JONAH HEX is the story of an anti-hero.
Set in 19th century America, Jonah is an ex-confederate soldier,
who betrays his commanding officer, Quentin Turnbolt and has no other option but to kill his best friend,
Turnbolt’s son when the orders given to him were less than noble, orders that went against his conscience,
orders that just didn’t sit right with him. As punishment for treason, he is tied up and forced to watch his
house set afire with his family inside. Turnbolt doesn’t kill Jonah Hex. He wants Hex to be just as
miserable as he is. To add insult to injury, he brands Hex’s face to serve as a reminder of
“the man who took everything from [him].” Jonah Hex is barely alive when Native Americans untie him
and work their magic to bring him back. Being so very near to death, results in the power to temporarily
bring back the dead with touch. They, in turn, can tell him the whereabouts of all those whom they knew
while alive.
Josh Brolin is perfectly cast as the disfigured, stoic Jonah Hex, hell-bent at first (though we don’t see any of
this; it’s simply mentioned in the beginning) on avenging the murders of his wife and son. Believing
Turnbolt is dead, he resolves to a life of bounty hunting, operating with his own code of right and wrong.
But when he learns that Quentin Turnbolt is alive, his purpose is renewed and focused, the vengeance
awakened once more, finally set on a specific and its proper target. Hex must put an end to Turnbolt not
only to satisfy himself, but to stop Turnbolt from destroying America by means of shiny, deadly, golden
balls -- the ammunition for his doomsday weapon.
Megan Fox stars as Lilah, a whore with a heart that beats for Jonah. As Hex’s love interest, she
isn’t the damsel in distress. Pistol packing and ready to throw down at a moment’s notice, she’s one tough
broad. Remarking later to Hex that “Mama didn’t raise no fool”, she can hold her own; she’s the female
counterpart to Hex. Prostitution pulls in the money, it’s her day errr slash night job, but she’d give it
all up for him. Nonetheless, in typical hero-esque fashion, he turns her down for her own safety. He
can’t have connections; people whom he cares for, get hurt. Young boys and grown men alike, and hell,
some woman will appreciate the scantily clad Fox. Not much of a stretch, her character wasn’t a deviation
from typical roles we’re used to seeing her take on; using her “feminine wiles” is what she does best.
Backstory is given to us before the action begins. It’s all rushed through like a speed dating session. (I’ve
never been to one, but I don’t like to be in a hurry; I’d like more than five minutes -- you can phrase
things nicely all you want, but I need some substance!) Much could have been expounded upon. Not to
mention, it would have allowed for some much needed character development which doesn’t really occur
much afterwards. I don’t need flashbacks of exposition on the motives behind her career choice
(daddy issues?) but a little something, something would have been nice. Speaking of the flashbacks, those
and the dream sequences were more often than not, annoying. These storytelling methods were ineffective,
sometimes confusing, and thus the minutes used for them could have been dedicated to the present. The
final showdown between Turnbolt and Hex, was lackluster. Definitely anti-climatic. It’s easy to see that
this flick isn’t rated R. A Western meets superhero movie, there is of course action, but we unfortunately
don’t always see the results of the gun-slinging and general ass kicking.
All in all, I enjoyed JONAH HEX. Sure it could have been better in the construction of the plot and its subsequent depiction on film, but it was action packed, there were enough laughs, it didn’t drag on (though perhaps, it could have been a bit longer), and the talented Josh Brolin did not leave me disappointed.
Expecting so much more, perhaps, especially for it to have been much more graphic, the PG-13th rating may piss off fans of the comic, but I’m sure teenage boys will enjoy not having to sneak in to catch a glimpse of Fox’s tush.
GRADE: B-
JONAH HEX hits theaters on June 18, 2010.
