The usher looked at my ticket, blinked, looked back at me, back down at the ticket, back at me, and said, “The Spirit? Really?” Then he rolled his eyes, shrugged in a “it takes all kinds” manner and tore my ticket.
As bad omens go, the only thing that could have been worse would have been discovering Mike Nelson, Crow, and Tom Servo sitting in the front row.
The thing with Frank Miller is this: He’s a power hitter. He takes huge swings for the fences every time out. If he connects, he drives it out of the park. The problem with power hitters is that they strike out. A lot. And when they do, it can be monumental to watch. They don’t just stand there and watch a ball whiz by on the outside corner with their bat on their shoulder. No, they take huge hacks at it, swinging from the heels, and when they miss, they spin around, their legs twisted in knots and crossed at the ankles, and sometimes even fall flat on their ášš.
That’s pretty much what we’ve got here. A huge swing and a miss.
The truth is that, if you come at it from the point of view of viewing it as a surrealist comedy, it can be pretty entertaining. I’m going to focus on the positive aspects because (a) I am friends with most of the producers on the film, and (b) everyone else is dumping on Frank, so why pile on?
A) It’s the best film that Paul Levitz has ever appeared in. During one point as the Spirit is plummeting, Paul is visible in the crowd and is heard to say, “You’ll believe a man can’t fly.” Seriously. I’m not kidding. Go run Paul’s name through IMDB if you don’t believe me.
B) All the shots remained clearly in focus.
C) Everyone’s diction was really clear, and no one bumped into any furniture.
D) I could follow the action sequences, which is more than I can say for “Quantum of Solace.”
E) The Frank Miller illustrations over the final credits were pretty good. In fact, if this had been a four-issue Frank Miller comic book series instead of a movie, I think people would have liked it a lot better.
Here’s the main problem: The film is like “Ðìçk Tracy” on crack. The thing that made “Ðìçk Tracy”…well, not work, really, but work as much as it did…was, first, the vividness of the color palette and second, Al Pacino contrasted with Warren Beatty. Scenery chewer versus a guy who was little more than scenery himself. Here we have on the one hand Samuel Jackson, who apparently wanted to out-lousy-movie his “Pulp Fiction” co-star John Travolta. He failed; despite what others have said, “The Spirit” is NOT as bad as “Battlefield Earth.” On the other hand, we have Gabriel Macht as the Spirit, a character who desperately needed to have been played by Bruce Campbell. In fact, there’s nothing in this film that wouldn’t have been 110% better if Campbell had been in the lead, because he can carry off the balancing act that I think Frank was going for.
“The Spirit” is at war with itself: A color scheme mostly of muted black and white (a flashback of Denny Colt lying dead of gunshot wounds makes it look like he’s covered with pigeon crap rather than blood) is in conflict with the over-the-top script which is in conflict with the director’s vision (bad news since the director wrote the script) which is in conflict with the actors (bad news since the director directed them.) So you get a film that doesn’t know what it wants to be aside from a Frank Miller film. Lines that are intended to be funny fall flat; lines that are intended to be serious prompt laughs. Cloned disposable henchmen with their names on their t-shirts, apparently having wandered in from the 1960s “Batman” series, keep showing up in sequences that I suspect only Frank thought were amusing. In the sparsely attended hall where I saw it, the film garnered at various times reactions ranging from outright guffaws to incredulous shouts of “WHAT?” in reaction to some particularly absurd moment. Something tells me that isn’t what Frank Miller was going for. The truth is that Frank was given his head on this film, and now critics are handing it to him. Is it deserved? To quote “Unforgiven,” deserves has nothin’ to do with it.
Ultimately, is “The Spirit” THAT bad? No. It’s just THAT not good.
PAD
• 
No. It’s that bad.
And to think that Frank Miller has said that Will Eisner is someone who influenced him. Well, to take Eisner’s seminal work, drop his pants and take a dump on it like this, well way to show your admiration, Frank.
I’ve seen bad movies before. I was a regular viewer of MST3K, so I know what bad movies are. Ususally when I see a bad movie, I’m just disappointed. But this is one of the few films that actually made me angry that it was made. I was angry when I left and I still am. And if there’s any justice in the world, Frank Miller will never make so much as a video for Youtube ever again.
I thought, “Wow, I wasn’t the only one.”
Well, 2 out of 6 billion ain’t bad. 😉
Valkyrie was well acted and as suspenseful as possible for a movie whose ending you already know.
