REVIEW: 'The Green Hornet'

From the writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express, directed by ingenious French auteur Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Stars Seth Rogen as Britt Reid, debonair newspaper publisher by day, masked crime fighter by night. Now playing nationwide. Click here for session info.
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Dishevelled comic everyman Seth Rogen and French auteur Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) don’t seem like the most natural pairing, least of all for an action blockbuster. Clearly they’re going for something a little different from the standard superhero fare in this action-comedy. So, does it work?

Rogen, who co-wrote the script, clearly had the title role in mind for himself as the character fits him like a glove. Cynics might suggest that he essentially wrote it as a platform for his personal routine but it’s still entertaining, particularly the buddy comedy stanzas with his sidekick, Kato. This aspect is the film’s strongest point, with an atypical superhero/sidekick relationship that is decently fleshed out and funny. Meanwhile, Gondry shows off a new string to his bow. The fight scenes are well done, whether enhanced with visual effects or played for laughs.

Cameron Diaz is both the love interest and the glaring weakness. Her character only seems to be present so that we know the gay banter between the crime fighters is ironic and to advance the plot in jarringly obvious ways, symptomatic of the patchy script. She doesn’t have the acting skills or comic timing to compensate, so there’s a dip in quality whenever she’s on screen.

The Green Hornet is a bit shapeless as a story but relies on the charm of Rogen and a few big set pieces to connect the dots.

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