The Spirit (2008)

Director: Frank Miller

Cast: Jaime King as Lorelei Rox, Gabriel Macht as The Spirit / Denny Colt, Dan Gerrity as Det. Sussman, Arthur the Cat as Himself, Kimberly Cox as Damsel in Distress, Brian Lucero as Thug #1, David Brian Martin as Thug #2 (as David B. Martin), Larry Reinhardt-Meyer as Officer MacReady, Frank Miller as Liebowitz, Eva Mendes as Sand Saref, Eric Balfour as Mahmoud, Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus, Louis Lombardi as Pathos / Ethos / Logos, Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss, Sarah Paulson as Ellen Dolan

I was very excited about The Spirit because I am a big fan of Sin City
and was looking forward to see Frank Miller in action again. Also, the
cast seemed to be a great lineup. However, it doesn't matter how good
the actors are if the plot and script are lame, and I am here to tell
you -- I don't even think the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Meryl Streep
could have saved The Spirit for this reason.

I kept waiting for the story to intrigue me and for the characters to
develop. I watched a couple of people walk out of the theater about an
hour through... Finally, I checked the time (never a good sign when
you're watching a movie), only to discover that the movie was nearly
over, and there would be no chance for redemption.

Aesthetically, The Spirit was interesting, but I couldn't help feeling
like I'd seen it all before. The cinematography and graphics were
pretty much a carbon copy of Sin City. I expected to see similarity
(Frank Miller's style is distinct, after all), but not identical visual
imagery.

Bottom line, I rarely see movies in the theater because it's expensive!
For three people, we spent over $50 in downtown Seattle for this
experience, and it was so disappointing. I hate to waste that much
money on such a poorly written, boring movie. My recommendation is to
skip The Spirit altogether (really, the plot and script are that bad).
But if you're really curious, save your money and rent it when it comes
out on DVD.