Side Order of Ninjas

   Index  -  Reviews  -  Rants  -  Links
Latest Reviews


Top 5 Reviews

Spawn 2


Cast:

There is no cast...


What the box says:

Todd McFarlane's hellspawn returns to battle the forces of evil on Earth in this powerful second feature-length installment of SPAWN.

How can you avenge betrayal and murder? How can you fight for right in a world so steeped in evil? How can you protect those you love most from all that can do them harm?

No man living-or dead-can tell you. But one trapped between both is struggling for an answer that can save the lives of his most beloved, or plunge the world into eternal darkness.

The cloak and chains of SPAWN are back. Exploding from the comic book page onto the screen is a deadly tornado of untapped, unwrapped merciless power.


Plot:

Cogliostro is doing his Yoda impression of knowing what’s going on. Spawn’s memories are tormenting more as he remembers his death. Violator is mocking him again, salting the wounds. Spawn chains Violator and drops him. Someone is hunting Spawn, who seems to be raging at the loss of everything.

Wynn is selling weapons overseas. Chapel hasn’t found Spawn in the alleys. The missing guns can be traced back to Wynn is why he needs them so bad.

Back in the alleys, Chapel opens fire, shoots a few bums. He wants to know about the guns, a bum mentions Al. Spawn is in the background when he has a flashback to when he and the psychotic Chapel were partners. Chapel is dragging the bum with him looking for Al.

Cyan is put to bed. Terry is going back to do some more work. Wanda is afraid of something happening to Terry like, Al. After, Terry leaves, she looks at the ring Cyan gave her at the end of the first season of Spawn.

Chapel is beating and torturing Amos, the bum he captured. Spawn watches from the shadows. Chapel hears Spawn, taunting him and tries shooting him. Spawn grabs Chapel and has another flashback to when they were sparring years ago. Spawn remembers who Chapel is and tosses him around like a rag doll. And unlike Daddy’s little cutie, you never see ‘em leaving by the back door. The bums get Amos.

Chapel is in pain and, Spawn is now reading his mind. Chapel cannot believe that Spawn is Al Simmons. Spawn starts toying with him. Chapel blows up a building, thinking he killed Spawn.

CIA or NSA office, Terry is working late, tracing the missing missiles. Wynn is about to leave when his computer alerts him someone is searching for the missiles. Terry realizes the missiles never arrived where they should be sent. Wynn discovers that Terry is searching and cuts his access. Wanda wakes and Terry is still not home.

The bums start searching through the rubble of the building to find Spawn. Spawn is angry that Chapel killed him. I think anyone who comes back from the dead has an understandable right to be angry at his killer. He tosses Chapel around the alleys. Spawn demands to know why he was killed. Reads his mind at an enemy base, Al is watching the guards when Chapel arrives. Spawn is beatingChapel. Chapel was ordered to kill Al at the first opportunity from the day they met. He tries cutting Spawn’s throat with a piece of glass, no effect. Wynn gave Chapel the order to kill Al.

Chapel can’t believe Spawn is Al, rotting flesh, etc… Spawn burns his memories of his death in Chapel’s mind. Chapel realizes it is really Al. He tries eating a bullet to end it. Out of ammo and pleads with Spawn to kill him. Spawn refuses as Chapel wanders off, ranting that the dead can’t be killed. I think we can safely say Chapel’s train has jumped the sanity track.

Another episode begins with Cogliostro’s narration. Spawn has another nightmare, which Violator mocks. Violator is trying to get Spawn to believe that Terry wanted Wanda from the beginning and was in on Al’s murder.

Wynn is having a video doctored showing Terry dealing with an infamous terrorist. Wynn has the missiles moved. Has operatives ordered to kill Terry on sight for being a traitor.

Terry comes back to Wanda to let her know he’ll be gone for a few days. Wanda is afraid he’ll wind up like Al. Terry has to do this, etc…Their bedroom is bugged. Spawn kills one of the guys spying on the Blake’s home.

The cops find the ranting Chapel. Later, Sam and Twitch reveal Chapel killed 120 cops before being brought in. They can’t believe all the murders in the alleys in the past few months lack a connection. Chapel is brain damaged and has burnt off his fingerprints. Chapel admits to killing a guy named “Al.”

Terry is heading for the warehouse where the missiles are stashed. Spawn is following him.

Wynn learns about Chapel’s arrest and begins trying to get him released from police custody.

