Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again. A Rookie cop named Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces from the shadows of Central City. The Octopus, who kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his face, has other plans; he is going to wipe out the entire city.
Is it campy? Or is it cool? Is it stylized? Or is it corny and cheesy? It doesn't really know.
– Ben Lyons,
At the Movies,
29 Dec 2008
fresh:
I thought it was sort of cool and corny simultaneously.
– Ben Mankiewicz,
At the Movies,
29 Dec 2008
rotten:
What is most striking about The Spirit is how little pleasure it affords, in spite of its efforts to by sly, sexy, heartfelt and clever all at once.
– A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
29 Dec 2008
rotten:
Every once in a while a genuine turkey escapes the coop, bereft of charm or wit, utterly lacking in technical prowess, integrity or intelligence. 'The Spirit' is such a film.