Britt Reid, son and heir to Los Angeles' largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato. They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid's shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case, they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky. He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.

The Green Hornet is your typical Hollywood action comic book film with a lot more flare and comedic approach. It tries to balance the action and comic book adventure with a very tongue in cheek and comedic approach and actually does a fair job at it too. Most comic book movies tend to take themselves very seriously so it is actually quite fun and entertaining to sit back and watch one that enjoys laughing at itself and its genre. The Green Hornet is a fun, entertaining, action packed comedy that is the epitome of a popcorn flick.

I am not that familiar with the original television series from the 1970’s other than being aware that Bruce Lee starred in the iconic role as the Hornet’s sidekick. And I am guessing that is how the original played it too with the Hornet kind of being the bumbling moronic fool who constantly has to be saved by his more capable and more heroic sidekick. It is an interesting turn on the genre where the sidekick is almost always regulated to the background or played by a youngster or fools themselves. But to have the hero as the bumbling fool is very refreshing and very funny too and the Hornet pulls it off.

Another deviation the movie takes from your typical comic book heroes is letting the heroes play a little villainous so as their enemies and the real villains won’t think they will go as far as they will. You know Batman and Superman is going to leave the bad guys alive and eventually they will break out of prison and wreck more havoc but with the Hornet who are seen as villains themselves by the police and the public there is no guarantee of this. It was these three things that set the Green Hornet apart and above many of its comic book counterparts. Allowing the movie and characters to have fun and be comedic, allowing the sidekick to be the real hero and allowing the heroes to come off as villains all add to freshen up the genre and make the movie so entertaining.

Seth Rogen is perfect for the part of the bumbling Hornet as with his comedy and slapstick background it’s not hard to see him as the playboy who parties too hard and makes a very weak superhero. Kato could have been played by any number of actors with a martial arts background but I really enjoyed Jay Chou as the character and am glad they didn’t feel the need to cast a more well-known actor. The Green Hornet is a fun popcorn movie that will leave you satisfied even if it is a little greasy and buttery.

Grade: B+