Green Hornet Movie Review
So I'm no Green Hornet expert. Just putting that out there. I mean, I never even knew that Bruce Lee did any of the TV shows. Heck, I didn't know there had ever been any comics or serials or anything of the character. A few months ago though, something changed. My grandma sent me a copy of Green Hornet Year One for halloween (I guess she figured I hadn't read it?). So I read it, and the concept worked for me. Maybe it was the simpler era, maybe it was the simpler world, but something about Green Hornet stuck. I saw the trailer for this movie though and found myself confused. Is Seth Rogen supposed to be serious? Is he just trying to be funny again? Will this movie work? The answer is a resounding YES.
The movie opens with a young Britt Reid, son of James Reid, being brought to his fathers office at the Daily Sentinel. You see, young Britt has gotten into yet another fight because he was trying to defend somebody. After his father proves what a jerk he is, we flash to the present. The criminal underworld is flourishing, Britt wastes his nights partying, and even 20 years later, Britt's dad is still a jerk. However, it isn't long before James dies of a bee attack and Britt realizes what a waste he has become. It takes a bad cup of coffee to finally motivate Britt to do something and after a wild night, Britt and his new friend Kato have finally found something to contribute to the world...
Alright, let's talk about this cast. Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet. WHAT?! Don't get me wrong, I like Seth Rogen. I like him a lot actually and I think he's a great guy. That being said, I've never looked at him and thought superhero, let alone Green Hornet. It's just not the right role for him and I think he's a terrible miscast... except he wrote the movie. Since he wrote the movie, he crafter the story into a sick action comedy that requires somebody of his nature. The Green Hornet we have here is perfectly Rogen and while he's not the greatest hero or most likable guy, he's very realistic and has great development as a character. He does the action well, delivers his jokes perfectly, and is a very solid lead. Christoph Waltz is also great in this movie, a very suitable villain for the Green Hornet to fight. It's funny, as I walked out of the theatre with my friends we were all saying how you couldn't help but like the guy. He's the nicest bad guy that you'll see a superhero fight but you don't want to cross him. I loved Waltz in this movie and to be honest, this performance tops his one in Inglorious Basterds for me. Cameron Diaz wasn't necessary here. I mean, she was like the eye candy that wasn't. She didn't come across as annoying though, actually had some funny bits, and was a nice forgettable character that didn't mess things up. James Franco also has a great cameo that was honestly probably the funniest bit of the whole movie. Heck, his bit was practically worth admission alone.
By now you'll notice I left out a key member of the cast. Jay Chou as Kato. My God. I love Kato. Jay Chou steals every single scene and better become an actor after this. I mean, he's funny, kicks serious @$$, and is probably the most bad@$$ character I've ever encountered. Between the cars, the coffee, and his little one liners, he's the real star of the movie. The fact that they point this out is great to see and I'm really hoping we get another Green Hornet movie just so the world can see how awesome Kato is.
Aside from the cast, the story also worked surprisingly well. It was simple but had a lot going for it and definitely throws you back to the simpler era of super-heroics. It's a nice modernization on a dated concept and a dated hero. I really was happy with it and everything seemed to fall into place nicely. The ending is a great sequence of gag after gag with incredible fights in between and it was the ending that was right for the movie. I can't say that Rogen reinvented the wheel with this movie but he and Evan Goldberg made a way better movie than January usual gets. This could have been a summer blockbuster, but by putting it out in January I think it'll perform better and just be a bit more surprising to moviegoers. As a side note, this is probably the most realistic superhero movie you're going to see, almost nothing is out of place here and it could probably happen under the right circumstances.
Overall, this is a great teaser for what this year will provide with superhero movies. I'm happy to see an unknown character succeed and I hope people give this movie a chance. 4 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend this as a nice alternative to everything else out this time of year and the more typical superhero movies you'll see.
