Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & II • January 26, 2011 ‘Green Hornet’ is party guy turned crime fighter by Dennis Seuling In “The Green Hornet,” Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), the son of metropolitan newspaper publisher James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), spends his days carousing, throwing wild parties, drinking to excess, and passing out, much to his father’s chagrin. When his father unexpectedly dies, Britt is thrust into his father’s job -- a job for which he is unqualified and does not take seriously. To strike back at a father who may have been the toast of the city but was a cold, distant dad, Britt enlists the assistance of his father’s automobile mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou), in some local vandalism. Security cameras pick up their grainy images, but the newspaper staff assumes the perpetrators are members of a gang. Britt orders his staff to write about the unidentified culprit and give him a snappy name that will sell papers. They call him “The Green Hornet.” Up to this point, the film is not bad, and it promises some interesting dramatic moments balanced with action. But director Michel Gondry goes the route of camp in gagging up every situation that follows, with Rogen’s mugging and terrible acting undermining any attempt at a decent picture. Rogen is a limited actor who has become identified with man-boy social-misfit roles. In that capacity, he is fine and has developed a fan base, but he is clearly not action hero material. He goes through the motions, recites the lines, and tries to look determined, but it’s tough to believe his character is a serious threat to the bad guys. His Green Hornet is a human cartoon doing everything but running off a cliff and remaining suspended in midair as he looks helplessly toward the camera. Chou’s Kato comes off as interesting, but he can’t sell the comedic side of his role. There is no irony, no timing, and no sense of humor in lines meant to elicit chuckles. In the action department, Chou is more effective showing off Kato’s lightning-fast karate moves and proficiency at building amazing gadgets and equipping cars with gimmicky weaponry. Satisfying the unwritten rule of action movies that in stature the bad guy must equal or surpass that of the hero, Christoph Waltz plays Chudnofsky, the deadly crime king of the city. In an opening scene that borrows the menace of Waltz’s Nazi officer from “Inglourious Basterds,” Chudnofsky shows that, despite his mild-mannered appearance and soft voice, he is a formidable villain. Equipped with a dual-barreled pistol, he is adept at knocking off upstart criminals, including James Franco in an unbilled cameo role, who threaten to muscle in on his turf. Cameron Diaz plays a secretary hired by Britt shortly after he takes over at the newspaper. Modeled on girlFriday Pepper Potts in the “Iron Man” films, Diaz’s Lenore Case has little to do that is significant to the plot and is present primarily for attractive window dressing in this testosterone-driven flick. There are some good action sequences in “The Green Hornet,” including one involving several cement mixers, excitingly staged car chases, and an improbable scene in which a severed car continues its rampage through an office building. Humor is a tricky element in an action picture. It has to be incorporated in measured doses to be effective. The original “Superman” movie got it right, charming the viewer with gentle comedy without turning its superhero into the object of jokes. “The Green Hornet” looks as if a group of drunk, rich fraternity brothers put it together, assuming their sophomoric approach was hugely entertaining. When Hollywood throws its money into an illconceived project like this, it can only result in a dud. “The Green Hornet” is rated PG-13 for violence and strong language. Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) and Kato (Jay Chou) assume secret identities to battle crime in ‘The Green Hornet.’ 176 Ramapo Valley Road Oakland, NJ 201-337-8777 Hrs: Mon-Sat 7:00a,-9:00pm; Sun 7:00am-8:30pm FREE DELIVERY to Oakland and Franklin Lakes between the hours of 7am-3pm & 5pm-8pm with $10.00 minimum order. Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Pastry Extensive Menu $ On $10.00 and over, With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. Lunch & Dinner only.�� Off 1 00 $ On $20.00 and over, With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. Dinner only. �� Off 2 00 Register online @ www.westbergen.org • For more info, Contact Chrissie @ 201-444-3550 • clijoi@westbergen.org ������������������������