Brit Reid is your typical rich-kid playboy, a never do well who
only wants to do well with one thing: partying. As portrayed by Seth Rogen, who
excels at playing goofballs who enjoy having a good time, it’s actually a lot of
fun watching Brit go through this wild phase of debauchery. But the party comes
to an end when Brit’s father unexpectedly dies from a bee sting in the family’s
private garden. Brit is now forced to take over the day to day activities at the
Daily Sentinel, the family-owned newspaper. The little details are managed by
editor Mike Axford (played with crusty gusto by Edward James Olmos, formerly of
Battlestar Galactica), and Brit soon realizes that it’s best to just leave it to him.
Meeting Kato (Jay Chou), a mechanic who makes a mean cup of java who worked on
his late father’s staff, Brit takes a shine to the guy and soon they’re both out on the town in Brit’s father’s 1965 Imperial Crown sedan, which had been tricked out by Kato. After stopping an assault on a young couple, Brit--a superhero fan since his youth--gets the idea that he and Kato should become crime fighters. The ’65 Imperial Crown is further tricked out into the Black Beauty, masks are made up, and soon the boys are hitting the streets as the Green Bee! Well, the name obviously needs some work….
The onslaught of horrible reviews for this movie would have you think it’s the
worst film ever made. But Rogen, who co-wrote the script and also co-produces
the film, has helped to create a super heroic action film with some very funny
moments that’s a blast to watch. Those of you who were expecting the intensity
of The Dark Knight here might be disappointed in the comedy that’s mixed in with the hard-driving action sequences. But the film derives its comedic moments from the real-world problems of trying to become a superhero--which, for Brit and Kato, doesn’t always go smoothly. There can be only one Bruce Lee, but Jay Chou does a fine job at pulling off the off the super-cool antics of Kato.
But perhaps the real star of this film is the Black Beauty itself. Based on the
original vehicle that was driven in the 1960s TV show, the filmmakers made the
smart move by not changing a thing to this sleek urban monster. It still looks
exactly as it did in the original series, and it has never looked better than it
has in this movie. Director Michel Gondry keeps the action and laughs moving at
a rollicking pace, and even manages to deftly avoid some super hero movie
clichés--such as making Cameron Diaz’s Lenore Case a damsel in distress. Don’t
get me wrong, I loved The Dark Knight, but I also enjoyed The Spirit, as well.
There’s always room for a fun, breezy super hero movie, and The Green Hornet
fits the bill perfectly.
--SF
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