Spellbinding: At only 80 minutes long, Jonah Hex packs a LOT in there. This comic book adaptation doesn’t forget its pedigree, actually using a bit of comic book artwork, almost “Motion Comic style” to tell a quick back-story on the central figure of this flick, and to good effect. But even the rest of the movie’s visuals and colors are strong, with plenty of good old fashion gunplay and explosions to accompany a propelling soundtrack (partially provided by the boys from Mastodon). Most notably starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, Hex is also a veritable Who’s Who of also-stars; it could be its own drinking game: take a shot whenever you see some one you recognize (“There’s Gob (Will Arnnett)!" – Shot… “Isn’t that Michael Fassbender?” - Shot… “Hey, is that...
Tom Wopat?! - Shot). You’ll be good n’ drunk pretty soon in that game, and I haven’t even mentioned Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, The Losers), Wes Bentley (American Beauty) and the gorgeous Julia Jones (Eclipse), among others (like Aidan Quinn).
You’ll see much of what you’ve seen before in revenge-themed flicks, and much of the dialogue is also at a comic book level, with call-and answers that you’ll expect; but the skills and delivery of both Brolin and Malkovich bring life to cliché. Malkovich in fact does villains great, and I thought he brought it to even this, a typical villain. I also hear this will end Megan Fox’s career, but I doubt it; it’s not as though she’s ever been hired thus far for her acting chops, and she’s in fine form here (forgive the pun), even with a corset so tight I thought they had digitally removed some of her ribs. But for what it is, it’s a fun flick to take in.
A HEX on you, sir! There are some not-so subtle messages that both Tea-Baggers and Yankees will notice, especially in this polarized political climate; stirring up a bit of the ol’ Union VS Confederacy juice the way it does. Additionally, there is a bit of the dreadful Wild, Wild West movie in here, and many ideas are not explained in great detail (such as Hex’s supernatural abilities and the exact nature of a nation-killing machine); probably a good thing, too since they are peripheral. I did not read the comics on which Jonah Hex is based, so I don’t know whether or not to be upset about its treatment, particularly the idea that he can now talk to the dead having had his own near-death experience. Without this ability, this would be just another shoot ‘em up revenge flick.
Movie Grade: C+
Don’t listen to the critics (except for me!) – this movie gets more right than it does wrong.Rated PG-13.
Directed by: Jimmy Hayward
Written by: Mark Neveldine (screenplay) (as Neveldine) & Brian Taylor (screenplay) (as Taylor), William Farmer (story) and Mark Neveldine (story) (as Neveldine) & Brian Taylor (story) (as Taylor), John Albano (characters appearing in magazines published by DC Comics) & Tony Dezuniga (characters appearing in magazines published by DC Comics)
Didja get all that?