Terry’s car is rammed. Wynn’s operatives grab him, showing him the photo of him dealing with the terrorist, and have a gun pointed at his head. Spawn kills one of the operatives. Terry manages to escape. The lead agent, Merrick, calls in backup. Terry is on the run. The backup operatives arrive are told to kill Terry.

At the warehouse, Terry gets the drop on a security guard and ties him up. Terry is looking for the missiles the vault in which they’re stored. Spawn is lurking in the shadows, again.

Leon and Hillbilly are searching for Terry. Merrick kills the tied guard and is using the surveillance cameras to track Terry. She gets Terry’s location to Leon. Spawn starts cutting the cameras. Terry gets the vault door open. Spawn is skulking around after everyone.

Leon and Hillbilly have a running gunfight with Terry, wounding him. Violator wants Spawn to kill him. Spawn refuses to do it for now. Terry has a second security guard open the missile vault. Terry finds that Wynn’s name is on the missile invoice, so Wynn is the traitor.

Merrick sees Terry open the crates. Leon kills the second security guard. Terry leaves the vault. Spawn grabs him, reading his mind. Spawn learns that Terry wanted to avenge Al.

Merrick and the operatives find Terry who threatens shooting at the missiles causing a massive explosion. He instead shoots the lights out stumbling away. Violator keeps trying to goad Spawn into killing Terry.

Leon and Hillbilly find Terry. Spawn kills Leon and Hillbilly. Merrick manages to escape. Spawn heals Terry’s wounds. As Cogliostro does his closing narration, Terry leaves unaware of Spawn’s help.

In the alleys, Spawn questions Cogliostro about how he knows so much. Cogliostro reveals he was cursed like Spawn was in the past.

Another Cogliostro narration, Merrick has new orders, when Wynn leaves the Blake’s home kill Wanda. Wanda is having coffee with Wynn. He tries convincing her that Terry should turn himself in before it’s too late.

From a bar, Terry calls Wanda but hearing Wynn in the background causes him to hang up.

Sam and Twitch are cruising the streets. Crack fiends want the bums out of the alleys. Sam and Twitch drive up. One bum is ranting about the Guardian who’ll protect them.

Terry is in the alleys. Inverted cross guy is feeling people out for working for him. Sam and Twitch doesn’t want him recruiting kids and leave. Preacher wants the bums out, doubts Spawn’s existence, and is selling crack, heroin, etc…Preacher’s men chase and beat a bum as Spawn watches.

The bums believe in the Guardian, they take the dead bum and toss his body into the sewers for the burial.

We get another Spawn flashback. One of the bums question Gareb, the friendliest bum to Spawn, if Spawn will help them. Spawn shows and leaves. Gareb pleads for him to help. Spawn refuses to kill for others, gets disgusted, and leaves.

Preacher is looking for one of his men who took his Bible that has the drugs, money, etc…in it. Arnie, bum, mentions the Guardian. Lucy, female bum, arrives and is questioned next. Preacher’s men mock the bums and watch the drunken Lucy dance. Arnie tries to stop her from dancing. The gang leaves after shooting Lucy. Spawn watches from the shadows.

Spawn has another flashback about a tropical village. Al is shocked by the carnage. Present day, Spawn watches Arnie cry over Lucy. Instead of dumping her body in the sewers, Arnie soaks her in gasoline and lights her funeral pyre. Another Cogliostro narration.

Some guy wants the Preacher’s book. Spawn kills both of these guys.

Preacher finds a bloody gun. He’ll take care of things himself. Spawn is skulking around. Preacher hears someone. Cheap scare with some dead bodies and a message of “GET OUT” written in blood. Preacher isn’t scared yet, randomly shooting in the alley. Thinking he’s killed Spawn, he sees that he shot Donny, his brother. The Guardian is real. Preacher is angry that his brother is dead. Spawn appears again.

Bums haul Preacher into the sewer to dump the body. But, he isn’t quite dead. Cogliostro narrates again.

A dream of hooded men killing people, a man must prepare the city for Malebolgia. He beats and hangs a Jewish man. This will be a plot point.

Cogliostro narrates how human monsters have heard of Spawn whispered to them by Malebolgia. Spawn doesn’t want any part of them.

Merrick wants Wynn to authorize Wanda and Cyan to find Terry. Surveillance is watching Wanda, who’s working more than usual to keep herself busy. Wynn calls to invite her to dinner to learn more about Terry.

