GREEN HORNET review up on the blog Options

Yes, I saw the movie yesterday, and my review is below:

http://www.blogthispal.com/2011/01/smalles...w-of-green.html

Enjoy!

Gordon, as much as I despise the man, his name is ROGEN with an E. And you could not pay me to go see this piece of do-do.

This post has been edited by Ron Fortier: Jan 16 2011, 08:17 AM

I'm with Ron on this one.

I really don't like the fact that they turned Britt into a spoiled brat or the fact that they've made his father into a horrible man who was abusive towards both Kato and Britt. Goes heavily against the mythology of the series.

I'm also told by a friend who has seen it that the Green Hornet and Kato, during a battle with the bad guys inadvertently cause a bunch of innocent people to get slaughtered....and they merely shrug it off. Oops, our bad. I was sickened when I read this, but more so by the post following it by some girl who read these comments then said, "I just is saw it, it was fun." Geez, I didn't realize seeing innocent people killed is a lot fun. They truly didn't make this one for me.

This post has been edited by Ron Fortier: Jan 16 2011, 07:30 AM

They truly didn't make this one for me.

Unfortunately, I have read some "positive" reviews, but quite frankly, two thoughts come to mind:

1. I'm really glad I didn't write an entire column about this movie. It is so horrendously uneven, and downright loathsome at times, that I think Chuck might have asked me to do a rewrite; and
2. The only people who I can see "liking" this movie are those who have very little - if any - taste

There are a few moments (notably fight sequences) that sparkle, but on the whole....this would have worked as a parody of super-hero movies that did not have the Green Hornet's name attached to it.

Even though it's January, I think we have our first contender for the worst movie of 2011.

I won't be going anywhere near this movie and not to be negative.....but I hope it bombs so badly Seth Rogen won't be able to get acting jobs in Hardees commercials afterward.

I'm all for "modernizing" some of the classic heroes with slick action, big boisterous explosions, and high octane testosteranne laced machismo...

... but I'm not a fan of the "New Modern" where the heroes have to be apologetic or so gray you can't find the line where they end and the bad guys begin or golly-gee-whiz oafs who bumblef**k their way to victory. It's almost as if its a bad thing to be a hero. Maybe it's too right wing to be a hero? Maybe it's too oppressive? Who knows.

I'll take the anti-hero just fine (the Harry Callahans and the Marion Cobrettis) because while they are anti-hero they still have a strictly defined bushido-like code of what is right and what is wrong. They fight beaurocracy as much as evil, but it's clear that they hold high value of human life, and that's what drives them to their dark side. No matter how bad they get, they're still fighting for us and not against us.

I've not seen this new Green Hornet, but I've heard enough and seen enough to know that it's not a honorable approach to the classic hero. At best it's a parody, at worst it sounds like a slap in the face to heroism. All the while callously destroying the mythology that has come before - not just for the Hornet, but for Flash Gordon and the Lone Ranger and all the rest, because they'll be treated much the same in this new modern era.

This new generation shouldn't come out of a movie feeling that it was fun, they should come out of a theatre like we did when we were kids. We weren't simply entertained or distracted by our heroes... we wanted to be like them. And that wasn't a bad thing.

This post has been edited by ChadStrohl: Jan 16 2011, 10:27 AM

I'm all for "modernizing" some of the classic heroes with slick action, big boisterous explosions, and high octane testosteranne laced machismo...

... but I'm not a fan of the "New Modern" where the heroes have to be apologetic or so gray you can't find the line where they end and the bad guys begin or golly-gee-whiz oafs who bumblef**k their way to victory. It's almost as if its a bad thing to be a hero. Maybe it's too right wing to be a hero? Maybe it's too oppressive? Who knows.

I'll take the anti-hero just fine (the Harry Callahans and the Marion Cobrettis) because while they are anti-hero they still have a strictly defined bushido-like code of what is right and what is wrong. They fight beaurocracy as much as evil, but it's clear that they hold high value of human life, and that's what drives them to their dark side. No matter how bad they get, they're still fighting for us and not against us.

I've not seen this new Green Hornet, but I've heard enough and seen enough to know that it's not a honorable approach to the classic hero. At best it's a parody, at worst it sounds like a slap in the face to heroism. All the while callously destroying the mythology that has come before - not just for the Hornet, but for Flash Gordon and the Lone Ranger and all the rest, because they'll be treated much the same in this new modern era.

This new generation shouldn't come out of a movie feeling that it was fun, they should come out of a theatre like we did when we were kids. We weren't simply entertained or distracted by our heroes... we wanted to be like them. And that wasn't a bad thing.

