The Green Hornet Review

Screen Rant’s Vic Holtreman reviews The Green Hornet

Hey, are you old enough to remember when everyone freaked out about Michael Keaton being cast as Batman because he was a comedic actor, didn’t have the look nor the stature to play the iconic masked vigilante – but in the end it turned out to be a daring bit of casting and pretty damned cool?

Well that didn’t happen with The Green Hornet.

The Green Hornet movie has a (troubled) history going back to mid-2007 when rumors first floated that Seth Rogen would be playing the titular hero (and writing the script). Initially Stephen Chow (director of the hysterically funny Kung Fu Hustle) was set to play the role of Kato (the sidekick), and then came word that Chow would be directing as well. Well a few months passed and that sequence reversed itself: Chow was not going to direct (due to creative differences) but would still play Kato. A few more weeks go by and Chow bowed out of the project completely.

Having seen the final product, I am left seriously wondering what a Stephen Chow-directed Green Hornet film would have been like.

I’m sure I will be hit with the standard “Hey, can’t you just enjoy a fun movie?” argument, so let me preface this review by saying that I am a fan of director Michel Gondry’s very funny Be Kind Rewind. And while I’m not a huge Seth Rogen fan, I did enjoy Superbad, which he co-wrote.

Enough preamble. In this latest incarnation of The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Rogen) is the son of a newspaper magnate who didn’t have time for him as a child (his mother died when he was young). Dad is stern and has high standards – and Britt rebels by going the opposite direction and ending up as a 30 year old, irresponsible party boy. After one last “I’m disappointed in you” his father dies of a bee sting (he’s allergic), leaving the newspaper and wealth to a son who is not only unprepared for the responsibility – he doesn’t want it.

He comes to know Kato (now played by Jay Chou), who was not only his father’s auto mechanic (garage full of gorgeous, rare automobiles), but he makes an incredible cup of coffee using an espresso machine he built himself. Britt comes to learn that his father was paranoid about security and has had Kato build some pretty hard core defenses into “Black Beauty” – a very cool black sedan from the late 60s. They become friends (kind of) and with both of them feeling the need for some excitement (and maybe, purpose) one thing leads to another and they decide to form a crime-fighting duo. But in order to be more effective (and this really doesn’t make much sense) they decide that the best way to help people and be “the good guys” is to pretend to be bad guys.

While Kato has extreme martial arts skills in addition to apparently being able to assemble multiple heavily armored and weaponized cars from scratch in the span of days (by himself), Britt has basically zero skills. Of any sort, whatsoever. While this is obviously to be milked for laughs, within the context of the film (especially as it moves ahead) it seems more ridiculous and annoying as it goes on.

Jay Chou and Seth Rogen in 'The Green Hornet'

While their goal is to disrupt gang crime in Los Angeles, they draw the attention of an old school crime boss named Chudnofsky (played by Christoph Waltz, who was amazing in Inglourious Basterds). Chudnofsky, while seemingly on his way out as young up and comers try to take over is not someone to be trifled with – in fact he’s even more dangerous than ever because he feels like he’s losing respect and authority among the crime bosses in the area. Also drawn into the fray is Cameron Diaz (less annoying than usual) as Britt’s secretary/assistant. Britt and Kato are clueless about the workings of the criminal mind and she happens to be very well versed in that based on her degree in journalism.

As you can probably guess, eventually the duo gets in over their head and have to not only figure out how to save themselves from being killed, but how to overthrow Chudnofsky as well.

I have to say, Green Hornet started out (surprisingly) on a very high note. The opening scene with Waltz as the older gangster meeting with a younger, disrespectful younger crime boss (who I won’t name to keep the surprise) started out cautiously, but just got better and better as it went on. It was, in fact, damn funny. But immediately on its heels comes the aftermath, in which there are a lot of people killed, which kind of hits you upside the head right as you come off a very funny scene. That point notwithstanding, the film does an excellent job of introducing and establishing the main characters within the span of the first 10 minutes or so. Films have tried to do that before and failed (*cough* The Losers *cough*).

We see that yes, Britt is a complete ass and Kato is a faithful, hardworking guy. We soften a bit (JUST a bit, and temporarily) towards Britt as he wants to learn about Kato and what he did for Britt’s father, and it’s fun to watch Kato introduce Britt to the cool stuff he worked on and did for dear, departed dad, and gives insight into what sort of person he was. Although it starts down the “ridiculous” slide, their excitement about doing something exciting and adventurous is almost contagious – and their first experience taking down a bunch of street punks is fun and a super-cool action/fight scene.

Unfortunately, that right there (about 20-30 minutes in) ends the “high note” and is where the downward slide begins.

Reid continues to be an insufferable ass throughout the entire film, and the longer it goes on the dumber it seems that he’s out there risking his life against seasoned criminals. Sure, Kato is there to watch his back – but that brings up another point: Why in the world is this supposedly very grounded and intelligent guy sticking around a flighty, irresponsible egomaniac who takes him for granted?

