Jonah Hex (2010)
Certified: 16
Duration: 81 minutes
Directed by: Jimmy Hayward
Starring: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon
KRS release

Jonah Hex is one of the most bizarre comic book characters to hit the silver screen. First off he is a cowboy – and the Western genre is not the crowd puller it once was – then he is surly and mean and one side of his face is horribly disfigured. And he comes to the big screen with a new power – that of being able to temporarily raise the dead.

Recently Marvel, the other major comic book producer and DC’s main rival, made quite a hit with the Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men franchises. DC has so far had success with Bat Man but the company has failed to make the most of its spandex clad population of heroes. Jonah Hex will not turn the tide as the character is too much of a cult/niche entry to appeal to the general public. Perhaps, we will have to wait for next year’s Green Lantern to see what will happen.

Josh Brolin plays the title character. Hex is a Civil War veteran, dressed in Confederate attire who works as a bounty hunter. His family had been killed by outlaw Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) who had also branded Hex’s face. He is brought back to “health” by American Indians. In a touch of spaghetti westerns à la Sergio Leone, he moves from one town to another armed with Gatling guns under his cloak. Soon he finds out that Turnbull, whom he believed to be dead, is not dead at all and is posing a very big danger to the United States. So he sets out on his trail to avenge himself.

The film has several points in its favour, especially by casting Mr Brolin as Hex. He gives a harsh portrayal of this “hero”, one whom you would not want to be saved by. Mr Malkovich plays the over-the-top cartoonish villain and Megan Fox is as gorgeous as ever as a saloon-type prostitute with a fixation on Hex. However, this actress should go beyond pin-up poses and do some proper acting.

Director Jimmy Hayward – whose makes previous directorial effort was the animated hit Horton Hears a Who – aims for a spaghetti Western feel, coupled with a sense of cult movie and the bizarre. The result is a satisfying mix that the fans will appreciate.