Steel (1997)

A scientist for the military turns himself into a cartoon-like superhero when a version of one of his own weapons is being used against enemies.

Director:

Kenneth Johnson

Writers:

Louise Simonson (comic book series), Jon Bogdanove (comic book series)

Stars:

Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson

Bottom Rated Movies #44 | 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

John Henry Irons designs weapons for the military. When his project to create weapons that harmlessly neutralize soldiers is sabotaged, he leaves in disgust. When he sees gangs are using his weapons on the street, he uses his brains and his Uncle Joe's junkyard know-how to fight back, becoming a real man of "steel."

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Plot Keywords:

junkyard | female soldier | terrorist | explosion | reference to shaft | 

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Taglines:

Heroes don't come any bigger.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some superhero action violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kenneth Johnson took a copy of the script to South Central Los Angeles, and spent a day with a group of kids to make sure that the language of some of the characters was believable.

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Goofs

Steel's armor is supposed to be made from steel, which he forged himself. Throughout the film, his armor and helmet flex as if they were made of painted rubber.

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Quotes

Uncle Joe: Look-it here, boy! You ain't Superman! And you damn sure ain't gettin' paid!

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Connections

Referenced in Top 5 Best/Worst: Top 5 Worst DC Movies (2018)

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Soundtracks

We've Got Heart
Written by Antonina Armato
Performed by S.H.E.
Courtesy of Twism Records/Trauma Records/Interscope Records
By arrangement with Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

I don't know whether to laugh or cry

Oh man, I don't believe this. Perhaps with the exception of "Barb Wire", I don't think I have watched anything that comes anywhere near this. When I come to think of it, "Barb Wire" is actually better than this, because I could laugh while watching it. This film is so bad it reaches a certain quality of lousiness only reserved for the very worst of bad ideas. I mean - Shaquille O'Niell in a steel suit with a super weapon made from the contents of a lost-and-found at the scrap yard? Please!

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Steel

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$870,068, 17 August 1997

Gross USA:

$1,710,972

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,710,972

Company Credits

Production Co:

DC Entertainment, Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1