The Green Hornet Reviews

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Michel Gondry’s work, I still wanted to check it out. Basically, it is Gondry most mainstream feature so far but, unfortunately, also the most disappointing one. I mean, it wasn’t really bad but it was never really entertaining either. For example, the first 15 minutes were honestly quite dreadful. Fortunately, as soon as Kato was introduced, it got a little bit better and fun to watch but it never became really mind-blowing whatsoever. The biggest issue is that this movie was a huge vanity project for Seth Rogen and he was probably the only one who thought he was super-hero material. I mean, they try to toy with this idea, to make him some rather worthless hero, it became in the process more a comedy/parody and it does work from time to time. Still, Britt Reitner was sometimes funny but very often really obnoxious and the total lack of plot didn’t help either. You really wonder why Kato (the best character in the movie) stick up with him and the best scenes were when they have some fun together. Concerning the rest of the cast, Christop Waltz and Cameron Diaz were both terribly wasted here. It is getting quite annoying that Waltz keeps playing only the bad guy since he showed up in ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and I wish he would do something else. Once again, Cameron Diaz was really miscast and never convinced me as a reporter but, for her defence, she barely had anything to do here, expect showing up in her undies. To conclude, the whole thing is pretty half-backed but I guess it is still worth a look but don’t expect anything mind-blowing whatsoever.

Again with all the hate for a movie. While I sure didn't enjoy Cameron Diaz - who played a character supposed to be 36, and she looks more like 46 - in this, I sure enjoyed the movie enough to go back and see it a second time in theatre, in 3D, because I was so entertained. Then again, I do love the super hero movies, I enjoy Seth Rogen, and loved the brief appearance of James Franco at the beginning of the movie.

Sometimes, people should just watch a movie for what it is, not have huge expectations, and not sit there critically analyzing every second of a film. Perhaps they might find they enjoy stuff way more if they just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed it.

The Green Hornet. I expected it not to be amazing, nor awesome, but a good to decent watch. It opened up really nicely with James Franco and Christoph Waltz, who were both hilarious in James Franco's only scene. I was sitting there thinking "maybe this won't be so bad", well guess again. The movie ended up being terrible. The drama they were trying to put between the two main characters was absolute crap, and the acting too. It was so bad that I literally skipped through scenes because I did not want to watch the boring drama of the movie. The writing/screenplay was also crap. I sat there thinking "how many decent movies have better dialogue than this." It was crap. Christoph Waltz and the action almost saved the film, but not quit. Every word that came out of Waltz's mouth was utterly stupid. The action was good, but that was pretty much the only good thing about the movie. If you're going to take my advice, I'd say spend two hours yes two hours doing something else.

After the sudden death of newspaper editor and owner James Reid, his only son Britt is thrown into the cooperate world without any clue of how to run a business. When Britt meets Kato, a disgruntled and mysterious employee of his father they form an odd friendship which results in Britt becoming a masked vigilante in the city of L.A known simply as the Green Hornet. With Britt now running around the city causing havoc for gangs and drug dealers, he draws the attention of a ruthless drug dealer named Chudnofsky

The Green Hornet is a film written by comedian Seth Rogen, and right off the bat that is the biggest downfall the film has. Rogen is very talented comedian, but this film should have never been a comedy. This film could have easily been better had it taken itself seriously at times. Rogen could have thrown in some very good themes had it been a drama. There were some serious scenes, but most of them either awkward because they did not fit with the overall mood or they eventually turned into a joke. Had Rogen taken the time to sit down not as a comedian but as a writer, he may have been able to produce a good script, because the final product which he produced seemed like it was written by a 10 year old.

Now with that being said Rogen does not even do a good job of acting out his own written material. We have seen this type of performances from Rogen many times, but this time it was just too tedious and overwhelming. The material which he performed for his character was terrible to begin with, so no matter how Rogen tried to present it for acting purposes it would have been dull and boring. Which brings up the rest of the actors, Jay Chou was expressionless as Kato and Cameron Diaz did not fit the role of Lenore, she was too upbeat and cheery the entire time for me to buy into it. There was one lone bright spot for the acting and pretty much the entire film and that was Christoph Waltz as Chudnofsky. He played the villain the way he should have been played, cold and ruthless. Waltz was brilliant; his character was insane right from the badass opening scene (featuring a very clever and downright awesome cameo from James Franco) up until the final battle scene between The Green Hornet and himself.