In a bar, a television newscast reports the disappearance of a Jewish taxi driver. Terry is waiting to use the phone but leaves.

A cab stops and picks up a black couple. The driver isn’t going where they want to go. He kills them and apologizes to them, too.

Wanda and Wynn are at dinner. Terry pages Wanda. She returns the call and is going to meet him. Wynn has Wanda driven home.

Spawn is following Wanda’s car. Wynn is updated about where Wanda is.

Killer knocks out Terry who awakens later. Killer is searching through his belongings. Terry is apologized to. When the Killer leaves, Terry sees various people strung up inside the room in various states of decay.

Wynn learns that Terry is still in the city. Wanda is circling a couple of blocks trying to find Terry. Wynn orders her stopped. Operatives hit Wanda’s car and order her out of the car. She refuses, and they draw guns on her. Spawn takes care of these men. Wanda is crouching down in her car scared to death. When Spawn slowly approaches her car, she tries driving away and finally does. Spawn realizes that it was Wanda.

Killer returns from buying supplies. Terry is hiding and attacks the Killer. Spawn hears gunfire and goes to check it out. Terry manages to escape. Killer is about to find Terry when Spawn arrives. Spawn sees the picture of Wanda who would have been killed if the Killer had gotten her.

Wynn is looking for the last bunch of men Spawn killed. These were the ones that pulled Wanda over if you lost track.

Killer saved the bodies for his master, Spawn. Spawn is going to kill this creep. Merrick and Wynn hear the gunfire and find the bodies. Apparently, Wynn remembers his dream again, the hooded men. Killer is strung up along with his victims.

Sam and Twitch are investigating the scene: 12 bodies. 2 victims are from the NSA which draws the feds to the case. Wanda drives by seeing some bodies loaded.

Wynn restating his orders to have Wanda followed. Merrick found Terry’s id card where the bodies were found.

Bunch of guys in wheelchairs are almost flattened by Wanda. Cop pulls her over. Wynn orders her released.

Spawn is following her and, Cogliostro shows up again. He tries to make Spawn accept he has no past. Spawn rams a wooden stake into his own chest. Cogliostro has gone through this himself. Spawn wants to tell Wanda he’s Al.

Wynn’s plan is find Terry, kill Wanda and Cyan place the blame on rogue agent Terry. Merrick volunteers to do it. Wynn adamantly refuses this, wants an outside contractor used, too many agents have died.

In the library, Lisa Wu is printing various articles about the murders in the alleys, Senator McMillian, Tony Twist, dead reporters, and Billy Kincaid.

Police have had so many murders in the alleys the pressure is intense to solve them. Cops are going to clean the alleys out.

Terry is wandering the alleys when cops spot him. They question him, handcuff him, and have a gun pointed at him, too.

Newspaper editor calls Lisa Wu, Washington Post reporter, to write about the Killer and drop the alley story.

Cops are on the crime scene in the alleys. Lisa has the great idea to talk with the bums. She offers to pay for any information.

Wanda puts Cyan to bed. She’s scared something terrible will happen to Terry. Wynn calls her telling her he has a guard watching her house.

Bobby, bum, tells Lisa a lot of things. Gareb shows her the guns Spawn brought in the alleys in season 1. This has impressed Lisa. She wants to know more about Spawn, Al.

Wanda sees the guard posted outside the house. Spawn sneaks in to tuck in Cyan. Guard breaks into the house. Wanda and Cyan are both asleep. Guard puts a silencer on his gun. Spawn takes care of the guard. Wanda awakens terrified to see Spawn kill 2 men. He tries convincing her he is Al. She doesn’t believe it. Cyan awakens. Wanda pleads with Spawn not to hurt her daughter. Spawn leaves. Cyan tells Wanda that was the man who saved her earlier.

Wynn is doing the narration now. He calls for Merrick. The curtains are billowing Spawn is shot by Wynn. He recognizes Spawn from his dreams. Spawn is going to kill Wynn, get a fiery Hell montage. Wynn awakens, sees the bullet holes where he shot at Spawn. But, he tells Merrick everything is fine.

