THE SPIRIT Comic vs Movie

We watched the movie THE SPRIT last night.

The movie was based on a 40s comicbook detective hero by Will Eisner. I feel that director Frank Miller got a little carried away with his artistic license.

In the comics THE SPIRIT was no superhero. He was just mysterious. He lived in a cemetery. Eccentric? Yes.

In the movie he could run on a telephone line that a tightrope walker wouldn’t dream of. Other than that and taking terrific brute force blows to the head and face and looking fine after wards, I don’t know the movie showed him with any super powers.

Looking at the art in The Spirit was always a treat by the unique Alfred Hitchock – viewing angles and the realism portrayal of urban decay. This movie touched on that, but seemed it was more carried away making everything too dark or looking like a negative print… or all black and white with just a dash of color of red like the above.

Also for comic relief in the comics The Sprit had a little adolescent street-smarts kid sidekick. Nothing like that was in the movie… it was like the movie was taking itself too seriously.

Maybe it is me. Maybe I just don’t like to see change when there is no need for change.

THE SPIRIT comicbook cover below.