The Green Hornet is far from an enjoyable flick, it was boring and drawn out. Rogen was certainly not the person who should have been in control of this adaptation. It should have been handled by someone who was willing to add more seriousness and take out many of the unnecessary stupid lines. For the first time really in his career thus far it seems Rogens usual over the top delivery and his crude humour did not serve him well. People have caught on to this being a regular muse for Rogen, and would like to see him try and take things seriously for once. It was obvious that Rogen was trying to bring a new spin to the superhero genre, which features many dramatic adaptations of famous heroes, but it sticking with the drama proves to be a more efficient and audience friendly way of making a superhero/vigilante flick.

As far as films from 2011 go or even to clarify that even further, as far as superhero films from 2011 go there will be much better. In fact Green Hornet may be at the bottom of the all time list of Superhero films to grace the big screen. This is certainly far from one of the best films of 2011. Even if you are a huge fan of Rogen this film simply does not work. Watch it for a few laughs maybe and too see a badass Christoph Waltz, but other than that, do not expect to be wowed by this film.

Sadly, this one hit me exactly as I thought it would when I first heard Seth Rogen had the lead -- a huge disappointment for this fan of the old comics and TV show. Whaddaya get? Just another vapid bromance that's all about Rogen and not his character. Bleah. I rarely give something the definitive stamp of Do Not Like, but couldn't scrape together any love at all here. Well, maybe some for Jay Chou and the Black Beauty, but that wasn't enough for a save.

I never thought this was going to be hysterical or have killer action for that matter. Previews made it look like garbage, go see it.

"We've been completely wasting our potential. This city needs our help. We could be heroes! We will pose as villains to get close to the bad guys. That way, no one will suspect we're really the good guys."

The origins of The Green Hornet date back to 1930s radio serials created by George W. Trendle. The Lone Ranger was another Trendle creation, and with the Green Hornet he aimed to bring the iconic character into a modern setting. To this day, the franchise is best known for its shortest-lived incarnation: a 1960s TV show cancelled after its first season which is renowned for introducing the world to Bruce Lee and his unparalleled martial arts prowess. And now, decades on, we have 2011's The Green Hornet. However, this first big-screen feature film incarnation of the character isn't overly interested in the character's history - rather, it's interested in providing a fun time. The basic premise behind the franchise is retained, but the script - penned by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg - simply tweaks the average superhero story in order to suit Rogen's usual screen persona. Purists will likely cry over the changes, but those wanting an enjoyable romp should be pleased by this stylish, glossy blockbuster.

After being raised by his harsh newspaper magnate of a father (Wilkinson), Britt Reid (Rogen) has become a lazy, spoiled playboy who parties hard but is incapable of getting his life in order. When his father dies of an allergic reaction to a bee sting, Britt inherits his father's newspaper business but has no idea how to run it. However, he soon finds comfort in a skilled associate named Kato (Chou). It isn't long before Britt and Kato are involved in an act of accidental valour. Labelling himself the Green Hornet, Britt decides to take to the superhero game, relying on Kato's ingenious inventions and martial arts skills to see him through. Additionally, Britt's idea is to fight crime by using his newspaper to trick the general public into perceiving his mysterious alter ego as a notorious criminal. However, their behaviour disturbs oversensitive crime kingpin Chudnofsky (Waltz), who is unenthusiastic about the notion of handing Los Angeles over to a pair of amateur crime fighters.

Despite its humble origins, Hollywood has been trying to turn The Green Hornet into a modern blockbuster franchise since the '90s, with people like Kevin Smith, Jet Li, and George Clooney all having been attached one at stage. It's doubtful anyone imagined the script would ultimately be written as an action-comedy by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who also scripted The Pineapple Express and Superbad. While action-comedies are normally welcome, perhaps the main fault of The Green Hornet is that as a comedy it's rather lacklustre. There are only a few hearty laughs to be had, and some of the tonal changes are jarring. For instance, light-hearted laughs are followed by a long, awkward, uncomfortable set-piece spotlighting an over-the-top brawl between Kato and Britt. In all likelihood, the film would have fared better as a straight action flick with a few one-liners. After all, the action aspect is much more enjoyable. Also, the film is unavoidably mainstream and in no way daring, rendering it somewhat unremarkable.

Curiously, the directorial duties for The Green Hornet were handed to French filmmaker Michel Gondry, who is best known for whimsical art-house films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep). It was an unconventional decision, yet it paid off - Gondry's filmmaking style is a huge asset. Gondry managed to put his own distinctive visual stamp on the established superhero genre without eschewing the studio-favourite blockbuster demeanour. The Green Hornet is packed with fun gadgets and exceptional visual effects, while the action set-pieces were handled with exceptional skill and top-notch visual flair. The film's most "Gondry-esque" aspect is the use of "Kato-Vision", which allows the audience to see Kato's mind's eye during the fights. Slow and fast motion is used simultaneously, and we see Kato zeroing in on critical attack points as he swiftly charts out his strategy. Furthermore, in one scene there is an astonishingly creative use of split-screens and picture-in-picture which reinvigorates the art of montage. Unfortunately, The Green Hornet was converted to 3-D in post-production, but the only plausible explanation for the 3-D release is greed. Any gain to the viewer is negligible, but the increase in revenue from surcharges is quite significant.

Rogen may have co-written the script with himself in mind as Britt Reid, but the actor is miscast. A star of limited acting range, Rogen never tried to step outside of his comfort zone - there is no attempt to bring out a character; instead, the Green Hornet is simply Seth Rogen in a mask without the hard-to-nail necessity of charm. Luckily, Jay Chou fares better as Kato. His English is rough, but he has charisma. Despite the role of Kato demanding more physicality than acting ability, Chou has an amiable screen presence, which is important. Unfortunately, he and Rogen do not share much chemistry. There is some chemistry, but not the scintillating type. Meanwhile, in his first role since his Oscar-winning turn in 2009's Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz is simply marvellous as Chudnofsky. James Franco also appears in an unbilled one-scene cameo. Despite his limited screen-time, Franco steals the movie from everyone else as a smart-mouthed club-owner-come-drug-dealer who verbally slaughters Chudnofsky. Franco is hilarious in the part; giving the film a spark of infectious energy and effortless humour lacking from other character interaction.

In spite of its scripting flaws, the majority of The Green Hornet works. Moments of brilliance are present throughout, and the action scenes are extraordinary. In fact, the last half an hour of the film provides some spectacular carnage culminating in a climactic battle royale within Britt's newspaper headquarters that's slick and exhilarating; far better than a lot of action witnessed in other big-budget action films which have tarnished multiplexes over the past few years. The flick is not quite memorable or strong enough to launch a new franchise, but The Green Hornet is a fun ride. It's certainly not the disaster that most critics made it out to be.

6.8/10

Terrible choice of actors for this movie. With the story for the movie it could have been made an seriously good action movie, but it felt like some mix between an childmovie and a (cant find the word). simply crap..

When I first saw the trailer of The Green Hornet and a few still pictures of it, I was intrigued to see it and it did seem like a good bit of fun. Plus, the cast is strong aswell but the critical response has been mixed to negative but after watching it, I found it incredibly entertaining and a load of fun so I cannot fully understand why there were so many negative problems about it; except Seth Rogen perhaps seeing as a lot of people find him an annoying actor. Anyway, I just went into this film with almost no knowledge whatsoever about The Green Hornet comic books from the 1940s nor about the Green Hornet character for that matter but he was cool and did have a good laugh watching it.


The Green Hornet is a film that I feel is mixed between three different films: Iron Man, Kick-Ass and Superbad and I must say that is quite a hard combination to make a successful film. Well, for me, anyway. I must say, the purpose of The Green Hornet in 3D was what exactly? I knew from the very start that it doesn't look good in 3D but, overall, it wasn't and should have been in 2D so I would have rather seen it in 2D but there weren't any 2D showings of it in my local cinema. However, I will say that there were one or two moments where 3D was really good: the action car chase scene that leads almost to the end and the ending credits so too bad that the 3D experience was exhilarating until the last parts of the film instead of the whole way through. So I guess The Green Hornet is an example that every film will probably be in 3D in a couple of years or even months.


