The Internet Movie Database Movie Reviews
From the graphic novel series created by John Albano (although the ones I’ve read are the later ones by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti)
I have this love/hate thing with Jonah Hex comics. I really want to like them, being an Otter who loves Westerns. I really do want to like them. But for some reason…I just don’t.
It’s not that they’re dark. It’s not that Hex is a tormented, conflicted antihero. It’s not the violence. I’m not really sure why I don’t absolutely love these…but I don’t.
Sure, they’re good. The writers are excellent, and so is the artwork. Nothing wrong with them at all…except they just don’t float my boat. Might be because they’re individual stories and short story arcs instead of one long complete saga…dunno.
I saw the Jonah Hex short film (here it is on Youtube, broken into Part 1 and Part 2) at Comic-con last year, and it was pretty good. There was a lot of word-of-mouth about the live action film, starring Josh Brolin (who I think is a very good actor, by and large.)
So one night when Mr. Otter had something else to do, I settled down and watched this live-action movie…and…hm. Well.
They were not really clear on the concept here.
Jonah Hex is a bitter and cynical guy. Sure, he had a wife and kid at one point, but they are long gone, and he doesn’t get romantically entangled at all, except for a one-night stand once in a great while. This is a pure guys-bashing-each-other-and-him-protecting-the-innocent action-western, and having a girl for him to be sweet on by the end of the movie is not really right.
Also, the whole tone of the movie is wrong- the comics are dark and violent. I kept getting overtones of Wild Wild West (the movie, that is), like they said, hey! let’s take this violent, dark series and make it amusing and put some over-the-top villain and a bunch of wacky inventions in it! It worked for Kline and Smith!
Um, no, guys. That’s so far off the mark, I can see why everyone who’s a fan got upset at this movie.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a horrible movie. It had good moments, and even with the makeup to create his facial scars, Josh Brolin is as cute as a box full of puppy dogs.
But really, it’s not JONAH HEX. ‘Nuf sed.
theotterlimits 