DVD Reviews

The Green Hornet

• Rating:
• Director: Michel Gondry
• Starring: Cameron Diaz
• Details: US/118mins 12A

Despite having an Oscar winner, a critically lauded director and a couple of A-list movie stars on board, this big screen adaptation of the Bruce Lee starring TV show had been garnering inexplicably negative buzz. But instead of being the train crash some Hollywood insiders expected it to be, The Green Hornet is a light and breezy action romp with a very good sense of humour. Granted those who aren't already fans of Seth Rogen won't be converted on the basis of it, but the co-writer, producer, and star does a stellar job in his first action role. Newcomer Jay Chou also impresses, showcasing his asskicking talents for the first time in an American feature.
Rogen is spoilt rich kid, Britt Reid, who has never nailed down a purpose in life other than to get drunk and sleep with lots of beautiful women. When his rich, publisher father (Wilkinson) suspiciously kicks the bucket, he has to learn some responsibility and run family newspaper, The Los Angeles Sentinel. But instead he - along with one of his father's aides Kato (Chou) - invents vigilantes masquerading as villains in order to get closer to Christoph Waltz's sociopathic gangland boss. The Green Hornet is born, but it's Kato that does all of the work.
The action/comedy mix is a notoriously difficult balance to strike, and you can count on one hand just how many times Hollywood has gotten it right - generally it's when Shane Black is involved. Hornet succeeds mainly because it has cast extremely well in both respects. Rogen has a very specific, abrasive style of comedy that has evolved only slightly since his big break with Knocked Up. He can't drop F-bombs here because of the restrictive rating, so he needed to be a bit more creative with the gags. The result is far from his funniest, or best, performance but works well and organically given the end product. Some of the banter with Chou is surprisingly funny, with the famous Asian actor a constant highlight when in action mode.
Gondry's action sequences range from slick and impressive to choppy. There are one or two instances when cuts feel forced and the CGI obvious, but for the most part the French helmer does a solid job handling the explosions and thrills. His quirky sensibilities only really shine through whenever (an underused) Waltz's bad guy has a rant, while Cameron Diaz looks absolutely gorgeous but is essentially redundant.
A broad, entertaining action film with more than a few laughs, The Green Hornet is well worth a look.

Review by Mike Sheridan