The Green Hornet in 3D- Review

Seth Rogan (Superbad, Knocked up) is Britt Reid, son of a millionaire, party animal extraordinaire. After the loss of his father to an allergic reaction, Britt inherits his fathers millions, and his media tycoon. After a night fighting crime with employee "Kato", played by Jay Chao, the pair agree that becoming masked vigilantes is the way forward. The pair look to take down, what is essentially, the Los Angeles mafia, and regain order and integrity to the LA that Reids' father once knew, whilst battling personal issues on the way. With a twist, however. To stop innocent civilians getting hurt, or killed, the pair act as criminals. Hence the tagline "Breaking the law to protect it".

If you were to imagine modern day superhero films on a line, with Kick-Ass on the "all out comedy" side, and The Dark Knight on the "deadly serious, hell this may as well be real life" side, with Spider-Man in the middle, The Green Hornet leans towards the Kick-Ass side. It's cliched, it's predictable. But at the same time, it's very funny. The characters, to an extent, are well written, and every superhero film convention used to great effect, and this adds to the comedy played out on screen.

Seth Rogan does a decent job of playing the selfish millionaire (clearly taking some inspiration from a certain Robert Downey Jr). Everything that he said is very casual. At times it feels too casual. Certain action scenes that could potentially be really tense are tainted by Rogans want to get another laugh. More than likely this is down to the reuniting of him and his writing partner from Superbad; Evan Goldberg. The script isn't as good as Superbad, of course it isn't, but they get across that they want it to be fun. They want the audience to enjoy themselves.

The role of Kato is almost show stealing. Chao did a good job of portraying an uptight, anxious, stressed side kick looking for more than being know as "The Green Hornet's sidekick". Stand out, for me at least, was the role of "Chudnofsky", played by Christoph Waltz. Waltz brilliantly played a gangster afraid of being left in the dark. Always making sure his associates are scared of him, always looking for a way to get his name said again, I was very impressed by the overall performance.

As mentioned earlier, the film was written by the pair that wrote Superbad. I suppose it isn't bad. The story is quite engaging, to be fair. But it relies too heavily on the character interation to drive it forward. Cameron Diaz plays a part in the overall film, however her character is almost non-existent. Her character is written boring, and as a result, she is boring. You feel that more time had been put into the inventions for the black beauty, and the jokes for Rogan to be a part of, rather than the overall character development.

The Green Hornet is not the film you go to see when you're looking to be impressed. The 3D is tacked on, and, until the credits, it's hardly noticeable. It's not a film to win any awards, either. It's stupid, it's silly, it's violent. But it's exactly those thing that make it funny, and somewhat charming. Some of the action sequences are genuinely brilliant, and you'll laugh at least once. At the very least, it's the closest to a summer blockbuster you'll find at the start of the year.

127 Hours- Review

127 Hours is the latest film from Oscar winning director Danny Boyle, known for 2008's Slumdog Millionaire and 2002's 28 Days Later. Reportedly waiting four years to craft this piece of cinema, Boyle has filmed one of the most personal experiences possibly in the history of cinema.

Aron Ralston is a rock climber, mountaineer and all round thrill seeker. One weekend he travels out to the canyons of Utah. Whilst taking on one of the canyons, a rock traps his arm and leaves him stranded with little more than a litre of water, a few chocolate bars and his climbing gear. Over the course of five days, Ralston remembers past friends, loves, and his family, and comes to the realisation this rock was destined for him since birth.

127 Hours is a true story, so it's no wonder why the story extremely personal. Every word said, every action acted, it's all very precise, very emotional. And this is, in no small part, down to James Franco, best known for his role in the Spider-man trilogy. Franco puts everything into his performance that you genuinely feel for the man. Franco does everything right in this picture, and I wholeheartedly believe he should at least receive a nomination, if not win, an Academy Award for his role in this picture.

As you'd expect, the film is padded with flashbacks. Yes, they can get a bit tedious, yes they can get slightly confusing. But for the most part, they flesh out a potentially mundane story brilliantly, adding significant depth to Francos character, and offer much more than expected. You get an insight into how the man trapped in a cave came to be, you get an emotional connection to the players in his life. It's wonderfully bound.

But where the real film lies is the video diary entries he partakes in each day. The shorts allow for some comic relief, as well as giving the audience a view into the growing madness of Ralston, who fully believes this canyon will be his tomb.

Ultimately 127 Hours is a superb effort. Everything about it screams "Award Winner". Acted brilliantly, directed brilliantly, delivered brilliantly. The best film of 2011 may have arrived on the fifth of the first month. If you don't see it, you'll miss out on an unbelievable treat.