When I first heard about this film, I really wanted to see. Then it got delayed, and delayed again, and the release date was shuffled a couple more times. Then I heard about test audiences responding very poorly. And all the tv spots seem to have tons of quotes from the same 2 or 3 people.
The reviews listed on Yahoo! seem to be generally positive (I give Ebert the same weight as all other professional reviewers put together), although I know I can’t agree with some of them, such as the one about “Valkyrie suffers from the most foregone conclusion since Titanic.”
Well, I hate to say it, but I bet most people in this country don’t know how/when/where Hitler died; even less people are probably aware of the history of Operation Valkyrie.
The only reason I’m familiar with it is because of Red Dwarf – an episode had a gag where Lister was able to change history by stealing Hitler’s briefcase and the bomb goes off.
At any rate, it’s actually left me undecided as to whether I’ll see it or wait for the rental.
Right now I have Gremlins 2 on in the background.
The Spirit has to be better than Gremlins 2.
That’s all I’m sayin’.
Craig, make that 3 out of 6 billion.
I love the Speed Racer movie, and will soon own it on dvd. I think it is one of the year’s best movies.
Bii Myers–
No problems here. Somebody else said ‘nitpicking’. I was just commenting on nitpicking in general. I didn’t consider it nitpicking when you corrected my error. I don’t mind being corrected at all on points of fact, just don’t try to correct my driving. 😉
“And if there’s any justice in the world, Frank Miller will never make so much as a video for Youtube ever again.”
Yes, because no one has ever learned from their mistakes and gone on to do greater things.
Where was Ebony??
rich said, “Forget this POS.”
“Hey, what did Miller ever do to offend you so badly? …”
He made this movie, which is the POS to which I refer.
Posted by: Craig J. Ries
The reviews of “Valkyrie” listed on Yahoo! seem to be generally positive (I give Ebert the same weight as all other professional reviewers put together), although I know I can’t agree with some of them,
If you aren’t aware of it, RottenTomatoes.com is the best place i know of for a round-up of reviews from all over.
Currently “The Spirit” has a 6% positive rating with top critics like Ebert in the RT compilation…
First off: “Movie titles are italicized.”
Not in newspaper-type articles, they’re not. They’re put in quotation marks. So are the titles of articles or chapters in a publication. We put the titles/names of books, newspapers, and published reports in italics.
Second, I found this movie review itself quite entertaining. Sadly, from the material I’ve seen about the movie elsewhere, I’m afraid the review may be FAR more entertaining, so I’ll save my $$ toward “Star Trek” next summer instead.
(On a separate note, PAD, I have read your novelizations and original books for 15 years and dearly love them. When I sold my Trek novel collection years ago, yours were the only ones I kept to re-read, in fact.)
Power Of Shazam?
Peter,
Make it four.
I, too, loved the Speed Racer Movie.
Great to see Peter Fernandez and Corrine Orr in cameos as local and international race track announcers, too.
(Tim re Flash Gordon) Any other takers?
I think you have the “bad” solidly nailed. I’d add “Candy coated set design goodness” to the “good”. But I’m a sucker for color. Suspiria is still the best dámņ horror movie ever, even if it doesn’t make a lick of sense. Why? Because Dario Argento used the last few scraps of technicolor stock he could find, that’s why.
I, too, loved the Speed Racer Movie.
Maybe we should start a support group. Or have jackets made. Something like that.
PAD
Mike Vorkosigan: I’m severely unemployed
Bill Myers: I’m sorry to hear you’re unemployed. At the moment, so am I.
Luigi Novi: Wow, we should start a support group. Maybe something like UFOPD, Unemployed Fans of Peter David.
Sean: The Spirit has to be better than Gremlins 2.
Luigi Novi: Depends on whether you like Phoebe Cates more than Scarlett, Eva and Paz. Then again, the former do wear sexier clothing than the former, so it’s got that. 🙂
Peter David: Maybe we should start a support group.
Luigi Novi: Geez, Peter, do you have to beat me to every great idea? I mean, I know it’s your blog and all, but sheesh.
🙂
“On a separate note, PAD, I have read your novelizations and original books for 15 years and dearly love them.”
Hey, yeah … Is there a paperback tie-in for this film? It would be interesting to see how an author (PAD or anyone else) might handle this material. I remember PAD’s BATMAN FOREVER novelization and wondering “Why didn’t they film it like THIS??”
