Jonah Hex Trailer Review

(sigh)
Jonah Hex, which opens June 18th 2010, stars Josh Brolin as a brutally scarred/former confederate soldier/demon looking cowboy, who is an assassin for hire and is out for revenge against the men who murdered his family and turned his face into spaghetti. (sigh). Pretty simple revenge tale but at first glance I am not really holding my expectations at a high level.

Its seems as though that since a lot of the mainstream comic super hero's have gotten their time in the limelight, Hollywood is looking towards lesser known characters to bring to the big screen. Hex comes from DC Universe and from what I've heard and researched, its never been a super popular character but the comic is still around and doing very well.

My first introduction to the character of Jonah Hex is when I was a little kid watching Batman: The Animated Series and I vaguely remember there being an episode where Jonah Hex made an appearance. I just remember wanting to string that piece of skin hanging off his face like a banjo. Give me a break I was like 10 or something. Anyway, he looked creepy. I've never read any of the comics of Jonah Hex, so for those of you have and are looking forward to this movie, I apologize, If I "just don't get it".

The movie is written by Neveldine and Taylor. The ADHD minds behind the Crank films and Gamer. Originally they were tapped to direct, which to be honest, I would have liked to have seen their style taylored to a supernatural western.

Now let me indulged you with talk of the cast.

ACTORS:

Josh Brolin: I think Josh Brolin is a solid actor, the last movie I saw him in was "W", directed by Oliver Stone in which he eerily played former President George Dub-ya Bush. Didn't really think much of the movie it self but his acting was great. I'm glad to see that he's getting into the comic book game. For the most part, in this trailer, his portrayal of Hex is kinda of, Clint Eastwood meets The Man without of Face. If you expected more, than your hopeless. Anyway I really wish they would have gotten a bit more gritty and graphic with his make up. I mean Hex was scary looking! SCARY, being the keyword here. In the trailer he just looks like a cheap version of Two-Face.

Megan Fox: Who ever thought that Megan Fox could be a linguist should be shot! Her western accent in this trailer and the delivery of her lines through stints of breath annoy this shit out of me. I know Ms. Fox gets a lot of flack for being a dud, but I'd like to believe there is more behind the curtain. I just find it kind of annoying that she's cast as the whore like girlfriend to Jonah Hex. If your going to make a western but add this absurdity to it, like crows coming out of peoples mouths and machine guns on horses, then why not mess around with the roles of women and other norms of the time. Could Megan have been another awesome assassin type henchmen of Quentin Turnball; John Malkovich's character?.... Maybe. OR...dare I say it, Hex's wife, who I'm assuming gets killed? She coulda been the Steven Seagal of this Executive Decision*.

John Malkovich: I love it when Malkovich plays these villainous types, he's really good at them, but after a while everything starts feeling like his role in Con-Air; Cyrus the Virus. I'm expecting to see a deleted scene on the Blu ray to this movie where Malkovich actually holds up a bunny and threatens to shoot it, if anybody moves. He's also rockin some hardcore mutton chops which look pretty badass on him. If anything Malkovich's absurtity in this role will be a saving grace of the movie.

MIchael Fassbender: "Paris when it sizzles", If you haven't seen Inglorious Basterds, stop reading, and watch that shit! NOW! I've seen Fassbender in two movies; Basterds and Hunger. He was brilliant in both and if I have any reason to see this movie its cause of him. He plays an explosives obsessed, knife throwing henchmen of John Malkovich's character; Quentin Turnball. While I wish his villainous debut was in a more better looking movie. I anxiously await to see what he turns out.

The animated movie Horton Hears a Who was Director, Jimmy Hayward's first theatrical release and while I haven't seen it, the fact that he's making the jump from animation to live action is very very intriguing to me. I'm not familiar with much of his work but I'm interested how he'll do. Just recently I've heard that Brad Bird, the director of The Incredibles and The Iron Giant will be directing the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible series. So, I mean, its pretty cool to see directors of mainly animation movies getting their turn at the live action films.

Its obvious that this movie has action and one-liners but I hope there is more to the story than just that. I mean they lightly touch on Hex being something supernatural, but then, never really address it again in the trailer. He can bring people back to life but still needs guns to kill people? While I'm not looking to run out and see this movie, I will eventually go and check it out in the hopes that there is something redeeming about it.



*Steven Seagal was in a movie called Executive Decision, in which about 20-30min. into the movie he willing dies for the team. One of the greatest roles he's ever held.


Dueces!
StuntmanBob