I recently saw Seth Rogen's stoner movie pineapple express, and to be quite honest, I fell asleep. I literally fell asleep, halfway through the movie and did not see the ending. It could easily have been edited down to five minutes, and felt like a pro-marijuana movie.
Green Hornet did top the BO, but considering it cost about 140 million due to reshoots, it still underperformed remarkably. I feel sorry for Jay Chou, who I like. He's clearly far more talented than the lead. That said, someone needs to tell Cameron Diaz that all that surgery has ruined her face, and remind her that she is not the same actress who made The MAsk 17-18 years ago, ie she got older.

Apparently Michel Gondry just took a paycheck to make the film, which he admits himself.

My problem with the film, and films of this ilk, is that it mocks the hero, rather than laughing along with the hero. I mean, there is comedy to be gained from when the hero is learning his craft and trade, or when the hero cracks jokes ie Batman Begin, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The LAst Crusade, Hellboy etc usually at the circumstances they find themselves in. This movie just looks like it is mocking the whole premise. The reviews seem to be pretty negative, and I understand why. Still, surprisingly, Rogen has fans. For the life of me I dunno why, because at most, he is a supporting player, and not a lead.

Surprisingly, he seems to be more of a leading man than Jake Gyllehaal, whose movies seem to flop or underperform far more than Rogen's. Jake may find it harder to open a movie now since he, rather cruelly, dumped Taylor Swift over the phone. Women don't like a guy who is a massive jerk, even if they would date such a guy.

That's it. Thanks to you guys not going to see the movie, the execs will now find some excuse to stop making comic book movies. Woe,woe is Hollywood and their crummy executive judgment!
And yes, I agree with the assessment that it's about making all the heroes into anti-heroes for the sake of being "edgy". Whatever that is.

Right. They make a movie nobody wants to see, then when we don't see it, they say its all our fault. Duh???

And trust me, Anthony, when THOR, GREEN LANTERN and CAPTAIN AMERICA come out and are huge hits, the studios will be all over that. Nobody here wants them to stop making comic book movies, we want them to stop making BAD ONES like this Green Turkey.

Right. They make a movie nobody wants to see, then when we don't see it, they say its all our fault. Duh???

And trust me, Anthony, when THOR, GREEN LANTERN and CAPTAIN AMERICA come out and are huge hits, the studios will be all over that. Nobody here wants them to stop making comic book movies, we want them to stop making BAD ONES like this Green Turkey.

I think anthony was being sarcastic?

I know, so was I. "Duh"

I don't hold out much hope for either Thor or Captain America, to be honest. Chris HEmsworth seems to underact in the trailer, and Chris Evans has had his chance with 4 different comic book properties, before Captain America, and all of them have either flopped or been awful films (TMNT, Fantastic Four, Scott Pilgrim, The Losers), its usually third times a charm, but he's had his third chance, it flopped, and it is incredibly hard to imagine that this Captain America will not follow the trend.

I don't hold out much hope for either Thor or Captain America, to be honest. Chris HEmsworth seems to underact in the trailer, and Chris Evans has had his chance with 4 different comic book properties, before Captain America, and all of them have either flopped or been awful films (TMNT, Fantastic Four, Scott Pilgrim, The Losers), its usually third times a charm, but he's had his third chance, it flopped, and it is incredibly hard to imagine that this Captain America will not follow the trend.

So did you yourself watch and enjoy those films? Or are you just talking from a numbers perspective. Because if we're talking numbers, Scott Pilgrim was the only weak one there. And from both a personal standpoint as well as a creative standpoint, I think it was the most underrated movie of 2010...a movie that Chris Evans shined in for his amount on screentime.

TMNT the CGI one was fantastic and I cannot recommend it higher to people.

Fantastic Four, both were average.

The Losers, especially Evans character stayed surprisingly close to Diggle's source material.

So did you yourself watch and enjoy those films? Or are you just talking from a numbers perspective. Because if we're talking numbers, Scott Pilgrim was the only weak one there. And from both a personal standpoint as well as a creative standpoint, I think it was the most underrated movie of 2010...a movie that Chris Evans shined in for his amount on screentime.

TMNT the CGI one was fantastic and I cannot recommend it higher to people.

Fantastic Four, both were average.

The Losers, especially Evans character stayed surprisingly close to Diggle's source material.

I watched Fantastic Four- hated it, which meant I never bothered watching the second one because I was so traumatised from watching the first one. TMNT was entertaining, but as a movie? It felt far too much like a TV show, because the quality of the animation was TV not movie quality. Losers was boring, and I have not had a chance to see Scott Pilgrim.

