The Green Hornet: It’s a helpful sting for the masses

The Green Hornet 3D (2011)

Director: Michel Gondry

Stars: Seth Rogen, Jay Cho, Christoph Waltz, Cameron Diaz

January is widely acknowledged by cinephiles as either two things when it comes to summing up what appears at the multiplexes.

1. The Awards Season (Example - The King’s Speech)
2. Dumping Ground for shite or below-the-radar  films. (Example – Season of The Witch or Henry’s Crime)

When you look at it from a neutral point of view, there isn’t really much joy to be found for your general cinema audience. A general audience would steer clear of The King’s Speech because it doesn’t look appealing as a mainstream film. A general audience would likely steer clear of films like Season of The Witch due to its poor reception and maybe films like Henry’s Crime because they have little or no idea what the film is about.

I didn’t know about Henry’s Crime until last week when Keanu Reeves showed up on Graham Norton to say he's made a new film. That’s how under the radar these films can be dumped in January.

Audiences should be thankful, somewhat, for The Green Hornet. Based on the 30s radio show and 60s television serial, The Green Hornet emerges as the first mainstream blockbuster of 2011 that will likely cater to that general audience looking for something that satisfy them by explosions, action, laughs and eye candy. I don’t expect everyone to enjoy The Green Hornet but when it’s either an prestige film or a schlocky piece audiences can easily tell is shit, a lot of people would likely bite the bullet and go on the crime fighting adventure.

The Green Hornet comes, finally, to cinemas after a long production process. Talent like Stephen Chow was involved to star and direct before dropping out before Gondry took the director's chair. Nicolas Cage was suppose to take part as the film’s baddie before Christoph Waltz jumped in at the last minute.  It also has had the issue of shifting release dates, originally due in 2010 before being thrown into the early part of 2011. Then it got a 3D conversion. I’ll talk on that later. But when you consider the problems the film’s had in its conception, it doesn’t sound like The Green Hornet is filling movie experts with confidence. 

Bad film then? No, anything but. I think The Green Hornet is a very good slice of popcorn entertainment.

The best way I could really sum up Green Hornet is think if The Apatow clan made a superhero crime fighting movie. This is one possible outcome. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express, it essentially meshes their ideas for comedy and action here. And occasionally, it works. Rogen and fellow co-star Cho as Britt Reid and Kato respectfully have this very odd, mostly amusing, working relationship. Almost like a daft bromance of crime fighters. If you are fans of Rogen and Goldberg’s work, you should feel at home here.

But, like I said, it won’t be for everyone. If you don’t find Rogen amusing, this could push things to breaking point. He does tweek the hero motif a little, making Reid a bit of a douchebag despite his best intentions. I suppose it makes a change from the always heroic moments of valour but it’s up to you how much you like Rogen.

Cho, the man who follows in Bruce Lee, as Kato is a good straight partner for Rogen to have. He’s likable, carries himself well (even with his broken English) into a fun character. Kato’s fighting sequences are especially fun to watch with the Gondry edge here and there. 

There are some corking action sequences. One could argue that they are a little over the top. Especially the finale where a lot of cars get wreck, things explode and half of a building gets wrecked but I think it’s nothing badly out of place for this outlandish tale of crime fighters. It needed solid action to work and it’s presented very, very well here in The Green Hornet.

Another plus is Christoph Waltz, the film’s nemesis Chudnofsky, essentially is playing Hans Landa with a mid-life crisis. Not very original for the actor but at least he adds comic relief when he becomes almost threatened by the lack of fear he craves from his enemies. If I was offered the choice of Oscar winners, I’d take Waltz in this role over Cage.

There are some issues with The Green Hornet. Michel Gordy’s direction isn’t anything special. Kato-vision and the odd visual flair help spice up things but it’s a pretty generic looking crime fighting film. Nothing that really screams wow. It’s polished, it looks like the money’s been spent on the film but it just doesn’t have the visual edge you’d see on something like Be Kind Rewind or Eternal Sunshine. 

Cameron Diaz is a little bit wasted as the object of affection. You’d think they do something a little bit more with a talented actress and her plotline. But you can’t have everything can you.

Then there’s the 3D which, honestly, was never needed in the first place. That’s my true issue with The Green Hornet. I enjoyed it, I really did and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to have some slam bang fun on a Saturday night. But why doesn’t Sony have the balls just to release this in 2D? It’s a real shame but that is the state of the world film industry though. Bollocks.

But these nibbles aside, The Green Hornet makes very entertaining viewing if you’re willing to give it a chance. It’s hardly a film that deserved to be dumped in this dangerous time of the year – especially when The King’s Speech is dominating everything.