History Film / TheSpirit

* FetishFuel: The Spirit himself qualifies. Say what you want about the movie itself, but he's damn sexy.

* PuttingOnTheReich: The ''black'' Octopus, for no apparent reason (although most of his outfits don't have a reason, either).

* DepravedDentist: Silken Floss (yes, like the dental floss).

* FetishFuelStationAttendant: The various costumes of ScarlettJohansson cater for almost all tastes, including a cleavage-exposing [[HelloNurse nurse's]] [[NightNurse outfit]], a ''Nazi'' uniform and a traditional Japanese robe most of which also include [[{{Meganekko}} sexy glasses]]. Combine that with her FemmeFatale and HotScientist persona, and you can fuel a thousand fetishes.

* HypocriticalHumor: Minus the humor -- just before the climax, Sand and the Octopus are planning on exchanging their respective {{MacGuffin}}s. Sand tells her latest cohort to blow the Octopus' head off the moment the transaction is complete. But the moment she arrives, she lectures Silken Floss about how the Octopus can't be trusted and will undoubtedly betray her (despite it never having been so much as ''hinted'' that either one is unsatisfied with the other).

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvhg5he9Kp4 The Strength of the Righteous Man]], though it was only played in the most memorable trailer, not the movie itself. ''''SUBMIT TO IT, PUNK.'''''

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: The Octopus beats the Spirit with the ''severed head of Frank Miller''.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: "What smells [[DepravedDentist dental]]?" {{beat}} "Dental ''and'' [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]], [[SarcasmMode great]]."

** It's probably [[[[MarathonMan NOT safe.]]

* AdaptationDistillation / AdaptationDecay: YourMileageMayVary upon which it is. Most tend to go for the latter, though.

In Central City, rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the dead as a private detective, known only as "The Spirit", to fight crime. After he finds his nemesis, the Octopus, in a mud hole, the FemmeFatale Sand Saref uncovers two chests in water nearby. She tries to flee with both chests, but the Octupus shoots at her, snapping the line that connects the chests together. After a fight with the Spirit, Octopus takes the remaining chest and escapes with one of his thugs.

The Octopus wanted the mystical Blood of Heracles to become immortal and Sand Saref wanted the Golden Fleece of the Argonauts, but both ended up with the wrong one.

The Spirit must track down and stop The Octopus before he trades chests with Sand, becoming immortal.

The movie has met with generally negative reviews, and only pulled in around $10 million in its opening four days, though this is partly due to the fact that it was competing with more "mainstream" movies, such as the romantic comedy ''MarleyAndMe'' and the suspense thriller ''{{Valkyrie}}.'' Amongst comic book fans, it is even ''less'' well-received, due to having little resemblance, outside of names, to the original work. (See AdaptationDecay below.) Given its similarities to the ''SinCity'' movie and Miller's own work, a frequent accusation raised -- [[YourMileageMayVary fairly or otherwise]] -- is that it plays as more of a tribute to Frank Miller than Will Eisner.

It had surprisingly few whores for something written by Frank Miller.

And that bouncing head on a foot... thing was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5xWXJpSvzM just plain damn weird.]]

* AdaptationDistillation / AdaptationDecay - Your mileage may vary upon which it is. Most tend to go for the latter though.
* AffectionateParody - of comic books. (Though more of deliberately decadent, exploitive action comics than of the medium in general.)
* AndThisIsFor - Sand, Me and [[EverythingsCuterWithKittens Muffin]]!!!

* AxCrazy: This does not even '''begin''' to describe The Octopus.
* BackFromTheDead - The Spirit came back from the dead a few days after being injected with the concoction that gave him his HealingFactor.
* BerserkButton: Octopus just loves his eggs...except for when they're throw at his face. They never are in the film but he considers any embarrassment or failure (as well as most attacks on his face) akin to one. And doesn't take kindly them.
** Never hurt a cat in front of the Spirit.
* CargoShip - The Spirit loves his Central City, he REALLY LOVES it.
--->''My city, I can not deny her. My city screams. She is my mother. She is my lover, and I am her Spirit.''
* CheekCopy - The Spirit's preferred method of locating Sand. ''And it works.''