If you thought that one was wild, rich, track down PAD’s novelization of the second Swamp Thing film. I don’t know how in the Hëll he got away with that. Way better ideas than what was in the film though.
I so want to give some grief over the the whole Speed Racer thing, but there are four people on this board who know the types of films that I really enjoy and I fear the utter massacre that could come from that. I mean, just because a movie doesn’t always need a plot, good dialogue, a budget, competent directing or good acting for me to really enjoy it…
My niece just got a Nintendo Bii for Christmas. I wait my turn for the controller, slapping my wrist for a vein, just like everyone else.
Speed Racer was fun. Larry and Andy did the cartoon, just as a live-action film. I know the series well, and they hit it squarely on the head. It’s not something you wanna see stoned, though.
I didn’t see a single thing in it that I disliked. A little too dazzling in spots, maybe, but all told nicely done, and very true to the anime. I think what turned some folks off was they had some preconceived notions of what a Wachowski Brothers movie should be, based on the Matrix films and V for Vendetta.
Yes, Jerry, it was a little thin in spots, and the effects overpowered at times. But we got Susan and Big John as the parents, and Christina as Trixie. And the car was actually driveable, or one of them was. (No kidding. They built a streetable Mach 5 for promotional purposes.)
I’m blathering. And no dámņ wonder; it’s midnight, and I’ve gotta get up in five hours.
Miles
I agree with Miles in that Speed Racer was true to the anime and a pretty enjoyable if somewhat infantile film.
But I disagree with him in one point: Seeing it stoned takes it from good to glorious.
I am allways late… I could have joined the UFOPD for the last six months but I got hired a week ago. Tough times all around the world, anyway.
Regarding Ronin… I loved it when it first read it (I was like 14) and treasured my copy for years. But three years ago I bought a new edition (I usually try preserve the old editions and buy new ones to read) and it didnt live up to my memories. It was ok, better than the average, but nothing earthshaking. Is it me?
“But three years ago I bought a new edition (I usually try preserve the old editions and buy new ones to read) and it didnt live up to my memories.”
Well, alas, you remember the excitement of reading it for the first time. Also, sometimes these things mushroom in your memory.
I remember an episode of THE GREEN HORNET — In addition to smashing a Chinatown protection racket, Kato has a serious axe to grind with the ring leader who ambushed him earlier in the episode. The kung-fu showdown at the episode’s climax was great — but it seemed much SHORTER. And it wasn’t because of station edits.
Still enjoyed it but felt that I had built the episode up (in my memory) for a huge letdown when I saw it again.
I liked Speed Racer more than Iron Man much to my friends’ general bafflement. Iron Man pretty much gave me what I was expecting, but Speed Racer just blew me away.
You have good taste in Green Hornet episodes, Rich. You’re speaking of one of the best: “Preying Mantis.” A “serious axe” to grind, indeed. The ring leader, played by Mako, dumped him headfirst into a garbage can. You don’t do that to Kato and not pay for it later.
My favorite, though, was “Bad Bet on a 459-Silent.” The Hornet gets shot by a police officer. It’s not fatal, but the bullet has to come out, and now he’s got a problem. If he goes to a hospital, the hospital’s required by law to report it, and his identity’s blown. Plus it’s publicized that the Hornet’s been shot, so even if he finds a shady doctor to help him, the doc will likely figure it out, leaving him open to blackmail.
PAD
El Hombre, I can’t get stoned anymore. Between my futile pursuit of a government job and my blood sugar problems, weed would probably kill me, and I’ve never done anything stronger. Except acid, which had no real effect on me…
Evil Twin, you’ve got good taste in Hornet episode, too. Those two you mention are great. I’d love to have the entire series on DVD, once the money permits.
It’s been years since I’ve seen “Preying Mantis”, but I remember that fight between Bruce and Mako. Woof. It looked like they were going at it for real. It was, to me, the kung-fu equivalent of the swordfight in “The Mark of Zorro”, where the director tells Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power, ‘Okay, guys, start here, go up and down the room a couple of times and Ty, you kill Basil here…’
Miles
I just can’t imagine why anyone with a view to The Spirit comics (new or old) would have spent their $9 (or whatever) to see this. I mean, the trailers alone! The Spirit doing backflips up the side of a fire escape, what? Samuel L. Jackson with bad mascara, huh?
