(M) ***
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Director: Michel Gondry.
Cast: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Cameron Diaz.
AFTER decades kicking around in development hell - and some 75 years since its radio debut - The Green Hornet has finally hit the big screen.
While it won't be giving the likes of The Dark Knight or Iron Man a run for the title of Greatest Superhero Movie Ever, it's a decent enough buddy-actioner that is at least better than the previews would have you believe.
Rogen, who co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg (Pineapple Express, Superbad), stars as Britt Reid, a care-free party animal whose lifestyle displeases his newspaper tycoon dad (Tom Wilkinson).
But when his dad dies from a bee sting, Reid is spurred into doing something with his life. With the help of mechanic Kato (Chou), he creates the persona of The Green Hornet, a vigilante who poses as a criminal to bring down LA's underworld from the inside.
Rogen has re-created Reid as a buffoonish, almost Maxwell Smart-ish hero, with a childlike ego that is one of the more infuriating elements of the film. The fact that he brings nothing to the crime-fighting duo leaves Kato as the outright hero of the piece - he pretty much does everything - and makes their occasionally antagonistic relationship frustrating to watch because it doesn't come with any big laughs.
Where the film really works is when Gondry cuts loose, and there are a handful of eye-poppingly awesome sequences that remind you of his brilliance with films such as Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and The Science Of Sleep.
Most of these centre on Kato's kung-fu heroics and Chou is a standout in the role, not just with the arse-kicking but with his effortless coolness. Equally good is Waltz as the scene-stealing Chudnofsky, an ageing crimelord desperate to keep control, stay relevant and "be scary".
Diaz is solid in the thankless role of "token female" Lenore Case, and while Rogen has his moments, he oscillates between funny and annoying too frequently, plus his script has a lot of flat spots, particularly early on.
Still, there is plenty to recommend. It certainly doesn't take itself too seriously and at least Reid is a different type character amid the current glut of superhero movies, while Gondry's visual stylings give The Green Hornet a much-needed sting in the tail.