Jonah Hex – A Warner Home Video Release

http://jonah-hex.warnerbros.com/dvd/

DVD Release Date: October 12th, 2o1o

Rating: 14A for violence and gory scenes.

Running time: 82 minutes

 

Jimmy Hayward (dir.)

 

Mark Neveldine (screenplay)

Brian Taylor (screenplay)

 

William Farmer, Mark Neveldine, and Brian Taylor (story)

 

John Albano & Tony Dezuniga (characters appearing in magazines published by DC Comics)

 

Marco Beltrami (music)

Mastodon (music)

 

Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex

John Malkovich as Quentin Turnbull

Megan Fox as Lilah

 

BD Special Features:

• The Weird Western Tales of Jonah Hex

• The Inside Story of Jonah Hex

• Additional Scenes

 

2-disc combo pack also includes DVD feature, and digital copy.

 

Our reviews below:

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Jonah Hex DVD Review By John C.

*1/2 (out of 4)

When Jonah Hex’s (Josh Brolin) family is killed in vengeance by the evil Quentin Turnball (John Malkovich), he leaves Jonah with a branded hole in his cheek and a hex that allows him to speak to the dead.  When Turnbull comes back for more with a plot to destroy the US on the fourth of July, Jonah – along with the help of saloon girl Lilah (Megan Fox) – may be the only ones who can take him down.

 

Taking place in the old west and based on the DC Comics series of the same name, the action sequences in this big screen adaptation are loud and the special effects are sometimes laughable.  Though in it’s favour, despite being a confusing and disjointed western, at 81 minutes the film moves at a quick enough pace for curious viewers and parts of it are so outrageous and idiotic that they fall into the ‘so bad, it’s entertaining’ category.

 

The Blu-ray includes a featurette on the origins of Jonah Hex, 5 minutes of useless deleted scenes, and a commentary track.

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Jonah Hex DVD Review By Erin V.

** (out of 4)

Jonah Hex is based on the DC comics character, set in the backdrop of the wild west.  Josh Brolin plays the title character is this movie adaptation.  The film’s story begins when Hex’s family is killed in revenge by Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich).  After that incident – causing him a near death experience himself – he can talk to dead people by touching them on the arm, in which they come alive until he lets them go again (quite amusing how this is portrayed).  Eventually, Hex is called upon by the US government to take down Turnbull at any costs, before he attempts an attack on America during the centennial celebrations.

 

Oh sure, it was entertaining in it’s own kinetic way, but I was certainly thankful for the short 80 minute running length.  It’s a pretty stupid action movie, with laughable dialogue and special effects, but still fun to pass the time.  If you want to see it, rent it.

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Jonah Hex DVD Review By Tony

** (out of 4)

Jonah Hex is based on a DC Comics character, played by Josh Brolin. The film’s prologue relates how Hex, a confederate officer in the civil war, was forced to watch his family murdered and had his face branded by his rogue general Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) in retaliation for disobeying orders to burn down a hospital. Left for dead, Hex was brought back to life by natives, leaving him with the ability to talk to dead people and a hole in his cheek. For years he has lived as a ruthless bounty hunter shooting any one in his way with an impressive arsenal provided by a black gunsmith (named Smith) including twin saddlebag gatling guns. When summoned by President Grant (Aidan Quinn) to stop a plot by Turnbull (long believed dead) to disrupt the 1876 centennial celebrations, Hex is eager to oblige.

 

At just 73 minutes running time before closing credits, Jonah Hex recalls the old 70 minute Saturday afternoon B-westerns. With Josh Brolin perfectly awsome as the title character and longhaired John Malkovich and his Irish minion (Michael Fassbender) worthy adversaries, it has enough action to keep it moving, along with a love interest of sorts in the person of working girl Lilah (Megan Fox, with an impossible hourglass figure). Of course a lot of the film is memorable in a laughable way which adds to the fun, including whenever Hex takes a leaky drink or revives the dead, and whenever one of the glowing yellow cannonballs stolen by Turnbull blows things up real good.

 

The DVD includes a featurette where the authors of some of the original comics do their best to make a case for the cultural significance of the franchise, and how well this film has brought it to life.

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Consensus: Jonah Hex is an often disjointed and sometimes inadvertently laughable film.  But at a thankfully short 81 minutes, the film moves at a quick enough pace for curious viewers to check it out on DVD. ** (Out of 4)