I am a huge fan of the Jonah Hex comic series. Jonah was originally a thinly veiled but better version of Eastwood's Stranger, and despite the parallels to Josie Wales, pre-dates it by 4 years.
I would have felt much more generous to this movie if it was made with another original character instead of bastardizing and cannibalizing the original source material. There are indeed characters named Hex, Turnbull, and even Megan Fox's Talullah is likely a nod to a character named Talullah Black. But here the similarity ends.
Josh Brolin is just okay as Hex. I thought he could have at least dyed his hair to match the comic. He grumbles most of his dialogue, and the facial appliance does not help his annunciation. I got the feeling that he was phoning this one in. Malkovich as Turnbull seems bored and a bit out of place. He's servicably evil, but not very fleshed out. Megan Fox seems too pretty too wooden and too sassy to be authentic. I did like the 'Snake Man'.
I'll not re-hash all the plot holes as many have already done. They are legion. I will say that this is one of those films where most everything is at night, and it makes it really hard to see anything, especially when paired with the spastic action scenes that seem to be done so fast on purpose so you cant actually see anything.
If you find yourself curious about Hex, seek out any of the mini-series that writer Joe R. Lansdale had a hand in. Here's a quote that shows how he saw Hex: "He was a hero to some, a villain to others, and wherever he rode, men spoke his name in whispers."
I would have felt much more generous to this movie if it was made with another original character instead of bastardizing and cannibalizing the original source material. There are indeed characters named Hex, Turnbull, and even Megan Fox's Talullah is likely a nod to a character named Talullah Black. But here the similarity ends.
Josh Brolin is just okay as Hex. I thought he could have at least dyed his hair to match the comic. He grumbles most of his dialogue, and the facial appliance does not help his annunciation. I got the feeling that he was phoning this one in. Malkovich as Turnbull seems bored and a bit out of place. He's servicably evil, but not very fleshed out. Megan Fox seems too pretty too wooden and too sassy to be authentic. I did like the 'Snake Man'.
I'll not re-hash all the plot holes as many have already done. They are legion. I will say that this is one of those films where most everything is at night, and it makes it really hard to see anything, especially when paired with the spastic action scenes that seem to be done so fast on purpose so you cant actually see anything.
If you find yourself curious about Hex, seek out any of the mini-series that writer Joe R. Lansdale had a hand in. Here's a quote that shows how he saw Hex: "He was a hero to some, a villain to others, and wherever he rode, men spoke his name in whispers."