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Rating: 0.25 out of 5
I remember when The Spirit first came out to theaters. I don’t know who talked me into it, but I was with my family, and I was around 22 at the time. I remember that I thought it might be a pretty good movie because it was a superhero movie and was made by Frank Miller. He was the brainchild behind Sin City, which was great and new to me, with the black and white and color aspects were portrayed in subtle ways. Who could forget the film 300? You wanted to talk about a movie with style and violence, then that was the movie. 300 was an AWESOME movie, so the intrigue of The Spirit was high. Well, let me tell you. I walked out of that theater completely confused, disappointed, and downright disgusted. This was a HORRIBLE film! Luckily, many of the cast came back to the MCU and redeemed themselves.
What is the Spirit about?? Directed by Frank Miller, the Spirit is a neo-noir superhero film. The film is set in Central City; Denny Colt (Macht), also known as the masked vigilante, The Spirit, patrols the city from the rooftops. As he states, the city provides to him and speaks to him, letting him know of the dangers. Denny receives a phone call from Detective Sussman (Gerrity) about something big going on near an old shipwreck in the mudflats. Sussman states that the Spirits arch-nemesis, The Octopus (Jackson), is behind it. As the Spirit rushes to the scene while fighting crime along the way, a BEAUTIFUL femme fatale, Sand Saref (Mendes), rises from the water and appears to shoot Sussman multiple times. Saref obtains two boxes only for the Octopus to arrive and unload bullets at her. One of the boxes is lost and retrieved by Octopus men and his accomplice Silken Floss (Johansson). At the same time, Saref manages to get away safely with the other. This starts a series of fights between the Octopus and The Spirit wanting the boxes. In them is the Golden Fleece from Jason and the Argonauts, while the other holds the Blood of Hercules. Two items that can change the world forever.
The only good thing about this whole film is the art style and visuals effects. The whole black and white film with some color has been played before by Miller, and it is still eye-catching. The whole design and look of the entire movie make it interesting to watch for maybe the first 15 minutes. Then after that, it goes way downhill.
I can’t believe I sat down and watched this film all over again. Maybe because it was because Eva Mendes was in it, and I love me some Eva Mendes. The story made almost no sense. I lie, the movie made sense on how the Octopus wanted the Blood of Hercules and to become a god, but it just didn’t while the Spirit needed to stop him. It just didn’t flow right and, after a while, didn’t make any sense. Why was Samuel L. Jackson dressed up in a Nazi uniform? That scene was bizarre to watch, and then in the next scene, he was talking about what gods do and all of this. Then the Octopus was in some samurai outfit with explosions. It was like W.T.F is going on?
I also understood why Denny became the Spirit and all of that, but he was a superhero that just didn’t inspire me and for all these women while he gave PSAs was just overboard. The whole film just felt forced down my throat while I was sitting in my chair trying to tell myself that it is not a bad movie, but it is.
Then the dialogue was just flat-out terrible. All of it felt unnatural and forced, along with sounding even worse than cliché superhero dialogue. The old-school Adam West Batman movies had better and far more entertaining dialogue than this one. Many of the one-liners just fell flat on their faces, and there was zero recovery.
I can go on, but the acting was also a headscratcher. Gabriel Macht as Denny Colt/The Spirit, I’m sorry, homie, but I hope this film doesn’t destroy your career because I don’t know what you were doing in this film. Impressive is not the word I would use when watching you as the Spirit. Samuel L. Jackson, as The Octopus, I am not even going to talk bad about you because I would really like to meet you. I think you are the best ever, and you are also Nick Fury and so many other roles. Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss was eye candy and really didn’t do too much in this film. Eva Mendes as Sand Saref was all beauty and sex appeal. Her character was sexy, and her dialogue was awful, but damnit, she is still as beautiful as ever. Yo! Even Sarah Paulson is in this film as Ellen Dolan, the police commissioner’s daughter and a top surgeon who considers it her duty as the Spirit’s current boo-thang to keep him healthy and alive. Also, Jaime King plays Lorelei Rox, a phantasmic siren and the Angel of Death waiting to take the Spirit. Honestly, for years, I thought this was Carmen Electra. Boy, was I wrong on this one.
Let’s just stop the review here. I don’t want to talk about this film anymore. There are far better superhero films out there in the world, and this one doesn’t even come off the ground that well. This film is far too dull and strange to be worth your time. The Spirit can stay dead this time around and never revive again.
