Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles’ largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid’s shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.
I knew absolutely nothing about THE GREEN HORNET prior to seeing the film but I thought some research would be the key and I was rather impressed that it has had quite the history, it started off as a American radio series back in 1936 and since then has gone through many incarnations including, a movie in 1940, a sequel in 1941, the TV Series in 1960 and now the 2011 Film written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. I should also add it has been a running comic book since the 1940’s also. Bruce Lee also once played the role of Kato.
In 2011’s THE GREEN HORNET we see quite the impressive cast including Seth Rogan, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Jay Chou and Christoph Waltz. I’ve always been a fan of Seth Rogan from all the way back when he played Ken Miller in TV’s Freaks and Geeks; funnily enough he even managed to star in an episode of Dawson’s Creek! But when I look at THE GREEN HORNET I just cringed. Rogan had the role of Writer, Producer and also the main character in this film and to me I feel that if he didn’t push so hard to get this film, he would never have been cast as the title role he just in my eyes anyway doesn’t fall under the sort of ‘Superhero’ category at all. Cameron Diaz now there’s a whole other ball game, her character just seemed pointless to me and before you guys chime in and say she did ‘this’ ‘this’ and ‘this’ just really think about it, was there any real reason for her to be in the film? “Inglorious Basterds” is one of my favourite films in the last few years which also gave Christoph Waltz his ticket into Hollywood and I thought him playing the villain in this film was a great idea but after watching it, it sort of seemed to me he was performing the same character in THE GREEN HORNET I was really waiting for him to ask for a glass of milk in a few scenes.
Yes some of the performances were below average, the script was somewhat poor and to be honest with you at some stages it was all over the place but I will have to say that the film as whole was still a lot of Fun… and really that is what it is a fun action comedy. There’s even a scene that’s reminds me so much of the Chicken Fight with Peter Griffin in Family Guy, it was hilarious. This is a good film to take your mates to, grab an oversized popcorn and kick back and have a laugh. If when Rogan sat down to write the film with Goldberg said “Let’s make a Fun action popcorn movie” then he’s achieved what he set out to, if he said something opposite to that then he failed Miserably.
THE GREEN HORNET is in cinemas now I give this film 3 out of 5 stars.