The Trade Papers Have Their Reviews Of THE SPIRIT Up!! Is It The Next DARK KNIGHT Or The Next STEEL??

I am – Hercules!!
Frank Miller’s solo directorial debut doesn’t open till Christmas Day, but the trades have their verdicts in now: Variety says:

… plunges into a watery grave early on and spends roughly the next 100 minutes gasping for air. Pushing well past the point of self-parody, Miller has done Will Eisner's pioneering comicstrip no favors by drenching it in the same self-consciously neo-noir monochrome put to much more compelling use in "Sin City." …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… truly a mess. Fans of "Sin City" and "300" will populate theaters for the film's opening, but boxoffice will fall quickly. The film's campiness might then pull in a different sort of aficionados -- those who celebrate films such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for their silly acting and overripe dialogue. …