I watched Fantastic Four- hated it, which meant I never bothered watching the second one because I was so traumatised from watching the first one. TMNT was entertaining, but as a movie? It felt far too much like a TV show, because the quality of the animation was TV not movie quality. Losers was boring, and I have not had a chance to see Scott Pilgrim.

So it's personal opinion and not financial fact?

I mean if you look at it, the Fantastic Four movies, both of them made over 100 million. Not to mention Chris Evans and Michael Chiklas are spot on in their respected roles.

And are you sure you're not confusing TMNT with Turtles lost in time which was the movie teaming 3 different teams of turtles together? Because the movie and the animation were strong, almost at incredibles/Shrek levels.

I fully agree with Eric here, (yeah, write that down!) The FF flicks are spot on with the Torch character and the Thing. I also thought he did an excellent job in Losers. If the movie flopped or didn't it wasn't because of his work. I liked the Losers actually. Was it perfect cinema? No. But it was a lot of fun, and honestly if you don't go to a movie just to have fun sometimes, what's the point?

Anyway, back to Green Hornet. I saw it last night, mostly because I'm compelled on a deep level to see every superhero movie these days, and also because I don't believe in railing a flick I haven't seen based on the opinions of others and trailers. So, I checked it out, and I didn't hate it. It's totally different from anything done before, so if you go expecting to see classic Green Hornet, you're in for a huge disappointment. The movie as a stand alone...wasn't totally horrible. I mean it was funny for the most part, the story had holes but it tracked well enough. I'd give the flick a C- overall, but it was worth a watch at least. I liked the Kato character, and the effects were pretty cool, but they exhausted the computer effects budget in two large fight scenes, which seemed unbalanced down the road. I think this movie wanted to be really good, it just didn't quite make it to the finish line. I wanted more from Seth Rogen honestly. He was good in places, and then slipped back into the same old Seth Rogen we see in every movie he does, which brought me out of the flick at times. They actually really had me at times, but the last ten minutes got...dumb. They went WAY over the top in the last big scene which probably broke the back of an already burdened movie. Like I said, worth one watch, but not something I'll ever own.

On the up side I got to see the Thor trailer on the big screen and it kicked ASS! Woo! I can't wait for that flick!

Cary, trust me, that compulsion to see even bad movies to make up your own mind, will eventually give way in time when you realize you've only have so much time in this world and why the hell should you be giving it up for anything this mediocre? The only thing that I didn't know from your entire review already (again....without having seen the flick and relying on the trailers themselves) was that the THOR trailer kicked ass!!
Now I am totally going to actually see that one.

Cary, trust me, that compulsion to see even bad movies to make up your own mind, will eventually give way in time when you realize you've only have so much time in this world and why the hell should you be giving it up for anything this mediocre? The only thing that I didn't know from your entire review already (again....without having seen the flick and relying on the trailers themselves) was that the THOR trailer kicked ass!!
Now I am totally going to actually see that one.

Yeah Ron, when the trailer first started, I almost thought it was for Captain America! This Thor can fight! He's got the hammer, don't get me wrong, but he can scrap with his hands when he needs to! Natalie Portman plays the female lead, which is awesome because she looks PERFECT in that role, and they even have the little SHIELD guy from the Iron Man movies in there! What's cool about the trailer is how it builds. You see Thor, you see some fight stuff, and then you see a huge span view of Asgard. WOO! That's hot! Odin is played by Anthony Hopkins and he's wicked as the All Father! And then...you see the Destroyer! I was cheering in the theater when I saw that thing! Everyone was looking at me like I was nuts, but it fully rocked. You'll dig it.

On Evans, I actually really liked both Fantastic Four movies, The Losers and Scott Pilgrim. And while we're at it, though not an actual comic movie, Push was pretty good too. So no, it has nothing to do with his acting. He's got the chops and range to pull off Cap for sure. And he was spot on as the Human Torch as Cary said, you couldn't get a better portrayal of that character or Ben Grimm/Thing in my opinion. I really don't understand why the FF movies are so railed on, because they were the best FF I've seen in a long, long, long time! Take that, Jonathan Hickman!!! lol

Can't speak on Green Hornet from a personal perspective as I've not seen it, nor do I plan to. While I did enjoy one Rogen film, I'm not a fan of the actor, nor do I think he can act, nor do I think he's funny at all. I think he's a bit arrogant, therefore casting himself in the lead role of a film he co-wrote, but I don't think the role was deserved. And while the movie very well may be decent as a stand alone, forgetting that it's tied to the comic or TV show, as maybe it should be seen, I still can't get over the fact that they turned a very good and serious pulpy story into a parody with college humor. It's an insult and a slap in the face. If they want to make a parody film, do it with characters not beloved by many, like they did with that Drake Bell movie mocking Spider-Man.