The Green Hornet (Rated PG-13)

THE GREEN HORNET (PG-13)

MOVIESAL'S GRADE:  B+

Cast:

	Seth Rogen	...	Britt Reid / The Green Hornet
	Jay Chou	...	Kato
	Cameron Diaz	...	Lenore Case
	Tom Wilkinson	...	James Reid
	Christoph Waltz	...	Chudnofsky

Directed By: Michel Gondry

To say that Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) and his father (Tom Wilkinson) have a complicated relationship would be an understatement. A newspaper man through and through, Wilkinson berates and alienates his young son until he grows into a directionless, feckless playboy with very little interest in anything other than partying and having that perfect cup of coffee in the morning.

Until one day, all that changes...

When his father is found dead of an apparent bee sting, Britt suddenly finds himself heir to the newspaper. He quickly bonds with Kato, the maker of the perfect cup of coffee, over their mutual dislike of Britt's father. From there, things kind of spiral out of control. To make a long story short, they accidentally become secret superheros known respectively as The Green Hornet and...The Guy With The Green Hornet.

The relationship between these two forms the center of the movie, and it's engaging and funny to watch. I was surprised how many times I found myself laughing out loud. There are a lot of comic book in-jokes and poking fun at the genre as a whole, as well as making fun of these two characters. The banter between selfish Britt and repressed Kato flows naturally, and I wasn't bored for a moment. The action scenes are well-done and coherent, the baddie is truly scary (don't even THINK about telling him otherwise), and the plot moves from point to point with aplomb. It's a movie that knows what it is, and is perfectly happy to be that.

Will this movie have its detractors? Sure. I wasn't convinced of Rogen's ability to play a superhero, but with this script it work surprising well. He's not a hero as much as a bumbling idiot who has very little idea what the heck he's even doing most of the time. The plot, while predictable, was engaging enough to keep me involved until the climactic scenes. I even liked Cameron Diaz in her role as unwitting accomplice and potential love interest to both Kato and Britt.

I'm sure they are already talking about a possible sequel. That's how Hollywood works, after all. I, for one, wouldn't object this time.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Entertaining? Yes.

Enlightening? No.

Summary: A well-done comicbook/action flick. The humor resonants and it never takes itself too seriously. Be honest with yourself. You know if this movie is for you or not.