'Jonah Hex' has style, imagery to become a cult classic

"Jonah Hex" is one of the most utterly unique and bizarre movies released by a major studio in many years. Based on a graphic D.C. Comics series, the storyline makes it a quasi-supernatural morality tale exploring man's inhumanity to man. While the tone and feel is that of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western combined with Jules Verne gadgetry, the action is in the rural South a decade after the Civil War. Though replete with fascinating scenes, Warner Brothers over-edits director Jimmy Hayward ("Horton Hears a Who"), drastically reducing the runtime and thus leaving gaping plot holes. Lacking in substance, the movie nevertheless has the style and imagery to become a cult classic, and collectors will clamor for the unedited version.

Visually, the movie does a wonderful job taking us back in time. The story begins with an artistic animated prologue introducing Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin), a simple Confederate soldier. Set around small towns like Stunk Crick, Georgia, all the props – including the lurking denizens – reek of authenticity.

During the closing days of the war, Jonah refuses an order to burn a hospital and winds up in a death duel with his captain, the son of General Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). After General Ulysses S. Grant (Alden Quinn) wins the war, Jonah returns to his family farm.

A few months later, Quentin and his tattooed Irish henchman Burke (Michael Fassbender) lead a late night raid on the farm. They tie Jonah to a cross in the yard and apply a red-hot branding iron to his right cheek. Before leaving, Quentin locks Jonah's family in the house, torches it and forces him to watch his wife and young son perish in agony.

With nefarious plans to hatch, Quentin fakes his own death. After establishing a secret fort in the wilderness, he recruits an army of terrorists and leads raids on ordinance depots and commits atrocities. Tipped by a traitorous congressman that a passenger train holds newfangled weapons invented by Eli Whitney, he captures the train and spitefully blows up railcars filled with women and children.

Nursed to health by Crow Indian relatives of his wife, Jonah's experience imbues him with the ability to awaken corpses and intimidate them – decomposed bodies that are aware of current events. Grotesquely disfigured with a leaking hole in his face, Jonah becomes a notorious bounty hunter. He rides with enormous Gatling guns mounted on each side of his saddle and a loyal mongrel named Dog.

As the 1876 Centennial approaches, Grant is now president and Jonah has developed a relationship of sorts with curvaceous Lilah (Megan Fox), the Stunk Crick saloon's fiercely independent hooker.

When Grant discovers that Quentin is alive and intends to destroy Washington D.C. with a doomsday weapon, he recruits Jonah to save the country. Lilah joins the hunt and they begin a quest to stop Quentin and his traitorous minions.

Both Malkovich and Fassbender make classy demented villains. Corseted and with computer enhanced charms, Fox's accent comes across as authentic. Best known for playing George W. Bush in 2008's "W," Brolin was an Oscar nominee for his supporting role in "Milk."