by Lorie Lewis Ham

Special coupon for Dinuba Platinum Theatre at the end of this review.

The first incarnation of the Green Hornet was on radio in the 1930’s, then it moved to comics and film serials in the 1940’s, and finally to TV in the 1960’s. The TV show starred Van Williams and Bruce Lee.

Seth Rogen, who plays the Green Hornet in the new just released movie, came to the role in an interesting way. Having grown up watching reruns of the old TV show and being a lifelong fan of comic books, Seth always had the desire to be a part of a superhero movie. Along with his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, Seth wrote the new movie and ended up realizing he could actually play the part as well.

In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is a Los Angeles playboy who turns his life around after his newspaper publisher dad dies, teaming up with Kato, played by Jay Chou, to fight crime posing as masked criminals. The funny thing is Kato is far more of a superhero than the Green Hornet. Both of these actors did a great job and I hope we get to see much more of them. Seth is more known for his voice work in such movies as Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs Aliens, and Jay has been in several Chinese films.

Having heard the radio program when I was a kid—no I’m not that old my dad just loved old radio programs—I was vaguely familiar with the character but had no idea what to expect when I went to see the new movie. I too have always been a fan of superheroes, but The Green Hornet is different than most, with a fun, campy, comedic edge, though not over the top like the old Batman TV show of the 60’s.

Filled with twists and turns, this movie was an enjoyably different type of superhero movie from the darker ones of late, though it did have its dark moments. The Green Hornet has a good story and a mystery to solve, along with the fun and action. I think you will enjoy this movie if you enjoy superheroes, mystery, action and just plain fun. There is also a moral here to be learned—that you don’t have to have super powers or be a great fighter to be a hero and make a difference in the world.

Rated PG-13

The Green Hornet is now playing at Dinuba Platinum Theatres 6. Showtimes can be found on their website.

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Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds.