The Green Hornet 3D
Dir: Michel Gondry
Starring: Seth Rogan, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz
This adaptation of the dated 1930s radio serial brings in a movie with a lot more sting than expected, pushing the camp amateur hero into the 21st Century.
Britt Reid has always been the party boy, but after his father's death, Britt has to shape up and become the new editor of ‘The Daily Sentinel' in Los Angeles.
A drunken night with his father's mechanic Kato (Chou) results in a robbery stopped and a plan to become the new crime fighter in town ‘The Green Hornet'.
Better known for films such as The Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, indie director Michel Gondry was an odd choice for a movie dominated by ridiculous action stunts and explosions. But everything he does is dripping in style, and for 3D tech, every kick and punch explodes in your face.
For those that don't know original serial, it doesn't matter. Gondry has removed the camp and cartoonish vibe about the original material and brings in a slick version. Like taking a VW Beetle and turning it into a Ferrari.
Inglorious Bastards legend and Oscar nominated Christoph Waltz is fantastic as the clueless yet ruthless crime lord with the name no criminal fears, Chudnofsky. The opening scene in a stand off with one of his drug lords about how he needs to stop dressing like a ‘disco Santa' is classic.
Asian pop star Chou is the stand out performance, and like his character, the driving force of the Green Hornet duo, Chou shadows Rogan's performance twice over.
Which brings me to Seth Rogan – the weak link. Don't get me wrong, Rogan plays the slacker, portly comic well, and while this was funny, it gets old very quickly. His scenes with Chou are excellent as they have that real ying-yang quality about their dialogue as all good superheros should. A brawl over Cameron Diaz's character results in a lot of destruction but what absolutely hilarious. But when Rogan is left in the scene alone, he puts too much of himself into the equation, with his clueless attitude and dorky persona that doesn't feel right.
Silly, amusing popcorn fun is dealt up by The Green Hornet. I have been waiting for this movie for a while, and while I think Rogan could have delivered a much better performance, everyone else did such a good job it doesn't matter. 3D is always good fun, and in super-slow motion fights with Chou movie some ‘wow' moments that'll have you laughing and blown away.