Released on Friday in 2011, The Green Hornet kept the superhero buzz going with Seth Rogen as the titular masked hero: the alter-ego of hard-partying billionaire slacker Britt Reid. When the death of his father, the crusading editor of “The Daily Sentinel”, stung him, Britt realized the party is over and decides to not only clean up his act, but clean up the streets. With his aide Kato (Jay Chou) by his side, Britt Reid protects the law … by breaking the law as The Green Hornet.
Co-starring Cameron Diaz as the lovely Lenore Case, the film was a superhero buddy action-comedy whose highlights were Chou and The Black Beauty. When The Green Hornet came out in theaters in 2011, the character was celebrating his 75th anniversary, and was known for the ABC show with Van Williams and martial arts superstar Bruce Lee. As part of the film’s marketing, SyFy aired a marathon of The Green Hornet series that lasted one season, but continues to maintain a fan following thanks to reruns and Lee.
However, The Green Hornet didn’t create quite the big-screen buzz both critically and commercially, so plans for a sequel were canceled. Had the film been made years earlier, George Clooney would’ve been tailor made to play the role. Rogen, on the other hand, would’ve been good as Batman – with the similarities of Adam West, that is.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars