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Must Watch: Frank Miller's The Spirit Back in Action

by Alex Billington
July 16, 2008
Source: Yahoo

Late last night we debuted the brand new, funky trailer for Frank Miller's The Spirit, but alas Lionsgate had it removed by the morning. Now it's back in action, fully available for your viewing pleasure below. Giving this a second shot, I must say it does look slightly more badass watching the action and style at the end of the trailer in high definition. The first half is still ridiculously weird, and I have no clue if they were going for the Bond music video kind of shots, but by the end it finally gets into the actual "good parts." Overall I really don't know what the heck the story is going to be about, since there is no explanation or development in this trailer, but hopefully that's one of the stronger elements of this movie. And I ask again - hopefully Frank Miller doesn't let us down, but he hasn't so far has he?

Watch the new trailer for The Spirit:

You can also watch the The Spirit trailer in High Definition on Yahoo

Adapted from the legendary comic book series created by Will Eisner, The Spirit is a classic action-adventure-romance written for the screen and directed by genre-twister Frank Miller. It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader.

The Spirit is both written and directed by legendary comic book author Frank Miller, who previously worked with Robert Rodriguez to direct segments of Sin City. The film is based Will Eisner's newspaper comic strip of the same name that originally debuted in 1940. The Spirit will hit theaters everywhere on December 25th, Christmas Day, later this year.

Filed under Hype, To Watch, Trailers

From around the web:

http://johnkuehlonline.blogspot.com John

This does not look good at all. But Samuel L. in SS garb made the trailer worth watching.
doug

Will this be R-rated or PG-13?
Richard

Wow this made my interest in the movie go way down, in fact, I didn't hate it but I have no desire to see it, weird. I think maybe its that the Spirit guy looks cheesy or something, I don't believe him or care about him at all watching that, no mystery, no intensity, nothing. You can take some actors and seem just a scene and you wanna see the movie, this provoked absolutely nothing in me lol?
http://TheSpirit.com The Spirit

Not impressed
Will S. (Co. Springs)

@ #3. Hopefully R. It won't gross as well, but the movie will most likely be better in the end. However, I'm still just as excited to see it. Beautiful women, Samuel L. Jackson, and Frank Miller cinematography in one 2 hour event. Why would you not be at least a little interested?
Alyx

I saw the teaser and loved it. Saw this, and I'm afraid. It looks awful from this. Very concerned, but I'll see it nevertheless.
The Enchanted One

Still looks awful.
Fisherman

It looks confusing but, I'll wait for more clarity. I like to give things a chance.
http://captaincook.tumblr.com/ Ivan

I remember being at an Eisner panel at Comic-Con many years ago and finding myself the youngest fanboy in the room. I'm 22 years old now, and I am looking forward to this film as much as I did Iron Man, Incredible Hulk and Hellboy 2 (The Dark Knight is in it's league of its own!). I am a huge Spirit fan, and I think that this film looks great so far.
Colin (brother of Mike) Hunt

Looks terrible. And Frank Miller not having let us down yet? When it comes to cinema, he hasn't had a chance to let us down yet now has he? He didn't really direct much of anything on Sin City, despite what we've been led to believe. Actually directing a movie is a whole different ballgame from stepping in a shot and telling an extra how to hold an Uzi, you know. He might be a comic book genius, but that does not automatically make him a great director. I'm fairly convinced this will be a huge disappointment in pretty much every way. I hope I'm wrong, sure, but the footage so far isn't convincing in the slightest.
http://www.carbonphiber.com Case

I'm kinda surprised this trailer has gotten so much poor feedback. I haven't seen the original teaser, but watching this has certainly made me wish the movie was due to release much sooner. It doesn't look like a "same old story" movie, and that alone makes it worth watching to me. If not that, then the cast definitely makes my eyes smile!
David