* ChickMagnet - So much so that it may as well be considered a superpower.
* CloningBlues - The Octopus' Henchmen are all ([[ExpendableClone extremely expendable]]) clones. So expendable in fact, that at one point the only reason The Octopus doesn't kill some is because "they're running out."
* CloudCuckooLander - Plaster of Paris

* DeadLittleSister - Sand Saref's father.
* DeathByCameo - Frank Miller. ''Again!''
* DeathByOriginStory - The Spirit.
* DirtyOldMan - Frank Miller
* DepravedDentist - Silken Floss (yes, like the dental floss).
* DoingItForTheArt - It may not be to your taste, but Frank Miller obviously lavished love, HamAndCheese on every single frame. SamuelLJackson in particular seems having the most fun with it.
* EverythingsCuterWithKittens - Sort of. The kitten is killed off right away... and the only remains are its eyes.
* FateWorseThanDeath - [[spoiler:Octopus is not dead. He's just spread all over the alley. Think about it.]]

* FemaleGaze: Say what you want, this movie is at least fair and balanced in its fanservice.
* FemmeFatale - Damn near every female character, most notably: Sand Saref, Silken Floss and Plaster of Paris.
* FetishFuel - The Spirit himself qualifies. Say what you want about the movie itself but he's damn sexy.
* FetishFuelStationAttendant: The various costumes of ScarlettJohansson cater for almost all tastes, including a cleavage exposing [[HelloNurse nurse's]] [[NightNurse outfit]], a ''Nazi'' uniform and a traditional Japanese robe most of which also include [[{{Meganekko}} sexy glasses]]. Combine that with her FemmeFatale and HotScientist persona and you can fuel a thousand fetishes.
* FriendlyEnemy - Oddly enough, The Octopus shows shades of this during his first fight with The Spirit.

* GroinAttack - The Octopus on The Spirit. With a ''9 foot lug wrench.'' Ow.
** [[HealingFactor It'll heal.]]
* HealingFactor - The Spirit is given one of these in his backstory, rather than just make him a BadassNormal.
* HamAndCheese - Done on ''purpose.'' FrankMiller just got everybody together and told them to relax and [[FeedMe dine on the scenery]] like an all-you-can-eat buffet - ConspicuousCG is just ''so'' easy to maintain.
* HeyItsThatGuy - [[TheWonderYears Kevin Arnold's Dad]] is Commissioner Dolan, [[Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip Harriet Hayes]] is Ellen Dolan and [[{{Castle}} Kate Beckett]] is Morgenstern.
* HilariousInHindsight - Morgenstern (played by Stana Katic) is frequently told that she'll "make detective in no time." [[{{Castle}} Yes. Yes she would.]]
* {{Immortality}} - Both The Spirit and The Octopus already have Type III, but The Octopus strives for Type I.
* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon - With just a hint of {{BFG}}

* IncomingHam - '''''[[SamuelLJackson I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL KINDS OF DEAD!!!]]'''''
* InNameOnly - A common complaint by comic fans.
* InTheStyleOf - The original comic was by Will Eisner, and was quite colorful and upbeat. The movie is essentially a LighterAndSofter, PG-13 ''SinCity''.
** As it would be an AffectionateParody of comic-books made by FrankMiller
* KarmaHoudini - [[spoiler:Sand Saref]]
* KickTheDog - The Octopus, in a scene oddly reminiscent of the scene with the shoe in WhoFramedRogerRabbit.
* KissOfDeath - Quite Literally.
* LargeHam - They are indeed ordered in large quantities, and SamuelLJackson delivers with customary gusto. [[FeedMe The green screen will never be the same again.]]
* LoveTriangle - The Spirit is in one of these with Ellen Dolan and Sand Saref, and every other woman in the movie.
** And death incarnate. And the CITY.
*** Let's reemphasize: THE ANGEL OF DEATH IS IN LOVE WITH THE SPIRIT!
* MadScientist AND MadDoctor - Octopus

* MarriedToTheJob: Pretty much everyone, as Ellen points out to the Commissioner.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: If you are a female character it doesn't matter whether you are good or bad - you'll survive the film ([[spoiler:and get away scot free if evil]]). Male side characters on the other hand are totally fair game.

