Punch Drunk DVDs

The Green Hornet
Nobody wanted to see a Green Hornet movie succeed more than I did as he's always been one of my favorite heroes, but I was weary from the start thanks to the questionable talent involved. Nothing against Seth Rogen, who writes and stars as the masked million vigilante, but he lacks the combination of charm and rugged toughness necessary for the part. His butt kicking sidekick, Kato, is portrayed flawlessly by pop sensation Jay Chou. He's by far the film's strongest point. Even director Michel Gondry, usually a master of the whimsical, seems to be strangely muted here. There's just not a lot that comes together in any cohesive way, with the possible exception of James Franco's hilarious, uncredited cameo as a mob boss who makes one snarky comment too many.





Don't be fooled by the Vince Vaughn/Kevin James cover evoking memories of the duo's other comedy pairings with other stars, Ron Howard's The Dilemma is no buddy comedy. It's barely a comedy at all, and I mean that in the best possible sense. The Dilemma is a smart, dark drama about loyalty, amongst friends and spouses. Vaughn's character suffers something of a crisis when he discovers that the wife(Winona Ryder) of his best friend(James) is cheating, and he needs to figure out whether to reveal the truth or risk sending his emotional pal over the edge. While the film has it's share of funny moments, it's more effective when not trying to give in and turn this into another Vaughn/James laugher. Jennifer Connelly and Channing Tatum round out an impressive supporting cast.




From Prada to Nada
Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility gets a Latin kick in the pants from director Angel Garcia. Camilla Belle(The Ballad of Jack and Rose), once a favorite of mine but now languishing, and Alexa Vega(Spy Kids) star as two sisters used to the finer things in life. But when daddy suddenly dies, the girls find themselves penniless and living with their aunt in East LA. They must learn to put aside their differences and learn a lesson in what it truly means to be "wealthy".








Waiting for Forever
Rachel Bilson(The Last Kiss) and Tom Sturridge(Pirate Radio) star as two long-time best friends rediscovering eachother after years apart in this romance from director James Keach(Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). A straight-to-DVD release, the film packs an impressive supporting cast: Richard Jenkins, Nikki Blonsky, Jaime King, and Blythe Danner.









A Somewhat Gentle Man
Stellan Skarsgard is a remarkable actor that not enough people know, but they're about to get a big opportunity to check him out as he's got a major role in Thor this weekend. When he's not wrapped up in the world of Norse gods and superheroes, he tends to stick to big roles in small films. In A Somewhat Gentle Man, he plays an easy going gangster reluctantly pulled back into the life he was desperately trying to avoid.



The Dilemma