'Green Hornet' lacks sting

Have multiple delays in the release of “The Green Hornet” really been worth the wait everyone has been anticipating? Well, no, not really. For the most part, “Green Hornet” is pretty disappointing.

I should clarify, though: This is a fun movie. Unfortunately, there just isn’t anything beneath its shiny surface.

“Green Hornet” stars Seth Rogen — who also co-wrote the screenplay and is an executive producer — as Britt Reid, a shallow playboy who has no interest in living up to his father’s legacy as a crusading journalist.

After his father’s sudden death, Reid decides to fight crime, largely with his father’s assistant Kato and his weapons-outfitted cars. The duo pretend to be criminals in the hopes of getting close enough to the actual criminals. Interestingly, Kato (Jay Chou) does most of the actual fighting, as Reid has no skills whatsoever. The new crime fighters/criminals eventually come to the attention of L.A. crime boss Benjamin Chudnofsky, a manic but mostly uninteresting Christoph Waltz.

“The Green Hornet” is often a pleasure to look at, thanks to director Michel Gondry’s arresting visual sense. Unfortunately, this doesn’t live up to his past films, including “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” one of my favorite films of the past decade.

The character development is certainly lacking. Tom Wilkinson as Reid’s father seems like he’s just a mean old man, not a figure to be respected. Cameron Diaz, as Reid’s secretary, is barely there.

Ultimately, the film looks great, but doesn’t focus enough on the whole package.

There has been much gossip about studio problems with “Green Hornet.” It’s difficult to know if this was always the intended version, or if there is a cut more to Gondry’s liking hidden in a vault. As it stands, this is a misstep for both Gondry and Rogen.