“What an f-in’ train wreck this is going to be” was the one and only thought that came to my mind every time I saw a new trailer or commercial for it.
Can I have some more Darwyn Cooke issues, please?
Bill Myers: “No, you’d write, “I went to see The Spirit movie.” Articles at the beginning of a title or proper noun are capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence. If you don’t believe me, check out this article at About.com.”
Bill, you are wrong. In that sentence, “the” refers to the movie and so is not capitalized.
“I went to see The Spirit.” Correct.
“I went to see the Spirit movie.” Correct.
“I went to see The Spirit movie.” Wrong.
More here: http://www.theslot.com/the.html
I think what Miller tried to do could have made really good 5 or 6 minute web-episodes. He could have presented 8 of them as part of a salespitch for an HBO series of 30 minute episodes. Then he could have passed-on directoral responsibilities of a series with a following to experienced people who could leverage his strengths, like with what the makers of Curb Your Enthusiasm do with Larry David. They could have exploited Eisner’s story archive, instead of making one crappy movie.
A television season would have given him the slack to present the Spirit uncovering the clues to the Octopus’s plot across episodes, have it not make any sense to him, then the Octopus could have revealed the Spirit’s origin in the season (or second season) finale.
I saw the movie today and the stunts made me think that this was sort of the Daredevil movie that Miller might have made. The running on power lines, leaping from fire escapes and some of the fight scenes were only missing a billy club or catching a flagpole to fit into a DD flick.
Yes, there were loads of bad dialogue and ridiculous acting choices. I was also surprised that there was no effort to provide a character anything like Ebony. In the new comic, Cooke certainly proved that an updated version of Ebony can work.
Dear Peter – I can’t bear to see one more bad thing said about The Spirit. I loved it with a passion and saw it twice.
I was a teen comic book reader when you started out as a comic writer. I liked your “Peter Parkers” a lot. I don’t read comics anymore, but I know what’s out there. I’m writing on your blog for the same reason Sand Serif arranged her little poker game: I want to get a message to Frank Miller. I, Keith C., thinks The Spirit is the best Hollywood movie I’ve seen in decades. It is nearly perfect, and utterly beautiful. I have theories as to why you all hate it, but you don’t want to hear them. They are elitist in the extreme.
You guys have terrible taste, and so does everyone else. Nolan’s The Dark Knight just stinks to high heaven. Let’s not talk about The Unwatchable Iron Man. Christ.
Tell Mr. Miller The Spirit is The Best, because I say so. Thanks, Peter.
Keith, i’m not going to mock your total lack of taste or senses of style or tone.
I even sort of agree that the latest two Batman films are less than optimal.
But have you ever heard the phrase “Everyone’s out of step but you?”
In fact I have, Mike. This your way of saying you’d like to hear more from me. OK.
The first backhanded dig is totally uncalled for, but there it is.
The first part of Peter David’s essay reflects the self-hatred of your insult. Why would someone, a professional writer for that matter, give a dámņ about a ticket-taker’s allegedly withering glare? Whatever happened to independence of mind? “Out of step”. Get thee to Iraq, Mike.
My gloss (Dark Knight, Iron Man) of the two most recent cinematic abortions based on comic books was ignored in its substance, and you decided to just spit at me.
Edit from previous post: Every single “comic book” film produced in recent years, with very few exceptions, has been at least a money-maker. Some, like Dark Knight, have been massively remunerative. None, however, have attempted any kind of stylistic twist or coherent message. Critical reception has been glowing. On a sliding scale, a critic or blog yahoo saying that Daredevil or Rise of the Silver Surfer was “not great, but fun” amounts to a glowing review. Superman Returns, for instance, should have been shat on, hard. I hope that’s not your idea of stylistic excellence, either.
The manifest absurdity of these films is striking. These clowns, resurrected from the misshapen childhoods of a nation. Are we good? Yes, we are good. What is bad? Evil, big, crazy villians who are nothing like us, and whose motives are shockingly insane. Who will save us? Jessica Alba in tights! Mike: It’s STUPID.
Frank Miller has recaptured the magic with The Spirit – the magic of a world that really is outside of us, but reflects ideals, which, appropriately in The Spirit’s context, are hokey. Miller is blasting away at the stupid idea of “realism” in comic book movies, and with huge balls and brains. You guys can’t see it.
You have, though, seen something similar before, and it kinda made you mad before too. First time was Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Second time was Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers.
