL regulars, it's frankly, well, kind of lame. Rob Schneider plays a rookie cop, Marvin, who is terribly injured when his car goes over a cliff (which may have been the funniest scene in the film).

He is found by a kind of mad-scientist veterinarian who puts him back together with animal parts, giving him extraordinary powers. Alas, it also gives him strong animal instincts which are hard to control. This makes for some awkward social situations for Marvin (and laughs for us), as when he can't stop himself from chasing frisbees in the park, or getting randy over a goat in heat.

Undoubtedly the best thing about this movie was the young and lovely Colleen Haskell. She plays Marvin's love interest.

A great film? No way. But okay for a bit of diversion on a rainy afternoon.

The Animal, the review.
The Animal is about a wannabe police officer, Marvin Mange, who is just a regular guy. That is until, while alone in the police head courters, gets a call for help. Marvin, having no other choice, goes to the rescue, however he drives off a cliff, and another one and is severy hurt. He wakes up, "dazed and confused", to find that he is ok, as a matter of fact, better than other. He can out run a race horse and amoung other things, get the respect of his fellow officers. When his Animal urges make it hard to control himself, it all goes down hill. Marvin must prove that he is a good guy, regardless.

The Animal is a funny movie with a solid plot, and a solid cast, both human and not. Rob Schneider's best to date, next to Surf Ninjas ofcourse, shows that good things can come in all forms, whether they be mamal or not. Collen Haskell, shows that anyone can be what they want to be, by having her first role, well second to Survivor..., be a great choice. I was Really expecting that either she would either do bad or that the film would be bad itself. The story is a gem, with animals used frequently and not in a bad or hurtful way. Just incase you would of liked to of know, the name for the character Marvin, most likely cam from Rob Schneider's father, who past away.Well allI can say now is that is a good movie and that I hope you found this review positive and please, see the movie.

Have a good one.

Ryan

funny, funny, funny
a good example of Schneider's talent. My fave of his movies next to The Hot Chick.

Don't take this movie so seriously
Yeah, this movie is kind of dumb, but that's what makes is so great. No, it's not going to be a masterpiece of the silver screen. C'mon, what were you expecting, it stars Rob Schneider. If you don't like slap-stick comedy, you will not enjoy this movie.

I thought this movie was hilarious. Just watch it for the sheer purpose of watching a funny, dumb movie. It's not serious. :c) RELAX!

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL! ZERO STARS!
If you didn't throughly understand my headline let me reiterate... THIS MOVIE IS AWFUL!
Propbably one of the worst movies I've ever seen! I didn't even laugh once! The jokes are dumb, and the comedic timing is so off its sad. AND THE ENDING IS SOOOOOOO STUPID! This is probably Rob Schneider's worst film by far. Painful to watch! ... Read more

Reviews (1047)

Spider-man spins a complex web of humanity in characters
An excursion to Columbia University science lab transforms the bespectacled Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) with miraculous vision, sculpted body after a genetically-altered spider bits him. He possesses agility in leaping from skyscrapers and can spin webs from his wrist. Henceforth he assumes the identity Spider-man to combat evil manifested in the form of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), a Species-look-alike perpetrator that terrrorizes the city with a glider that drops bombs.

Spider-Man embodies the heroics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko who had graced the popular Marvel Comics to become an comic icon as a crime-buster - and now the film further increases the fanaticism. It is a US 140 million blockbuster and gaudy with sleek costumes and galvanizing stunts. It is digitally-enhanced F/X to capture panoramic swings in its most realistic and The Times Square action-sequence is one of the most dazzling in cinematic history.

Yet the superhero adventure fails to surprise because of its conventional storyline of good-vs-evil. The self-discovery and mutation renders so much punch that the second-half falls relatively lack-lustre. Fortunately Spider-Man spins a complex web of humanity and empathy for the characters - and Tobey Maguire as the lead is the emotional core who captivates with his vulnerability in handling his growth traumas, doubts and fears. No less sterling is Willem Dafoe who is all hysterics and maniacal in his split personality inherited from the aftermath of a blundered experiment. Kirsten Dunst as his love-interest Mary Jane, James Franco as his buddy and even his uncle Ben played by Cliff Robertson show surprising dimensions.

