The Spirit

Just plain damn wierd.
Chalk me up as a Frank Miller fanboy. Along with fellow visionary Alan Moore, he changed the world of comic books forever with his bleak, noir-heavy storytelling and striking art style into something that wasn't just for kids anymore. God bless him for that. Along with Robert Rodriguez, he brought his pulp masterpiece Sin City to the big screen and kicked the a$z of every person who saw it. But could he duplicate the same artistic success with somebody else's creation and without the help of a directing dynamo like Rodriguez? Not so much. But in spite of all the bile that has been spewed upon Miller's solo directorial debut "The Spirit", I had myself a good ol' time. And with the right attitude, you might as well. Just be prepared for a whole lotta cheese.

Now I have not read any of Will Eisner's comics so I simply cannot comment on how this fares as an adaptation. I suspect not so well. A lot...

Hilarious Comic Book Caper
First off, let me make it clear this movie may not appeal to everyone.
It's the cinematic equivalent of Frank Miller's recent comic work: incredible visuals with ridiculous, over-the-top dialogue.
Likewise, if you try to take this film seriously then you may not gain much gratification.
However if you view The Spirit with an open mind as you would while watching the Adam West Batman show or reading Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman and Robin, then you're sure to have a much more enjoyable time with this irreverent pop culture parody.
At several points in this film you just have to laugh out loud at the absurdity.
Just don't go in expecting Sin City or The Dark Knight.
The Spirit is on the other end of the artistic spectrum, demented post-modern camp/kitsch exploitation.

Even though Miller updated The Spirit with his own visual trademarks and sense of humor, in many ways it's very faithful to Will Eisner's comic.
I must emphasize...

(Drumming fingers....)
This is SOOOO not like the strip itself in feel. Will Eisner's "The Spirit" was an original handling of the whole "Shadow"/"Batman"/"Dick Tracy" "creature of the night" crimefighter. The opening splash panels were always so elaborate and illustrative. The Spirit always showed a ton of compassion to his retrievable charges, like Bleak or Sand Serif, (Sand actually being an old childhood friend of his!) but the one antagonist he has that he doesn't show ANY compassion for, the Octopus, played by Samuel L. Jackson, doing his crazy coon routine again, is trying to become immortal by acquiring a serum that will grant him that power from Spirit's old childhood chum, Sand Serif, who has become Modesty Blaise, after a fashion.

The Spirit is Denny Colt, a rookie cop that is killed, but then brought back to life somehow to become the bane of the human vermin in his city. He works in concert with the chief of police, Dolan, and dates his daughter, Ellen. Dolan is not like the strip...

Click to Editorial Reviews