There are many car chase scenes, all very hyper-kinetic with lots going on – and here is another sticking point: There was more than one instance where their chase through the city causes police cars to go flying into other vehicles – if they’re truly trying to be “the good guys,” what about all the collateral damage they’re causing? Bystanders just driving nearby, taking the bus, etc. whose vehicles get totally destroyed (with passengers within)? Oh and there was one scene included to show off the bullet proof glass where during a police chase, a cop pulls up next to them and opens fire. Really? Cops shoot at you when you just try to outrun them without having shot first? And don’t get me started on the scene where they use missiles in an unconventional manner to get out of a tight spot.

Cameron Diaz seemed almost like a character inserted after the script was written, and James Olmos didn’t make much of an impact, even with his built in gravitas. Christoph Waltz also seemed almost like his scenes were spliced in from a different film – all very disconnected and odd-feeling.

There were other things that didn’t work, either… It seemed quite seriously like those involved (Rogen?) really, REALLY wanted this to be an R-rated movie, but were locked into PG-13 due to the subject matter. Why do I say that? Because I can honestly not remember the last time I watched a PG-13 with so much profanity. I didn’t try to keep count of the number of s-bombs Rogen drops in the film, but I would have lost it anyway – had to be at least a couple dozen. Add to that one or two a-holes, b*tch and I don’t know what else. Frankly, it felt completely superfluous and it just added to the obnoxious, unlikability of Rogen/Britt. You can have an obnoxious protagonist, but when you start rooting for the bad guys, you have a problem.

Cameron Diaz and Seth Rogen in 'The Green Hornet'

And that’s the problem with Rogen’s Reid – the guy is such a monumental jerk that it’s hard to get past it. He treats the guy who is keeping him alive in the field like he should be happy to be allowed to come along, he’s a disgusting example of an over-cocky, sexually harassing pig with his secretary (Diaz), and just all around supremely annoying. By the end of the movie you’re not hoping for redemption, you’re hoping someone puts him in the hospital.

Also, this was pretty violent for a PG-13 movie that is sure to attract parents to bring their kids. Sure, you have violence in PG-13 movies, even superhero movies – but do we need close ups of two different people who’ve been crushed to death in a “light-hearted” semi-superhero comedy? If you’re thinking this looks like a “fun” romp the kids would enjoy, I recommend you reconsider and leave them at home for this one.

Will you like it? Maybe. Some of the audience I attended the screening with seemed to enjoy it. Am I saying it’s not funny or not worth seeing? No. There were moments beyond the first act where I laughed – not a lot, but a couple. There were tons of cool action scenes and Jay Chou’s martial arts fights were exciting (when you could tell what was going on due to the super fast editing in some scenes), and director Michel Gondry did some interesting things, visually. These items and the first act are why I’ve gone as high as 2.5 stars on this.

But overall, The Green Hornet is an uneven mix that’s not nearly as funny or enjoyable as it could have been.

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Movie Poster Roundup: ‘Green Hornet’, ‘Sucker Punch’, ‘Thor’

A sleek black automobile that’s been enhanced with machine guns, rocket launchers, and beanie bag throwers (you read that correctly); gorgeous young women armed to the teeth for combat; and a big, blonde, bearded superhuman carrying his deadly hammer are on display in today’s movie poster roundup.

There’s a new one-sheet for this week’s release, The Green Hornet; an elaborate banner for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Sucker Punch; and a French poster for the comic book flick that will kick off the Summer 2011 movie season, Thor, to check out as well.

Director Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet gets the honor of being the first anticipated tentpole pic to be released in 2011 (sorry, Season of the Witch). Evan Goldberg co-wrote the radio serial/TV show/comic book movie adaptation with his Superbad pal Seth Rogen, who also stars as the Green Hornet (a.k.a., playboy Britt Reid). Asian pop star Jay Chou takes over Bruce Lee’s iconic role as Kato, the brains and brawn behind the Hornet and his operation to fight crime in the streets of Los Angeles.

Recent clips and TV spots have done a good job highlighting the stylish action scenes from Green Hornet (specifically, the “Kato Vision” combat sequences), promoting the movie as mostly just a fast and fun popcorn flick. The film attracted a fair amount of negative buzz back in mid-2010, but recent word of mouth has been much more positive (check back here on Friday to read our verdict).

The Green Hornet and Kato get to wreak havoc on the streets of L.A., thanks to their virtually indestructible and technologically-advanced ride, the Black Beauty. Have a look at the damage left in the vehicle’s wake in the Green Hornet poster (via IMP Awards) below:

There’s a good chance you were more interested in admiring the snazzy visual design of the images or footage released for Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch than actually bothering to find out what exactly the film’s plot is. For those who want to know, here’s the basic gist of said plot:

She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive.  Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls—the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)—to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm).

These girls’ attempts to escape their cruel captors is brought to life via vivid fantasy sequences that pit the leather-and-fishnet-clad ladies against samurai, deadly soldiers, fire-breathing dragons, and giant mechanical monsters. Sucker Punch may not have the most well-developed or layered of storylines, but Snyder knows how to create beautiful visuals and stunning action – so that definitely works in the film’s favor.