Yeah...this looks really good. Someone is trying to push the medium...
Ann

I think it looks great and most of the people who are dissing it so much have a preconceived notion of what "The Spirit" should be. I'm way more excited than I was before about seeing this. Come on, there's been a lot of fan-boy groups going around the "Inter-nuts" dissing this movie before it came out because they hate Frank Miller, or something. I neither hate nor love, but I like the look, I like the actors, and, if the trailer is any indication, I'll like the movie. So, the fan boys can go back to their computers and whine all they want about whether "The Spirit's" suit should be blue or black, but they're not convincing everyone. I've already showed this to a bunch of my friends, and they ALL want to see it now.
http://ici.tumblr.com Redge

I don't know anything about The Spirit but I tought the first teaser they released was amazing. Now this trailer is very different in style but I think I understand where Frank is gonna go with this movie and it's gonna rock. Can't wait to see more!
Conrad

Now that I've seen a more detailed trailer, I must say that I am now disappointed with this executed vision of Miller's. The teaser trailer was great, very mysterious. I liked The Spirit's voice, but as soon as I saw the actor's face and his lewd facial expressions (Even with the mask on) I couldn't buy into his character from the get-go. The ladies look great, I think Scarlett's walk up to Spirit out from the shadows is amazing, but I doubt they can save this movie. Besides, who releases an movie on Christmas day in North America unless you're target audience is asian families?
http://www.comichacks.com Chris @ ComicHacks.com

This will either simply be a masterpiece or a complete freaking flop. That trailer made absolutely no sense at all.
JD

"hopefully Frank Miller doesn't let us down, but he hasn't so far has he?" Well smarty pants, this is the first film he has directed solo, so it is his first opportunity to let us down and it looks like he has. This looks like a bad obsession stinky perfume commercial.
J

I'm a little disappointed in the trailer as well. Looks a bit overdone to me What is the name of the song in the trailer? Anyone know?
Grant Berghoff

I actually liked the trailer but what the hell is with Samuel L. Jackson's face being visible he is playing The Octopus whose face was always hidden and he would kill who sees his face here it looks like he overloaded makeup!
Darrin

whats the name of that song. the trailer was going good till sam jackson showed up, he looked kinda weird.
Breebaby

I am intrigued by the music! What song is that - anyone know? I was thinking Filter but maybe not....
Richard

I'm not a fanboy, I don't know anything about The Spirit, my opinion was based solely on what I just saw, I love Franks other stuff, but I loved Shayamalan's other stuff before Lady in the Water too. But from other peoples reactions I see I'm not alone. I'm not saying I wont see it or that it wont be better then what we saw there, but that trailer was crap, the spirit looked stupid, and I cant believe I'm saying this but so did Sam J IMHO.
Roy

I loved it. It was different from the usual superhero movie trailers, and that's not a bad deal. Go Frank.
Buttons

I am scared of change. Jk. Looks great.
J

@Breebaby I just found it. The song is "Choke" by Hybrid
Breebaby

@ J Sweet, Thanks!
Kail

This looks slightly... better. I think Sin City 2: The Spirit will be a delightful follow up to Robert Rodriguez's masterpiece
http://woodge.com Woodge

I don't know what all the griping is about, this looks intriguing to me: visually cool, hot babes, gun play... I'll be checking this out no question.
Andrew

This looks so odd and bizarre... kind of like The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Though this IS Frank Miller, and for his this isn't too surprising. I love the look of it, and it should be good, but this trailer will obviously put off a lot of people.
http://www.carbonphiber.com Case

@ 26 & 27 I totally forgot to ask that in my first post, glad someone posted it up! Thanks much!
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Wow, that was bizarre. THey need to revamp this trailer for a more general viewing audience because it seems as if it would be off-putting. Soe aprts look good, ntohing looked bad though, just odd. I have an inkling though that this will be rated R.
PimpSlapStick

Funny how Frank Miller used to lament about how Hollywood mangles and destroys creator's material and now here he is fuckin' with Will Eisener's Spirit. Can you say hypocrite?
CB

