The Spirit

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2:07

The Spirit

PG-13

2008

1h 42m

Action

Adventure

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

14%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

26%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Apparently murdered cop Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) returns as the Spirit, dedicated to protecting Central City from crime. His archenemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), is a ruthless killer who will destroy the Spirit's well-loved city to find the secret of immortality. As the Spirit pursues his quarry, he meets many beautiful women who would be happy to either kiss or kill him.

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Critics Consensus

Though its visuals are unique, The Spirit's plot is almost incomprehensible, the dialogue is ludicrously mannered, and the characters are unmemorable.

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Tammy Oler

Bitch Media

Dec 18, 2020

The Spirit isn't so much the female characters or the cleavage shots, but the fact that they're entirely deployed in the service of a dumb, juvenile fantasy of malehood.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Feb 13, 2009

2/5

As an action director Miller is almost as clumsy as Baz Luhrmann, but he's far from naïve, and presumably the delirium of The Spirit is exactly what he intended.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Feb 6, 2009

2/5

Miller's background as an artist was undoubtedly an important factor in achieving the striking visual effects. It's just when the human characters dominate the action that the film sinks like a stone.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 3, 2024

0/4

Frank Miller’s The Spirit misfires in every way a movie can

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jan 1, 2023

1/4

...an unmitigated disaster...

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 28, 2020

4/10

Focuses all of its efforts on flashy visuals and cartoonish humor - forgetting to leave room for action sequences and a story.

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Robert P

@Superbad Oct 7, 2026

The Spirit is a 1 star Movie!

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Ricky L.

@ricky707 Mar 24, 2026

Son “ Can we get Sin City the movie” Mom “ we have Sin City the movie at home dear” Which is so weird to me because they’re both Frank Miller projects

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Wayne R.

@Waynbo Mar 23, 2026

A subpar attempt at a noir-comics adaptation

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Damien C

@Dddmmmaaannn Jan 19, 2026

I don’t understand the hate. It’s a little zany but it has a great balance on so many fronts. Sin city meets Batman - a real delight.

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George M

@Milkyway Oct 19, 2025

Who told Frank Miller he could write and direct a movie? Whoever did, lied to the man. This is an insult to the classic comic. Boring, silly and incomprehensible, it's one of the worst movies ever made. Like the equally horrible Sucker Punch, and The Green Hornet, I still want my money back!

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Alyce H

@RT21125430 Sep 21, 2025

Possibly the worst film I’ve ever watched. All attempts at humour are poorly timed and badly handled.The characters fall into either entirely obnoxious or immediately forgettable, the latter of which includes the main character himself who is so dull he’d struggle to get a retail job due to his lack of charisma. The big stars here go from trying far too hard to not really trying at all and the whole grey filter gimmick just makes it hard to see, not that you need to as nothing of interest is happening. Truly, truly awful.

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Frank Miller

Director

Gabriel Macht

Denny Colt

Samuel L. Jackson

The Octopus

Sarah Paulson

Ellen

Eva Mendes

Sand Saref

Dan Lauria

Dolan

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Synopsis

Apparently murdered cop Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) returns as the Spirit, dedicated to protecting Central City from crime. His archenemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), is a ruthless killer who will destroy the Spirit's well-loved city to find the secret of immortality. As the Spirit pursues his quarry, he meets many beautiful women who would be happy to either kiss or kill him.

Director: Frank Miller
Producer: Deborah Del Prete, Gigi Pritzker, Michael E. Uslan
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Lionsgate Films, Odd Lot Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Nudity|Action|Some Sexual Content|Stylized Violence)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.8M
Runtime: 1h 42m

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