Check out the new Sucker Punch banner below:

(CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION)
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Son of Odin and owner of the all-too-cool silver hammer Mjolnir (not Maxwell – kudos for getting this joke), Thor makes the jump to the big screen this summer, under the direction of Shakespeare lover Kenneth Branagh. The film adaptation of the mythological tale-turned-Stan Lee comic book stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular blonde bruiser, who is cast down to live amongst the mortals on Earth after his dad (Anthony Hopkins) tires of his arrogance and thoughtless action.

An official trailer for Thor was released just over a month ago and fans were overall quite receptive to the footage on display – more so than they were after watching the preview for another comic book flick, Green Lantern (for more on that subject, see our Thor vs. Green Lantern trailer showdown).

This new French poster for the film only features the all-mighty Thor in the flesh, but there’s still something cool about the image of Hemsoworth, dressed up in futuristic armor and gazing out dramatically into the distance as his red cape flaps in the wind – we all know it’s true.

Check out the French one-sheet (via CloneWeb and Fantasy.fr) below:

The Green Hornet roars into regular, 3D, and IMAX 3D theaters around the U.S. this Friday, January 14th.

Sucker Punch blasts its way into theaters on March 25th, 2011.

Thor arrives in 2D and 3D theaters on May 6th, 2011.

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Three New ‘Green Hornet’ TV Spots

We recently got a double-whammy of Green Hornet awesomeness when the second domestic and international trailers hit the web. Now we have even more promo materials to get you excited for this latest superhero movie, in the form of three brand new TV spots.

Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) directs Seth Rogen and Jay Chou in The Green Hornet, with the acting duo playing the titular superhero and his assistant, Kato. Rogen and Chou are joined by Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Bastards) as the love interest and villain, respectively.

The Green Hornet stars Rogen as playboy-turned masked superhero Britt Reid, who teams up with his recently-deceased father’s assistant, Kato (Chou), and sets out to fight crime in the streets of L.A. via a technologically-enhanced, 1960s model Imperial car dubbed the “Black Beauty.” The two eventually hatch an ingenious scheme to take down the leader of L.A.’s criminal underworld, Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz): pose as criminals themselves, in order to get closer to the man.

Check out the three new Green Hornet TV spots below:

I love the Iron Man vibe that The Green Hornet is constantly giving off -- that mix of fun action with wry comedy should hopefully provide the same sort of entertainment that made the first, and a lot of the second, Iron Man so enjoyable. Rogen is obviously an unlikely superhero (he’s admitted that himself on many occasions) but in a way that’s a good thing, since it means he’ll be more relatable as an everyman who gets swept up in this fantastical world.

Even more of a strange choice than Rogen was Gondry as a director. He was an unusual choice because he’s only ever done smaller-scale, very intimate films (he was one of the last directors I’d think of for a superhero movie) but by the looks of things he was an inspired choice for The Green Hornet. His inventive visual style should hopefully set the film apart from the million-and-one other superhero movies out there.

Green Hornet is set to hit 3D and regular theaters on January 14th, 2011.

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‘The Green Hornet’ Trailer #2 Looks More Promising

Early rumors pegged Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet as a lame campfest in the vein of Frank Miller’s woebegone adaptation of The Spirit. Sony Picture’s decision to delay the film’s release until January 2011 seemed to only confirm that it was a disaster in the making -- one that would feature unnecessary post-production 3D as well.

A second theatrical preview for the Seth Rogen-starring comic book flick has been released and it does a better job of selling the movie as a competent mix of action and comedy than the first Green Hornet trailer did.

Here is the official Green Hornet synopsis, in case you’d forgotten:

Britt Reid (Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene -- until his father mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato, they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves — protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

The Green Hornet has been doing unexpectedly well at early test screenings and there have even been rumblings that Sony Chief Amy Pascal has even begun to talk seriously about a sequel. But does the latest trailer for the Green Hornet indicate that this is a successful franchise in the making? Watch it below and find out:

Rogen co-wrote the Green Hornet screenplay with his Superbad partner, Evan Goldberg, but the Knocked Up star has always seemed like an odd choice for the role of a playboy-turned-masked-vigilante -- largely because his most recognizable screen persona is that of a scruffy, unfit slackster.

One thing the second Green Hornet trailer does well is play up the noticeably thinner Rogen’s lack of physical prowess for laughs and make the fight scenes with Kato (Jay Chou) look all that more hyper-stylized -- as they should be. There’s a glimpse of a “Kato-vision” sequence here that justifiably looks to benefit from the 3D effect as well.

It also helps that more of the jokes (especially the gas gun gag) are actually funny this time around and that the film’s tone seems to shift from serious to tongue-in-cheek without ever going too far in either direction.

The Green Hornet arrives in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D theater in the U.S. on January 14th, 2011.

Source: Sony Pictures (via Yahoo! Movies)

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