Jonah Hex - 2010

Director: Jimmy Hayward
Writers: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Starring: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Fassbender

Confederate-soldier-turned-bounty-hunter Jonah Hex (Brolin) embarks on a quest for revenge when a Union lieutenant (Arnett) tells him that reports of the death of Quentin Turnbull (Malkovich), the man responsible for killing Hex's wife and child, have been greatly exaggerated.

I gave this movie a chance. I said to myself, "Josh Brolin and John Malkovich are both really good actors, so I'm willing to put up with a scene or two of Megan Fox." On top of that, it's based on a DC Comics character, and with the recent success of the Batman franchise, you'd think only the most skilled hands would be associated with similar properties. So who gets this tale of vengeance? The guys who are responsible for Crank, and it shows. Too much focus on the action, not enough on writing a solid, cohesive plot. Oh, and the movie lasting less than 90 minutes? That didn't help at all. I liked Brolin's portrayal of Hex, Malkovich made a good "I'm better than everyone else" character as per usual, and the pseudohistorical (think Wild Wild West-type weapons) aspect hit more than missed, but it wasn't enough to make the movie worthwhile. Above everything else, though, was the dialogue. Most of it wasn't terrible, mind you, and I laughed once or twice, and heard a decent line here and there. It was next to impossible to understand! Seemed as though because Brolin was hard to hear through his facial prosthetic (Hex is scarred, for those of you unfamiliar with the character), some of the other actors decided to mumble at his level to make it seem less unusual. Wait to rent the DVD, and make sure you have the subtitles on.