The Green Hornet

Review by Gareth Von Kallenbach

The Green Hornet has appeared in books, a TV series, and - perhaps in its most famous form - a radio series. Adapting superheroes to the big screen is not without its share of challenges. 

For every Batman and Spiderman that sets box office records - there are several that fail miserably (such as Daredevil, Elektra, The Phantom, The Shadow, and the first Hulk movie).

When it was first announced that Knocked Up's Seth Rogen would star as the title character many people were first skeptical that a chubby comedian would be able to pull off the part. While the Green Hornet is not as iconic as Batman, the casting did bring to mind the controversy of casting Michael Keaton as Batman for Tim Burton’s take on the The Dark Knight.

Further complicating matters were the delays and the conversion to 3D in postproduction (despite being shot in 2D). 

When the film failed to meet its anticipated holiday debut there were those that had wondered if the film would fail to meet even modest expectations as, traditionally, January isn't a time of year that action films fare well at the Box Office.

Thankfully The Green Horney is an extremely pleasant surprise that deftly mixes comedy and action with smart pacing in a winning formula. 

Hornet tells the story of Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), the son of a wealthy newspaper owner who, despite his best efforts, always disappoints his father who never runs out of ways to criticise his only child. Britt, to his father's dismay, has no ambition in his life and is content to live in the guesthouse of his father's mansion, womanising and embracing the party scene.

When his father dies unexpectedly, Britt is forced to take control of the newspaper, a job for which he is woefully unqualified. It is at this time that Britt meets Kato (action star Jay Chou), his father's long-time employee, responsible for taking care of the elder Reid's very impressive fleet of cars.

One evening in an act of rebellion against the benevolent image of his father, Britt and Kato intervene to stop a crime. Motivated by their success and by Kato's amazing martial arts and technological abilities, the duo set out to make a name for themselves by taking on the city's criminal element.

At first it appears Britt sees this as just some grand adventure, however he soon becomes dedicated to the cause and sets upon a path to use his newspaper to play up his newly created hero. 

The plan, of course, is to make the Green Hornet appear to be a bad guy when in reality he is fighting to end crime. The convoluted idea has some initial success despite Britt's lack of fighting ability. Britt and Kato soon begin to make a name for themselves in the local underworld as well is dominate the media.

Meanwhile, the foxy Lenora (Cameron Diaz) comes to work for Britt. Britt and Kato are both captivated by Lenora and use her knowledge of criminal psychology to detail their plan of action for their alter egos. While Britt and Kato are buoyed by their initial success they soon find themselves under the scrutiny of the local crime boss Chudnofsky (Christopher Waltz), an insecure criminal who believes people don’t think he is scary enough or stylish enough.
　
Finding them an annoyance, Chudnofsky decides to wage all-out war on the Green Hornet and Kato.

What follows is a hilarious and action packed film that is one of the most satisfying action buddy comedies ever made. Seth Rogen is in his element, cleverly playing Britt as an everyman who, despite having all the advantages of wealth, is still very much a kid playing superhero who has to learn about the important things in life.

The Michel Gondry directed action sequences are fresh and entertaining and both Rogen and Chao pull off their roles very convincingly. 

While the plot is not overly complex, it serves its point and propels the characters along without getting bogged down or becoming too ridiculous. Director Michel Gondry keeps the film moving at a steady pace without overstaying its welcome and at not point allows the action to overtake the characters.

The supporting cast is very strong too, with the only real issue being the 3D coversion which feels totally unnecessary and does very little to enhance the film.

That being said I had a fantastic time at this film and I surely hope that we'll be seeing other films in The Green Hornet series in the not too distant future.

4 out of 5

The Green Hornet
Australian release: 20th January, 2011
Official Site: The Green Hornet
Cast: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz
Director: Michel Gondry