Worst of all for the in-step quorum of the blind, you seem to think that Sin City had marvellous visuals, and Spirit is more of the same, but degraded by silly subject matter. Spirit’s visuals and editing are exponentially more sophisticated (and patient) that Sin City’s. Some perfect renderings of Miller’s ink style. And, I repeat: Sin City wasn’t silly?? It had a fully clothed stripper in it! For some reason, the public at large (sorry, I’ll stop saying “you”) equates seediness and ultraviolence with realism. I have a message: go kick a prostitute until they bleed, then come back to me and tell me how much you like violence.
The effete director who completely garbled and botched the only possible message of “300” is about to destroy The Watchmen. I have news: All that junk violence the the fanboys and quick-steppers lapped up in “300” represented a LIE, told by a one-eyed man, sending a bunch of fools to their deaths, for nothing. Don’t tell me they ‘got’ that. What they ‘got’ was that they love propaganda, served up hot and stupid.
A sorry thing.
I can’t stand it, in the words of another famous comic character of yore.
The Spirit is near-perfect, but the rest of the gallery sees it as beneath failure. No flies on me.
We’ve all heard every element in a story should move plot or character. Not everyone agrees to include theme.
Maybe your message demonstrates you know why your story works, but if no one else cares about your characters and plot, no message can save your story for them.
Keith C.: “I have theories as to why you all hate it, but you don’t want to hear them. They are elitist in the extreme.
You guys have terrible taste, and so does everyone else.”
Kind of insulting on several levels really. Mike Weber then offers a fairly neutral post considering those remarks. This is followed by Keith replying with utter crap and nonsense like the following.
“The first backhanded dig is totally uncalled for, but there it is.”
“The first part of Peter David’s essay reflects the self-hatred of your insult.”
“Whatever happened to independence of mind? “Out of step”. Get thee to Iraq, Mike.”
“and you decided to just spit at me.”
“Miller is blasting away at the stupid idea of “realism” in comic book movies, and with huge balls and brains. You guys can’t see it.
You have, though, seen something similar before, and it kinda made you mad before too. First time was Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Second time was Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers.”
“Worst of all for the in-step quorum of the blind,”
“go kick a prostitute until they bleed, then come back to me and tell me how much you like violence.”
(Mike Leung, is that really you in there?)
“Don’t tell me they ‘got’ that. What they ‘got’ was that they love propaganda, served up hot and stupid.”
“The Spirit is near-perfect, but the rest of the gallery sees it as beneath failure.”
Wow, Keith, I can’t figure out if you’re just a moron who is monumentally lacking in self awareness or if you’re just a deliberate troll. You fling insults and then cry that someone else made an unnecessary dig. You claim that the people here are “elitist in the extreme” and then you follow that up with a snotty screed that’s written form a far more elitist position and tone than anything that’s been written here by far.
Either way though, you don’t present yourself as someone worth having future discussions with.
Keith, here’s a tip–it’s really okay to like things that not everybody likes, for whatever crazy reasons you like them. I’ve been a Duran Duran fan for over twenty years, I know where you’ve been, man.
Love what you love and don’t apologize for it. But don’t presume to demand an apology from others for not loving it the way you do. I’ve been down that road and it’s just the most useless kind of stress you can put a body through.
I’m sorry. Since I really do mean everything I said, I concede that I shouldn’t have said anything at all. If I had, it would have looked something like this:
Keith C: I thought the Spirit was sensational! I wish you guys liked it, too.
Mike: You lack taste.
Keith C: OK, bye. 🙁
OK, bye. 🙁
Jerry, you don’t live with me. Isn’t it past time you did something about me living with you?
Keith, I don’t have any problem with whatever you like or dislike.
You are incredibly arrogant and rude in the way you express your oppinions, though.
But what the hëll, this is the Internet, so it’s not like you don’t have a lot of company.
Just take care so you don’t blind us poor, dumb mortals permanentely with the bright shining light of your godlike specialness.
Posted by: Keith C.
I’m sorry. Since I really do mean everything I said, I concede that I shouldn’t have said anything at all. If I had, it would have looked something like this:
Actually, no. I would have shaken my head at your strange opinion, and said nothing.
But, when you began the discussion by attacking with You guys have terrible taste, and so does everyone else., i sort of felt a necessity to reply.
And i think i was pretty temperate about it, too.
