MOVIE REVIEW - Jonah Hex

The summer action movies are coming out fast a furious now, and this week it's Jonah Hex!

Josh Brolin stars as Jonah Hex in this latest comic book come to movie flick. Jonah Hex is set in post Civil War America. Hex is a former Confederate soldier who betrays his own military unit in the waning days of the Civil War. He sees no good in soldiers burning down hospitals and schools killing innocent civilians. After the war he is a hated man and wanted many by surviving members of the Confederacy who knew him. They track him down, kill his wife and son, and brand him for life by burning a horrible brand on his face leaving him terribly disfigured.

But something happens to Jonah Hex after this. He "crosses over" and develops the supernatural. He can communicate with dogs, and horses somehow. He can talk to the dead. A series of serendipitous events surround him as he becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down those who took his family from him.

But the group he is pursuing is far worse than thought. They are 19th century domestic terrorists bent of destroying the United States Of America with a "super weapon." And President Grant orders that Hex be located and sends him off to destroy the terrorists. Complicated? It's not. It's just good.

JH is part comic book, part old Eastwood style and part classic movie making. Many interesting characters, and plot line you haven't seen before in a western. Jonah Hex is certainly a new kind of western that doesn't look as formula as movies past. It doesn't bog itself down with a bunch of stuff you don't care about either. JH stays very focused.

Finally, a western for a new audience. Complete with plenty of action, and a story that zips long very nicely indeed. A heavy metal soundtrack gives it a music video feel at times that really "youngs" if up. This story is very well thought out, and very well told. With Jonah Hex, you have to look beyond some of the action and see the actual character. He is very interesting and very well developed. Josh Brolin a great as our enigmatic hero, and is perfectly cast. This movie is loaded with symbolism, and a real nice supernatural angle. It's not silly or hokie.

Jonah Hex does not make the same mistake as virtually all other comic book movies. Watchmen, Spiderman, Batman, and others. It has a story to tell, tells it and moves on. All done in a very tidy 90 minutes. Also starring Megan Fox, and John Malkovich, Jonah Hex is good summer action.

Jonah Hex. Clearly not for everyone, but from my seat I left wanting to learn more about this character and this story. Very well done!