"The Spirit"

Action, Drama, Thriller. Rated PG-13.

This holiday season, get into The Spirit -- not just the spirit of Christmas, but also the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic comic-book novel. Gabriel Macht is in the title role as a cop who was killed in the line of duty and is now brought back to life as The Spirit: a masked, shadowy crime fighter protecting the public.

Samuel J. Jackson is his nemesis pursuing immortality in his way. Eva Mendes, Scarlet Johansson and Sarah Paulson are the beauties.

The Spirit is the second movie based on Miller's work brought to life on the big screen this year. Wanted, now available on DVD, became a blockbuster this summer, about an elite group of assassins that run the world through one code: kill one, save a thousand!

Whereas in 2005's Sin City (another film adaption based on a Miller graphic bomic-book novel) introduced a world of moral ambiguity, crime, corruption, edgy antiheroes and tough yet beautiful damsels with hearts of gold. The Spirit introduces a hero in a world of gray yet determined to make a difference in that world.

The Spirit is one of the definite movies for the holiday season, closing the year of superheroes ruling the box office in 2008.

In Theatres Dec. 25, 2008

Photo credit: LIONSGATE

Scarlet Johansson in The Spirit.