We saw The Spirit the other day, despite the numerous warnings against wasting an hour and a half of our lives. The reviews for this, Frank Miller's latest comic book adaptation, were horrendous. Throwing caution to the wind, we paid our $8.50 anyway.
I can't speak for John, but I really liked it. It takes some getting used to, though, since the script is so overtly noir-ish. The dialogue is stilted and sticky, like a remedial acting class, and reminded me at first of David Mamet's style. I wanted to burst out laughing at the horridness of the acting, the way the characters were speaking, and what they were saying ("The city is my angel" kind of melodramatic goo), until I realized...
It's a comedy! And it's completely self-indulgent and unfiltered. It's supposed to sound goofy and be over-the-top. Frank Miller had no one holding him back on this project, no one keeping him in check, and the result is visually striking (in his signature black and white and red all-over), hilariously "bad-on-purpose" acting, and memorably spoofish characters.
Contrary to other reviewers' opinions, I found Samuel L. Jackson's performance quite funny. He has a running joke about how he doesn't like eggs on his face, which I found giggle-worthy. Fans of 24's Edgar will enjoy multiple appearances by the actor, but no one is really amazing. The true star of the flick is the campy dialogue.
And that's where I predict this movie will make its mark: in the cult classic/ camp genre. It's not for everyone, but for a few, it is certain to please.
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