JONAH HEX (2010, Blu-ray released October 12, 2010 – MSRP $35.99)
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Shootin’, sneering and cussin’ should be enough to deliver a wild, western, action thriller with a dash of the paranormal. Jonah Hex draws and fires, but it’s only a flesh wound. This recent release from Warner Bros. misses the mark, but not by much.
The character of Jonah Hex is comicdom’s most recognizable badass cowboy. He’s ugly, mean and deadly, and although he’s not a household name, he’s been around for quite some time. Josh Brolin plays the role well, but his depiction may not be enough to save a film lacking a real center and complicating a revenge tale that should have been more plainly told.
This was the first of two DC character-related films that John Malkovich has appeared in this year. The second is the action-comedy, RED. Malkovich’s performance is a little uninspired in Jonah Hex as he moseys half-asleep through his villainous part. In fact, I’d have to say that on the whole, the majority of the characters in this film are fairly two-dimensional. Megan Fox plays Lilah, a prostitute and confidant to Hex. The necessity of her role is unclear to me.
Hex’s origin is satisfactorily explained within the first six minutes of the big-screen comic book adaptation, which leaves 76 additional minutes for shoot ‘em ups, fisticuffs and chases. The film does manage to deliver a lot of this, but not in any way that you would remember it the next day. In general, it’s entirely forgettable, but the set design is impressive and costuming top-notch. Unfortunately, the accuracy of the look of the period director Jimmy Hayward does manage to achieve is over-shadowed by the heavy-handed treatment of the film itself.
A good western needn’t be overly effect-y. A Jonah Hex story, even with the mystical aspects, should still be a dusty, action-packed western. The special effects here, however are too visibly obvious and for the most part, unnecessary, like making Fox’s eyes bluer…I mean really…? The overall treatment of the colors and textures in the film give it a feeling that is altogether far too unreal.
The transfer itself is very sharp and the colors, although rich, are a little garish and distracting at times. While not related to the finely textured 1080p VC-1 transfer, the color (over) treatment does get in the way a little, but the deep blacks are great, without crushing any detail.
On the sound front, we are treated to a blaring dts-HD Master Audio soundtrack. It’s loud and occasionally mis-directed out of the speakers. We lose a sense of where some sounds are originating from, unfortunately. The sound effects themselves are terrific and add to the experience nicely…you’ll just have to ride volume button a little.
The extras are few, but what you would expect. “The Inside Story of Jonah Hex” is a collection of interviews with past and current creators of Jonah Hex comics, giving us a sense of the history of the character. “The Weird Western Tales of Jonah Hex” takes the place of a commentary track. Running along the entire length of the film, it’s a picture-in-picture feature showing concept artwork, interviews with cast and crew and other behind-the-scenes peeks of the making of Jonah Hex. A couple of deleted scenes are also included and, as it is with most Warner Bros. Blu releases, the BD-Live feature is also available.
Those who saw the animated Jonah Hex short included on the Batman: Under The Red Hood Blu-ray have seen a great example of a Hex story. The mood and feel was right on, and the live-action film could have benefited from what was accomplished there, but that isn’t to say that this film was a waste of time. This one just may have been over-thought a bit.
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