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- Ronald Epstein
What can I say? I love 3D! From the moment I began watching 3D content in my home I quickly discovered that I needed more content. I suspect that those of you just purchasing your first 3D hardware will acquire the same ferocious appetite. That's why I became the HTF 3D ADDICT. I personally love images that pop off the screen and come inches away from your face without becoming overly gimmicky. However, I certainly appreciate the nature documentaries that offer beautiful depth and separation. These are not necessarily reviews of the film themselves. I am not going to concentrate on story or supplements -- you can find the 2D reviews elsewhere on this forum. My job is to let you know exactly what kind of 3D experience to expect from the titles that are being released. As I will be receiving a handful of new product from the studios expect to see more title coverage.
THE GREEN HORNET
Studio: Sony
Product Release: May 3, 2011
Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English and French
Running Time: 119 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
ON A SCALE 0-5
Overall 3D Presentation Rating: 3
3D Separation: 4
3D In Yo' Face Factor: 2
Green with Disappointment
Created for radio in the 1930s and adapted for television
in 1966, The Green Hornet has had a rather popular run
with generations of audiences. When the series was brought
to television it was done so off the back of ABC's very popular
BATMAN series, though it was soon apparent that lightning would
not strike twice and the show ended up lasting for only a
single season.
Director Kevin Smith originally took interest in making
a film version of The Green Hornet nearly a decade ago
but the project somehow ended up in the hands of Seth
Rogan and Evan Goldberg who wrote the script and brought
it to Sony.
One may think it kind of odd that this film ever was
"greenlit" for motion picture production, that is, until you
consider that the characters are not licensed by Marvel
and that the studio probably saw this as a cheap opportunity
to cash in on a super hero film.
...and "cheap" is exactly what you get in this rather
boorish film that gets off the ground running and then
falls completely flat before the film's mid-point where
things just become loud and clumsy.
The Green Hornet follows the exploits of Britt Reid (Seth
Rogan), a spoiled playboy who suddenly inherits his
father's wealthy media empire which includes the Daily
Sentinel Newspaper. Living alone in a huge mansion,
Reid befriends his father's mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou),
a martial-arts expert who has a knack for creating elaborate
gadgets -- most of which can be found in a tricked-out,
souped-up 1965 Chrysler parked in the garage and dubbed
the name, "Black Beauty."
Upon thwarting a robbery, the two realize that they could
do some good for the crime-rampant city of Los Angeles by
becoming crime fighters. What ensues is a bunch of wannabees
taking on the entire Los Angels crime syndicate headed
up by a villain by the name of Chudnofsky (Christoh Waltz).
As you sit and watch the opening moments of The Green Hornet,
you get the feeling that you might actually be in for the ride
of your life. The film starts off most promisingly with a terrific
scene involving James Franco as a crime boss who faces off
against Christoph Waltz. Waltz's presence in this scene is
very reminiscent of his role of Col. Hans Landa in Inglorious
Basterds. However, once Seth Rogan and Jay Chou hit the
screen, you realize the film has nowhere to go but down.
The two actors are so entirely mismatched and have nothing
to rely on other than Rogan's lifeless dialogue which is void
of any humor whatsoever. And poor Christoph Waltz -- the
Academy-Award winning actor's talents are entirely wasted
as he is reduced to a role of a buffoon. By film's end, it
seems that a script absent of fresh ideas resorts to throwing
in the kitchen sink withon an obnoxious over-the-top car
chase sequence.
The Green Hornet was not originally intended nor shot for 3D.
That means all the upconversion was done in post-production.
With that in mind, I was still rather pleasantly surprised at the
results. The film definitely has a cardboard cutout feel to it --
where you get the sense that you can reach in and move
various objects around the screen. Most of the film is based
on CGI effects, all of which is nicely enhanced in 3D. A car
explosion in the first few minutes of the film features falling
flames and rising smoke that really defines the depth between
background and foreground. The drawback to the upconversion
is that nothing ever really leaps off the screen at the viewer.
When watching scenes that involve splashing water -- the
spattering of sparks -- or the spray of bullets towards the
viewer, the effects work suddenly stop short of spilling out
of the screen. Most of the film takes place in dark L.A. street
settings, despite which, ghosting is just about nonexistent.
Sony has provided us with a beautiful transfer that provides
stunning imagery for the left and right eye. This is as pristine
a transfer as anyone could expect with definition and clarity
that is unsurpassed. It's flawless. Colors are vibrant and
hues are persistently "in check." Black levels are exceptional.
Take a look at Kato's hair, the couches in the office of The
Sentinal, or even "Black Beauty" to marvel at how rich the
blacks look here.
The transfer also sports a beefy 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack
with fantastic dynamic range and an over-abundance of effect
noise, expertly mixed, that pans across the channels. Although
I found the LFE bass to be a little weak to my liking, I still
consider this soundtrack to be demo material.
The Green Hornet comes packaged here in a combo-pack
that features 3D Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray and DVD. The Blu-ray
features a filmmaker's commentary and 3D animated storyboards.
The 2D Blu-ray carries the wealth of supplements that include
deleted scenes, a gag reel, and various featurettes and interviews.
CONCLUSION
If you feel that you really must watch The Green Hornet, be
prepared to invest as little emotion into it as possible. This
dumb, pointless, noisy spectacle of a film never really knows
what it wants to do with itself. The 3D imagery is decent, though
suffers somewhat from being done in post production.
If you are deciding between the 3D combo-pack or just
the Blu-ray, for the $5 difference, I would definitely recommend
the 3D version.
Images are for illustrative purpose only not representative of the picture quality of this disc.
Equipment
LG 60PX950 THX Certified 3D display
Oppo BDP-93 3D Blu-ray Player
Denon 3311CI Receiver
Atlantic Technology H-PAS AT-1 fronts, 4400 center; 4200 rear speakers
SV Sound Subwoofer
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