Film Reviews

Jonah Hex

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Josh Brolin
• Details: US/80mins 15A

It would've been difficult for Jonah Hex to live up (or down) to the reputation that preceded its Stateside bombing. Horrible buzz engulfed the production from day one, but those expecting a "so bad it's good" tale of a wronged anti-hero looking for vengeance at every corner, will be disappointed, as this is just mediocre filmmaking with an end product showing flourishes of promise - amidst an obvious editing hack-job. Star Brolin certainly deserves better, but as a producer, he may have been one of the strategists in his own downfall.
Based on the comic book series of the same name, Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex; a former soldier who made a decision based on his core decency that would see his family horribly murdered in front of him, by John Malkovich's Army General gone mad. After almost buying the farm himself, Hex finds he is now capable of communicating with the dead, which comes in mighty handy for his new gig as a Bounty Hunter. Upon finding out that the general what done wronged him and his kin is still alive, he sets about rectifying that - in between "visiting" Megan Fox's feisty hooker. Nothing will get you over the tragic, untimely demise of your family like banging Megan Fox.
Executed with the epitome of nonsensicality by Horton Hears A Who helmer Jimmy Hayward, there are some strange decisions made throughout the course of the film in terms of execution. The colour palettes completely change at points, and it feels like post production was just halted when fundamentals like colour grading etc were still needed. But the lazy script doesn't exactly help either. The film, strangely, opens with an animated sequence that shoddily explains some backstory to poor Jonah's current predicament. It seems like an excuse to avoid on-screen violence, and just makes proceedings feel even more incoherent.
All that said, there are still some fun moments. Brolin manages to squeeze a gruff, nuanced performance out from under the ropey prosthetics, and some of the action is slickly handled. Fox only gets a couple of scenes and manages them well enough, but Malkovich is sleepwalking through the whole thing with his regurgitated villain.
Not the complete disaster some would have you believe, but still pretty crap.

Review by Mike Sheridan