In 1936, George W. Trendle created The Green Hornet, a radio series following wealthy newspaper mogul Britt Reid who fights crime as a vigilante known as The Green Hornet, who is thought to be a criminal. Britt is aided by his martial arts trained valet Kato as a sidekick and battles the city's underworld and scum. The series became an instant hit and was one of the world's first superheroes - this was even before Superman or Batman came around. The series inspired a comic book, several serials and a hit TV show that starred Van Williams and introduced Bruce Lee (who was more of the hero) to the world. Many film studios such as Universal and Miramax attempted to start a film franchise off the hero but it never got off the ground - until now.
Out of all the people who could have directed or starred in the film, Sony Pictures chose Seth Rogen, known for his stoner comedies to play the hero and write the film and art house visionary director Michel Gondry to direct. Seth Rogen was bashed for being too fat to play a hero but he lost weight and even though being an unlikely choice to play the hero, Rogen managed to write it into being the type of movie he would usually star in.
In this somewhat parody of superhero films, Britt Reid is an irresponsible son of newspaper mogul James Reid who bashes his son. When James dies, Britt is stuck in charge of The Daily Sentinel and doesn't know what he will do in life. One day, Britt meets his father's mechanic and coffee maker Kato. This version of Kato doesn't live up to Bruce Lee but is badass and one of the best things about this film. Britt and Kato stop a mugging one night and decide to become superheroes who pose as criminals to get close to the bad guys.
Despite being the title character and being labeled the hero in headlines, Kato is the real hero here. This annoyed me because even though Kato did most fighting in the original series, Britt could also kick some ass. In this version, Britt is lazy as hell and only manages to shoot his gas gun twice and punch one dude before getting beaten up. I enjoyed that Britt pokes fun at how he has no skills but is still the hero and Kato does everything but is the sidekick.
Cameron Diaz has a small and disapointing part as Lenore, the secretary who Britt and Kato fight over. Despite being too old to be a hot assistant, Rogen pokes fun at this by actually telling Lenore that she is old. Christoph Waltz is great as the flamboyant and desperate gangster Benjamin Chudnofsky, who vies to be scary and become a supervillain known as Bloodnofsky, which makes his henchmen laugh at him. One of the best things about this film is James Franco's awesome cameo as rival gangster Danny "Crystal" Clear, who calls Chudnofsky a disco grandpa and is killed in return. If they make a sequel, I hope Clear returns because he was one of the best things about the film and it could be possible he survived his death.
Michel Gondry is used to make small-budget films that are unique and visionary and so this film was sort of strange for him to tackle. He uses his retro look at things to give us Kato Vision - a mode where we see the world through the eyes of Kato - which is awesome and I heard is even better in 3D. The Black Beauty would make Batman and Iron Man jealous in seconds and Kato is a better sidekick than War Machine or Robin. Despite getting mixed reviews from critics and audiences, I enjoyed this film and thought it was a blast but I was having mixed bag feelings if this was a superhero film with humor (Iron Man) or a comedy with superhero elements (Kick-Ass or Red). Those films worked because they knew what type of film they were and this film doesn't because it is caught between satire, comedy and gritty brutal violence making it sort of cheesy. However, this is not a good film or a bad film it is just decent and if it is a Saturday afternoon and you and your friends want to have fun, go the movies and watch The Green Hornet in 3-D.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
83rd Academy Award thoughts
Finally, the 83rd Academy Award nominations are in and they are - disapointing, considering that 2010 provided us with many films that were great, the Academy seems to love snubbing people don't they.
Christopher Nolan for Best Director - Ok so David Fincher did do a great job on The Social Network but Nolan has always been a great director and always gets snubbed even though everyone else seems to love him (Golden Globes, DGA, PGA, CCA). Maybe in 2012, he will finally win for his third Batman flick.
Mila Kunis for Supporting Actress - Mila Kunis has always been a decent actress but she showed us her dark side in her sensual performance in Black Swan. Maybe her lesbian sex scene was just too much.
Andrew Garfield for Supporting Actor - The new Spider-Man gave us a riveting performance as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin but for some reason, the Academy chose the Winter's Bone guy instead.
Michael Douglas - After recovering from cancer, this guy managed to get several awards for both Solitary Man and his return as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street 2. Maybe it's because he already won as Gekko.
Tron: Legacy - Sure it's not Best Picture worthy, but Tron had one the best original scores in years thanks to Daft Punk and realistic dazzling FX. But it managed to get outed by the sloppy edited and filmed Herafter.
The Town - This film was sure to be a Best Picture nominee but it got snubbed and got one nom for Jeremy Renner's electrifying performance as bank robber Jem Coughlin. Instead it got snubbed by Winter's Bone.
