The Spirit is the reason why I hate hyping myself up for movies. This one is a combination I'd never turn down -- the marriage of a retro action film with comic book artist Frank Miller's distinctive visual style. Having grown up on the likes of Dick Tracy and The Shadow, it's only natural that I looked forward to The Spirit with a smidgen of fevered anticipation. Little did I know what a slipshod mess awaited me at the local multiplex. It's not as grand a comics-to-film travesty as the infamous Batman & Robin, but viewers will have no problem finding something to laugh about with this crushing disappointment.
After cutting his teeth co-directing Sin City, Miller makes his solo directing debut with this foray into the land of masked crime fighters. The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) is a former cop who was shot dead on the job and subsequently resurrected under strange circumstances. Armed with the ability to take a lot of physical punishment, he sets out on a quest to rid Central City of the criminal vermin that plagues its streets. Eventually, he has a big run-in with The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), The Spirit's arch nemesis and Central City's de facto supervillain. The Octopus has his sights set on nabbing a crate that contains the blood of Heracles (a.k.a. Hercules), which the already indestructible baddie believes will turn him into a god among men. A slip-up lands the crate in the hands of Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), a master jewel thief and former childhood flame of The Spirit's. With his hands already full juggling a succession of lady loves, The Spirit takes on the task of saving the day and stopping his foe's bid for world domination once and for all.
With someone like Frank Miller at the helm, I knew The Spirit would be anything but traditional. What I didn't count on was the man's indecisiveness downright crippling what could have been a truly jaw-dropping experience.
First things first, Miller has viewers covered on a visual front. To put it simply, The Spirit looks fantastic, even if there are a couple of disappointing moments where it goes out of its way to imitate Sin City's signature style. Miller does a terrific job of turning Central City into a noirish wonderland, a sprawling metropolis whose every nook and cranny is used by The Spirit in his war on crime.
Article comments
1 - crewdog
After seeing this movie I feel $31.75 poorer [2 admissions 2 sodas & popcorn] And 2 hours dumber. Wait for it on tv.