True Grit (2010) and The Green Hornet

I finally got to see both of these movies and have about 10 minutes between tasks, just enough time to share my thoughts on both.

True Grit is a great story.  The original John Wayne portrayal of Ruben "Rooster" Cogburn was, in my opinion, one of John Wayne's greatest ever.  Much of Wayne's career was spent acting like- well, John Wayne.  It didn't matter if he was fighting the injuns or the Japs, he was amazingly the same character.  True Grit however forced him or perhaps challenged him to step out of his norm and try something else.  The original film still stands as a classic Western. 

Needless to say, when Jeff Bridges put on the boots, he put on a character unlike any he had ever played before.  There was zero John Wayne and yet Rooster Cogburn was alive and well on the silver screen once more.  Jeff Bridges is truly one of the greatest character actors of my time, perhaps of all time.  His scenes drag you right into the campsite where you can smell the whiskey on his breath.  As great of a performance as Jeff Bridges gave us, his leading lady, Hailee Steinfeld, was no less enduring.  Playing the part of a young teen filled with relentless desire to bring to justice her father's murderer, she stays true to the story and lends credibility where the original may have fell a little short.

True Grit (2010) was by far the best movie of 2010.

The Green Hornet was great fun.  As silly as most of it was, I enjoyed the action and story line.  The idea that the Green Hornet wasn't much of a hero, except by dumb luck and the skill of Kato, brought home the humor.  The Green Hornet is everything Superman and Spiderman lack.  I see more Green Hornet movies in our future...