Mark Wahlberg for The Fighter - Wahlberg lead a wonderful ensemble as boxer Mickey Ward but somehow did not get nominated, Academy what the hell is wrong with you guys, I mean seriously!
No Despicable Me or Tangled - C'mon these were both some of 2010's best animated flicks!
I think the Golden Globes would have had better nominations this year if it was without the stupid snubbing of True Grit and including Burlesque and the god-awful The Tourist so I think the most satisfying award show this year was the critic's choice awards. Everyone was nominated in the categories they deserved and some of the year's best films walked off with several wins. Academy you better shape the hell up for next year.
Christopher Nolan for Best Director - Ok so David Fincher did do a great job on The Social Network but Nolan has always been a great director and always gets snubbed even though everyone else seems to love him (Golden Globes, DGA, PGA, CCA). Maybe in 2012, he will finally win for his third Batman flick.
Mila Kunis for Supporting Actress - Mila Kunis has always been a decent actress but she showed us her dark side in her sensual performance in Black Swan. Maybe her lesbian sex scene was just too much.
Andrew Garfield for Supporting Actor - The new Spider-Man gave us a riveting performance as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin but for some reason, the Academy chose the Winter's Bone guy instead.
Michael Douglas - After recovering from cancer, this guy managed to get several awards for both Solitary Man and his return as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street 2. Maybe it's because he already won as Gekko.
Tron: Legacy - Sure it's not Best Picture worthy, but Tron had one the best original scores in years thanks to Daft Punk and realistic dazzling FX. But it managed to get outed by the sloppy edited and filmed Herafter.
The Town - This film was sure to be a Best Picture nominee but it got snubbed and got one nom for Jeremy Renner's electrifying performance as bank robber Jem Coughlin. Instead it got snubbed by Winter's Bone.
Mark Wahlberg for The Fighter - Wahlberg lead a wonderful ensemble as boxer Mickey Ward but somehow did not get nominated, Academy what the hell is wrong with you guys, I mean seriously!
No Despicable Me or Tangled - C'mon these were both some of 2010's best animated flicks!
I think the Golden Globes would have had better nominations this year if it was without the stupid snubbing of True Grit and including Burlesque and the god-awful The Tourist so I think the most satisfying award show this year was the critic's choice awards. Everyone was nominated in the categories they deserved and some of the year's best films walked off with several wins. Academy you better shape the hell up for next year.
The Top 10 Films of 2010
Now that 2010 is over and 2011 has begun, we look back at the films we saw in 2010 that were truly great. So this is Kian Mirnezam's best films of 2010 as well as some films that were good but not included.
1. Inception - Christopher Nolan's sci-fi drama flick was excellent in every perspective, it had wonderful acting, a riveting score, a grand screenplay and dazzling effects proving Nolan as filmmaker of the decade.
2. Toy Story 3 - In 2010, we returned to a 15 year old franchise which ended up being a heart-warming sequel and an animated masterpiece. Toy Story 3 was great and made us all laugh, cry and smile.
3. The Social Network - David Ficher directs this film based on the founding of Facebook with sheer greatness thanks to a moody electronic score, outstanding performances and Aaron Sorkin's screenplay.
4. Black Swan - Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career in this surprisingly magnificent dark thriller which pushed all the boundaries of films and gave us Darren Aronofsky's best film to date.
5. True Grit - Joel and Ethan Coen decided to remake the 1969 John Wayne western classic and managed to make it even better. True Grit showed us that sometimes remakes are much better than the original.
6. The King's Speech - Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush all give Oscar worthy performances in this British historical drama which touched and inspired people all over the world.
7. 127 Hours - James Franco gives the best performance of his career - period. Danny Boyle directs this adventure drama that is now notorious for the famous amputation scene but is otherwise a great film.
8. The Town - Ben Affleck shows us what he is really made of in this action-packed and thrilling intense crime saga set in his hometown of Boston. The Town is well directed and features an amazing ensemble.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Let's face it, Harry Potter movies are always good but this year we got the best Harry's got to offer thanks to a dark storyline, giving us the best Potter movie yet.
10. Scott Pilgrim vs the World - In 2010, there were plenty of good comic book films, but Edgar Wright managed to make his comic book movie into a flashy and cool retro take on old school video games.
Here are some films released in 2010 that proved to be good but managed to not make it onto this list.
Iron Man 2 - This superhero sequel was not as good as the first film but managed to be fun and exciting due to Robert Downey Jr's performance, great effects, humor and easter eggs to the mighty Avengers film.
Easy A - I thought this movie would suck, but I heard it was good and watched and I had to say it was one of the funniest films of this year and managed to be the best high school film since 2004's Mean Girls.
