Didn't Cast a Spell Over Me
Bounty hunter Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) finds his world destroyed when Confederate general, Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) murders his family in front of him in retaliation for the men he's killed and brands Jonah's face to leave him disfigured but somehow gaining the ability to commune with the dead. But before Hex can get his revenge Turnball dies in a fire leaving Hex to go back to being a cold blooded bounty hunter, happier to bring people in dead rather than alive. But it seems that Turnball faked his own death and has plans to destroy the Union leading to President Grant (Aidan Quinn) asking Hex to stop Turnball before it is too late.
About the only thing I know about Jonah Hex's comic book history is that this anti hero appeared in DC Comics. That's it and have never even seen a Jonah Hex comic book to be able to tell you how the heavily criticised 2010 movie adaptation "Jonah Hex" compares, which considering the amount of negativity there is towards this movie it seems unfavourably would be a reasonable guess. But as someone not aware of the Jonah Hex back-story this movie adaptation ends up an okay but under whelming experience aimed at an audience who require constant visual effects to keep them entertained.
In truth "Jonah Hex" lays its cards on the table during the first ten minutes as it establishes this movie will be about visually impressing audiences with action, effect and keeping things moving forwards with a driving soundtrack. At the same time it says this is a movie built around recognizable actors with even small supporting roles featuring actors who whilst you might forget their names you will remember their faces. It doesn't mean the acting is any good, yes Josh Brolin tries as does John Malkovich but else where it seems the likes of Megan Fox and Wes Bentley are there more because the audience will recognize them.
The trouble with "Jonah Hex" is that it ends up soul-less. It is clear that so much emphasis has been put on making it a movie full of visual trickery that the storyline and characters lack depth. But also to me this reliance on visual tricks leads to it lacking style and so surprisingly it ends up forgettable and ordinary.
What this all boils down to is that I can see how "Jonah Hex" might appeal to those who judge a movie on the number of actors they recognize and how many visual effects impressed them. But for me this movie lacks depth, soul, meaning and ends up just a good looking movie with nothing beneath the surface.
