Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Script Review: Jonah Hex

Genre: Western/Thriller?
Premise: Outlaw/Bounty Hunter Jonah Hex is forced to go after the man who killed his wife and daughter. Josh Brolin plays the title character.
Writers: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor (Dated October 31, 2007)

Okayyy. Where do I begin. I'm not quiet sure what to say about this script exactly. That's not a good thing. Josh Brolin's star is back on the rise, that should be a good sign. John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Shannon, and Will Arnett round out the supporting cast, that seems pretty cool. But a cast doesn't make a script. The writers do. Only thing I know Neveldine and Taylor from is Crank, and while that was an entertaining movie, it's nothing to write home about. So let's journey into the Jonah Hex script and dig deeper into this.

Right off the bat, this script breaks the rules. A script needs boundaries. I don't know what the specific rules are in this script. There are zombies, ghosts that apparently can kill people, and our main character can take take two shots from a shotgun to the chest and be up and walking moments later. I was so confused by all this. It's all a jumbled mess.

The plot, from what I can tell, is that Jonah Hex is forced by some officials to take down a man named Turnbull. Don't ask what the consequences are if Mr. Hex doesn't oblige, for this script never explains. Everything in the middle is Jonah finding himself in one situation after another where he goes about killing people in all sorts of gruesome ways. Along the way we find out Jonah had a wife and kid, and he was partially responsible for the death of Turnbull's son, which has sent him in this tizzy.

This is where things get crazy. Turnbull is so upset over his son's death he starts his own army. Why? Seriously, I'd like to know. It's never explained. All we get is a stand-off between Turnbull's Rebels and the severely outnumbered Good Guys. Well, the Good Guys burn all of Tunrbull's rebels alove in a matter of seconds. It's very unimpressive. Then there's the climax. The final showdown between Jonah and Turnbull where we find out the only reason Jonah was helping the governement officials was because Turnbull killed his wife and son and left him a nasty scar on his face. And then they brawl a little. Yawn. It's pretty anti-climatic.

There's also a sideplot with the hooker Leila, who serves no real purpose here, and probably even less purpose on screen. In fact, there's a whole array of side characters who make no sense and have no need to be in the script, and only make things more complicated.

The only redeeming quality of the script is probably all the gruesome kills Jonah deals out on his journey, but even they grow tiresome after a while. Hopefully this script underwent some major rewrites. Until then, it stays an overly-repetitive, slightly entertaining, and a complete mess of a script. Sorry fans.

[] Somebody should be fired
[x] Bad
[] Mediocre
[] Worth the read
[] Great
[] Amazing

15 comments:

Josh Floyd said...

Script Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mwtzlhwmhnz

theblackpattern said...

I read this a few weeks back and had a very different reaction. Sure, Leila's role is totally confusing and altogether pointless, and a lot of Turnbull is just blind antagonism, but I think it was fun.

The humor was quick and biting, but some of the action felt a little too one-sided, as if Jonah was invincible(which I've always felt makes for a lame hero).

I think I commented a thread or two back about the role of Leila(Megan Fox) and after re-reading this script, I still had the same feelings about her.

As anti-climatic as the ending was, it still read like it could be shot really well, akin to flicks like The Proposition.

Thanks again for the review, man.

Anonymous said...

This script could not get greenlit. They brought in another writer who did some great chances.

This movie will be kick-ass when it comes out.

Anonymous said...

"This movie will be kick-ass when it comes out."

What? You mean THIS is what the Kick-Ass movie is going to be about?

Wow. That's a HUGE deviation from the comic book.

Jeff@gmail

theblackpattern said...

@ Jeff@gmail

I hope that's not the best you've got.

;)

theblackpattern said...

Also, I'd be interested to read the greenlit script, if indeed this isn't it. Anon with the info would be thanked for more details on who the other writer is.

Anonymous said...

@theblackpattern

Yeah. That was it. That was my load.

Sigh.

Jeff@gmail

Anonymous said...

the script link didn't work could someone please send me the script

Anonymous said...

can someone please send me the script the link didn't work arshad_jahangier@hotmail.com thx

Josh Floyd said...

The script got deleted from my mediafire account for some reason.

Anonymous said...

can you still send it to me arshad_jahangier@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

can you send me the script please

2300861@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

can someone please send the script to me jjgiveaway1@aol.com

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Are there are zombies, ghosts that apparently can kill people, and our main character can take take two shots from a shotgun to the chest and be up and walking moments later.

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