The Green Hornet review thread.

[블라스]

We have the first (kind of) review.

From BNAT 12

Now, I can't review GREEN HORNET in any real detail. I'd like to. In fact, if I were to write it up with any real specificity this would be the longest of these reviews. But I feel i must say this. Although this is being released in January, traditionally a dump-month for the studios, I must insist that this isn't a dump kind of film. I have no idea what kind of box office this will make. But this was for me the most pleasant surprise of all the premieres at BNAT. I really, really loved THE GREEN HORNET, and all I can say to you is that I urge you to see it with an open mind and and prepare to have a metric ****-ton of fun with it. I'm not bull*****ing saying this, not trying to get into anyone's good graces. An honest assessment of THE GREEN HORNET - it's really ****ing good.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

good to hear.

 

[Justkidding]

Yeah, the same thing was vaguely said at Bleeding Cool as well.

 

[KenK]

Missed out on screening passes for tomorrow night in DC. I'd definitely like to check it out and see if it is any good.

 

[Killgrave]

Another short review...

Although we didn't see it in 3D, we did see a mostly finished print of "The Green Hornet," and my main reaction to the film is one of pleased relief. It is a big fat pleasure, a knowing tweak of the superhero genre that coasts along on the very-real chemistry between Seth Rogen and Jay Chou through a less-focused first half before finally clicking into focus with a wild and entertaining second half. The film plays it straight at times, and at other times it's pure unhinged comedy, and the combination works. Michel Gondry turns out to be an inspired choice for the material, and even his genre-standard montages have a loony energy that's all his. The action is fun, Christoph Waltz chews some scenery as the bad guy, and by the end, I was eager for a next adventure with the Green Hornet and Kato. I'll have a full review of the film as we get closer to release, but suffice it to say it will be an enthusiastic one.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-...ango-cowboys-and-aliens-green-hornet-and-more

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Typically good superhero movies aren't dumped in January.

 

[KenK]

People actually clapped at the end of the screening I went to last night. It is a surprisingly fun film, and I'm sorry for the old-school fans who didn't want this to be a comedy, but it definitely works as one. And if Kevin Smith's comic (based on his script) is any indication, there would have been some comparable dumb sh** had he done the film (Green Hornet hanging off a building with his pants down, for starters).

The film is clearly for folks more familiar with the 60s series, and the emphasis on Kato makes it that much more apparent. And Jay Chou was ultimately a great casting choice, especially the way him and Seth Rogen play off of each other.

 

[MadVillainy]

Im really looking forward to this

 

[Crockett]

I can't wait for this movie also. Saw the the standee last night when I was at the theater and the reception for the trailer from the audience was good, this movie could surprise people who are negative.

 

[nick22]

Here's about ten or so mini-reviews http://www.crazycritics.com/page/the-green-hornet-early-movie

 

[Bathead]

As a fan of the old TV show, I am willing to wait to see this movie before I judge it. So far, it looks like it might be fun. I won't know for sure until I see it, but I'm willing to give it a chance.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Typically good superhero movies aren't dumped in January.

Surprises can happen in the movie business you know .

 

[Webhead38]

People actually clapped at the end of the screening I went to last night. It is a surprisingly fun film, and I'm sorry for the old-school fans who didn't want this to be a comedy, but it definitely works as one. And if Kevin Smith's comic (based on his script) is any indication, there would have been some comparable dumb sh** had he done the film (Green Hornet hanging off a building with his pants down, for starters).

The film is clearly for folks more familiar with the 60s series, and the emphasis on Kato makes it that much more apparent. And Jay Chou was ultimately a great casting choice, especially the way him and Seth Rogen play off of each other.

Previews for films like this are attended by fans of the main stars, namely Seth Rogen. You didn't get a cross section of the population to see this preview, so the reaction was still very slanted for THOSE fans. Theaters have even said Tron legacy will RETAIN a majority of the 3D theaters because it's business has been so good. Original Green Hornet fans deplore the treatment and general audiences don't know what the h*ll to make of it. Result? Lackluster ticket sales. This thing will be gone from theaters after a month.

 

[KenK]

Previews for films like this are attended by fans of the main stars, namely Seth Rogen. You didn't get a cross section of the population to see this preview, so the reaction was still very slanted for THOSE fans.

That's a big assumption to make, for one. I go to enough preview screenings to meet all types of people of different ages, backgrounds, etc. Usually, I see the same sets of people, and they go to all kinds of films, by it straightforward comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, or horror. To say nothing of the die-hard purist geek friends I actually saw the film with who expected would be the first people to throw hate its way, and ended up singing its praises. One of them even said he'd pay to see it again in 3-D, and he is one of the cheapest/most broke people I know (hence his always going to free moving screenings).

And even if you could say that, it's only Rogen fans who would like or even entertain seeing the film doesn't prove it's destined to fail. If anything, Rogen would be a selling point for the film given his commercial and critical successes, especially for films he's co-written.

Original Green Hornet fans deplore the treatment

You're kind of overestimating the fanbase of the Green Hornet in its "original" form, don't you think? To believe you're going to find more people whose first thought of Green Hornet is as a pulp hero from an old radio show, versus initially thinking of the television series co-starring Bruce Lee, is highly unlikely. And after that series, how much of a prominence did The Green Hornet have in popular culture?

and general audiences don't know what the h*ll to make of it.