Samuel L. Jackson dressed as a nazi(?) = must see. lol
Lola

I loved "Sin City" and was excited for this but... this trailer felt cheesy to me. Judging a movie by its trailer is kind of like judging a book by its cover, however, from what I just saw, it doesn't look good.
John

Hmm not sure what to think. It looks cool at times but some of those scenes with Samuel L Jackson firing the machine gun and all look kind of corny.
dick dornisch

So that's "the Spirit"....Oh Really !!!. It is neither Will Eisner, nor the Spirit. It is Frank Miller still muttering a pathetic extension of the silliness and pretension of "Sin City" and the goofiness of "300". It seems Miller doesn't know whether he wants to direct movies, write comic books or work in scratchboard. For a lover of old time comics, Eisner's genius and inspired movie making this is an absolute insult. To begin with "The Spirit" was a family, perod piece with at least as much comedy and slapstick as there was heroics. To utilize the Octopus as just one more super, teresome, crazy with world conquest in mind is pathetic. To show his great female charactors as a bunch of over-painted, under-attired broads that you could encounter most any Friday night about 12:30 at far end of Snuffy's Pub is lamentable. (To exclude P'gell is absolute evidence that we will soon have a second abortive version.) Frank Miller and the lapdog minions that he surrounds himself with ought to go back and read "The Spirit", as it was when it came out and developed , then they ought to find a copy of kitchen Sink's "New York, the Big City", and try to discover what Eisner was all about.... Dick Dornisch
Roy

Dick Dornisch, take a shower. You're full of hot air, and nothing much else.
Gabriel

a BLACK suit? WTF I agree with #36
Gabriel

what? no cossack? no octopus?
Stan 'The Viewers Choice' Morrow

i never heard of this comic, but Sam Jackson makes everything worth watching and Eva getting naked is worth my 5 dollars to the movies.....
movieraider321

To truly love this trailer you must know the comic, luckily when I was younger this was my grandfather's favorite work. He sat me down and showed me his laminated collection of the newspaper strips. Amazing to say the least, the trailer does this movie more justice than the first did which everyone in the audience from what I heard was "DUDE SIN CITY 2!" That is not the case, its a completely different kind of story. This will be good, and my city screams for more news on The Spirit.
RSH

I read a few of Will Eisner's "The Spirit". I liked the artwork but not the character too much. I love "Sin City" and how it was shot. I like movies that have this look. I think the movie is more for mature people and maybe lots of mature comic's fans.
http://www.williammize.com William Mize

Love Eisner's work. LOVED The Spirit. But this - this just does not look good. At all. Let me correct that - the trailer does not do it's job. It doesn't really pull you in, doesn't make you curious, doesn't make you want to see the movie. I just kind of confuses the hell out of you. Physically beautiful, and as someone mentioned, he is pushing the medium, but at the end of the day, Eisner is probably doing 1800 RPM in his grave.
CrypticHill

I love the look, just maybe not the acting, well see
Florian

Fall in LOVE with this !
Django

Just give me Give Me Liberty already. Frank Miller certainly knows how to frame a shot and stretch the limits of sillouettes & chiaroscuro. But we need a decent soundtrack, to bring the real sex out of this material. Give me some saxophones & jazz guitar riffs- THAT'S what Eisner would have wanted.
Cyfer1

"shut up and bleed" great line. ill check it for Sam Jackson and d Ho'z.
desiree

wow this movie looks dope...i think im going to be high when i watch it though...i thought it would be more like sin city...are they making a part 2? btw jk about the being high part.
Epic

hahaha, looks like sin city meets batman and robin and its just as cheezy, samuel l jackson looks like a complete retard this movies going to be a big hit because frank millers a genius, but people are gonna highly regret spending the money, over all, and Epic fail
Michael

Frank Miller's The Spirit has Spirit let's Hear it!