You may not be that interested.... I don't really know why but i think it's Seth Rogen. I love Seth Rogen- by my count, he's made one mis-step. Maybe it has to do with his comedy background but he's already made a superb action comedy, Pineapple Express- considering, it's hardly that much of a shark-jump. Plus it has Hans Landa. Plus direction from Parisian wunderkind Michel Gondry. So if i don't like it... Well lets just say, I'll be Observe and Report-level depressed.
You may remember my backhanded compliment about 'It's Kind Of A Funny Story', when i suggested if i was 12, i would have loved that movie. Well the 8yo. Cody would have loved him some Green Hornet. The 27yo. Cody was in love with it too.
I make no apologies. This was my shit. It was everything i wanted to see, nothing i was worried it might be like.
Where do i start? I liked the story and the plot; it's not perfect and gets a lil' convoluted towards the end but i think Rogen and Evan Goldberg pretty much land it and they're making an effort in terms of storytelling and not just relying on dialogue. Jay Chou is great as Kato- he's just the epitome of a boy's best friend. I defy you not to crush on him a little. You may have heard Christoph Waltz is repeating his Hans Landa bit- So what? Even he you didn't like Inglorious Basterds, you liked his shtick.
Cameron Diaz is kinda left with nothing do here and I feel bad for her but this movie isn't about that yucky girl kissy stuff anyway.
This movie is all about boys making friends and having adventures. Having fun and making mischief. Fighting with your best friend but i don't even remember what we were fighting about-Who cares? He's my best friend.
At this point, i must sternly warn you-if you are allergic to the Prince Heeb-jent of Modern American Comedy, Seth Rogen- Stay Away.
It's not for you- it'll be 2hrs of hell, no doubt. But for me, i can't help but like the dude.
I generally like him in other peoples movies but in the movies he's co-written like Pineapple Express and Superbad, he's better. Like what comedy star do you know who still takes the time to write his movies or ever did?
He's like a 27yo Jack Benny.
He'll never have that international draw of Sandler or Carrey but he makes money for studios. He doesn't need to write his movies. He could leave it to Evan. He could even leave it to Ganz and Mandel or the Farrelly's. But he's never made a movie for the money and i think that counts for... something, at least.
Anyway, Gondry here plays it pretty straight with his direction, there are flourishes of a Gondry optical mash-up but mainly not. Not that's bad or disappointing but i think he's learnt that you can't make films that are 90mins of those inventive colorful music video-style confections; it's just too exhausting to watch. The devise they use to great effect in The Green Hornet, which marries Gondry's style and Hollywood popcorn is 'Kato-Vision'- which is like a concertinaed Bullet time.
In the end, i think this clocking in at 2hrs is too long but if you watched it at home, that won't be issue and i was more than happy to spend time in this world. The 'Kato-Vision' is so good you wish you got more of it but apart from that, not too shabby.
I haven't seen such a fun movie in a good while.
Am i going to tell you to watch this before 127 Hours?
No, but if you could watch 2movies this month (so far)- I'd like to hope you'd dig The Green Hornet.
8yo Cody wants to go to Toys'r'Us and get Green Hornet and Kato action figures and the car and play in his room making ramps outta books and stuff...
I watched The Green Hornet (2011), at the cinema.
My 2011 in Movies will return with Hana-Bi (1997)...
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