Spider-Man is thus an evocative tale of a hero struggling with his adolescence, betrayal and murder. And Sam Raimi displays the same sensitivity here with his eariler works like Darkman with his flawed avenger. He directs it with eye-popping visuals like Army of Darkness and the comic hero resonates in its true-self. Its brooding hero is what makes Spider-Man a nifty web - and Maguire has definitely triumphed the cynics with his soulful spin.

Spinning A Worthy Web
Spider-Man is an entertaining film that is a great summertime, popcorn movie. The film explores the origins of the transformation of Peter Parker from nerdy high school student to the web slinging superhero Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire is quite good in the title role. He plays the character with the right amount of torment as an outcast who has been put down all his life, but injects pride, joy and happiness into the Peter from his newly bestowed powers. Kirtsen Dunst is Peter's next door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson. Ms. Dunst is not given much to work worth in the character, she is the requisite love interest, damsel in distress but she is appealing in the role. Willem Dafoe is plays the Green Goblin who is the villain in the film. The Goblin's alter ego is Norman Osborne who is the rich father of Harry (James Franco), Peter's best friend and roommate. Mr. Dafoe is perfectly cast as the Goblin and he handles the character's schizophrenic outbursts with creepy aplomb. Mr. Franco plays Harry sullenly and he appears as if he is moping through the picture. J.K. Simmons plays Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson as a pushy, demanding blowhard who listens only to himself with hilarious results. People have criticized the fighting and action scenes, but they are really no better or worse than most current action films. There are some Matrix like sequences with the slow motion, but these scenes actually help show Spider-Man's spider senses that allow him to anticipate and react quickly to danger. The film was a box office smash and we should expect to see numerous sequels that will hopefully be as appealing as the first installment.

ETMR - Spiderman
1. Humanity: What events in the film drove Peter Parker to adopting his vigilante attitude toward crime?

2. Implications: How is Spiderman's understanding of "with great power comes great responsibility" an example of contemporary American thought? Think specifically about the nature of evil and the propensity toward intense individual classification when one's existence becomes threatened.

3. Evolution: Spiderman was a hero born out of the 60s, springing from both the dangers of genetic manipulation and the problems of substance abuse (in the form of Oscorp Chemicals). Raimi makes little mention of the chemical abuse in the story, and paints it in a much simpler picture of the probable evil in man's soul and the strange world of pseudoscience. Therefore, it is obvious that in many ways, the film departs from its traditional conditioning while remaining loyal to the original personalities of the characters. In which ways is Spiderman the hero shown to be a creation of the contemporary age, versus a creation of the 60s, in the film?

4. Realism: America has a long history, not only in comics but in legendary history, of people who take the law into their own hands. If a being like Spiderman existed, could he survive in our real world, or is he only a dream?

5. Stageplay: Spiderman is classicly a cynic, an individual thinker, an avid contemporarian (someone "in" the times), a man of passions (versus someone who could care less), an irreligious jokester and a man who is not sure of his destiny, but lives to succeed. Do you feel Maguire fulfills this role? Some critics say he is too much of a "boy" to fill Spiderman's shoes, while others claim it is his boyishness that charms us into belief. What do you think?

Spiderman
This was a good movie with lots of great special effects and action sequences. If you like superhero-type movies you'll really enjoy this family oriented movie. I would recommend this movie.

Spiderman, Spiderman, watch this movie when you can
This movie has exceeded my expectataions of it far beyond my belief. Probably because I went in thinking that it would suck. I'm just not into this kind of stuff. Of course, I'm a closet "Batman" fan so I guess it does say something. Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. The cinematography was awesome! From all the camera dynamics following Spidey's twists and flips, you really felt that you were flying through the air with him. The cinematography also had a warm, upbeat feeling to it. It was one of the main reasons the movie kept my eyes glued to the screen.

The second reason is, of course, the actors. From Tobey Maguire's clumsy but lovable Peter Parker to Kirstin Dunst's beautiful Mary Jane Watson to Willem Dafoe's deliciously evil Green Goblin, the actors most definitely made the movie. The producers certainly picked the right people to handle the characters.

