Big Screen Peter: The Green Hornet

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis has agreed to use whatever it is you call his writing style to provide some measure of analysis to those folks who still go to a theater to see a movie.

review by Peter Lewis

The most recognizable feature of “The Green Hornet,” starring Seth Rogen and Taiwanese megastar Jay Chou as the Hornet and Cato respectively, isn’t the buddy banter or even the cool gadgets. It’s the unfathomable amount of people that get absolutely squished by very large objects. Whether it was front-end loaders or falling cars, director Michel Gondry seemed to steal a page straight out of the Looney Tunes bible: It’s not really violent if you don’t show the damage.

Thematically, the film does have much more in common with the Road Runner or Bugs Bunny than some of its superhero brethren. It’s a simple film built around the idea that the cinema can bring a sense of escapist enjoyment that can’t be had elsewhere.

It’s a bit of a departure for Gondry. Best known for films like “Be Kind, Rewind” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Gondry delves into crass witticisms and pointless violence with vigor, but his efforts ultimately fall short. To be fair, though there are definite flaws littered throughout the film, it’s a fairly enjoyable effort nonetheless.

But how much this should be attached to Gondry is a debatable point, as much of the film’s joys revolved around the interplay of Chou and Rogen and not directorial wizardry or special effects.

The casting choice of Rogen as Britt Reid/Green Hornet was well placed. He pulls off a bumbling, Clouseau’esque persona with a singular ease. Even with all of his wealthy beyond measure trappings, it is he who connects with the audience. Sure, he’s spoiled to a T, but the way he experiences his wealth is reminiscent of a regular Joe. His hungry hedonism, not to mention egoism, is a perfect fit for the times. The only odd note for his character is the role of his wealth. Perhaps when the story of the Green Hornet was first concocted, a wealthy heir to a newspaper fortune would make sense, but now? Well, let’s allow the medium of consumption for this essay speak for itself.

While Rogen plays the titular character, the real superhero is Kato, Britt Reid’s driver/genius/martial arts expert. In this way the Hornet story is a welcome departure from the staid formula of hero/sidekick. While Britt is relatable, Kato is enigmatic. Where the former is obtuse the latter is discerning.

Though the drama between the pair is a bit sadly manufactured, it’s the back and forth between Chou and Rogen that gives the film heart. There are true moments where they appear as Elpis to the pandora of comic-based schlock that has been wrought by Hollywood of late.

Ultimately, however, the film falls short in its quest for greatness. At nearly two hours, the movie at times seemed a cruel exercise in stretching attention spans. Instead of reveling in the possibilities of light-hearted banter and action sequences, the film suffers under its own interminable weight. And it squishes us along the way.

• The Green Hornet is playing at the Carmike 14 and the Malco Cinema 12 in Fort Smith, and the Malco Van Buren Cinema. Link here for time and ticket info.

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