I keep seeing this commercial with The Green Hornet...

[daglob]

... and I keep asking myself "What is this (bleep)?"

[steamteck]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Panther_Gunn]

I'm holding out hope, but not a lot.  I will do my best to go see it, but I won't be expecting awesomeness.

[RTTingle]

You guys are killing me. 

[daglob]

We are not responsible.

As near as I can tell, the producers and such saw the Batman/Green Hornet crossover and have confused the two.

Either that, or, with absolutely no respect for the character, they think the idea of The Green Hornet is funny.

[lugaru]

Am I trying too hard to be positive in saying "It looks a LOT better than The Spirit!"

Seriosly, as long as it is fun I will dig it, and right now it looks fun. If they ruin that part, they will really be left with nothing.

[bredon7777]

I knew Seth Rogen would be COMPLETELY wrong for the part from the moment it was announced.  Then I found out he is credited as a writer on the script as well, and that sealed it for me. I'll rent it when it comes to Redbox.

Such a pity.

[daglob]

Am I trying too hard to be positive in saying "It looks a LOT better than The Spirit!"

Yeah, but Howard The Duck looks better than The Spirit. That's another one that Seemed like it could be okay. (The Spirit, not Howard).

[Courtnall6]

All you need to know about Hollywood and respecting source material is smeared all over the 3 Transformers films. Yes...I am predicting that Transformers 3 will suck...and suck huge.

[lugaru]

Am I trying too hard to be positive in saying "It looks a LOT better than The Spirit!"

Yeah, but Howard The Duck looks better than The Spirit. That's another one that Seemed like it could be okay. (The Spirit, not Howard).

Visually I think Frank Miller did a great job, so no matter how you slice it The Spirit "looked" great. It even had a couple of nice moments... but overall what a stinker. Awful mix of being too juvenile and too adult, and dumb from start to end. Nice babes though, and a few decent fights.

[RTTingle]

Just curious...
... I keep hearing lack of respect for source material --- and I'm wondering where?

Just from the trailers I can tell; Britt is still in the newspaper business and the "face" of the pair so to speak.  Kato is still of Asian decent and the sidekick who is much more than a sidekick/still being the inventor, driver and mechanic of the gadgets and Black Beauty.  They still have the characters of Mike Axford and Lenore Case in their basic roles.  The concept as posing as bad guys, but really being a hero is intact.  The outfits are faithful to the characters general designs and not sneered upon.  The Black Beauty looks outstanding and VERY close to the classic.

The only thing I can think of is the modern setting of the story.

I think the real issue is the tone of the movie - not the accusation of lack of respect for the source material.  I don't see anything suggesting this move as mostly a comedy as everyone fears.

You know, just wondering why it's ok for Iron Man to be an action flick with comedy in it... and not Green Hornet?  Really --- I don't see anything suggesting this movie is a comedy like SuperHero movie, MeteorMan, Mystery Men or even Howard the Duck.  What I do see it as is an action flick with bits of comedy in it like Hancock, Hellboy,  Iron Man and quite a few others.  

Is this going to be my dream Green Hornet movie?  Not likely.  But it doesn't look like its going to be the disaster that SciFi's Phantom was or the disappointment of Jonah Hex.  It looks like this is going to be along the lines of the Shadow, a good movie.  It looks like it hits all the important things I'm looking for in a Green Hornet movie.  I'm certainly not going to let a little comedy ruin something as a whole.

Later!

[daglob]

Maybe it's because the scenes I've seen and the restaruant commercial portray GH as a yutz. Maybe I'm wrong; I remember that "The Frighteners" had two different commercials: one that made it look like "Ghostbusters", and one that made it look like "Nightmare on Elm  Street".

[Uncle Yuan]

Just curious...
... I keep hearing lack of respect for source material --- and I'm wondering where?

Just from the trailers I can tell; Britt is still in the newspaper business and the "face" of the pair so to speak.  Kato is still of Asian decent and the sidekick who is much more than a sidekick/still being the inventor, driver and mechanic of the gadgets and Black Beauty.  They still have the characters of Mike Axford and Lenore Case in their basic roles.  The concept as posing as bad guys, but really being a hero is intact.  The outfits are faithful to the characters general designs and not sneered upon.  The Black Beauty looks outstanding and VERY close to the classic.

The only thing I can think of is the modern setting of the story.

