Anyone that knows me personally is well aware of how long I've been waiting for a Green Lantern film. Behind Spider-man, GL is a close second for my favorite superhero ever. The ever-changing settings, the space drama, the bad-ass ring, and the propelling theme of controlling your emotions and harnessing your willpower hooked me from the moment I started reading. Ever since I have become so entrenched in the Green Lantern universe that it and Green Lantern Corps are the titles I look forward to reading the most. So believe when I say I was more than anxious as I waited for a midnight showing to commence featuring the emerald ring-slinger.
Back when I started reading the comic series in the 90's, I knew the technology to bring the lantern story to the screen simply didn't exist. In 2011, not only does the technology exist, but the financial backing for superhero movies has never been more forthcoming. So enter Green Lantern, a movie with a more than solid cast and a whopping $200 million budget.
Let's start with the hopefully bankable star of this production: Ryan Reynolds. As Hal Jordan, he's wittier than I'd like him to be. No offense to Hal, but the guy just isn't that funny. He doesn't have a lot of one-liners. Unfortunately, Reynolds is too effing funny/sarcastic/annoying to not have a few zingers in the flick. That being said, I certainly expected more of them. He's got the looks and he's got the chops, so who am I to complain about a studio wanting someone entertaining in the role? He may not have been my first choice for Hal, but he's certainly not at the bottom.
As far as the Green Lantern Corps goes, I have no complaints whatsoever. Mark Strong is absolutely spot-on as the legendary and ferocious Lantern Sinestro. The intensity behind Strong's eyes bring life to the character and set the stage for one of the most significant aspects of the Green Lantern mythos. Tomar-Re and Kilowog are voiced by the talented Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan, respectively, perfectly capturing the essence of two storied members of the Corps. As for their leaders the Guardians, I thought they were aloof and arrogant enough in the time they're on screen and were exactly how I would have imagined them. I desperately wanted to see more of the lantern forces, but this was definitely more of a Hal Jordan story than a tale of the Corps. Maybe next time...
For the story's main villain, enter Parallax. A deep history in the comics, the Parallax of the film has been tweaked a bit. He's still a representation of fear, but instead of a cosmic entity that IS fear, he's a former Guardian infected and consumed with the yellow energy that is fueled by fear. It worked for me. I never expected them to create glowing alien life forms in the color of the spectrum, so this was a way to work a Parallax into the film.
On the terrestrial side of the movie, I was surprised by how not annoyed I was by Blake Lively. I knew she would be easy on the eyes, but she never once felt like a throwaway character to me, even proving useful in a fight scene. (Didn't see that coming. Good for her.) She may not have been as ballsy as her comic counterpart, but she proved a equal opposite to Reynolds. Peter Sarsgaard gets downright creepy as Hector Hammond, the evil, large-craniumed telepath. Angela Bassett even shows up as government powerhouse Amanda Waller, a nice surprise for fans of of the DCU. Still, she's not as... forceful as you would expect her to be. Some of the surrounding characters aren't that memorable, but it's a comic book blockbuster. Not every character gets to develop.
Let's start with the hopefully bankable star of this production: Ryan Reynolds. As Hal Jordan, he's wittier than I'd like him to be. No offense to Hal, but the guy just isn't that funny. He doesn't have a lot of one-liners. Unfortunately, Reynolds is too effing funny/sarcastic/annoying to not have a few zingers in the flick. That being said, I certainly expected more of them. He's got the looks and he's got the chops, so who am I to complain about a studio wanting someone entertaining in the role? He may not have been my first choice for Hal, but he's certainly not at the bottom.
As far as the Green Lantern Corps goes, I have no complaints whatsoever. Mark Strong is absolutely spot-on as the legendary and ferocious Lantern Sinestro. The intensity behind Strong's eyes bring life to the character and set the stage for one of the most significant aspects of the Green Lantern mythos. Tomar-Re and Kilowog are voiced by the talented Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan, respectively, perfectly capturing the essence of two storied members of the Corps. As for their leaders the Guardians, I thought they were aloof and arrogant enough in the time they're on screen and were exactly how I would have imagined them. I desperately wanted to see more of the lantern forces, but this was definitely more of a Hal Jordan story than a tale of the Corps. Maybe next time...
For the story's main villain, enter Parallax. A deep history in the comics, the Parallax of the film has been tweaked a bit. He's still a representation of fear, but instead of a cosmic entity that IS fear, he's a former Guardian infected and consumed with the yellow energy that is fueled by fear. It worked for me. I never expected them to create glowing alien life forms in the color of the spectrum, so this was a way to work a Parallax into the film.
On the terrestrial side of the movie, I was surprised by how not annoyed I was by Blake Lively. I knew she would be easy on the eyes, but she never once felt like a throwaway character to me, even proving useful in a fight scene. (Didn't see that coming. Good for her.) She may not have been as ballsy as her comic counterpart, but she proved a equal opposite to Reynolds. Peter Sarsgaard gets downright creepy as Hector Hammond, the evil, large-craniumed telepath. Angela Bassett even shows up as government powerhouse Amanda Waller, a nice surprise for fans of of the DCU. Still, she's not as... forceful as you would expect her to be. Some of the surrounding characters aren't that memorable, but it's a comic book blockbuster. Not every character gets to develop.
As the advertising clearly shows, Green Lantern is a 3-D summer superhero blockbuster. And I do mean, blockbuster, so you will have the occasional moment of near-cringe-worthy dialogue and the over-the-top special effects. However, there is a grand central theme of the will to overcome fear that serves as an anchor which with the film grounds itself. There's no particularly weak performances and the CGI does a fantastic job of putting form to the ring's abilities. Even the costume looked great to me after seeing on screen for two hours, instead of the glimpses in pictures and commercial snippets.
Maybe I'm softie for one of my favorite superheroes, but I was more than entertained by Green Lantern. I've seen and heard from plenty that found it horrid or boring, but not I. Could it have been better? Abso-freaking-lutely. It felt dumbed down a bit from the direction the comic book has taken over the past few years, but I think that's a necessity for GL so that the story is a bit more accessible to those new to the hero. (Though what's not easy to understand about space cops? It's AWESOME!) Unfortunately you'll almost have to see it in 3-D, which still underwhelms me every time I'm forced to endure it. Weak, yo.
If you're looking for a few fun hours at the movies, Green Lantern will do the job. It may not be the "Epic Space Opera" that the fanboys were looking for, but that's what sequels are for, fellow nerds. Try to enjoy the ride.
Maybe I'm softie for one of my favorite superheroes, but I was more than entertained by Green Lantern. I've seen and heard from plenty that found it horrid or boring, but not I. Could it have been better? Abso-freaking-lutely. It felt dumbed down a bit from the direction the comic book has taken over the past few years, but I think that's a necessity for GL so that the story is a bit more accessible to those new to the hero. (Though what's not easy to understand about space cops? It's AWESOME!) Unfortunately you'll almost have to see it in 3-D, which still underwhelms me every time I'm forced to endure it. Weak, yo.
If you're looking for a few fun hours at the movies, Green Lantern will do the job. It may not be the "Epic Space Opera" that the fanboys were looking for, but that's what sequels are for, fellow nerds. Try to enjoy the ride.
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