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The Green Hornet (2011)

Director: Michel Gondry

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

This wonky but charming action caper documents the crime-thwarting travails of Britt Reid aka The Green Hornet (Seth Rogen doing Seth Rogen), a lingo-spouting party boy and publishing heir, and Kato (a film-stealing Jay Chou), his quiet Chinese expat mechanic-cum-sidekick who is happily saddled with most of the inventing and fighting duties. Their enemy is debonair crime kingpin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz, rolling out his Oscar-winning, hot-hot-hot-hot-COLD! Hans Landa turn), and with the aid of a slickly remodelled vintage Chrysler, some custom-moulded masks and a pair of silly hats, the pair set out to obliterate the criminal scourge of LA.

Although his name has a muted presence on the film’s trailers and posters, French filmmaker Michel Gondry (‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’) has done a stellar job of putting his wacky auteurial stamp on a comedy which is only semi-coherent but still very funny and impeccably fashioned. The film’s focus on bumbling, makeshift heroes, plus Gondry’s bold choreography and playful use of depth and scale (the 3D element is used particularly well), ally this to the director’s previous studio outing, ‘Be Kind Rewind’ (2008), although this lacks the thematic richness of that film. Some might choose to see Kato as Gondry himself – a hip, innovative craftsman selling his tricksy wares to a benign corporate overseer.

On the downside, the film foolishly assumes that the charming, fratboy chemistry between Rogen and Chou will disguise a tissue-thin story. On the upside, Gondry and writing team Rogen and Evan Goldberg have fun inverting superhero convention and not in the same pleased-with-itself way as ‘Kick-Ass’. Here, being subversive and self-reflexive doesn’t mean comedy swearing or violence: it means staging a prolonged fist-fight in front of a giant Carlos Santana poster.

Author: David Jenkins

Time Out London Issue 2108: 13 – 19 January, 2108

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User reviews of this film

andy said...

Posted on Sep 17 2011 22:45 It was juvenile and silly but good fun.Must admit as well I haen't seen anything quuite like it.Good blend of action and comedy.

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Cappybear said...

Posted on Feb 10 2011 23:21 A bit laddish and a bit daft, but good fun, with all concerned getting into the spirit of the thing. 3-D effects not bad. Well worth the price of a cinema ticket.

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Mike said...

Posted on Jan 21 2011 08:19 The first half of this film is good – well written, amusing, some great jokes, super-hero props, and pratfalls. Seth Rogen carries the film along very nicely, and is entirely plausible as rich party boy cum night time hero. But around half-way through, the storyline seems to have evaporated. Story threads and characters that could have been followed through are forgotten or quickly killed off, making this 3d film a little 2 dimensional. Although there’s a lot of screen action, you’re not entirely sure what it’s all about, and begin to wonder if you care anyway.
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“The Green Hornet” follows too closely on the heels of last year’s “Kick Ass”, and as such is bound to be compared to it. “The Green Hornet” falls short of the benchmark left by KA. I saw Kick Ass twice, and would happily see it again, but can’t think why I’d want to see “The Green Hornet” for a second time. Also, GH’s 3d is breathtakingly pin-sharp in places, but a little fuzzy at other times. An okay quality film if you’re not too fussy about consistency. Like I say, good until about half-way. Two stars.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Jan 18 2011 23:06 Perfectly acceptable after all. The 3D is reasonable (if that's a "no see" issue) and it rattles along nicely. Some nice touches too. Downside, Rogen is a little annoying, Chou isn't much of an actor and Waltz ain't in it enough. But hey! It's alright....Think "RED" and enjoy. 6/10

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