It’s safe to say movies are past the days of classic Westerns, but that begs the question: What’s next for a genre that transformed the world of movies? Movies like Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood) and No Country for Old Men have proven that, when done right, Western interpretations can hold up in a modern setting.
The latest "new generation" Western takes the form of Jonah Hex. Based off the DC Comics anti-hero of the same name, Jonah Hex is set just after the Civil War. It’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece like Gran Torino or No Coutnry for Old Men, but Jonah Hex is enjoyable for what it is.
Jonah Hex tells the story of a man with supernatural ties to both worlds of the living and the dead. Scarred by the murder of his wife and son, Hex (Josh Brolin), becomes a sharp shooting bounty hunter attempting to soothe his desire for vengeance. Hex is solicited by the government to track down a dangerous terrorist who also happens be Jonah’s greatest enemy.
He seeks help from dead friends and old enemies to track down Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) and save the good ol’ U.S. of A. Jonah Hex’s lone ranger attitude is broken by his one true human connection with Lilah (Megan Fox), a prostitute with some gun slinging skills of her own.
Generally, in today’s movie landscape, any movie under 90 minutes is reserved for the “Kids Only” section. But what about a "one shot away from an R rating PG-13er" set in the West and based on a comic book? Coming in at a mediocre 82 minute running time, Jonah Hex breaks the mold.
The only question now is how the creators turned a one and a half hour movie into one that feels like two and a half. It’s probably Megan Fox’s signature annoying slow talk, repetitious scenarios, and awkward drawn out sequences of dead people talking and medicine men.
Now that I’ve taken my obligatory stab at Megan Fox and her lack of acting skills, I’ll get into what doesn’t suck about this movie. After all, it really isn’t half bad. The concept and plot are interesting, albeit a bit underdeveloped. There is a lot more substance to the Jonah Hex back story that is just waiting to shine through. The supernatural element of Jonah’s abilities play out nicely in the old Western setting.
The best part of Jonah Hex is a kick ass blend of technology within a Western setting. Rapid fire guns strapped to a horse and exploding arrow bullet contraptions make the fight scenes interesting, and add a hint of unpredictability the plot really needs.
As he did in No Country for Old Men, Josh Brolin, proves once again to be a true "new generation Western" star. He’s rugged, bad ass, and carries enough modern appeal to make it all work together. John Malkovich does a great job as the conniving villain, proving his lack of recognition and quality roles in Hollywood are quite underserved.
Jonah Hex represents a unique attempt to combine a lot of Hollywood elements. Big guns meet horses, supernatural meets colonial, modern meets historical. Although its execution isn’t completely on point, Jonah Hex offers audiences all the violence, action, and fight scenes you could ask for…within 80 minutes that is.