I think the real issue is the tone of the movie - not the accusation of lack of respect for the source material.  I don't see anything suggesting this move as mostly a comedy as everyone fears.

You know, just wondering why it's ok for Iron Man to be an action flick with comedy in it... and not Green Hornet?  Really --- I don't see anything suggesting this movie is a comedy like SuperHero movie, MeteorMan, Mystery Men or even Howard the Duck.  What I do see it as is an action flick with bits of comedy in it like Hancock, Hellboy,  Iron Man and quite a few others.  

Is this going to be my dream Green Hornet movie?  Not likely.  But it doesn't look like its going to be the disaster that SciFi's Phantom was or the disappointment of Jonah Hex.  It looks like this is going to be along the lines of the Shadow, a good movie.  It looks like it hits all the important things I'm looking for in a Green Hornet movie.  I'm certainly not going to let a little comedy ruin something as a whole.

Later!

It's also the tone of the humor.  Iron Man got laughs because Tony would poke holes in himself to highlight his foibles, but the humor being shown in the trailers looks an awful lot like Seth Rogan being an adolescent slacker doofus (in other words, pretty much every other Seth Rogan character).  Now I will admit that I am not totally familiar with the Green Hornet but I get the impression that "adolescent slacker doofus humor" is off the mark.  If they wanted to go the humor route someone, like the Jack Black stock character (well-intentioned, over eager schlubb) might have fit the GH character better.

[UnkoMan]

I'm sure the movie is all about how he starts as an adolescent slacker doofus and becomes and kick arse serious crime fighter man. So by the end he'll be the Green Hornet for real. I don't see that as much of a problem. I think this movie will probably turn out okay, and might even be quite liked by some youths who will then get into the source material and will later be totally down with the character.

I saw The Shadow when I was young, and loved it, then listened to the radio serial, then got a bunch of Shadow comics then worked back to the books. I don't think The Shadow movie was really that bad, but even if it was I'd have to credit it with giving me a love of the character that lasted to this day.

[RTTingle]

Shrugs --- maybe its just me.

Never in a million years would I have pictured RDjr as Tony Stark, much less Iron Man.  Yet he pulled it off.  And really... is there a difference in how he plays Tony Stark aside from his other amusing characters?  Nope.  Save for maybe a bit of an accent, a change in pace of his patter --- his smirk and style is all the same --- it's still obviously RDjr

I'm a little disappointed how people are jumping on Seth Rogen as unable to pull off the character, especially since many people really aren't very familiar with the character.  He looked decent in a cop's uniform in Superbad, managed to pull off some action in Pineapple Express.  Do I see Rogen as the next all out action hero?  Of course not.  But this is the Green Hornet -- a normal person.  We're not talking Superman or Conan here.  Is Rogen pulling a Tom Hanks or Robin Williams and going dark?  No... but do we really need that?  I LOVE what Nolan did for Batman, but do we need to see that for every comic character now?

Honestly, there has not been many iterations of the GH over the years, but IDW really did some twists with the character, not only did they kill off the original GH, Britt after a few issues... the new GH Alan Reid was killed in his first mission... then replaced by another relative, Paul who was a concert pianist to keep it going!  Kato in that run is even more confusing and was a rotating door of characters.  They even did the female Kato before Smith thought of it.  So it's not like there is one iteration of the GH only and this movie is making a mockery of the source material.

Is the GH a joke?  Obviously not --- they have plenty of action but he's not Nolan's Dark Knight either.  It's obvious through the course of the trailer its a character that makes changes after something tragic happens to them and is going through redemption as well.  So he's not a boy scout from the start and in fact --- a bit of a spoiled playboy.  Sounds familiar.  

But lets cut Rogen a break over a few laughs.  The movies, much less action flicks, and hero flicks more specific have a history of showing us the people who make us laugh can do more.  Browse your action flick library... browse the hero flicks... take note of the names and keep 'em in mind when you think of the Green Hornet.  

Later,
Rich

[Tawodi Osdi]

I don't have an emotional investment in the GH characters; so, I won't be let down if things are changed to make them entertaining in different kind of medium for a different kind of audience.  As long as the movie is entertaining in of itself, I expect to enjoy.  For the same reason, I tend to enjoy movies about Marvel characters than I do about DC characters.  I read mostly DC as a kid and I have more of an emotional investment in them and would be more disappointed about factors that are more important to me.

