The Green Hornet
A newspaper publisher and his Asian valet/martial arts expert battle crime as the feared Green Hornet and Kato.
Richard reviewed
October 26, 2025•
Saw it on TV in the early 80's and it felt like Batman’s cooler cousin had rolled into town with a silent sidekick and a car that could eat the Batmobile for breakfast.
Van Williams plays Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher by day and masked vigilante by night.
With Bruce Lee as Kato, the valet who could dismantle a room full of thugs in seconds, the duo fights crime under the guise of being criminals themselves.
It’s a clever twist: infiltrate the underworld to take it down from within.
The tone? Sleek, serious and stylish. Unlike its campy cousin Batman (1966), The Green Hornet plays it straight, noir lighting, jazzy score and a vibe that’s more pulp thriller than comic book romp. And Bruce Lee? He steals every scene, turning Kato into a martial arts icon long before Hollywood caught on.
Watching it again is like rediscovering a hidden gem from your childhood, one that didn’t shout, but whispered cool.
It only ran for one season, but its legacy, especially Lee’s impact, echoes far beyond its 26 episodes.