The Spirit
Metascore
30 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 24 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 15 out of 24
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  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    38
    With its starkly contrasted visuals (fierce blacks, Clorox whites, a dash of unholy crimson), The Spirit may resemble a comic book more than any live-action film yet made, but it makes "Max Payne" look like a gleaming jewel of storytelling by comparison.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    38
    Maybe if there was something going with the dialogue - snappy Chandlerisms, say, or even just sentences that made sense - the fussy digital artifice of The Spirit wouldn't seem so, well, dispiriting.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    38
    The movie's cleverest idea is to give the Octopus identical clone henchmen with names like Phobos, Logos, and Huevos, all played by Louis Lombardi with a marvelous fat-boy idiot grin.
  4. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Jordan Burchette
    38
    Not charming, but not cynical, The Spirit is wholly unrecommendable, but made with greater care than many movies that are.
  5. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    30
    Ultimately, it's a long, incoherent mess of a film, enlivened only by the sure knowledge that the great Will Eisner's original is available to one and all at your nearest comic-book shop.
  6. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    30
    The fanboys will find room in their heart to forgive the desecration. Everyone else won't care at all.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Justin Chang
    30
    Plunges into a watery grave early on and spends roughly the next 100 minutes gasping for air.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Carina Chocana
    30
    Doesn't just play like a cheap "Batman" knockoff, it plays like a cheap "Batman" knockoff that knows it's a cheap "Batman" knockoff -- and wants to be sure everybody knows it knows.
  9. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    25
    The Spirit is mannered to the point of madness. There is not a trace of human emotion in it. To call the characters cardboard is to insult a useful packing material.
  10. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    25
    Only Sarah Paulson, as the Spirit's doctor and sometime lover, seems to be in there playing the scenes as if she were a human being in a comic book superhero scenario, as opposed to a comic book character stuck in a cruddy movie.
  11. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    25
    The Spirit feels like the follow-up to "Batman & Robin" no one wanted.
  12. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    20
    It is truly a mess.
  13. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    20
    Miller clearly wanted to make an impression, and that he does. Maybe it's better to be remembered for one of the worst movies of the year than forgotten for a mediocre one.
  14. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    16
    The movie is a septic tank of vapid noir posturing, bad narration, bizarre pacing, cartoonishly hot femme fatales and ineptly staged slapstick.
  15. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    0
    Throwing your $10.25 down a storm drain is a better idea; at least that way you won't feel the added self-loathing of wasting more than an hour and a half of your life watching Eva Mendes in the worst acting job of her career.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 105 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 55
  3. Negative: 27 out of 55
  1. grandpajoe6191
    3
    You got to be **** kidding me. What was Frank Miller thinking? Did really think if he used beautiful visuals over a screwed up story he could get like, what, a oscar? If he was, then man, he's thinking WRONG.… Full Review »
  2. drlowdon
    4
    Coming hot on the heels of the fantastic Sin City and 300 I went into The Spirit expecting something of similar quality, unfortunately I was left disappointed.

    It's not all bad of course. As with Frank Millers other comic book adaptations The Spirit is beautifully shot using the same techniques employed in Sin City and with the likes of Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson and Stana Katic on show it certainly features one of the most attractive casts ever seen on the big screen. Gabriel Mecht is also entertaining in the title role making a refreshing change from the usual burdened superhero.

    For every positive however there is a negative. Frank Miller's decision to direct the movie himself (his feature film debut) can be seen as mistake from the very start. Poorly paced throughout the film never quite decides what it is trying to achieve. One minute it wants to be a 'wacky' comedy the next it is trying to recreate the gritty film noir style of Sin City. It is just about possible to piece together a plot but the film does its best to stop you and as a result it is very difficult to become invested in what is going to happen to any of the characters (other than rookie cop Morgernstern, but thats only because she is played by the always fantastic Stana Katic).

    The performances, even from well established actors such as Samuel L Jackson, are also incredibly uneven. Again the blame for this must lay at the feet of director Miller as the majority of the cast have proven their acting credentials on numerous occasions in other movies.

    In the end while The Spirit may be a visual feast it is just too much of a mess to be thought of alongside the best comic book adaptations of recent years.    … Full Review »
  3. Thegodfatherson
    7
    The Spirit wasn't a really good movie but its one hour running time delivers some mind bending fun. The Spirt's visuals were amazing, it's a comedy crime movie and its well done. The villain- Octopus had a wide verity of weapons and he is played by King Of Crime Samuel Jackson. Gabriel Macht was amazing as the spirit and Eva Mendes is one to watch. overall, the spirit is awesome. Despite its long running time and its horrible animation, it was fun. Frank Miller didn't think before making this film, which shows when you watch it but its crazy and too bloody for a PG-13 rated film because gore is depicted throughout the film. Movies like Frank Miller's Sin City were way better but there is something special about this film.… Full Review »
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