Sony / 2011 / 119 Minutes
Street Date: May 03, 2011
Genres: Action, comedy, comic based
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou and Cameron Diaz
Director: Michael Gondry
Plot Synopsis: The buzz around The Green Hornet comes from the collision of weird talents involved: Seth Rogen plays the crime-fighting hero and writes the movie with his Superbad bud Evan Goldberg; pop star Jay Chou plays Kato; and the whimsy-headed Michel Gondry directs. Toss in Inglourious Basterds Oscar winner Christoph Waltz as a super-villain highly self-conscious about his brand, and you've got a blockbuster that definitely isn't going for the normal. And for a while, the movie's Apatovian comedy and bromantic tendencies supply some definite fun; plus, Waltz and his double-barreled revolver (along with an uncredited cameo by James Franco) launch the picture with a giddy opening action sequence. At some point, though, you want all this stuff to mesh, and The Green Hornet keeps zipping about in three directions at once, never quite maintaining its early comic zip, but not grounding itself in an engaging enough crime-fighting plot, either. And there's little to do for nominal female lead Cameron Diaz; although both millionaire playboy Britt Reid and Kato make half-hearted passes at her, it's clear their main interest is each other. You just knew a franchise that began as a radio serial in the 1930s (and took a brief but memorable detour into TV in the '60s) would end up being part of that unavoidable 21st-century genre, the male-bonding comedy. Of course, it's really a triangle. Their boss car, Black Beauty, also gets a lot of love.
Disc Features:
- Audio Commentary — Rogen, Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and director Michel Gondry get together for a group commentary on the movie.
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 26 min.) — Nine deleted scenes in all, including one entitled "Dickweed".
- "Awesoom" Gag Reel (HD, 7 min.)
- Writing 'The Green Hornet' (HD, 10 min.)
- The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool (HD, 7 min.)
Universal / 2011 / 112 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 03, 2011
Genres: Comedy, drama
Starring: Vince Vaughn and Kevin James
Director: Ron Howard
Plot Synopsis: Director Ron Howard (Splash) returns to his comedy roots with The Dilemma, a deft screwball drama-comedy with a decidedly modern spin. Costars Vince Vaughn (Ronny) and Kevin James (Nick) manage to be funny as well as poignant--and their "bromance" is one of the most touching and believable relationships on the big screen. The supporting cast is top-notch too. Jennifer Connelly, effortlessly lovely and graceful, plays Beth, Ronny's girlfriend. Winona Ryder, who makes a welcome return to film, plays Nick's wife, Geneva. "The dilemma" of the title occurs when Ronny sees Geneva with another man. Should he tell his best friend his wife is cheating on him? And what's the best time to drop a bombshell like that on someone you love? The Dilemma is surprisingly poignant for a comedy--the emotions and heartbreak are faced straight on. And Vaughn and James are more than capable of expanding their doofusy personas to show nuance and defeat. The supporting cast, as with all Howard films, is also great--including Channing Tatum as Geneva's partner-in-crime; Queen Latifah, who commands the screen as always; and of course Howard's brother Clint in a cameo. But the heart of The Dilemma is played out among the four main characters, who are solid, engaging, and sometimes appropriately off-putting. The Dilemma asks "Is honesty really the best policy?" And the answer, deftly portrayed with rueful humor and poignancy, is somewhere between secrets and lies.
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