The Green Hornet

Release Date: Jan 14, 2011 

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min. 

Director: Michel Gondry 

Cast: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Christoph Waltz.

In a world filled with criminals and violence, there are heroes destined for greatness. And then there’s this guy. Britt Reid: bumbling playboy by day, accidental vigilante by night. Backed by his trusty sidekick Kato, they fight for justice, armed with a gas gun and pimped-out cars. But despite the amusing premise, the film goes awry when it struggles to draw the line between being clever and cheesy. Acting as a comical farce, rather than an update of the classic, “The Green Hornet” is anything but a superhero movie. In the vein of the “Charlie’s Angels” remakes, it relies on utter ridiculousness and impossible stunts to mask any obvious flaws or faux pas. As a result, it begins rather sloppily, doing a quick rundown of plot set-ups and character introductions for the sake of calling it an origins story. While Seth Rogen’s humor is obvious in the script writing, he rarely carries the substance of his character that is suppose to play the leading role. Even Christoph Waltz manages to appear non-menacing as the so-called villain, Chudnofsky, in comparison to his prior role of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. Instead, it’s Jay Chou who ends up with all the charisma and best comic deliveries, in spite of the language barrier. In any case, Michel Gondry does bring a visual flair to the screen that is enjoyable to watch, as it is creative. The ‘Kato-Vision’ and ‘Black Beauty’ renditions alone make up the majority of what makes “The Green Hornet” an acceptable popcorn flick. As the end comes open with sequel possibilities, it seems like the crime-fighting days of Seth Rogen have only just begun. And that in itself is intriguing enough.

Rating: 2½ stars