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 #39 | 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

This is second comic book film featuring an African-American lead. Spawn (1997) came out two weeks earlier.

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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

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Worst Superhero Castings (2017)

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Soundtracks

Steel Yourself
Written by Kenneth Johnson and Marvin Winans
Produced by Mervyn Warren
Performed by Marvin Winans
Courtesy of Qwest Records

User Reviews

One of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few.

James Berardinelli gave this 2/4 stars - more than he gave "Trees Lounge." I find that hard to believe. This is one of the worst films I have ever seen in my entire lifetime, and I've seen quite a few.

It's yet another comic-book-adaptation based on a series that was unpopular to begin with. Shaq does his Attack as Steel, a superhero who runs around very slow in a heavy metal suit.

Whereas Spidey and Batman, et al, all have their special powers, Steel really just has a bulletproof metal suit - the "wire shooter" is a rip-off of the device used by Michael Keaton in "Batman." It attaches itself to a building and up, up and away he goes! However, the device moves at an astonishingly slow pace. Why didn't the cops just shoot him instead of standing there for over thirty seconds (yes, I counted) watching him pulled up into the air by a thin thread?

No matter. This movie is awful. Not even Richard Roundtree can save it.

And what's with the wheelchair lady?

Why, Bender, why?

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