The only downside to this movie was that the opening credits were too long and too boring. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

DOMINION - Okay action, GREAT COMEDY.
I can't get over this movie. This film should be released theatrically, but with one difference- it should be marketed as a comedy. This thing is hysterically funny. Watch as a bunch of grizzled tough guys in the woods turn softer then the softest coeds from a Friday the 13th film. No cliche is left unused, the performances are all so hammy and over the top. Great fun for a Thursday night! Enjoy.

Talent undiscovered
My hat goes off to all the people that made this film. Not only was it done on a low budget, but quality and talent was not sacrificed. I will be looking forward in veiwing more films from Brad and Michael. There is much talent here that has yet to be discovered.

Dominion "The Movie"
The only word that describes the movie Dominion is outstanding.I had the luxury of watching it with my wife about a year ago and was impressed with this feature.After reading an article in People magazine about it i was shocked that this was a low budget movie.Congratulations to Michael Kehoe,Brad Johnson,and the rest of the cast.For the time and $ you guys had it was outstanding! Good luck to you in the future.This movie should not be missed. Thanks Danny Luedke

Kehoe Brings it Home
An Edge of your seat rollercoaster through the forest. With every minute comes a new turm that will leave you guessing. Mike Kehoe extracts Brad Johnson's true talents, and illustrates the true art of film making.

great action movie!
I found Dominion on TNT the other night. What a great surprise. Well acted and well directed. So full of suspense. I usually am not a fan of these kinds of movies, but I was on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a real thrill ride. ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

little big league a big league comedy for kids
I thouroughly enjoyed the movie and have waited to see it being released on DVD. I bought 2 copies of the VHS so that when my son is older he can enjoy the idea that a 12 year old boy become the manager/owner of his homestate Minnesota Twins. The "sweetness" level is high but if you enter into viewing it with that in mind you will find it a very funny and touching movie of the Major league category.

Little Big League
I rented this movie because my younger brother loves baseball!!!! I have always love basball movies but never I have I watched a more funnier movie then this. Its not only great for you but a great movie for the whole family!!! Its really funny, and it shows how a team( in this case the Minnosota Twins) can be the worst team to the greatest team. It shows leadership and that ball players need to have more fun and not worry about everything else and enjoy the game because after all Baseball is Americas fav. sport. So if you are ever in the need for a baseball movie loads with laughter this is the movie for you!!!!! It also has Great Music. I recommend Major League, Bull Durnham, The Natural and of course Little Big League. I hope this was a help.

great must see family|baseball|comedy
buy this movie its a great
the new angels in the outfield does not even compare to this one. its worth every cent.

A great baseball movie
If you have a question about baseball, then Billy Heywood (Luke Ewards) is the person to ask. I bet there is not one thing Billy does not now about baseball. Plus looking at the presious reviews they are not helpful, so I'm hope you will find this review helpful. And I can't think of many baseball movies with famopus people themself. People playing themself includes Ken Griffey Jr, Sandy Alomar, Randy Johnson, Tim Raines and Chris Berman. There is about 15 people playingthemselves and they are all men. When the movie opens, Billy Heywood is playing a baseball game and his mom and grandfather (Ashley Crow & Jason Roberts J.R) are in the stands watching. Billy's grandfather owns the Twins. But then his grandfather dies and then Billy learns from a tape, that his grandfather has gave him the Twins. And says "I'd rather have my grandfather." But when Billy has problems with the team's manger (Dennis Farina), Billy fires him and when can't find a replacemnet, his friends talk him into maning the Twins, but of course his mom doesn't like it.

Loved the movie!!
My kids and I love the movie. However after buying the DVD it was in Full screen format only. The description said that it was a widescreen format, so lovers of wide screen formatted movies like myself, Beware! ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Eraser is one of of Arnold's best action films.
Eraser is Arnold's action spectuclar in years scene The terminator, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgement day and True lies. the story is about US Witsec officer John Kreuger (Arnold Schwarzengger) who protects, and takes out the ID's of federal witness's where he is recruited to protect witness Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who is trying to get evidence about a weapons company selling new deadly guns, where Lee is a target of the company's renegades, where John plans on helping her, as his Witsec friend Robert (James Cann ) is invovled with them as John goes to put a stop to the madness. The film features very good special effects featuring Arnold firing EM rail guns, beging attack by crocodiles and sky diving out of a plane, if your a Arnie fan buy this right now or rent it in you nearest video store END

