I remember reading a quote from Gayle King where she expressed that Oprah Winfrey’s film, Beloved, was Oprah’s “ugly baby”. Meaning that while Oprah thought Beloved was a delight most people were not as thrilled. And so I think The Spirit is kind of Frank Miller’s “ugly baby”. For him it was a labor of love and a tribute to his longtime friend Will Eisner, creator of “The Spirit” comic book series. But from what I heard from most of the people who saw The Spirit in theaters this was one baby they would've preferred to keep locked in a tower far far away.

Personally, I think The Spirit excelled mostly in the visual department. Frank Miller’s comic book / graphic novel background married with digital green screen effects is a match made in heaven. Miller has a gorgeous style and to see his works lifted from his storyboard and translated into a CG backdrop is some of the richest eye candy out there right now. This homage to the “noir” crime stories featuring tough-as-nails gumshoes and deadly femme fatales is an earnest attempt at introducing that genre to younger audiences.
 


The weird thing about The Spirit is that I feel like I’m supposed to automatically adore it because it is a comic book based film and it is a Frank Miller comic book based film. To speak badly about The Spirit feels like I’m committing some kind of blasphemy against comicdom. And overall, I did like the movie but I when compared to other excellently crafted comic based films such as Watchmen, X2: X-Men United, Spider-Man, and the Frank Miller / Robert Rodriguez helmed Sin City I’m afraid The Spirit doesn’t quite measure up. It lies somewhere between The Dark Knight and Blade: Trinity. Not abominable but not earthshaking.

The story centers on Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) who battles Central City’s criminals under the guise of “The Spirit”. Denny’s powers of nigh invulnerability and enhanced strength give the Central City police a major advantage over the thugs in the underworld but Police Commissioner Dolan (Dan Lauria) fears that The Spirit is becoming more of a vigilante solo act rather than a team player for the CCPD.


Nothing says "armed & dangerous" like a man wearing skunk - Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus

Meanwhile, The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) is on the hunt for a mythical elixir that will grant him the powers of a demigod. This quest for immortality will involve one of Denny’s old flames; Sand Seref (Eva Mendes). As The Spirit, Denny will stop at nothing to foil The Octopus’ evil plot but the secrets he will uncover along the way about his special abilities might destroy him.
 

If you can hear me then you're not deaf! - Dan Lauria as Commissioner Dolan

The Spirit has a lot to offer. Besides the amazing visuals there are some intriguing performances that will keep even the most jaded viewer entertained. Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson are hilarious as the main villains Octopus and Silken Floss. Think of them as a gritter version of Boris and Natasha. Their cloned henchman (played by Louis Lombardi and a small army of his digital doubles) provide much fodder for their witty remarks. Eva Mendes fans will probably enjoy her Sand Seref performance as much as she did. I’m sure she had a blast getting to strut around all glamorous and sexy.

 Rounding out the rest of the gorgeous ladies of The Spirit are Sarah Paulson as Ellen Dolan, daughter of Commissioner Dolan and a surgeon that has appointed herself the masked hero’s personal physician. Stana Katic plays the overly eager Officer Morgenstern who’s eye for detail and sharpshooting skills will make her a detective in no time. The sword wielding assassin, Plaster of Paris, is portrayed by Paz Vega in an amusing yet far too brief scene. Oh and how can I forget Jaime King as the city's siren of death, Lorelei, who hope to one day claim 

The special features include a lengthy featurette that mainly focuses on the green screen process used to bring The Spirit to live. The behind the scenes look also features some cool trivia tidbits from virtually all the principal players. All agree that acting in rooms almost completely covered in green is a challenge. Most had fun while others were terrified that they would not deliver on the final cut. But that’s the double edged sword of green screen; virtual worlds are made realistic but if the actor can make it believable then the illusion is busted.

I almost avoided the interview with Frank Miller. I really didn’t want to hear the guy talk about himself. I didn’t think I would find it interesting. I owe my curiosity a Coke. The interview has Frank Miller discussing not only his experiences in the comic book industry but he also lays down some cool moments in comic book history. Geeks are gonna eat up his musings about re-creating The Dark Knight, killing Elektra, and his predictions for the comic book industry’s future.
 

No, I'm not going to a funeral. I'm a superhero. Ugh! - Gabriel Macht as The Spirit / Denny Colt

Thanks to Frank Miller’s storyboards and the vocals from Samuel L. Jackson and Gabriel Macht viewers can watch a grizzly alternative to the film’s ending that probably would’ve rocketed the PG-13 film to Rated R. Not a major change to the conclusion but to imagine that shot being fully realized is pretty bold. But that’s Frank Miller. He’s always pushing that envelope. The rest of the features include the director’s commentary, theatrical trailer and upcoming releases from Lionsgate Films.

The Blu Ray has all that plus an additional featurette, MoLog and Lionsgate Live. Both the 2 Disc Special Edition DVD and Blu Ray include a digital copy.

No, Gabriel Macht does not come with the DVD or Blu Ray. You know I asked.

It will be a miracle if The Spirit rises again for a sequel since the film tanked at the box office. Again, I think it is visually stunning. The outrageous performance by Samuel L. Jackson helps to bolster the film along with the sultry assortment of female characters and Gabriel Macht’s manly portrayal (more shirtless scenes please).
 

God, I wanna kiss you sooo bad.......Can you open the friggin' blinds so I can see where you're lips are? - Sarah Paulson (Ellen Dolan) & Gabriel Macht (The Spirit)

But there’s this “thing” about The Spirit I can’t describe. Watching it twice now I still come away with this empty feeling. Like my eyes got a bellyful but my mind was starved. To put it bluntly, I think I didn’t have much care for the characters. The only real drama that sparked me takes place between the younger versions of Denny and Sand (Johnny Simmons & Seychelle Gabriel, respectively). Everything else seems like a messy mix of tribute and spoof of the old private eye movies of yesteryear.

I never read "The Spirit" comic books but after seeing the film adaptation I can only imagine that Will Eisner is looking down from the clouds saying…..

“That’s not what I meant!!”