The Spirit (2008)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Frank Miller

Writers (WGA):

Frank Miller (screenplay)
Will Eisner (comic book series)

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again.

Plot:

Rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces in Central City.

Plot Keywords:

Hero | Pond | Detective | Vase | Vigilante

Cast

Jaime King	...	Lorelei Rox
Gabriel Macht	...	The Spirit / Denny Colt
Dan Gerrity	...	Det. Sussman
Arthur the Cat	...	Himself
Kimberly Cox	...	Damsel in Distress
Brian Lucero	...	Thug #1
David Brian Martin	...	Thug #2 (as David B. Martin)
Larry Reinhardt-Meyer	...	Officer MacReady
Frank Miller	...	Liebowitz
Eva Mendes	...	Sand Saref
Eric Balfour	...	Mahmoud
Samuel L. Jackson	...	The Octopus
Louis Lombardi	...	Pathos / Ethos / Logos
Scarlett Johansson	...	Silken Floss
Sarah Paulson	...	Ellen Dolan

Also Known As:

Will Eisner's The Spirit (USA) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of stylized violence and action, some sexual content and brief nudity.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44585) | Norway:11 | UK:12A (cut) | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | Germany:16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | South Africa:13V | New Zealand:M | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:PG-12 | Argentina:13 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | UK:15 (uncut) | Brazil:14 | Mexico:B | Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque Studios - 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Lionsgate

Trivia:

Some scenes where shot using a new digital camera called The Phantom that can shoot at up to 1000 frames a second. Most of the film was shot with Panavision Genesis cameras.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene involving a poster of a diagram of The Spirit and his body (divided into lots of separate sections), it first shows him with no clothes on, and when we see the poster several seconds later he is wearing shorts.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
The Octopus: What is it with you and women?

Movie Connections:

References Marathon Man (1976)

Soundtrack:

Falling in Love Again

I really WANTED to like this... But...

I really wanted to like this but the main actor who played the Spirit was just plain awful. And everyone acting was dreadful, the writing is dreadful and the direction is dreadful. Maybe Frank Miller wanted that actors to Over act and over act they did BIG TIME. Sam L. Jackson is so over the top that it was painful. We were laughing at some scenes not because it was that funny, it was just that embarrassing. The first fight scene (not giving anything away), that the Octopuss had with the Spirit was force and confusing and so out of place and completely uninteresting.

This movie is STYLE over SUBSTANCE. And it's hugely disappointing from the guy that was part of The 300 and Sin City. I guess every good person have their bad movies. I think perhaps Miller wanted the characters to be cartoonish. At one point, I wouldn't have been surprised to see an anvil drop on someone's head, thats how ridiculous this movie was. Perhaps one has to be a fan of the comic book... (or graphic novel in some circle) in order to truly enjoy this. I went with three other friends and 3 out of 4 of use thought it was awful and the other person just said, "it wasn't that bad".

That voice over of the spirit was just bothersome the entire movie. I was thinking... please, for the love of god, shut him up. The Spirit's voice over is irritating like Jock itch.

Now for the other actors, Eva Mendes is as beautiful as always and at one point I heard at least 10 independent dayums go out like some said it once at the grand canyon and you got 9 echos... .DAYUM! dayum dayum dayum dayum...

The other ones didn't get to do anything, except there are moments of irritating joy in the Octopuss' creations. The Spirit gets a 4 out of 10 for not actualizing the film that it could have been. It is a pass.