The Green Hornet (2011)

Directed by: Michel Gondry | 115 minutes | action, comedy, thriller, crime | Actors: Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Edward Furlong, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos, Analeigh Tipton, Chad Coleman, Jennifer Glasgow, David Harbour, Eddie Rouse, Sarah Skeeters, Robert Clotworthy, Jill Remez, Sterling Cooper Carl Ciarfalio, Joe O’Connor, Joshua Erenberg, Torin Sixx

Lighthearted and fairly entertaining superhero film, which looks very strong visually and certainly has its moments, but is far too messy across the board to impress. The biggest flaw is that ‘The Green Hornet’ largely fails to connect comedy and action. And the intention was precisely to make a comic action film (or an action comedy), according to lead actor Seth Rogen, who also wrote the screenplay – with Even Goldberg.

He has now proven that Rogen knows what to do with comedy, but he is not yet a credible action hero, no matter how much he has trained. And if, to make matters worse, his comedic talent is only partially showcased, a visibly more athletic body doesn’t help either. What is especially striking is that his Britt Reid is mainly an unsympathetic guy. Rogen has that twinkling look that should have made him some sort of charming scoundrel, who can make anything and still be loved. Unfortunately, he fails miserably, because the character of Britt Reid, as he wrote it himself, is really just a nasty little man. There is also no escaping the fact that Kato (Jay Chou) is actually his servant and their relationship is therefore by no means on the same level. Rogen and Chou do their best to get around that problem by making fun of it – which sometimes fail – and competing as rivals for the favors of secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), which also fails. The only thing they seem to have in common is their dislike for James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), who was an unpleasant employer to Kato and an unpleasant father to Britt. But even that is half-heartedly worked out, except for the opening scene, in which a young Britt is reprimanded by his father.

Rogen and Chou do have a chemistry together and there are also plenty of fun moments. The funniest thing is when they come to blows and Kato shows the arrogant Britt all corners of the room and of the house. Yet it is Christoph Waltz who steals the show in a thankless role as the mobster Chudnofsky. Waltz plays him a casual mixture of naivety and menace, evoking memories of his Oscar-winning role in “Inglourious Basterds.” His introductory scene is also the best scene in the film, in which he confronts an ambitious drug lord (James Franco in a beautiful cameo as Danny “Chrystal” Clear). Waltz plays the midlife crisis villain with gusto, even though this character, too, could have been written better. However, the action sucks. The film has a lot of momentum and is energetically portrayed. The film has some memorable moments (for example, Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” makes for a big laugh) and it never gets boring.

Director Gondry has an eye for visual flair and he also shows that he can also handle action scenes well. It is in these scenes that the 3-D effects come into their own, especially with the “Kato vision”, which show why Kato is good at fighting. The (car) chases are well designed, with the most beautiful special effect being the “Black Beauty”, the classic car that the Green Hornet and Kato use during their nighttime adventures. It is the same car used in the 1960s TV series. Back then the Black Beauty was brand new and advanced, now it has a great retro look – and has all kinds of modern gadgets that James Bond or Batman should not be ashamed of. Speaking of the TV series, there is also a small tribute to Bruce Lee (who played Kato at the time) in this film. Well-known and good actors are cast in the supporting roles: the aforementioned Wilkinson and Diaz and Edward James Olmos as the loyal newspaper man Axford. But what they actually do now remains unclear. Wilkinsons and Olmos’ abilities are scandalously underutilized, raising the question of why such character actors are cast in meaningless roles. But it is especially Diaz’s role that seems completely unnecessary. It is rather far-fetched that a journalist-cum-criminologist is going to work as a temporary secretary for Britt. No doubt Father James also had a secretary. What happened to that that a replacement was needed at all? It remains a mystery. Nominally, Lenore’s role is to draw up a crime profile for The Green Hornet on the basis of her experience, which Britt and Kato then adhere to neatly. Although it is touched upon in the film, it is again so sloppy that you would almost forget it as a viewer. It is a strange sensation to watch a succession of such missed opportunities.

Still, despite its squandered potential, ‘The Green Hornet’ isn’t a waste of time. The film offers enough entertainment, flashy action and stunts and a number of successful jokes to satisfy a non-critical viewer. So if you start with low expectations, you will certainly not be disappointed.