The Other Guys - I like Will Ferrell, but his only real good movies were Anchorman and Elf. We can add his satirical cop comedy The Other Guys to that list thanks to the partnering of Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
The Fighter - Speaking of Mark Wahlberg, he and director David O. Russell gave us the best sports film of the decade and provided us with extraordinary performances from Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.
Shutter Island - It may not be Martin Scorsese's best film, but Shutter Island was a film that kept in you involved and ended up shocking you with what I have to say is one of the most surprising plot twists EVER.
Tron: Legacy - Disney made a bold move putting first time director Joseph Kosinski in charge of a big 3D $200 million sequel to a 30 year old film. Thanks to Jeff Bridges, 3D and Daft Punk - it worked.
Kick-Ass - Another great comic book flick was Kick-Ass, which managed to be a sleeper hit and gain positive reviews, thanks it satirical take on superhero films and Quentin Tarantion style action sequences.
Salt - It's story may have made no sense, but it was a great action flick with Angelina Jolie!
Unstoppable - Another surprise was that this film was actually good thanks to it's intense action scenes.
Despicable Me - Universal managed to make a good animated film that was super cute and funny.
How to Train Your Dragon - This underrated film was magical with it's 3D and touching story.
Tangled - Disney + musical + animation = another great Disney fairytale musical adaptation.
1. Inception - Christopher Nolan's sci-fi drama flick was excellent in every perspective, it had wonderful acting, a riveting score, a grand screenplay and dazzling effects proving Nolan as filmmaker of the decade.
2. Toy Story 3 - In 2010, we returned to a 15 year old franchise which ended up being a heart-warming sequel and an animated masterpiece. Toy Story 3 was great and made us all laugh, cry and smile.
3. The Social Network - David Ficher directs this film based on the founding of Facebook with sheer greatness thanks to a moody electronic score, outstanding performances and Aaron Sorkin's screenplay.
4. Black Swan - Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career in this surprisingly magnificent dark thriller which pushed all the boundaries of films and gave us Darren Aronofsky's best film to date.
5. True Grit - Joel and Ethan Coen decided to remake the 1969 John Wayne western classic and managed to make it even better. True Grit showed us that sometimes remakes are much better than the original.
6. The King's Speech - Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush all give Oscar worthy performances in this British historical drama which touched and inspired people all over the world.
7. 127 Hours - James Franco gives the best performance of his career - period. Danny Boyle directs this adventure drama that is now notorious for the famous amputation scene but is otherwise a great film.
8. The Town - Ben Affleck shows us what he is really made of in this action-packed and thrilling intense crime saga set in his hometown of Boston. The Town is well directed and features an amazing ensemble.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Let's face it, Harry Potter movies are always good but this year we got the best Harry's got to offer thanks to a dark storyline, giving us the best Potter movie yet.
10. Scott Pilgrim vs the World - In 2010, there were plenty of good comic book films, but Edgar Wright managed to make his comic book movie into a flashy and cool retro take on old school video games.
Here are some films released in 2010 that proved to be good but managed to not make it onto this list.
Iron Man 2 - This superhero sequel was not as good as the first film but managed to be fun and exciting due to Robert Downey Jr's performance, great effects, humor and easter eggs to the mighty Avengers film.
Easy A - I thought this movie would suck, but I heard it was good and watched and I had to say it was one of the funniest films of this year and managed to be the best high school film since 2004's Mean Girls.
The Other Guys - I like Will Ferrell, but his only real good movies were Anchorman and Elf. We can add his satirical cop comedy The Other Guys to that list thanks to the partnering of Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
The Fighter - Speaking of Mark Wahlberg, he and director David O. Russell gave us the best sports film of the decade and provided us with extraordinary performances from Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.
Shutter Island - It may not be Martin Scorsese's best film, but Shutter Island was a film that kept in you involved and ended up shocking you with what I have to say is one of the most surprising plot twists EVER.
Tron: Legacy - Disney made a bold move putting first time director Joseph Kosinski in charge of a big 3D $200 million sequel to a 30 year old film. Thanks to Jeff Bridges, 3D and Daft Punk - it worked.
Kick-Ass - Another great comic book flick was Kick-Ass, which managed to be a sleeper hit and gain positive reviews, thanks it satirical take on superhero films and Quentin Tarantion style action sequences.
Salt - It's story may have made no sense, but it was a great action flick with Angelina Jolie!
Unstoppable - Another surprise was that this film was actually good thanks to it's intense action scenes.
Despicable Me - Universal managed to make a good animated film that was super cute and funny.
How to Train Your Dragon - This underrated film was magical with it's 3D and touching story.
Tangled - Disney + musical + animation = another great Disney fairytale musical adaptation.
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