The bright side of not expecting much from a film is that usually you walk away content. With so little to prove, there’s not much a film can do wrong. In the case of The Green Hornet, my expectations were remarkably low: a superhero film starring Seth Rogen, whose films have a hit-or-miss track record. The Green Hornet, fortunately, isn’t the average Seth Rogen film. Sure, it has him delivering his lines with his typical flustered lack of self-confidence covered by bravado, but it has strong supporting players in Jay Chou and Christoph Waltz to help the film overcome the spots where Rogen’s leading status isn’t enough. Also propping the film up is director Michel Gondry’s surprisingly good use of 3D, a filmmaking tool that has yet to rise above the status of gimmick; at least here it was put to some good use, even if it is ultimately unnecessary. Yet, these things aren’t enough to completely redeem The Green Hornet; considering the talent involved The Green Hornet should have been more than just decent.
Repackaging the concept from the 1966 TV series, The Green Hornet sees Seth Rogen stepping in as Britt Reid with Jay Chou taking over for Bruce Lee as Britt’s chauffeur/assistant/butler Kato. After the death of Britt’s father (Tom Wilkinson) leaves the family’s newspaper and the responsibility of the Reid fortune in Britt’s irresponsible hands, Britt has to grow up and quickly so as to not fail the family legacy. Spurring Britt to the new business lifestyle is Kato and the revelation that this softspoken Asian is a technical wiz and a martial arts master. Though his father always despised Britt’s fascination with superheroes, Britt uses that as the method for following in his father’s footsteps by taking on the persona of the Green Hornet, a masked hero who drives about posing as a criminal to get closer to criminals in order to fight them. Together he and Kato attract the attention of the rising crime boss of LA, Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), and find themselves at a political conspiracy.
As is becoming the norm with any film where Waltz stars, the man proves to be the most magnetic force in the film courtesy of his ability to so perfectly simmer with rage and unleash it in an understated way. His appearance in films is almost problematic as he makes Rogen seem incompetent by comparison. Jay Chou is the better part of the superhero duo, but even he can’t hold a candle to Waltz, or if you prefer, Bruce Lee. Cameron Diaz feels as out of place here as she did in Knight and Day, as if she’s been inserted to have some level of sex appeal for the film or to hopefully attract female viewers who need a romance to entice them to watch at all. Whatever the reason, the justification for her role is weak.
Whether you’re watching the film in 3D HD or just HD, the film’s overall aesthetic is one of the few redeeming qualities. The green highlights Gondry had running throughout the film add a nice visual flair, and the elements he chose to project through 3D add a nice dynamic to the viewing experience for those fortunate enough to have a TV that can take advantage of it – but if you don’t, it’s not a deal breaker. The Blu-ray’s HD mastering is superb and the detail, when the film slows down enough to let you soak it in, is excellent. The film’s audio is a bit uneven, sometimes exploding in volume between scenes.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD combo set have all of the extras on the non-3D Blu-ray, save for the commentary which appears on both Blu-ray discs. For the rest of the extras, all filmed in 2D, you’ll have to put in the 2D Blu-ray disc, and upon doing so you’ll find a healthy selection of production featurettes including a look at the editing, the casting of Jay Chou as Kato, the Armstrong family (4 of whom were responsible for stunts in the film), the redesign of the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty, a look at Gondry’s method, and the fun of pyrotechnics and destruction on film. Then we have bloopers (pretty good), deleted scenes, and then a look at the adaptation of the story for a modern audience.
"The Green Hornet" is on sale May 3, 2011 and is rated PG13. Action, Comedy. Directed by Michel Gondry. Written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg. Starring Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Jay Chou, Seth Rogen, Tom Wilkinson.