James Reid (Wilkinson) single-handedly built a media empire, but unfortunately his industrious genes weren't passed down to his son, Britt (Rogen). Irresponsible, slovenly, and frequently inebriated, Britt is shaken out of his drunken stupor upon receiving word that his father has died. Shortly after Britt learns that he has inherited the family business, he forges an unlikely alliance with Kato (Chou), one of his father's star employees, and together the pair hatch a plan to pose as villains in order to get close to the city's most high-powered criminals. Outfitting their indestructible custom-made car, The Black Beauty, with the absolute latest in technology and high-tech weaponry -- and arming themselves to the teeth with an array of gadgets that would make Batman blush -- the masked duo hit the streets as The Green Hornet and Kato. As the public's fascination with the mysterious crime fighters hits an all-time high, Britt's resourceful secretary, Lenore Case (Diaz), helps them to gather intelligence on notorious underworld kingpin Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz), a criminal who holds the entire city in the palm of his hand, and represents everything that Britt's father fought against. Little do the Green Hornet and Kato realize that Chudnofsky is already on to them, and that he's not about to go down without a fight.


Seth Rogen is one of those actors who does get a lot of grief from many people saying that he cannot act and that he is a really annoying guy playing the same character over and over again but I will go ahead and admit that I don't mind him at all and I like the guy. As for his role in as Britt Reid/The Green Hornet, I thought he was brilliant! In fact, I think this is perhaps his best role yet for me because he showed his normal style of acting but at the same time showed us something that we hadn't seen from him before. Green Hornet character reminds me of Tony Stark in Iron Man films because they are both rich snobs who inherit their fortune and business after their father's deaths and out of the money they've got, they use it on inventing new technology to either prevent crime or to make the company they own more successful. I have only seen Jay Chou in one film and that was Curse Of The Golden Flower but his performance in The Green Hornet as Kato was actually pretty good as the sidekick of The Green Hornet when he, in fact, does all of the work for Britt. Cameron Diaz has in many films that she has been in, been the love interest of the leading actor (mostly in rom-coms) but despite how hot she was in The Green Hornet, I wasn't too fond of her in this one because I don't think the Lenore Case character was developed enough. As for the man of the show, Christoph Waltz. His breakthrough Oscar winning performance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds was just incredible but I also really liked him in The Green Hornet too. He was an evil badass who wants all the power and control just like Hans Landa does. One thing I must say about the gun he carries around with him, that is one badass gun! A flawed part on the casting of the Chudnofsky character (not the acting from Christoph Waltz) was that Chudnofsky is a Russian character who was played by an Austrian-German actor. I still really liked his performance though. Another flaw this film had was the rather frustrating love triangle between Britt, Kato and Lenore but that didn't effect my liking.


Michel Gondry is a director who has been almost at the very bottom of creating great films (Be Kind Rewind in 2008) but also almost at the top of creating great films (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind in 2004) but his direction in The Green Hornet is stuck in the middle between the two so is about in the middle. The action scenes were brilliantly filmed but the script that was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg was quite badly written but, quite frankly, I don't care because I just found this very good fun, nothing more.


Overall, The Green Hornet is a film that I think people should at least appreciate for its entertainment and not to take it so seriously. The 3D was unnecessary throughout most of the film but I still enjoyed it. I would say it is probably my favourite Seth Rogen film so far and I liked the cast. I will admit, though, if you love the original TV series and comic books of The Green Hornet, I think you might be disappointed by this one. The first 2011 film I have seen and it certainly has gone off to a fun start.

The Green Hornet is nothing short of a screwball comedy badly written. Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of James Reid(Tom Wilkinson) a Business man and mass media reporter. James was nothing but cruel to Britt in his youth , so its no wonder, as to why Britt is an avid partier. On the flip side Kato(Jay Chou) was the mansion mechanic and maid. The viewer doesn't discover this until Britt wakes up one morning and realizes his coffee sucks. Only then does he storm out of his mini-mansion into the main house and yells "why does my ****ing coffee taste like Sh**". The villain is Chudnofsky played by Christoph Waltz of Inglorious Basterds. Waltz is denied any decent scenes of dialogue or comedy; as this is what got him the role in the first place. Cameron Diaz appears to have the only normal life of anyone in the film and plays the love interest for not only Britt, but Kato as well. This remake is nothing but a crappy comedy that makes us wonder what the studios were thinking when they gave it the "green Light". Because only when Britt's father dies do our characters actually want to make a difference in their lives. The Green Hornet was Written by Rogen, who can't help but yell half of his lines, and Evan Goldberg, Both whom wrote Drillbit Taylor, and was directed by Michael Gondry(Be Kind, Rewind) who should question his recent choice of films.