[BlueBard]

I remember watching a teaser awhile back... and my reaction at the time was "Why is the Green Hornet acting like a putz?"

There is a difference between an action flick with some humor in it and a comedy disguised as an action flick.  'Die Hard' vs 'The Naked Gun', for example.  Don't get me wrong, 'The Naked Gun' was a riot and I'm not comparing it to this GH movie coming up.  The Green Hornet might turn out to be very funny, but I'm not sure that this should be a comedy disguised as an action flick.  I'm betting it's no 'Die Hard'.

I admit I don't know much about the Green Hornet, but Seth Rogan's performance in that teaser did not inspire me to want to watch it.  So if I am in the target audience, they missed the mark.

[Reepicheep]

Seth Rogan.



No.

[lugaru]

I remember watching a teaser awhile back... and my reaction at the time was "Why is the Green Hornet acting like a putz?"

There is a difference between an action flick with some humor in it and a comedy disguised as an action flick.  'Die Hard' vs 'The Naked Gun', for example.  Don't get me wrong, 'The Naked Gun' was a riot and I'm not comparing it to this GH movie coming up.  The Green Hornet might turn out to be very funny, but I'm not sure that this should be a comedy disguised as an action flick.  I'm betting it's no 'Die Hard'.

I admit I don't know much about the Green Hornet, but Seth Rogan's performance in that teaser did not inspire me to want to watch it.  So if I am in the target audience, they missed the mark.

It could end up being a good Action Comedy, think all of Jackie Chan. Some of my favorite action movies are funny, such as Long Kiss Goodnight or more recently Red is a nice mix of action and laughs.

[Mr. Hamrick]

After I saw the teaser, I could only think of one thing relating to this movie.

They don't have to sell The Green Hornet to Seth Rogen fans.  They have to sell Seth Rogen in an action film as a comic book hero.

The problem is that the two main groups of fan base for this film are not going to mesh well.  

Rogen fans want to see Rogen be funny.  That's his strong suit.    The Green Hornet fans want to see the old pulp serial action.  

It's going to be easier to sell this movie as an action flick disguised as comedy than it is to see Rogen as a serious actor and action film star.   The filmmakers know this and they are running with it, I think.  I'm not sure I agree with the idea of playing up the comedic elements of the film in the trailers but oh well.  That said, it definitely sets it apart from other comic book movies being made right now by highlighting those elements.

[steamteck]

Well, doesn't work for me.  And I will see pretty much any Pulp hero related movie. I guess I'm not meshing

[steamteck]

well. apparently didn't go over well at comic-con.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/112353-michel-gondry-upset-by-comic-con-audience

[Tawodi Osdi]

well. apparently didn't go over well at comic-con.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/112353-michel-gondry-upset-by-comic-con-audience

When all else fails, blame the audience.

[lugaru]

Yeah, part of why I play devils advocate is that Michael Gondry is one of my favorite directors, somebody who could knock a project such as Sandman out of the park. I dont know how he got tangled up in a totally conventional film like this...

That said I understand what he is complaining about... comics are the most creative and crazy medium and a lot of fans tend to be extrmely close minded. People like Allan Moore, Warren Ellis, Garth Enis and Mark Millar have played with that idea in comics... but then again I'm the sort of guy who reads comics from Avatar and enjoys transgressive superhero stories like Watchmen or more recently Absolution. I love stuff like the Marvel "All Ages" line but I'll buy just about any R rated comic.                                     

[Mr. Hamrick]

well. apparently didn't go over well at comic-con.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/112353-michel-gondry-upset-by-comic-con-audience

When all else fails, blame the audience.

Again, the question I have based on the trailer is "who is the intended audience"?  I am gathering that the intended audience are Seth Rogen fans and not fans of The Green Hornet per se or of comics.  At least that is who the marketing is toward. 

[Kenn]

I'm with RTTingle.

When I saw the preview before "Tron Legacy" I thought "this looks great".   And I'm no Seth Rogan fan - not sure I've seen him in anything besides a celebrity guest on "Mythbusters".   But I've listened to "Green Hornet" radio episodes and watched the TV programme, and think Green Hornet and his masked aide are great characters.

That said, I've always seen/heard their story in medias res - after Britt is the crusading publisher.  I've never experienced his origin (save for one small side note).  And as far as it goes the idea that prior to his father's death Britt was a carousing playboy makes sense to me.  And that maybe it did take time to get the weapons working right.  The two biggest changes are that Britt is no longer a stoic, humourless, wooden character and that his father's name is no longer "Dan Jr."