BTW” “mike weber” (both words, to distinguish me from at least one other “Mike” who posts here) is properly spelt with lower-case initial letters, and has been for longer than you’ve been alive, i’d judge. (Or certainly before you finished grade school.)
Incidentally: Thje main problem that most of us have with Miller’s film (and Voerhoeven’s Starship Troopers, since you mention it) is that both appear to be a deliberate case of pìššìņg on the original author’s grave. Even if both films accomplish what the director set out to accomplish, they are dishonest in the extreme – bait and switch scams aimed at defrauding those who know and love the original material.
Incidentally – Eisner’s original Spirit stories were often more sophisticated and morally balanced than the huge majority of the type of fiction that (i infer from your ravings) you prefer.
Oh – and while i think your opprobrium is excessive in its case (as in all your ranting), Superman Returns was, indeed, a less-than-stellar film.
Keith C.:’ I’m sorry. Since I really do mean everything I said, I concede that I shouldn’t have said anything at all. If I had, it would have looked something like this:
Keith C: I thought the Spirit was sensational! I wish you guys liked it, too.
Mike: You lack taste.”
And, if you’re still reading this, your attempt at sarcasm underscores perfectly your problem. You came in with a bug up your butt about the fact that some people were discussing their dislike for a movie you liked, stated motives for their POV (“They are elitist in the extreme.”) that were full of crap and assumed that your opinion would be met with venom. This apparently lead you to attack first and beat others to the venom.
The reality of the situation is that if you had just posted that you liked The Spirit and why you would have received no responses other than people saying that everyone’s mileage varies. No one would have cared one way or the other that you liked the film and you may have even been able to address further points of why you think it’s a good film without catching hëll from people. But you had to start out ascribing false motives to everyone here, saying that everyone here has bad taste and writing your post in a generally snotty tone. You then got your panties in a wad over mike weber’s really restrained response and got even more snotty about it.
You also made assumptions that you then used to attack others here.
“You have, though, seen something similar before, and it kinda made you mad before too. First time was Lynch’s Twin Peaks.”
One dumb assumption is that The Spirit made everyone here mad. Another was assuming that Twin Peaks made anyone here mad. Do you have any flipping clue how many people here liked Twin Peaks? Lots of us liked that thing up to and including the guy who has his name plastered across the top of this blog.
Oops. Looks like you stuck both feet in your mouth there.
You came in with both barrels blazing away. Don’t cry now when you catch some return fire.
Mike: “Isn’t it past time you did something about me living with you?”
Ðámņ, Mike, I’m sorry. I didn’t know things were that bad. Still, with the economy being what it is and the cutbacks that most states are facing, I should have seen this coming. The budget cuts caused them to close your ward down and they had to kick all of you guys out.
But I can’t help you. My house is just about big enough for myself, my family, the pets and no one else. No room for you. Besides, I just don’t like you all that much and wouldn’t trust someone like you who has had pasts outbursts like yours under my roof.
Have you tried the local shelters yet? Even if they don’t have any room for you they should be able to point you to some place where you can stay.
Done with you now. Bye.
~8?)`
Actually, Jerry, i think he was orginally saying that we poor peasants couldn’t understand his reasons, because they were elitist – not that we are.
I have the strong impression that he looks down on us poor fools who didn’t stop reading thse silly comical books and seeing something good in them when we grew up, the way he did.
…and this time, I really mean it.
Okay I’ve now seen The Spirit. My normal tastes when it comes to superhero movies is to enjoy them if they’re at least in the spirit (no pun intended) of the source material and dislike them if their not. However, there’s exceptions to every rule and despite the fact that this movie was not faithful to the source material I confess to actually enjoying it.
Partly it’s for the reason PAD seems to at least grudgingly respect the movie: it’s a movie that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Miller et al at the very least have succeeded in making a movie that, while visually similar in many ways to Sin City nevertheless has some very strange elements like nothing I’ve ever seen before. On its own level, this is one very strange movie. While I can see why even non-fans might get turned off by it, it had such a warped sense of humour to it that it won me over. I’m not saying it has the sort of greatness that other initial box office flops like Blade Runner has, but I think this will eventually be seen as a cult classic of sorts. My own sense of humour is pretty demented so the movie was in many ways in tune with my own sensibilities.