** This line [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on the fact that the Romanised version of the name (Hercules) has generally replaced the orginal Greek (Heracles) in popular culture.
* NotSoDifferent -
-->'''Spirit''':''(to The Octopus)'' Why do you KEEP saying that?!
* OrIsIt - [[spoiler:Silken Floss, along with Adios and Amigos, escapes into the fog with The Octopus's finger.]]
* ParodyRetcon: During filming and promotion Miller and co. talked like it is a serious movie in tribute to the The Spirit and Eisner in general. Then the movie actually came out and...
* PimpDuds - Octopus's last outfit.
* PublicDomainArtifact - The Golden Fleece
* PuttingOnTheReich - The ''black'' Octopus, for no apparent reason (although most of his outfits don't have a reason either).
* PunchClockVillain - Silken Floss claims she isn't evil, she's just [[strike:[[WhoFramedRogerRabbit drawn that way]]]] there to pay for College...
* RedShirtArmy - The Octopus' cloned henchmen
* RiseFromYourGrave - The Spirit does this one in a flashback showing his origin.
* RunningGag - The Octopus and Silken Floss wear different (and ridiculous) costumes every time we see them, most memorably the previously mentioned... uh, [[PuttingOnTheReich military wear.]]
** And the Octopus's apparent egg fetish...
* SamuelLJackson - He plays The Octopus.
* ScaryBlackMan - Because he's '''''BAD!!!'''''
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers - What the Octopus ''plans'' on doing once he gets his MacGuffin.

* ShoutOut - Iger Street, Old Man Kurtzberg, Ditko Delivery: All names of comic book artists. An Eisner Drawing of the Spirit is shown as well.
** According to the movie credits, the "butcher's chart" of the Spirit was drawn by GeofDarrow.

* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness - Starts pretty serious but, then, it becomes downright silly.

* SpamAttack -

* TheDitz - Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Dialos, Thermos, Huevos, Rancheros, Tacos, Matzos, Fatsos, Nervos, Dildos etc...
* TheGrimReaper - Lorelei Rox.
* ThemeNaming - The Octopus' Henchmen's names, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, etc. Towards the end, it starts getting weird (the last two are Adios and Amigos).
*** Particularly since Huevos was standing next to Rancheros
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill - Because The Octopus and The Spirit are immortal.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck - "What smells [[DepravedDentist dental]]?" {{beat}} "Dental ''and'' [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]], [[SarcasmMode great]]."
* ToiletHumor - The Octopus ''knows'' that toilets are always funny. So he picks one up and [[ImprovisedWeapon smacks the Spirit with it]].
* TwinkleSmile - And wash your teeth...
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks / [[{{Woolseyism}} They Changed It Now Its Awesome]] - The healing factor. Take your pick.
* VictoriasSecretCompartment - Silken Floss at the end

* WhoWantsToLiveForever - The Spirit hopes that he can die... someday...
* YourMileageMayVary - This movie is just plain damn weird. Don't you think this movie is just plain damn weird?
** Yes sir. [[MemeticMutation Just Plain Damn Weird.]]

* IncomingHam = '''''[[SamuelLJackson I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL KINDS OF DEAD!!!]]'''''

* ThisIsGonnaSuck - "Something smells [[DepravedDentist dental]]... Dental ''and'' [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]]. Great."

In Central City, rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the dead as a private detective, known only as "The Spirit", to fight crime. After he finds his nemesis, the Octopus, in a mud hole, the femme fatale Sand Saref uncovers two chests in water nearby. She tries to flee with both chests, but the Octupus shoots at her, snapping the line that connects the chests together. After a fight with the Spirit, Octupus takes the remaining chest and escapes with one of his thugs.

* ThemeNaming - The Octopus' Henchmen's names, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, etc. Towards the end, it starts getting weird (the last two are Adios and Amigos.

-->'''Dolan:''' Is every damn woman in this damn town out of her damn mind?

* KickTheDog - The Octopus, in a scene oddly remeniscent of the scene with the shoe in WhoFramedRogerRabbit.

* ParodyRetcon: During filming and promotion Miller and co. talked like it is a serious movie in tribute to the The Spirit and Eisner in general. Then the movie actually came out [[SoYeah and...]]

* PunchClockVillain - Silken Floss claims she isn't evil, she's just [[strike:[[WhoFramedRogerRabbit drawn that way]]]] there to pay for [[SoYeah College]].

* YourMileageMayVary - This movie is just plain damn weird. Don't you think this movie is just plain damn weird? SoYeah.

* CloningBlues - The Octopus' Henchmen are all (extremely expendable) clones. So expendable in fact, that at one point the only reason The Octopus doesn't kill some is because "they're running out."