(And as far as it goes, given the 21st century setting of the film, Britt's father being the Ranger's nephew is no longer believable.)

But all that said, there was one clip in the preview that more than any other one me over.   It was near the end.  It showed a figure in a beige, off-the-rack, top coat, a fedora, and a green kerchief-style mask.  And he was standing with Kato.   And if one has ever seen a 1940s Green Hornet comic book (or just the covers of a few of them, as is my case) there is a chance that you might actually recognise the outfit.  It was what Green Hornet looked like in the GH comic books from when my dad was growing up.  

My suspicion is that in the film it's some kind of what-Brit-wears-the-first-time-before-deciding-to-make-a-cooler-looking-outfit.  But it was there.  It was included.  And THAT tells me that the filmmakers did their research.  It shows they do have a respect for the "legend" even if they aren't trying to perfectly recreate the TV series/comics/radio show.

Then again, I also grew up with my Dad telling me that the TV Green Hornet's mask was wrong because it wasn't covering his nose and mouth.  To someone who grew up listening to the Hornet, the TV show was messing with it.  (I am so glad that my Dad's a genre geek too.)

And as far as the target audience is concerned...  I'm sorry, the Green Hornet premiered on the radio 75 years ago.  The TV show was a one-season wonder 44 years ago that's better remembered because it launched Bruce Lee's career.  The property had enough cultural impact that the name still means something, but the Hornet is not that well-known anymore outside certain rarefied circles.  Sure, on a message board dedicated to the sequel of an 8 year old computer game about comic book style super heroes, I'd expect a lot of us to know Brit Reid, Kato, the Daily Sentinel, Lenore Case, Mike Oxford, etc.  But walk into a sports bar or a high school and ask a random person "what can you tell me about the Green Hornet?" you'll be lucky if they know Kato.  And to them, Black Beauty's a horse.

I'm sorry, but we aren't the target audience.   We are a tiny minority.   The few fans in a cottage industry that like and hold onto older properties.  The movie makers want a movie that will fill theatres repeatedly.   They're aiming at a far more general audience, and if they change the tone to fill seats...

And they still included the 1940s outfit briefly.


Link to the trailer I saw : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHr9evQP89s

[RTTingle]

Looks like Green Hornet is dealing with the usual comic book movie issues --- outcry that no way can this person play this character.  

It looks like the issue everyone has, is with Seth Rogen.  From that casting people are writing this off as comedy... without giving this a chance.  I am a Seth Rogen fan, so I guess I'm in the minority.  He makes me laugh, I like his down to earth goofball bit and I think the usual gang of actors and filmmakers he is a part of are very enjoyable.  

I'm a huge Green Hornet fan... if anyone should be spitting nails about this.  It's me.  I have the radio shows.  I have the old serials on DVD (With that old mask Kenn! BTW --- I hear they did drop a Lone Ranger tribute in the flick.  They can't mention anything about the Lone Ranger/Green Hornet connection because they were both sold as seperate properties --- legalities and such ).  I have several of the comic book runs.  I'm just not finding the insult in this like everyone else is... and its baffling to me how other people are.

I am honestly baffled by it.

[Added after some thought and rereading a few threads and rewatching the trailers]

You know, I don't see GH being a putz anywhere.  In fact, when I see the GH --- I see nothing but action.  Now, when I see Britt Reid --- yes, I see someone who isn't exactly your idea of a serious hero.  Maybe cause I was in sports, a hobby magician, involved in pro-wrestling, a Gemini, etc... seeing two different sides of a character is easy for me.  I can understand how some athletes are utmost gentlemen off the field, but monsters on it and accept and kn ow them as both.  Maybe people are assuming when Rogen is under the mask... the GH is a goofball too --- despite the trailer showing differently.  Maybe thats the real problem? 

RTT

[Kenn]

The Ranger/Hornet connection is a funny thing.  Fans all know about it, but it was never said.  On the radio, we met Dan Reid on both shows, but when Dan showed Britt the picture of his great uncle - a masked man on a horse - no name was mentioned.   The William Tell overture played, but they never said "Lone Ranger".

[Uncle Yuan]

S'ok, I'll give you that the trailer that Kenn linked puts a more hopeful shine on this. 

[Kenn]

Wait, "Mr. Mom" is going to be Batman?