Cogliostro is talking with Spawn, again. He’s not brave enough to face the truth of his existence. Spawn wants to protect Wanda from Wynn. Malebolgia is guiding Spawn and Wynn. Spawn wants to know more about Cogliostro. He reveals he once served Malebolgia. Spawn is warned not to kill Wynn, who’d become as powerful as Spawn. Cogliostro offers to help Spawn break the curse if he stops killing. Spawn vows to kill Wynn.

Wynn learns a Washington Post report reveals a NSC cover-up about missing weapons. Violator contacts Wynn through the television about a deal. When Merrick enters, the television is Violator-free.

At the police precinct, Terry is being questioned. Sam and Twitch are being kept away from Terry. Lisa wants to talk with them. She reveals some things she has discovered. Sam and Twitch have some things to discuss with her.

Violator is complaining that Spawn needs to get his act together, and let the blood spill.

NSC headquarters, Lisa wants to talk with Wynn. She announces she has the missing weapons and will show them at a press conference in the morning.

Wynn is talking about the outside contractors killed outside the Blake house. He reveals to Merrick his dreams and is told about Lisa Wu’s announcement concerning the missing weapons.

Lisa finds and talks with Wanda. She reveals what she knows to Wanda. A van is parked outside spying on the women. Terry is in a police precinct. Lisa knows that Wynn is behind things. The van’s occupants are targeting Lisa and Wanda. Spawn gets them before a shot is fired. Lisa drives off. Spawn takes care of the rest of the van crew, announcing he’s coming for Wynn.

Wynn is thinking he’ll get Spawn, now. Cops and high security are guarding Wynn.

Spawn works through several men. The doors are locking down. The power is on the fritz before being cut. Merrick checks on various groups of the guards. Wynn is watching through numerous video screens.

Spawn grabs Wynn, wanting to know who he is and wants to be killed. Wynn doesn’t believe Spawn is Al. Cogliostro’s words return to Spawn. Spawn warns Wynn to never harm Terry or Wanda again.

The guards arrive and, Wynn orders them to leave. He calls his contact in the police department to release Terry.

Wynn is contacted by Violator about a deal.

Wanda is at home and called by Terry. The end.


What I say:

I’ve talked about a lot of problems I thought were wrong with the season 1 of Spawn. And, a lot of them are still present. Things seem to be repeated when they could’ve been cut. How many times do we need to see Spawn kill someone shooting at him? The jarring flashbacks and Cogliostro appearing just to say give up the past, etc…got on my nerves.

The repetition of the show has grated on me. Guys shoot at Spawn then are killed. Even with Chapel, the fight could have been halved without losing anything. Spawn lets him go before finally getting him. Do we need the scenes of guys looking in the shadows and not seeing anything until it’s too late? At least, the original Spawn had him fight Overkill and Violator. The Billy Kincaid plot creeping throughout several episodes didn’t seem that bad.

Spawn as a comic book had a very fluid style which is impossible to capture in this series. The Max Fleischer style used on the Batman: Animated Series and Justice League simplifies the character designs but is still pretty cool. Spawn’s animation style I won’t say is bargain basement, but when compared to McFarlane’s Spawn books are shown to be lacking. I know you couldn’t have a comic book penciller draw every cell in an episode. Take a lifetime to complete one episode, especially with as slow as McFarlane pencilled.

The fact that several of the characters have never interacted is somewhat novel. Spawn has never met Sam and Twitch, yet. I can understand keeping Spawn away from his past life especially Wanda. It seems if you see Gareb, the bum, he'll defend Spawn or plead for his help. None of the characters seem capable of any change.

I think watching multiple episodes back to back was what really made it seem worse. The episodes stand alone better than a marathon session of them. As a weekly show watching it unfold, that would give it a better pace. Each episode building on the previous ones towards a definite conclusion.

I’ve been fairly harsh on Spawn 2. At least, they cut the pointless nudity. And no more animated fat mobsters in a speedo is a good thing. Things are starting to pull together towards a hopeful conclusion and Angela the bounty hunter in Spawn 3.



2 NINJAS

Quotable Dialogue

"It's not just a job. It's an adventure!"
"I like the mask, but I think the cape is a little much."
"I'm going to let you live longer than you want to."
"I want you to use Leon and the hillbilly kid."
"This ol' boy's a hard dog to keep under the porch."
"I think they got religion, sir."


Morals of the Story

Rednecks work for the Russian mob.
CIA or NSA operatives will kill people for resisting arrest.
Bums have Viking funerals.
Serial killers will apologize before killing you.