The Spirit

Category: Film
Genre: Thriller / Noir / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Frank Miller
Running Time: 103 min.

Initially I thought The Spirit might just be one of those films that defies description. After a bit of thought the situation is in fact both far simpler and far more complex than that.

To paraphrase a line from the film, The Spirit has the final word on strange. Not being entirely sure what to expect in the film adaptation of one of the most influential and long running properties in the noir/detective genre, I tried to come in without preconcieved notions. This is really how you have to absorb this picture, as the creators really went for broke and pulled out all the stops.

Its handy to make comparisons to Miller’s previous big impact comic adaptation, Sin City, though the comparisons are only useful up to a ceratin point. Visually many of the same rotoscoping/solid color effects are used, but with more variability than in Sin City. In terms of character the film departs greatly form the ne-noir grit of Sin City, unabasedly giving itself wide comedic and thematic lattitude. Much of this comes from the fact that Will Eisner’s The Spirit comics established much of what is taken for granted in the genre, including stylized dialogue, over the top adversaries and vignetes that work best when they take themselves (if nothing else) completely seriously.

The casting is well done with appropriate fits for every character. This was the first comic film that I felt Samuel L. Jackson fit into nicely, as in previous work he always seemed to be several orders of magnitute over the top. One of my favorite characters was Stana Katic as Officer Morganstern, with great delivery of a delightlfully off kilter performance. Scarlett Johansen as Silken Floss is superb, strongly reminding me of Drew Barrymore for some reason, and The Wonder Years’ Dan Loria as the Gruff Dolan is also a nice fit.

On the whole, if you’re looking for a deadly serious comic flic, look elsewhere. This one requires you to be ready to strap in and enjoy some creatively stylized story telling. If you want a fun romp through the world of a modernly re-realized genre-defining property, this is your ride.

Rating: 6.5/10

The X-Files: I Want To Believe

Category: Film
Genre: Suspense / Sci-fi / Thriller
Directed By: Chris Carter
Running Time: 104 min.

I’m beginning to understand the dichotomy of how certain Star Wars fans feel about Lucas’s modern works after having seen X-Files: I Want To Believe. While a competent effort, the film was almost wholly lacking in the elements that first attracted me to the series and the first film (1998’s X-Files: Fight The Future).

What I enjoyed about the early part of the series and the first movie was peeking into the working of the big conspiracy machine, seeing the strings pulled and catching shadows of those doing the pulling. The recent film on the other hand avoids that path almost entirely, which is both a conscious decision on the creators part and likely a reflection of the times.

Some of the redeeming factors of the film include the exploration of Mulder and Scully’s relationship after all that they have been through. The likability of both character and the actors portraying them (Duchovny and Anderson, respectively) is really what manages to carry the movie as far as it gets. Sadly, that is not all the way to the finish line.

I left the theater with the distinct impression that I’d sat through a nearly two hour episode, and not from one of the best seasons to boot. In the final analysis I may simply be on a different page than the film’s creators, enamored with teh same concept vehicle, but very much of differing opinions on where to go with it.

Rating: 4/10