7 Word Weekend Movie Review: The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, and Ron Howard can go away now

New Movie Releases Reviewed in 7 Words Each

A Somewhat Gentle Man (limited) - Seriously, all you're offering is Stellan Skarsgard?

The Dilemma - It's time to put Ron Howard down.

The Heart Specialist - Hey, only took five years to release.

Ong Bak 3 (limited) - Can't live up to the first two.

The Green Hornet - I am prepared to love it completely. 

Maybe it's the previews or maybe it's just me. Perhaps I've reached a stage in my life where the idea of a movie starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, and Queen Latifah, just doesn't hold the same draw it might have... oh, right, it never was a draw. I love Opie (seriously, I've watched The Andy Griffith Show enough to quote some episodes. Call it sad if you want, I call it awesome) and I love Ron Howard when he's on The Simpsons, but as a filmmaker... Yawn... zzzzzzz (that would be me falling asleep for the sarcastic impaired). All I know is that from frame one of the first preview I saw I was unimpressed.

For those of you who don't know the awesomeness that is ONG Bak 1 and 2- heck forget that, let's just say part 2, I suggest you go watch the trailer on youtube. Any film that features martial arts on elephants and wrestling crocodiles, has something right going for it. Unfortunately reviews for the third part have been very poor. The word I've heard used the most is "lifeless".

I have no idea what The Heart Specialist is and I don't really want to. The film was apparently released in 2006 to some festivals, and is now going wide... I've lived this long without it, I can wait till it catches me off guard one day when I'm sick and can't change a channel. 

I haven't really heard a lot of people voicing faith in The Green Hornet. Possibly because it's another superhero movie or because it's Seth Rogen or maybe because Bruce Lee won't be able to reprise his role as Kato. Sorry, folks but he's been dead awhile. I hear they tried to get Brandon Lee, but he didn't care to give it a shot (this tasteless joke brought to you by the letter M). Personally I love the old Green Hornet show, I've always enjoyed Rogen and the film is directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) who should at the least make it interesting. Oh yeah, and it has Eward James Olmos in it. I defy you to suggest he's not a bonus to any film. Until it has disappointed me face to face, I shall expect awesomeness from it. 

Trailer:

End of trailer, doi.

On the staying in front, I finally got around to seeing The Other Guys and was pleasantly surprised. The Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg comedy sees the two of them as detectives waiting for their chance to shine. Ferrel plays a nerdy, weird guy who women oddly find irresistible (a running gag that manages to not overdo it). Wahlberg does what he does best, playing an angry grunt, and is the straight man to Ferrell's craziness. If for no other reason than the first fifteen minutes featuring The Rock and Samuel L Jackson, I would recommend it. The absolute brilliance they show in the beginning is comic gold. The weakness to the film is also one of its strengths. Adam McKay is the director and co-writer, which means you get a mix of weird jokes that are fantastic but also some that fall flat because they're just too out there (the difference between Anchorman and Stepbrothers). He also loves to let his leads improvise, which often just leaves spots that go on too long. Overall it's a fun film that parodies the action genre while still telling a story. Not for the kiddies though, I give it a 7 out of 10

Have a great weekend everyone!