The Green Hornet parents guide

The Green Hornet Parent Guide

With very little to commend in his actions, Britt and his masked alter ego may be one hornet's nest many parents will want to avoid.

Overall D+

Finding no purpose in his life as the inheritor of a prosperous newspaper empire, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is inspired to secretly reinvent himself by Kato (Jay Chou), his father's former mechanic. Together the pair creates a masked superhero known as The Green Hornet.

Release date January 13, 2011

Violence D
Sexual Content B-
Profanity C-
Substance Use C

Why is The Green Hornet rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Green Hornet PG-13 for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content.

Run Time: 119 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Like many fictional characters that ultimately perform heroic feats, (Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, even Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter) Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is orphaned. He lost his mother when he was a child and, in a sense lost his father then as well. Consumed by his independently owned newspaper, The Daily Sentinel, James Reid (Tom Wilkenson) has little interest in parenting his only child. Fueled by his dad’s neglect, Britt becomes increasingly self-centered and hedonistic as he grows up, indulging in girls, booze and wild parties.

But when the publishing mogul dies as a result of a bee sting, Britt suddenly finds himself as heir of the family business. Totally unprepared to assume the role of president, Britt can’t even brew his own morning cup of joe. Thankfully his father’s mechanic, Kato, (Jay Chou) is a man of multiple talents, including coffee making and martial arts. Those fighting skills prove useful when the two men intervene on behalf of a couple ambushed by street thugs. Empowered by the adrenaline rush that follows the encounter, Britt decides he and Kato should become masked avengers.

While many comic heroes push the boundaries of vigilantism, Britt, who assumes the identity of The Green Hornet, and Kato, who remains without a nickname, intentionally promote themselves as bad guys. While their goal is to delve deeper into the criminal element and discover who is behind it, their behavior is questionable at best. On their first night out, they leave an entire group of drug sellers dead on the sidewalk. Later they blow up a meth lab where only one man escapes.

Their actions catch the attention of underworld boss Chudnofsky (Christopher Waltz) who controls the drug and gun trade in Los Angeles. His attempt to stop the Hornet ups the lawless behavior in the city and results in the killing of seven innocent citizens who made the unfortunate choice to wear green. As the gang violence escalates, other characters are crushed, blown up, shot, impaled and relieved of their limbs by means of a circular saw. All this often occurs to the musical accompaniment of singers like Johnny Cash, The Greenhornes, Van Halen, Coolio, The White Stripes and Jay Chou. In that context, the gruesome actions look almost fun, especially when no consequences result for any of the deaths or collateral damage.

Left unchecked, the droll and excessive depictions of violence not only become tiresome but also regrettable since the film contains some smart dialogue and well-paced one-liners that will appeal to the hives of teens likely lured into theaters by the popularity of Seth Rogen and the comic book genre.

But other conflicts exist in the script as well. Based on a 1936 radio character originally introduced as the grandnephew of The Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet gets an update in this screen adaptation, yet the storyline contains antiquated elements left over from an earlier era. The likelihood of a large, independently owned, urban newspaper is iffy. Equally anachronistic is a scene where the heroes make a gun-riddled run for the office so they can post something on the Internet, rather that uploading it from a phone or wireless computer in their high tech car.

Though this aspiring superhero has moments of improved behavior, he falls short of the honor and dignity he supposedly craves. With very little to commend in his actions, Britt and his masked alter ego may be one hornet’s nest many parents will want to avoid.

Directed by Michel Gondry. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz. Running time: 119 minutes. Theatrical release January 13, 2011. Updated

The Green Hornet
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Green Hornet rated PG-13? The Green Hornet is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content.

Violence: The film contains the frequent depictions of graphic crime and bodily violence. Characters are threatened with weapons, gunned down, beaten, blown up, impaled, buried alive and squashed under falling cars, cement trucks etc.A man has his hand cut off with a saw (partially seen on screen). One man has his head intentionally crushed under a garage door. A father yells at his son and adult characters argue on several occasions. Men engage in hand to hand conflicts. Characters are kicked in the groin, thrown through windows and hit with flying objects. A woman punches a man after he makes advances on her. Thugs ambush a young couple on the street. Characters deface public property. Collateral damage, including destroyed homes, businesses and vehicles, results from criminal activities.

Sexual Content: Two characters are shown in bed together. Comments are made about a man’s numerous sexual encounters with women. Women are seen in bikinis or underwear. A man makes unwanted sexual advances on a woman.

Language: The script contains frequent scatological slang, moderate profanities, crude sexual dialogue, terms of Deity and name-calling. Jokes containing sexual themes, including homosexuality, are also used. A man makes rude hand gestures.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters drink on numerous occasions, including at wild parties. A main character is depicted as being drunk on several occasions. A man smokes a cigar. The production of crystal meth is portrayed. Characters attempt to sell drugs on the street.

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The Green Hornet Parents' Guide

How many characters are killed or maimed in this film? Are these deaths mourned? Who are the countless victims that result from the collateral damage produced during crime sprees?

According to an MTV interview, Seth Rogen envisioned his Green Hornet character as a male version of heiress Paris Hilton. What difficulties are faced by children born to parents who have accomplished great things? How challenging is it to make a name for yourself? Is the Green Hornet character a fair depiction?

How does this movie glamorize crime? How does the soundtrack make the mayhem seem less horrific? How does this superhero differ from others?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Green Hornet movie is May 3, 2011. Here are some details…

The Green Hornet releases to DVD and Blu-ray on May 3, 2011, with the following packages:

Green Hornet: 3-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Bonus Material

Disc 1 (Blu-ray 3D):

- Feature Film in 3D

- 3D Animated Storyboard Comparisons (exclusive to the 3D Blu-ray)

- Filmmakers’ Commentary

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

- Feature Film in 2D

- The Green Hornet Cutting Room

- Deleted Scenes

- Gag Reel

- Filmmakers’ Commentary

- Featurettes: Trust Me (Director Michel Gondry), Writing The Green Hornet, The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool, The Stunt Family Armstrong, Finding Kato and The Art of Destruction.

- movieIQ

- Jay Chou Audition (Easter Egg)

- Double Barrel (Easter Egg)

Disc 3 (DVD):

- Feature Film

Green Hornet: Blu-ray Bonus Material

- Feature Film in 2D

- The Green Hornet Cutting Room

- Deleted Scenes

- Gag Reel

- Filmmakers’ Commentary

- Featurettes: Trust Me (Director Michel Gondry), Writing The Green Hornet, The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool, The Stunt Family Armstrong, Finding Kato and The Art of Destruction.

- movieIQ

- Jay Chou Audition (Easter Egg)

- Double Barrel (Easter Egg)

Green Hornet: DVD Bonus Material

- Gag Reel

- Filmmakers’ Commentary

- Featurettes: Writing The Green Hornet and The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool

Related home video titles:

Kato is also the name of Inspector Clouseau’s equally accomplished assistant in the Peter Sellers’ version of The Pink Panther. In the 2006 remake, Steve Martin’s bumbling character comes under the care of the unflappable Officer Ponton (Jean Reno). A clumsy British secret agent makes it through several disastrous events thanks to his assistant Bough in Johnny English.

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