The Green Hornet

It was in 1936 when The Green Hornet, created by the same duo that did The Lone Ranger, buzzed onto his own radio show. And now in 2011, with a script by the same duo that did Superbad, this proto-superhero finally has his own big screen adventure.

As one of the co-writers, Seth Rogen gives himself the part of Britt Reid, slacker son of strict newsman James (Tom Wilkinson). When Reid Sr. is found dead, supposedly from a bee sting, Britt finds himself in the awkward position as head of his father’s newspaper. He does, however, find himself a friend in Kato (Jay Chou), James’s former assistant and a full-time inventor.

On a whim, Britt suggests to Kato that they should fight crime together while posing as villains. And thus, the duo of The Green Hornet and Kato make their public debut. It’s all fun for them until they get on the nerves of crime boss Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). But if he doesn’t kill their partnership, then Britt’s childish attitude might do the job.

Its director is Michel Gondry, best known for such surreal fare as his Oscar winner Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This has got to be his bluntest film to date. Just about anything that can get smashed, including Britt’s own newspaper, gets smashed in spectacular fashion. Explosions come aplenty, and add flying bullets and some car chases, and you’ve got the year’s first summer blockbuster.

Aside from the explosions, the un-dynamic duo of the picture is a highlight. As Britt, Rogen makes for a perfectly childish, albeit too childish at times, anti-hero, while Chou’s Kato is the excellent straight man. It’s these two that definitely make the film worth it. Amongst the supporting cast, the best is the cameo by an uncredited James Franco as a hapless crime boss.

So what’s the final buzz on The Green Hornet? It may not be as gravely serious as The Dark Knight, but for its take on the super zero, it’s certainly refreshing.

Jethro’s Note: It’s yet another film that got converted into an optional 3D ride as an afterthought, although the decision was made almost nine months ago (The Last Airbender and Clash of the Titans, meanwhile, were converted with a little more than two months notice).