I realize I’m in the minority, and, again I can see why others wouldn’t like it. I even realize that I’m breaking my own rule of fidelity to the spirit of the source material by liking it. But I have to be honest with myself and admit that for me, the movie was delightfully demented and warped and I will not hesitate to buy it when it comes out on DVD. I don’t recommend it as a faithful adaption of an Eisner work, but I do recommend it as a darkly humorous superhero movie.
Okay I’ve now seen The Spirit. My normal tastes when it comes to superhero movies is to enjoy them if they’re at least in the spirit (no pun intended) of the source material and dislike them if their not. However, there’s exceptions to every rule and despite the fact that this movie was not faithful to the source material I confess to actually enjoying it.
Partly it’s for the reason PAD seems to at least grudgingly respect the movie: it’s a movie that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Miller et al at the very least have succeeded in making a movie that, while visually similar in many ways to Sin City nevertheless has some very strange elements like nothing I’ve ever seen before. On its own level, this is one very strange movie. While I can see why even non-fans might get turned off by it, it had such a warped sense of humour to it that it won me over. I’m not saying it has the sort of greatness that other initial box office flops like Blade Runner has, but I think this will eventually be seen as a cult classic of sorts. My own sense of humour is pretty demented so the movie was in many ways in tune with my own sensibilities.
I realize I’m in the minority, and, again I can see why others wouldn’t like it. I even realize that I’m breaking my own rule of fidelity to the spirit of the source material by liking it. But I have to be honest with myself and admit that for me, the movie was delightfully demented and warped and I will not hesitate to buy it when it comes out on DVD. I don’t recommend it as a faithful adaption of an Eisner work, but I do recommend it as a darkly humorous superhero movie.
Posted by: Andy E. Nystrom
I don’t recommend it as a faithful adaption of an Eisner work, but I do recommend it as a darkly humorous superhero movie.
And, see, that’s where i get so ticked off. If Miller wanted to make “a darkly humorous supehero movie”, that’s fine.
But to take one of the all-time great comics, one that has been crying out for a movie since forever, and make a film that (a) bears no real resemblance, and (b) will poison the chnaces of making a film that *will* … that’s what’s unforgiveable.
If it wasn’t called “The Spirit”, i still wouldn’t go to see it, because i find Frank Miller’s vision somewhere between uninteresting and repulsive, most of the time, but i’d actually be in favour of it.
But to piss all over my favourite comic (and the memory of one he calls friend and mentor) and expect me to not complain, well…
Just for the record:
The ticket taker didn’t give a “withering glare.” Rolling of the eyes is kind of the opposite of a glare since there’s nothing sustained about it. It just conveyed to me that not a lot of people were going to see this film.
I liked “Twin Peaks.”
“Starship Troopers” was hyperactive rubbish.
“Dark Knight” was a strong film but had third act problems.
“The Spirit” was near perfect if one defines perfect as, y’know, not.
“Iron Man” rocked.
PAD
I didn’t watch The Spirit, and I don’t think I want to, after all that I’ve heard. I’m not much of a movie-goer, and tend to go only in special occasions anyway.
I agree with PAD about the other four. Except I think Dark Knight was a strong movie throughout. The only problem I had with it was Batman’s voice, that I found silly instead of scary.
“I have the strong impression that he looks down on us poor fools who didn’t stop reading thse silly comical books and seeing something good in them when we grew up, the way he did.”
You know what is even creepier than a grown person loving superheroes and thinking they can be for adults? :p It’s a grown person that is so obsessive about superheroes being something just for kids, that they post about it in the Internet, rave about it, and can’t stop thinking about the deluded, perverted grown-ups that love them.
The first is perhaps an arrested child. The second is far worse, it’s someone that spends so much time and energy writing and blogging and posting and raving and obsessing about how he hates arrested children.
It’s not good for your health to worry so much about something so silly, Keith.
PAD: “‘Dark Knight’ was a strong film but had third act problems.”
I just saw the movie myself on DVD a couple of weeks ago. I agree that it was strong, but not perfect. I’m curious: what were the “third act problems” in your view?
PAD: “‘Iron Man’ rocked.”
In fairness, “Iron Man” was a bit less ambitious than “The Dark Knight.” Nevertheless, “Iron Man” was definitely the better film because it achieved everything it set out to achieve. I think “Iron Man” may be the best super-hero movie I’ve seen.
There are a number of super-hero movies I haven’t seen, by the way. For example, I missed “Catwoman,” a movie Bill Mulligan just raves about.