The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet (2011)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, and Cameron Diaz
Directed by: Michel Gondry
SC=4 V=6 C=5
Grade: A

Yet another superhero movie to come out this year (although this one did better than some). This is one of the few movies where I have actually liked Seth Rogen's character...that doesn't happen very much. Even cooler than Seth Rogen's character was that of his "sidekick" Jay Chou. Britt Reid (Rogen) becomes the editor of Los Angeles' "The Daily Sentinel" after his father dies. His partying ways stop, though, after he and his driver (who is also a kung fu expert) Kato (Chou) stop a robbery. Britt has a great idea that, instead of being the masked avenger, he and his sidekick Kato will pretend to be villains in order to catch the villains (trust me, it makes a lot more sense during the movie). So, as Britt (now being called The Green Hornet) and Kato set out on the biggest crime spree the city has seen, the city's other villains start to take notice. But, things don't work out exactly as the pair planned. Make sure to watch for a cameo from James Franco and a minor character played by Edward Furlong, the original John Connor from T2.

Date Night

Date Night (2010)
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Mark Wahlberg
Directed by: Shawn Levy
SC= 6 V= 4 C= 5
Grade: A-

Everyone was so excited about a movie starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey that I think any movie that came out would have disappointed. That's why I think this movie got so many bad reviews, because it's actually a decent movie with quite a few funny moments (the pleading by Steve Carell for Mark Whalberg to put on a shirt comes to mind.) Steve and Tina's chemistry is very funny. And Jimmi Simpson is in it, which makes it that much better. Phil and Claire's marriage has grown stale and Phil just wants to thrill his wife with a nice dinner in the city. They are late to Claw, the newest and coolest restaurant in Manhattan, so, of course, they don't get a table. On a whim, they decide to take reservations for the Tripplehorns, who missed their reservations. Halfway through dinner, two men (Jimmi Simpson and Common) come over to their table, seemingly to ask them to leave. Once they get out in the alley, it becomes apparent that they aren't from the restaurant and they actually work for a gangster named Joe Maletto. The men are looking for a thumb drive that the actual Tripplehorns stole. After the Fosters luckily get away, they find Holbrooke Grant (Wahlberg), who runs a successful private security firm. With his help, they are able to locate the actual Tripplehorns to get them to give the thumb drive back. With several fun surprises and cameos (like James Franco and Mila Kunis as the Tripplehorns), this is a movie that will make you laugh and just might surprise you. (It also goes to show that reviewers are cranky, old men who only like movies like The King's Speech, bleh.)