ERASER??? More like TRUE LIES 2! A real Arnold thriller!!!
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER explodes to the TV screen as U.S. MARSHALL JOHN KRUGER of the WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, assigned to protect LEE CULLEN (Vanessa Williams), a woman who is willing to testify against illegal weapon dealers. But, something goes wrong. A fellow Marshall and friend of JOHN's is working for the wrong team and trying to cover up the deadly plot to take out KRUGER's witness. Now, everyone at WITSEC is trying to kill KRUGER and CULLEN believing that they are the real enemies. Will ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER be able to prove his innosense and save the day in an explosive action thriller?!!!

Directed By: Charles Russell (The Mask, Bless the Child) and starring ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (End of Days, 6th Day, Predator), JAMES CAAN (Mickey Blue Eyes), VANESSA WILLIAMS, and DANNY NUCCI (Crimson Tide, The Rock, Titanic)- ERASER is an action rush of sheer explosive adventure!

MOVIE NOTE: This movie might as well be TRUE LIES 2. ARNOLD is back, he's a U.S. MARSHALL SPY-Like hero, He has big guns, he's protecting a woman against a vengeful nemisis, he has great one-liners, he battles terrorists, crocodiles, jumping out of a speeding plane- trying to catch his parachute, shooting huge EMP guns, breaking into a high security weapons building, and blowing up a house by making a trap that will light a fuse in the house! That is TRUE LIES 2 to me! Anyway, we'll have to see what TRUE LIES 2 has in store for us when it comes to theaters sometime within the next 5 years...

MY REVIEW: This movie ROCKS! The special effects are great, the stunts and action sequences rule, the story, acting and directing are spectacular, and the humor is good too! THIS MAY NOT BE ARNOLD's BEST FILM EVER, BUT IT SURE MAKES HIS TOP 10 LIST!!!

Rent this movie or buy this movie today action fans!

ERASER is rated "R" for STRONG LANGUAGE and STRONG ACTION VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT. 1 hr 55 min.

Excellent action thriller!
Austrian accented "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run in his career in the 1996 action thriller entitled "Eraser" and let me tell you, this movie is truly unsettling and not to mention will make you angry as such acts could in fact happen in real life as we know it although the items are a bit far-fetched with today's technologies.

A special agent U.S. Marshall named John Kruger works for the Witness Protection Agency, an organization that takes witnesses of major crimes away, wipe out their identities, in order to shelter them from potential criminals who aim to kill those who witness their crimes. His latest mission is to protect a worker named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works for a corporation named Cyrez that produces top secret weapons but a massive scandal is brewing and Lee discovers what's really going on and aims to expose the scam to the FBI. However, high level government marshals who are crooks themselves aim to kill Lee and Kruger to attempt to stop the truth from coming out. The Cyrez corporation, under the leadership of a corrupt CEO, is involved in an illegal arms deal with a Russian Mafia hitman who has had a history of murder and terrorist acts against civilians. The arms deal involves trading extremely advanced weapons that don't use any conventional ammunition and instead use magnetic pulses to fire rounds of aluminum at nearly the speed of light and if the arms trade succeed it will bring forth a horrific new era of high-tech terrorism worldwide and John Kruger must stop the arms shipment before it's too late while also protecting lee from corrupt high-ranking officials participating the scam.

If Lee Cullen and John Kruger are killed, then the FBI will lose any leads and/or evidence to bring the Cyrez officials to trial and to expose the scandal to the public.

This movie sometimes makes me angry not because it is bad because it is a really great movie but it's the whole concept of high-ranking government officials actually being a part of the problem than as the people trying to fight the criminals committing these crimes. I sometimes wonder how one can be able to fight such acts of capitalist greed even if they're totally fictional events.

The special effects while limited are really well done especially with the way the bullets create those smoke trails when speed through the air at speeds nearly that of light plus the action sequences are really awesome especially towards the climax.

The high-tech weapons are really terrifying with not only the light-speed ammunition but also how they seemingly can scan through buildings and make out movements all around the immediate vicinity. One can't help but feel really paranoid when v