Where's that basis even coming from?

 

[Webhead38]

You're kind of overestimating the fan base of the Green Hornet in its "original" form, don't you think? To believe you're going to find more people whose first thought of Green Hornet is as a pulp hero from an old radio show, versus initially thinking of the television series co-starring Bruce Lee, is highly unlikely. And after that series, how much of a prominence did The Green Hornet have in popular culture?

If you market a film about the Green Hornet, I would ASSUME you want Green Hornet fans on board, yes? They did that for Spider-man. They did that for Batman. And they've done that for every other character. And where is your research that says the Green Hornet hasn't picked up fans since the 60's? NOT! So to say the studio was unwise to dis the group of people who would be accepting of the character would seem reasonable, yes?

Where's that basis even coming from?

I'll take it from your very words..." And after that series, how much of a prominence did The Green Hornet have in popular culture?" Well not much. So are you going to sit there and call me crazy for saying it unwise to push aside the fan base because you can read the minds of a country that clearly has had no appetite for this character, but you think they do? Really? Heck, lets pull in the demographics of just those interested in the whole comic genre, period. Look at this forum? It's practically dead. Where is your belief that there is any true "BUZZ" for this film when the very people who should be interested about it aren't even on this website speculating? Just watch the box office numbers and check back. It's not outrageous to assume that your excitement is based on your one preview event. And I am glad you were there to accurately record every age group and their interest for being there. Hey! Perhaps your on the Sony payroll and your the one who collected the exit polling! Now that makes sense...

 

[Killgrave]

On Rotten Tomatoes, you have 90% with 27124 wanting to see and 2919 not interested. While on IMDb, up 255% in popularity this week.

You have the average fan rating saying GO see it, on Fandango; and a 7.4 average rating from 17 out of 19 early advance screening reviews (nick22 post).

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/green_hornet/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990407/
http://www.fandango.com/thegreenhornet_113174/movieoverview
http://www.crazycritics.com/page/the-green-hornet-early-movie

 

[El Payaso]

I just read two good reviews at rottentomatoes (maybe they're the same posted in this thread, I don't know). I really want to like this movie and now I have a little hope.

People actually clapped at the end of the screening I went to last night. It is a surprisingly fun film, and I'm sorry for the old-school fans who didn't want this to be a comedy, but it definitely works as one.

I have never been against comedy, but against bad cheap average comedy which is what the trailers have given me.

And if Kevin Smith's comic (based on his script) is any indication, there would have been some comparable dumb sh** had he done the film (Green Hornet hanging off a building with his pants down, for starters).

So Kevin Smith's comic shows me more bad cheap average comedy.

 

[Webhead38]

On Rotten Tomatoes, you have 90% with 27124 wanting to see and 2919 not interested. While on IMDb, up 255% in popularity this week.

You have the average fan rating saying GO see it, on Fandango; and a 7.4 average rating from 17 out of 19 early advance screening reviews (nick22 post).

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/green_hornet/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990407/
http://www.fandango.com/thegreenhornet_113174/movieoverview
http://www.crazycritics.com/page/the-green-hornet-early-movie

Let's not "pad" the numbers there buddy. Tell the rest of the story why don't you? It's actually at 47% and dropping. That's after ONLY 15 critics have weighed in. Now if you hold a good percentage after 75 to 100 critics have weighed in, you'll have a reason to argue this point. Right now, it's meaningless. Oh, BTW...the community rating is also dropping. Now down to 73%. I tried to tell everyone this thing was front loaded with tons of false bravado. It's been a train wreck since day one. And has been rewritten and recast countless times in the past year. There's also a GOOD reason why it's release date was moved several times. And why it is now opening on a soft weekend for competition.

 

[marvelman2006]

Im shocked how fast that fell. I think I will let the final rating determine if I see it or not.

 

[Webhead38]

Now sitting at 41% and plummeting. That's with 17 reviews in. And honestly folks... That's before we've gotten to the critics who are routinely hard on these films. So it goes without saying the critics that could have given this film a chance are already running from it. The only question left here is how far to the bottom will it go? Single digits?

 

[MadVillainy]

IF it gets good reviews fine. But Im mature enough to decide stuff for myself

 

[KenK]

Now sitting at 41% and plummeting. That's with 17 reviews in. And honestly folks... That's before we've gotten to the critics who are routinely hard on these films. So it goes without saying the critics that could have given this film a chance are already running from it. The only question left here is how far to the bottom will it go? Single digits?

It's currently at 47%, actually. And in actually reading the negative reviews, some of them actually had quite a bit to say about what works in the film, even if their summations leaned more to the negative.

EDIT: 48%

And I have to say, complaining about property damage caused by the heroes of a film is kind of moot. Nolan's Batman films are loaded with Batman willfully destroying anything in his path. He basically destroyed Gotham's most used form of public transportation at the end of the film. Not to mention all the cars he blow up in The Dark Knight when he first rode the Batpod. Even including a shot of kids watching the mayhem unfold in their family vehicle, one of which could have easily been blown up if Batman saw it as being in his way before realizing that there were small children inside!

 

[KenK]

Still needs to get a lot more reviews in, and it could still go down, but it's sitting at 52% right now, so it's actually gone UP in the last two hours.

 

[MadVillainy]

I didnt expect this to get higher than 65 on rt anyway

 

[Symbiotic]

Armond White likes it. I'm scared.