The Green Hornet!

I'm a sucker for superhero movies. You can basically bank on the fact that if a new superhero movie is being released, I'll be there on opening night, and if it's still in production I'm reading about it. It's not true across the board of course (Jonah Hex??), but it's a pretty safe bet. I just love 'em.

There's something satisfying about seeing a comic book character "translated" to the big screen, whether it's done well or not. If nothing else, it gives me something to critique and an opportunity to be creative: "How would I have made that film better?" But it's enormously satisfying to see it done right (The Dark Knight, for instance), and even more satisfying when the filmmaker knows the character well enough to surprise you.


That, of course, is also why I'm a sucker... superhero movies have a tendency to be over simplistic and one-dimensional.  A lot of the time it feels like I'm an addict standing at the slot machines, mumbling "maybe this time I'll get what I'm paying for, maybe this time I'll win big."

A lesser known superhero will be making a comeback in January of next year: The Green Hornet. I've been following the production of this film for quite some time and, quite frankly, don't know why I'm so obsessed over it. As superheroes go, The Green Hornet is kinda lame: his superpowers basically consist of 1) his vast wealth and 2) his sidekick, Kato. I think the source of my otherwise inexplicable fandom is that I was introduced to the Green Hornet while I was still a kid, perhaps leading to the following rationalization: (A) The Green Hornet is a superhero (B) Superheroes are awesome (C) Therefore the Green Hornet is awesome. (When you consider that Superman and Spider-Man are also superheroes, the weak premise is clearly A.)

But I can't fight it. I'm excited to see this movie.

And here's the trailer, for your viewing pleasure: