It is hard to believe that the down and dirty wild west adventure envisioned in this 12 minute feature manages to be more gritty, more realistic and more focused than the flop that was the Jonah Hex live action production back in June 2010.
The Jonah Hex animated short follows the titular badass bounty hunter on the trail of a wanted man named "Red". Unknown to Hex, Red had stumbled into a seedy saloon, drunk, and ended up on the wrong side of a gun, courtesy of one Madame Lorraine. You see, Lorraine earns a little extra cash on the side by seducing and murdering rich drunks. Hex tracks his quarry to that Saloon and receives a tipoff from a bar girl about Madame Lorraine knowing the whereabouts of Red. In order to to get that information, Hex would need some "private time" with Lorraine. But "private time" is when this black widow and her armed thugs strike.
If the previous DC Showcase animated short, The Spectre, was a tribute to 1970s film noir and supernatural thrillers, Jonah Hex pays homage to all those old gritty Clint Eastwood westerns about a badass stranger with no name riding into town seeking out a quarry. More of a character focused piece than a plot driven narrative, the short story puts Hex in a variety of situations that lends insight into his true personality under that deformed face of his. He is cold, merciless and brutal, not to mention a expert gunslinger, but he does have a conscience.
Action is a little sparse, but when it comes, it comes like a charging steed. Directed once again by Joaquim Dos Santos, the action is visceral and actually more violent than what one might expect. The entire set up is also a lot more "adult" than the usual animated film, featuring some sexual tension, hot ladies, and a good deal of bloodletting. This is definitely not your grandpa's Cowboy Cartoon.
The animation is fluid and the artwork intricately beautiful featuring an orange-ish sun drenched "Washed out" look to enhance the "old west" feel. Technically, this short film is awesome which is a pity that a more epic story did not accompany the great animation. For pity sake Warner, let Mr Dos Santos do a full length animated feature. Here is a bright talent just waiting to be tapped. If he can produce this kind of excellent work on short films, imagine how great a full length movie would be.
Anyway, once again this here is a story that both fans of animation and viewers who do not usually watch animation would enjoy. Featuring an all star cast headed by Tomas Jane (The Punisher) and Linda Hamilton (yes, its Sarah Connor), here is one show that has all the potential to be 100% better than its live action counterpart. Its only shortcoming would be that the story serves only as a sort of "a day in the life of...." tale as opposed to an origin story or some big pivotal event. Therefore, it is recommended for the viewer to have some basic knowledge of the Jonah Hex character.
Do not miss it. Watch "DC Showcase: Jonah Hex" now in the 2 disc DVD or blu-ray edition of "Batman: Under the Red Hood" or on the "DC Showcase animated shorts" DVD and blu ray slated for November 2010 release.
