# The Green Hornet - Blu-Ray Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6562[/img]*Title: The Green Hornet
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cristoph Waltz
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Written by: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, George W. Trendle
Studio: Sony
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Release Date: 5/3/2011* 

*Movie:* :3.5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
*Extras:* :3stars: 
*Overall:* :4stars: 



*Synopsis:* 
Seth Rogen stars at Brit Reid, a spoiled rich boy that lives life one party at a time. Brit’s father James owns the paper and is a self-made man and when he isn’t busy cleaning up after his son, he spends his days reporting on the ever increasing crime problem plaguing the streets of the city. Brit seems to be in a constant state of failing to live up to his father’s expectations, but when his father dies unexpectedly, Brit must suddenly become more than the shallow party animal that he is.

After the funeral, Brit meets his father’s mechanic Kato who, among other things, is a martial artist, an inventor and makes one outstanding cup of coffee! After a day of sharing stories about Brit’s father and the discussing the different yet eerily similar relationships each had with him, the two decide to go get into trouble. Not long into their mischievous deed for the evening, Brit is presented with an opportunity to help out a young couple being terrorized by a local pack of hooligans. After seeing Brit being pursued from the rear view mirror, Kato quickly jumps into action to save his friend from the beat down that he is currently receiving and evens the odds by doling out his own brand of justice. Now the two have a new calling, become heroes posing as criminals to infiltrate the city’s crime syndicate and clean up the streets as The Green Hornet and Kato! [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6565[/img]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Green Hornet. I watched re-runs of the original TV series when I was a kid, but I wasn’t what you would call a huge fan either. It was alright, but it wasn’t Batman either, which is about the way I feel about this updated version starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou; it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t Batman either. Luckily the filmmakers didn’t have to adhere to any prerequisites of Green Hornet lore before making the movie so they were pretty much open to create any world that they wanted to create. I will say that it had several funny moments in it and that overall it was an enjoyable and entertaining movie, but on the grand scale of big budget action movies it was a bit lacking.

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6566[/img]The performances were about as engaging as the story with the exception of Christoph Waltz as Chudnofsky/Bloodnofsky, he was fun to watch and I found myself looking forward to his next scene. The rest of the cast didn’t break any new ground and I actually would have preferred someone other than Cameron Diaz for Lenore Case; she just didn’t seem to even want to be there in the first place. 

I think the biggest problem with The Green Hornet is that it lacks a true identity. I thought it was much better than some of the other "radio heroes" such as Dick Tracy, The Phantom and The Shadow, but then again, look at the caliber of those movies. I didn't think that any of the ones I mentioned were exceptionally bad, but they weren't anything to write home about either. In the end, The Green Hornet is good for a rental, but that's about it and being that it didn't even earn back it's budget domestically, I think it is probably safe to say that there won't be a sequel.

*Rating:* 
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content.

*Video:* :4.5stars:
The Green Hornet is presented in 1080P MPEG-4 AVC with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio and the results are pretty impressive. I actually went back after the movie and viewed several scenes again as part of my review process and have to say that Sony did a fine job on this video presentation. Resolution is superb with wonderful clarity bringing tons of detail throughout the film from architectural designs to facial features. Black levels are very deep and ominous with well-defined shadow delineation. There is some very lite crushing that could very well be a result of my new projector settings so I did not tax the score too heavily for that. 

Fleshtones and color reproduction in general was very good, not perfect 100% of the time, but very nice none the less. About the only problem I had with the video on The Green Hornet really had nothing to do with the transfer itself but a result of post-production in that some of the CGI had very obvious edge enhancement issues that stood out to me as a problem with keying.


























*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
The Green Hornet has a very well rounded and thoughtful 5.1 DTS-HD-MA. My only complaint is that I felt there was a lack of low end frequency extension when comparing it to the rest of what I felt was a very dynamic audio presentation. Surround activity was plentiful and very wild at times. Gunfire ripping through each channel as the chaos ensues on the screen was very pleasing to listen to. Dialogue and voice levels were very well reproduced, even within some of the more chaotic scenes; voices could be heard and more importantly understood with the utmost clarity. 

