Green Lantern is the first DC Comics movie adaption since the Dark Knight. Unlike Marvel who continues to pump out decent to great movies, DC has put out less movies and they have been less consistent on quality (some have been great like the Dark Knight but others have been forgettable like Superman Returns). In a year where Marvel is pumping out 3 movies, can DC knock it out the park and make up forget about Thor, X-Men:First Class, and Captain America?
About this Movie: (Spoilers Included)
Hot Shot pilot, Hal Jordan, is selected to take over as a member of the galactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps. He has to learn how to harness the power of the ring and deal with discrimination against humanity while he is trained. He attempts to become a super hero for Earth and his new sector of the universe. He must face a great evil force based on fear. Can his power ring and will power be enough to save the galaxy?
What I liked about this Movie:
This was truly a summer popcorn movie. It had a fill of action and special effects. It was a great distraction and a load of fun.
The character of Sinestro was perfectly portrayed on screen. Mark Strong pulled off Sinestro where I never questioned him as this twisted hero who turns bad. Strong’s acting was the best in the movie and really solidified this movie for me.
Peter Sarsgaard was a great Hector Hammond. He was creepy from the beginning. I would not want him as a teacher for my children. I would cross the street to avoid him.
The aliens in this movie were fun. The special effects with Abin Sur, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re were great and believable. There is a justified criticism that there was not enough of the Corp shown in this movie but what was shown was well done and fun.
The aliens in this movie were fun. The special effects with Abin Sur, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re were great and believable. There is a justified criticism that there was not enough of the Corp shown in this movie but what was shown was well done and fun.
Ryan Reynolds did a fantastic job portraying Hal Jordan without slipping into Reynolds usual comical acting. He demonstrated that Hal is a real jerk (there are other terms to describe him that I will not use in this post) and you want to dislike him but you still like him anyway. He made you cheer for Hal and at times feel sorry for him at others.
What I did not Like:
Ryan Reynolds just did not look like Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern. He did look a lot like Kyle Rayner (another human Green Lantern after Hal). I can’t be the only one who thought of Kyle when they saw Reynolds in his uniform. See below picture.
(Spoiler Alert) The scene after partial credits has Sinestro turning bad and taking the Yellow Ring. This would be great other than we have no idea why he does this. One minute he is trying to unite the Corp and leading the acceptance of Hal and the next minute he just decides to go bad. I understand that this is needed for a potential sequel but it should have been motivated by something in the movie.
(More Spoilers) I didn’t like the plot of Hal being afraid because of his father died as a pilot in front of his eyes. As I watched this unfold on the screen, I wondered if the took certain scenes right out of Top Gun. I was half expecting Hal to refer to Carol as “Goose” at one point. In my opinion, this distracted from the story and had little to do with the development of Hal’s character. Sometimes people are jerks because they are jerks. I did not need to see Hal choking because of dead daddy issues.
I do agree with the criticism that Green Lantern had too little of the Corp. More time on Oa would have been great. Hal should have been exposed to more alien Lanterns.
My Review:
My Review:
I grew up reading DC Comics with Green Lantern. My father was a big DC guy and loved the Justice League. I read all of my father’s comics and got to know Hal Jordan and Corp at an early age. As I got older, I found myself becoming more of a Marvel fan. I have not sat down and read a Green Lantern or Green Lantern Corp story in over a decade so I am not tied to his cannon and telling the story in a particular way.
I found Green Lantern to be a fun ride of a summer popcorn movie. It is worth the price of admission but it was not a thinking hero movie. It was an enjoyable ride but in my opinion, it didn’t hit a home run. It was more like a solid base hit. It was good but not as fun as Thor.
I found Green Lantern to be a fun ride of a summer popcorn movie. It is worth the price of admission but it was not a thinking hero movie. It was an enjoyable ride but in my opinion, it didn’t hit a home run. It was more like a solid base hit. It was good but not as fun as Thor.
I did see this movie with Bryan who is a big DC and Green Lantern fan who actively reads Green Lantern and the Corp and Bryan really liked this movie.
This movie will not be appropriate for all kids under 13. The Parallax monster is scary and many of the scenes that include him are quite intense. He sucks the life out of people including their skeletons. Some children will be fine with this but some will not be. Be prepared if you take your kids.
My Grade: B
Other Reviews
IMDB : 6.4 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 25%– 4.6 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Audience: 62% — 3.5 out of 5
Rotten Tomatoes: Audience: 62% — 3.5 out of 5
Empire: 2 out of 5
EW.com: C+
rogerebert.com: 2.5 stars out of 4
