By Fatima Mulla
The National
August 24. 2009 6:17PM UAE / August 24. 2009
“Pardon me, but is there a point to all this?” the protagonist laments in one scene and the viewer can’t help but agree. How could 90 minutes be spent watching such a pointless movie? Here’s an explanation of how ludicrous the movie is: The Spirit (Gabriel Macht), a cop brought back from the dead, has an eerie obsession with protecting his city. With his idiosyncratic red tie, black mask and hat, The Spirit is well known around the city – especially among the women. He is also the obsession of his arch enemy, The Octopus (Samuel L Jackson). The hero and villain always put on a “dog-and-pony show” (as the police commissioner likes to put it) both suffering injuries yet always surviving in the end. During the end of a routine brawl, The Octopus appears to know the reason behind this immortality. The Spirit, curious to find out what he really is, searches the hideout of The Octopus to find some answers and end him once and for all. Meanwhile, The Octopus and his accomplice, Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), try retrieving an immortal-aiding substance from Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) who just happens to be The Spirit’s old flame. Based on the comic-book series by Will Eisner and produced by the creator of Sin City and 300, this movie, however, is an absolute waste of time with a ridiculous script filled with punning lines that lack humour. The real joke, surely, is the impressive cast. One can’t help but wonder how these actors ever considered taking part in such an ill-conceived story.
