"50/50" review and comic by Chris

When any director takes on a comedy about a serious topic, such as cancer, they have to walk a fine line between jokes and the realities of the topic. One small slip up and you risk offending and alienating a wide audience. Can director Jonathan Levine walk this line or does he fall flat on his face?

"50/50" is loosely based on the life of Will Reiser, the writer of the movie. It tells the story of Adam who discovers he has a rare and unpronounceable form of deadly spine cancer, and is forced to face his own mortality with the help of an eccentric group of friends, family and love interests.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives the film a firm platform to stand on with his portrayal of Adam. In the beginning, Adam seems to remain emotionally distant from his sickness, but as the story progresses he charges through the entire reactionary spectrum. Gordon-Levitt keeps each emotion light enough for the comedy, but packs unexpected power during emotional scenes.

Elevating Gordon-Levitt's performance further is an equally powerful supporting cast. Seth Rogen, who plays Kyle, Adams childhood friend, drives the comedy constantly forward as he tries to take advantage of Adam's situation and use it to get laid. Katie, played by Anna Kendrick, is Adam’s inexperienced therapist who is adorably awkward throughout the film. Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Adam's girlfriend, Rachael, seems to be the closest thing there is to an antagonist in this film, as she tries to decide whether she can handle having a terminally ill boyfriend and makes bad decisions over and over again.

Don't let my focus on the seriousness of the topic fool you, this is still a comedy at heart, with a script that doesn’t quit, and moments that turn from heart wrenching to hilarious in the blink of an eye. Everything isn't perfect though. Early in the film, Gordon-Levitt over emphasizes Adam’s detachment from the situation to such an extent that Adam doesn't seem bothered by having cancer. This helps the comedy and gives room for growth, but makes it unrealistic. The music selection is fitting, but is nothing to write home about. But by the time you reach the finale, all of these minor gripes will have been long forgotten.

Jonathan Levine dances on a fine line between comedy and drama but never looks down, and a smattering of minor issues don’t keep this piece from being a hilarious but dramatically heartwarming look at a serious disease.

"50/50" gets 4.5 reassuring gestures out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

The Green Hornet review by Chris

The movie The Green Hornet is the story of what it means to be a true hero and how all your actions can greatly affect the world. Through this struggle the characters become the heroes the world will need and help change it into a better place. It's a story we've seen a thousand times and will probably see a thousand more. So does this Hornet change the way you view the hero and push the genre forward, or is it a sting that will leave a lasting pain?

Britt Reid, played by Seth Rogen, has had to deal with father issues and a super hero complex since he was a little boy. He grows up the spoiled son of a media empire and loses his connection to the real world. Meanwhile the "fear" obsessed crime lord Chudnofsky, played by Christoph Waltz, has taken over all of the crime in L.A. During these events Britt's father, James Reid, played by Tom Wilkinson, is murdered, forcing Britt to face life. Britt joins up with his father's old auto mechanic, Kato, played by Jay Chou, and together they use Kato's inventions and Britt's newspaper connections to attempt to fight crime. Along the way they fight drug dealers, crime lords and each other. They both also fight over Lenore Case, played by Cameron Diaz, Britt's secretary and researcher of the Green Hornet.

The biggest question you should ask yourself before seeing this movie is do you like other Seth Rogen movies? The performances of Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz are all solid from beginning to end. The comedy is well done and the action is entertaining. Sadly, most of this is brought down by the performance of Seth Rogen. Like in most his movies, he feels like the exact same character. Rogen himself is actually one of the writers for the film, and it's like he wrote himself into the part. Britt is constantly making commentary on what is going on around him, but everything he say's sounds like it's from Rogen's thoughts, not how Britt would respond. Worst of all, Cameron's character is the genius of the criminal mind, but Rogen treat's her like a piece of meat for most of the film and it overshadows her performance.

As a result, Britt doesn't really feel like he fits into the universe. It almost feels like Rogen, the actor, is trying to figure out how he got trapped in this world. All of this isn't completely a bad thing. Most of Rogen's jokes are funny and his banter with Jay is always fun. As a result of his extremely dislikable personality in the beginning, his transition into a real super hero by the end is strong, but not completely believable. Many of Rogen's fans will love this movie, but this isn't your normal superhero film.

It should be noted, this isn't a family film. There are lots of cursing, violent deaths and jokes about sex. Britt isn't your common superhero, because he doesn't have the higher standards that most heroes place on themselves. You're not going to get a hero whose origin story or actions are any different from other heroes. What you do get is a flawed, hero who unlike most, doesn't necessarily have the good will of all on his mind.

Visually you'll have lots to see, but nothing you can't find in a James Bond or Batman movie, and those would do it better. There are lots of interesting gadgets to keep you guessing what will happen next. The sound design doesn't really push any limits either. The music choices are fine and the sound effects fit, but none of it really sticks with you.

It feels good to finally be able to see a movie about a super hero who's other media I know little to nothing about. Seeing this universe with fresh eyes and few expectations I was ready for it to either rock my world or make me feel like I wasted my money. In the end, it did neither. Seth Rogen's execution of the role lowers the remaining actors performances, thus keeping it from being something great, but the comedy and action make it a fun ride. It's a great movie for a Saturday morning matinee with a group of friends, just fair a warning, don't bring your kids.