The Spirit

"Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again."

2008 1h 43m EN

💀

4.8

SKIP

🥫

14%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

4.7

IMDB

★4.8TMDB · 1,104🥫14%Rotten Tomatoes●30Metacritic★4.7IMDB · 64,174

ActionFantasyCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Rookie cop 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:g to wipe out the entire city.

“Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again.”

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Cast

Gabriel Macht
The Spirit / Denny Colt
Eva Mendes
Sand Saref
Samuel L. Jackson
Octopus
Scarlett Johansson
Silken Floss
Sarah Paulson
Ellen Dolan
Dan Lauria
Dolan
Paz Vega
Plaster of Paris
Eric Balfour
Mahmoud

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frank Miller
Writers: Frank Miller
Languages: Russian, French, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 65% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Russian, French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frank Miller, shot by Bill Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gregory Nussbaum shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gabriel Macht and Eva Mendes and Samuel L. Jackson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frank Miller directs. Bill Pope behind the camera. David Newman scores. Gregory Nussbaum cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Russian, French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 65% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 18 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Russian, French, English.
5Directed by Frank Miller, shot by Bill Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Gregory Nussbaum shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Gabriel Macht and Eva Mendes and Samuel L. Jackson carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again.".
10IMDB entry: tt0831887 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bill Pope
Original score: David Newman
Editing: Gregory Nussbaum
Makeup / hair: Camille Friend
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $60,000,000
Box office: $39,164,441
Return: 65% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Spirit (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes: 14% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 30/100
IMDB rating: 4.7/10 · 64,174 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

4 nominations total

Also by

Frank Miller

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-12-09
★ 3/10
Frank Miller’s campy, tedious version of the pulp hero Will Eisner’s The Spirit debuted in 1940 and was obviously influenced by The Shadow, Dick Tracy and, especially, Batman. Shot in late 2007, this movie version of the character is decidedly Miller’s rendition wherein he meshes Eisner’s hero with “Sin City,” which turned off purists of the comic. Yet film versions of heroes from comics and other mediums (radio, literature) are always alternative renditions. For instance, John Milius’ “Conan the Barbarian” with Schwarzenegger is similar to Robert E. Howard’s sword & sorcery hero and features bits taken from several of the stories, but it definitely deviates from REH’s yarns. Or take the movies “Batman & Robin” and “Batman Begins,” which are both based on the comics’ character, but are very different in tone. The former is colorful and campy whereas the latter takes a more serious path. I point all of this out to say that I have no problem with this being Frank Miller’s rendition of The Spirit. I own many of his Daredevil and Batman comics and he’s a proven writer, even a legend in comics circles. So, I was expecting a quality story with “The Spirit,” but it’s simply not here. Worse, the title character is never really established and so I didn’t care about him (Gabriel Macht) as he takes on The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) & his collaborator (ScarJo) or his dealings with his now corrupt childhood sweetheart (Eva Mendes), not to mention the Commissioner (Dan Lauria) and his top surgeon daughter (Sarah Paulson), as well as the spunky rookie who idolizes him (Stana Katic). People tend to rail against “Batman & Robin” from 1997, but the characters are successfully fleshed out in that flick and the story has heart. You feel the love of Bruce and Alfred and the others at Wayne Manor (Dick Grayson and Barbara Wilson). You can't help but sympathize with Mr. Freeze's love for his wife and desire to resurrect her. Batman is able to see under his icy veneer to a warm heart that's willing to accept redemption and make restitution. You’ll be hard pressed to find any of that here. It’s pointless action and encounters with outstanding visuals and style yet without heart. Everything LOOKS great, including the hero and the beautiful women, but the characters are cardboard and there’s no interesting story. It runs 1h 43m. GRADE: D+

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