I have to admit that I had not read the Jonah Hex books and that I was more familiar with the character from the talk of like-minded fan-boys than from the source material, but the idea of Jonah Hex was something that interested me. I went to the 12:01 show on Friday morning. Unfortunately, I sat next to the people who don’t like anything and love to mention their twenty reasons why, but that’s another article.
Jonah Hex doesn’t offer anything new for the fan of comic adapted films. It pays homage to the medium; many of the shots appearing to mirror the panels directly (see Sin City). What Jonah Hex does offer is a comic adapted book with an old-west setting. Directed by Jimmy Hayward, director of 2008’s “Horton Hears a Who†and long time animator with Pixar. Hayward uses the eye catching color contrasts of an animated film to direct your eyes and he uses them well.
Hex, played by Josh Brolin, is a bounty hunter with a unique set of skills. First, he is difficult to kill, which would be a boon for any bounty hunter. (I’m sure we all would have enjoyed life a little more had either of the Fetts been difficult to kill.) Hex’s other gift is the ability to “reanimate†the dead with his touch, for as long as he remains in contact with them. The dead return as if they were alive, but with knowledge of those, whose paths they crossed while alive. A convenient plot device for what turns out to be a revenge film.
Through flashbacks that seem a bit lazy, we find out that Hex disobeyed a direct order by his commanding officer, Quentin Turnbull, played by John Malkovich, and eventually killed Hex’s best friend and son of the commanding officer (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, all too briefly). Turnbull sets himself on revenge against Hex for the murder of his son. Turnbull kills Hex’s family and brands him so that he will have to live with the constant reminder of the man who killed his family. Hex, of course, sets out for revenge against Turnbull.
Along for the ride is Megan Fox in her least annoying role to date, Lilah, the prostitute with a soft spot for the disfigured Hex.
If you need your movies to have a clear message or if you need characters to have any semblance of moral consistency, skip this one. If you like the visual style of comic adapted films, if you like quasi-westerns, if you are a Malkovich completest or if you like Josh Brolin, check this one out. Hex teaches us that two wrongs do not make a right, but they can make an entertaining film.
How much would I pay to see this one again? Out of $10, I would pay $6.50.
J.C. Fralick
Host of The Drivecast podcast
Co-host of the Wanna Watch a Movie Podcast
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Images: DC Comics/WB
Ace review – gave me a great insight into the movie and some good background info & trivia too. Certainly helped me decide whether to go see!!! A bonus for us in the UK as often these films come out a few weeks later here! Keep up the good work Jay F!
@Dawn: couldn’t agree with you more!
@JayFralick: great review. I still don’t care to see the movie, but I can live vicariously through your words. What’s next on the docket?
If I had one free pass a month to do whatever I wished I would use it to smack the people in movie theatres who talk. I’m just sayin. ;D
@my_leisure as people keep telling me “The books don’t count” I pass it on.
^ Nerds FTW! =-D
[slurping retainer sound]
Excuse me but Bobba Fett didn’t die in the Sarlacc, he got out as pointed out in the Star Wars bounty hunter trilogy
Holy crap! I had no idea. To the DVDs!
i just answered my own question. as it turns out, the internet exists, and is perfect for asinine questions like that. jonah hex was in an episode with ras al ghul. here’s a poto http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Jonah_hex_btas.jpg
did anyone else religiously watch batman the animated series in the 90s? was jonah hex in an episode? after looking at that comic book cover that face looks very familiar.
I was disappointed that Neveldine/Taylor got screwed over on this movie. They wrote the script and were going to direct it, but left over “creative differences” (code for “the studio was terrified by what they wanted to do”). They still have a writing credit but the final film really doesn’t resemble their work. Also, a Neveldine/Taylor script isn’t very good without Neveldine/Taylor directing it.
I was glad to see Jonah Hex bomb so badly. The part where Brolin asks Fox if they searched her and she says “Woodin you?” is enough to make me wish everyone who worked on this movie would die in horrible painful ways. I keep a basket of kittens by my recliner so I can punch one of them whenever I see that trailer.
Megan Fox is purtee!!!
I’m a fan of the Jonah Hex comics and was bummed more effort wasn’t put into the film. Brolin as Hex and Malkovich as Turnbull were both great choices; however, Megan Fox was not. Aside from Fox, the film’s major flaw is that Hayward tried to make it too many different things: an action film, a western, and a supernatural film. Neither of those elements was fleshed out very well.
Despite the fact the supernatural only plays a miniscule part in the actual comic, I would’ve like d for them to play up that part of the film. A more interesting explanation for his powers and amping up the creepiness of the dead raising scenes would’ve been great. Like The Crow meets Unforgiven.
Despite all my gripes, I thought it was an enjoyable summer film worth hitting up a matinee to see.
There’s good and bad to everything, well summed. The guest comedian on Bob and Tom show this morning did something similar dissing Megan Fox’s “midgetlike squashed” thumbs and thumbnails. If only we all had time to dissect the 20 reasons why people don’t look at her thumbs?
They didn’t mess his face up enough for the film.