Explosions burst with plenty of thump and rubble lands with great detail and is very well textured. The score/soundtrack was very well implemented and thoughtful. I loved the scene in the car with Chou and Rogen going gangster style with Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise; it was pretty entertaining to watch. I really did enjoy the audio presentation in The Green Hornet, but like I mentioned earlier; I would have preferred a bit more low end.



*Extras:* :3stars:

Audio Commentary 
Deleted Scenes 
"Awesoom" Gag Reel 
Writing 'The Green Hornet' 
The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool 
The Green Hornet Cutting Room 
"Trust Me": Director Michael Gondry 
PS3 Theme 
The Stunt Family Armstrong 
Finding Kato 
The Art of Destruction

*Overall:* :4stars:
There isn’t anything new or refreshing about The Green Hornet that hasn’t been seen before. The premise is typical action story material and lacks any significant revelations that would resemble a major plot twist however; it isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination either. In the end, Rogen is entertaining, but somewhat goofballish in the role of Brit Reid, Chou does a good job in the role of Kato and again, Waltz was a lot of fun as Chud/Blood-Nofsky. The story is simple and straight forward with no twists so check the brain at the door, but if you are looking for an entertaining action/comedy that’s fun and requires no interaction on your part, The Green Hornet is probably just what you are looking for. Until next time campers, have a good day and in case I don't see ya later, a good afternoon, a good evening, and a good night! :wave:


_Recommendation: Rent it!​_


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## louisp (Apr 4, 2011)

I was going to rent it fro DirecTV but after reading several reviews changed my mind.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

I wouldn't hesitate renting it, but I definitely wouldn't buy it.


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## DrPhD (Aug 30, 2010)

There's this specific category of films which you'd never buy but rent in an instant.


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## Superior Audio (Feb 27, 2008)

Good, bad or indifferent, I want a COMPLETE super hero library. Tho to be honest, I still haven't bought Spiderman 3...(yet  )


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Well, there's that. I've got Spiderman 3, but don't have the first HULK or Daredevil... Yet!


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## sga2 (Nov 14, 2009)

Might be a good idea to wait until it hits the used shelves at Blockbuster (if they're still in business by then) for anyone that doesn't want to shell out $20+ for a new copy. Ditto for Spiderman 3 and X-Men 3. 

And Star Wars 1, though I still don't want it even used and if I get the 9-movie BD box set for my birthday, I might take Ep 1 out of the box move it to another room so it doesn't taint Ep 4-6.

sga2


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## Superior Audio (Feb 27, 2008)

I forgot about Daredevil. Just ordered it and S3.  Have the first Hulk on HD DVD and the second a friend burned for me.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Come on SGA, no love for Jar-Jar?


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## sga2 (Nov 14, 2009)

Dale Rasco said:


> Come on SGA, no love for Jar-Jar?


Nope. None. None whatsoever.

Or for Jake Lloyd, or the fart jokes, or the two-headed announcer during the pod race ("I don't care what galaxy you're from, that's gotta hurt"), or the completely ridiculous and unnecessary explanation for the Force, or the endless forced (no pun intended) tie-in's with the first trilogy. All of the possibilities for that movie and that's what they come up with? Utterly disappointing.

I'll stop now before my blood pressure gets too high...

sga2


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

ROFL!!! I'm not a fan either, but it doesn't bother me that bad. Except Jar-Jar, Boss Nass and the rest of the gungans... They should have just wiped them all out... Of course I felt the same way about the Ewoks!!


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## Guest (May 12, 2011)

This is one of those movies I rented. I refused to see Seth Rogen in 3D, so I never saw it at the theater.

It is worth seeing once. It has some funny moments and picture and sound quality was pretty good.


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