This is for the 2008 film version of The Spirit; for the comic series, see here.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, Sand Saref uncovers two chests in water nearby. She tries to flee with both chests, but the Octopus shoots at her, snapping the line that connects the chests together. After a fight with The Spirit, The 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 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.
Octopus just loves his eggs...except for when they're thrown 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.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: At one point the Spirit looks directly at the audience and explains who Plaster of Paris is.
Cloning Blues: 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."
Handsome Lech: The Spirit is portrayed as a total skirt-chaser, when he was more of a Celibate Hero in the comics. More to the point, he would appear embarrassed and chagrined by the advances of Femme Fatales.
Hammer Space: The Octopus' guns in the final shootout. The first six might have possibly be hidden inside his coat, but...
"I'm the Octopus! I've got... [pulls out two quadruple-barrelled shotguns from behind his back]] ...I've got eight of everything!"
Hypocrisy- just before the climax, Sand and the Octopus are planning on exchanging their respective MacGuffins. 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).
Male Gaze: The film shamelessly indulges in this, although, given that the director is Frank Miller, this isn't particularly surprising.
Married to the Job: Pretty much everyone, as Ellen points out to the Commissioner.
Meganekko: "Silken Floss is the most beautiful woman in the world. And she will remain so as long as she never takes those fucking things off."
Men Are the Expendable Gender: If you are a female character, it doesn't matter whether you are good or bad - you'll survive the film (and get away scot free if evil). Male side characters, on the other hand, are totally fair game.
"Heracles? I always thought it was pronounced Hercules!"
This line hangs a lampshade on the fact that the Romanized version of the name (Hercules) has generally replaced the original Greek (Heracles) in popular culture.
Punch Clock Villain: Silken Floss claims she isn't evil, she's just there to pay for college...
Purely Aesthetic Era: The film looks very noir. If it weren't for the cell phones and laptops, you could easily mistake it for taking place somewhere in the first half or the middle of the 20th century.
Psychopathic Manchild: The Octopus has DEFINITE shades of this. See the death of Muffin for a perfect example.
The fact that the Octopus is black (and a tad insane) is main reason he was able to Put On The Reich without looking like a giant asshole. Though none of his outfits really make sense.
Three of his outfits (Kabuki, Nazi, Russian pimp) reflect America's past enemies.
The Octopus and Silken Floss wear different (and ridiculous) costumes every time we see them, most memorably the previously mentioned...uh, military wear.
And The Octopus's apparent egg fetish...
The Spirit would like to remind you that he's "NOT ON DRUGS!!"
The Octopus: When my buddies here find Sand Saref, I won'tneedprofits, I'll have the blood. Then, if I want something, I'll justtakeit!That's what gods do!
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