Steel (1997)

User Rating:

2.7/10   

Director:

Kenneth Johnson

Writers (WGA):

Louise Simonson (comic book series) &
Jon Bogdanove (comic book series) ...

Release Date:

15 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy

Tagline:

Heroes don't come any bigger.

Plot:

John Henry Irons designs weapons for the military. When his project to create weapons that harmlessly neutralize soldiers is sabotaged...

Plot Keywords:

Paraplegic | Superhero | Anvil | DC Comics | Magnet

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Shaquille O'Neal	...	John Henry Irons / Steel
Annabeth Gish	...	Susan Sparks
Judd Nelson	...	Nathaniel Burke
Richard Roundtree	...	Uncle Joe
Irma P. Hall	...	Grandma Odessa
Ray J	...	Martin (as Ray J.)
Harvey Silver	...	Lamont
Charles Napier	...	Col. David
Kerrie Keane	...	Sen. Nolan
Eric Pierpoint	...	Major
Tembi Locke	...	Norma
Thom Barry	...	Sgt. Marcus
Gary Graham	...	Detective
Eric Saiet	...	Young Cop
Hill Harper	...	Slats

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some superhero action violence.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG | UK:PG (video premiere) | USA:PG-13

Company:

Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment

Trivia:

Susan Sparks is based on the DC Comics character Oracle.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Steel's armor is supposed to be made from steel which he's forged himself. Despite this the armor and helmet flexes as if made from painted rubber throughout the movie.

Quotes:

Sgt. Marcus: Where did that son-of-a-buck go?
Young Cop: The Batcave?

Movie Connections:

References Batman (1943)

Soundtrack:

Dark Energy

"Well, I'll be dipped in s*** and rolled in breadcrumbs"

Steel is one of those films where you constantly have to keep telling yourself "this is NOT a TV movie". A cheap, outrageously bad superhero vehicle for the acting... er... talents?... of 7'1 basketball player Shaquille O'Neal.

Commendably, the film does actually have three clear acts, and Steel's emergence, though underplayed, doesn't happen for over forty minutes. In-jokes are a-plenty, as it mentions Batman, Superman, Jerry Maguire ("show me the money!") and three instances of John Irons (O'Neal) having to net basketballs. The final time sees a life-threatening toss of a grenade. A lousy basketball player throughout, Shaq gets to quip "I never make these". Or would you prefer Richard Roundtree as Uncle Joe, who designs Steel's hammer for him? "I did the metalwork," he explains, "I especially like the shaft." Cue lots of double-takes and knowing glances, with Roundtree looking round, hands in the air, proclaiming "what?"

The special effects are reasonable for tv movie land, but, as this is (pinch me, I must be imagining it) a real cinema movie, they're quite cheap. Steel is badly written, contains atrocious dialogue, is poorly acted, shabbily directed and with an overbearing, repetitive musical score. It is, of course, tremendously entertaining.