He's one of the highest grossing male actors in the biz. He's Seth Rogan. That's right, Seth Rogan. Sure, you expect to see mammoths like Harrison Ford and Will Smith among the Cha-Ching of the Box Office, but Seth Rogan? Absolutely. When you check out his filmography you see why. It's a list that includes voice work for flicks like Kung Fu Panda, Monsters vs. Aliens, Horton Hears a Who, among others; and co-starring roles in The 40-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, and Pineapple Express.
I've been following Seth since his Freaks and Geeks days. While I'm a big fan of this 29 year old to be (in April of 2011), I've never really been sold on him as a lead actor. Knocked Up didn't exactly get me cracked up. Observe and Report was horrible and Funny People was, well, flat. With that said, I didn't really know what to expect out of The Green Hornet.
Four words: I was not disappointed.
For me, the Green Hornet was always one of those under-the-radar super heroes. Sure, I knew he had that green mask and a car with plenty of gadgets and guns, but I figured who could really distinguish him from any number of similarly clad Los Angeleans!?! The updated version is good, bearing the balance of plot, humor and action--an act which is often quite difficult to pull off.
Meet Britt Reid (Rogan). He's the spoiled, but neglected son of media giant, James Reid. When James dies of a bee sting, Britt is charged with running the print voice of LA. This is something he knows all too little about. However, when he gets a taste of the super hero bug while helping to save a hapless couple under siege, Britt is, well, stung by a strong desire to help and well, kick some bad guy ass. He becomes the Green Hornet with the help of the martial arts master, Kato. The two take on LA's criminal under belly with reckless abandon as Britt's paper giving a heralded play-by-play. Then, the pair take things a bit too far, pissing off the drug lords who happen to be in bed with the D.A. Yadayadayada the Green Hornet and Kato fight off corrupted politicians, haphazard meth dealers and each other on their way to grabbing the ultimate headline.
It's good...4.0 Stars in my book. Yeah, it's corny at times, but never quite over-the-top. Yeah, there's enough violence to get a good testosterone fix and enough destruction to make an insurance adjuster want to enter the priesthood. Plus, there's plenty of funny moments and don't forget Cameron Diaz, who plays the wholesome but not naive Lenore. Sure, sometimes Britt/Green Hornet is soooo not a hero type that you kind of wish you had a more exemplary champ, but I suppose that's why we have Kato. He's generally there to save the day until Britt comes into his own as the Hornet. That is, unless they're battling each other for Lenore's attention.
It's a definite see and go ahead and shell out the extra cash...see this one BIG!
True...OUT!
P. S. Go Vols! Maybe this team has turned the corner and we can get a big win at UConn!
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