THE GREEN HORNET
US, 2011, 118 minutes, Colour.
Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour.
Directed by Michel Gondry.
This superhero comedy drama has been something of a sign of contradiction.
Diehard devotees of the now so many versions of the superhero on screen have lamented the fact that Seth Rogen is nobody’s idea of a hero let alone a superhero and that the action and effects don’t match up to other high-tech blockbusters – even though it is made in 3D. Fair enough. But, this viewpoint does seem to miss the point of the movie and the treatment.
Certainly, Seth Rogen (even with a bit of weight loss) cannot compete with Batman, Spiderman (though Green Hornet keeps an eye on the storylines and activities of these heroes) and certainly not Superman and co. And that is how The Green Hornet ticks. It is a tongue-in-cheek romp, a send-up of the conventions of the genre while putting them to amusing use. When we notice that Seth Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express),are responsible for the screenplay (with plenty of dude, cool and four letter language), then we should not be expecting po-faced action. When we notice that the director is Frenchman, Michel Gondry, whose projects are never quite straightforward (Eternal Sunshine, Human Nature, Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind), then anything is possible.
Which is rather a long introduction to a favourable review of The Green Hornet.
Britt Reid (Rogen) has been treated severely as a boy by his newspaper tycoon father (Tom Wilkinson). He grows up to be a partying spoilt brat (superbad style) who is confronted with responsibility at his father’s sudden death. Not that he undergoes a full conversion. He is still vain, petulant, cowardly and so on, despite his undergoing a kind of Bruce Wayne- Batman experience after, by accident, routing a group of thugs. So exhilarated is he (and he has the money to finance the weaponry and cars) that he pushes the paper to promote his new identity as The Green Hornet (much humour about his choice of name and mask).
He actually can’t do it at all without the help of his father’s mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou in a role that was once Bruce Lee’s), who does all the work while Britt takes all the credit (and believes his own publicity). Shades of Inspector Clouseau and his Cato.
Cameron Diaz comes on board the paper and does research on how The Green Hornet is going to act – which, of course, Britt puts into action. Except that he wants everyone to think The Green Hornet, unlike Spiderman, is a baddy: doing good by looking superbad. But... the city’s criminals and the crooked DA (David Harbour) then set out to get rid of the Hornet – in a series of amusing (except for those who want it all to be serious) bouts of mayhem, chases and action (not least a knockout brawl between Britt and Kato).
Lots of scenes are stolen by the old-fashioned local gangster chief from Russia, especially our first view of him confronting an upstart Armani-suited would-be criminal boss, James Franco (uncredited). As he goes along, exasperated by the Green Hornet, he wants to look more up-market, dressing in red and changing his name from Chudnoffsky to Bludnofsky. It is to the credit of Christoph Waltz that he is able to make this character both funny and ludicrous as well as sinister. It takes a moment to realise that it is Waltz who looks and sounds so different from his Oscar-winning role in Inglourious Basterds.
1. A film of superheroes? Tongue-in-cheek?
2. Michel Gondry and his offbeat films, meeting Seth Rogen and Evan Greenberg and their comic style? The satire, slackers and fat heroes, the language of dudes and cool? How well combined with the graphic novels and the superheroes comics?
3. The special effects for the superheroes, the cars and weapons, the chases, the smashes? Destruction? Crimes and comeuppance? Action and fights?
4. The visual style, the colour grades, the affluent world, décor, costumes, multi-screen sequences, editing and pace, the red light? The score?
5. The title, the parody, the bee and the hornet? Masks?
6. The radio origins of the Green Hornet? Film versions? Bruce Lee as Kato? Masks and identities? Doing good but looking bad?
7. The references to the Pink Panther and Cato, Batman and Robin, Without a Clue and Doctor Watson masterminding Sherlock Holmes? Spider-Man? and the missions? The world of newspapers – like Superman? The homage to the action heroes? The derivative aspects? Visualising what was originally a radio program?
8. The tone, fathers and sons, issues, school and discipline for Britt? His toy, out the window of the car, the head, the head of the statue and the repair? The decapitation of the toy, the decapitation of his father’s statue – and putting it back together again? His father considering him as a wastrel? His father’s death, the sudden news to Britt? His reappearance as an inspiration for Britt? Flashbacks? The interactions with the DA? American fathers and sons and issues?
9. Chudnofsky, Christoph Waltz and his versatile performance? The arrival at the club, the caverns, his look, his speech, the new executive and the thugs with Armani? His being accused of being old? His listening, the issue of being scary or not? His shooting the bodyguards? His reaction against the young assertive punk? The exploding of the whole plant? Chudnofsky as villain, his henchmen, killings with ease, wanting to be scary, his suit? The red? Calling himself Bludnofsky? His mask, the gas? Advice and shooting? His message to the Green Hornet? The plot to kill the Hornet? The appointment? The bulldozer and burying the Green Hornet’s car? The sushi bar? The Sentinel and the chase, the attack and destruction? His double-barrelled gun, his death?
10. Britt, partying, the girls, an irresponsible adult? With the girl, the confrontation with his father, in bed? The news of his father’s death and the shock? The TV interviews? The funeral, the speeches? His dislike of his father? The DA giving the speech, the irony of the later revelations? The installation of the statue? Britt and his resentment, the cup of coffee, firing his staff, finding Kato? His being an anti-hero? Childish, ambitious, envious, a big mouth, selfish and vain, his mistakes, comeuppance?
11. Kato and the jobs, his back-story, his relationship to Britt’s father, as a mechanic, the coffee machine invention, talking with Britt, the bonding, as brothers, not wanting to be touched, the homoerotic parody overtones? His explanations, the cars and weapons, his creativity, drinking, going out?
12. The mission, the destruction of the statue? The thugs and the encounter, Britt and the confrontation, Kato saving him, the fight, the TV footage, the reputation of the Green Hornet? His liking this mission, continuing?
13. The Sentinel, its reputation as a family newspaper? The editor, Britt and his speeches, pushing the Green Hornet, the humorous discussions about the name? Kato and his office?
14. The continued missions, thugs, drugs and confrontations, explosions? The fights and dangers? The aftermath? Britt taking the credit, while Kato did everything?
15. Lenore, her arrival, the interview, her credits and being hired, Britt and his jocose manner, her serious response? Research, working for the paper, going to the meetings? Not attracted to Britt? Kato and the date? Kato’s lies about her, Britt being upset? Her information, predictions about the behaviour of the Green Hornet, faxing the information and emailing it to Britt? Her being the mastermind?
16. The DA, his relationship with Britt’s father, his campaign, talking with Britt, the indication of bribes and considerations? The revelation about Britt’s father, Britt looking up the files, his father’s rejection of the DA? The DA's change, killing the father – and the poison and the Hornet?
17. The range of criminals and their activities, in Los Angeles, the plans, the rivalries, the newspapers, the vendettas?
18. The clash between Britt and Kato, their big fight, the stunts? In the pool? Resolving the difficulties?
19. The build-up to the climax, the Hornet being killed, Kato being employed, the encounter with Britt, the sushi bar – and the mayhem?
20. The chase, the full-on aspects of the chase, going to the offices of the Sentinel, the enormous smash-up, the fights? Britt and Chudnofsky?
21. The plan, the shooting, Britt being taken to hospital, the public not thinking he was the Green Hornet, Lenore knowing the truth, her confrontations with Britt and accusations of sexism? Her complicity in the final plot? The future dedication to justice – and Kato and Britt restoring his father’s head on the statue?
