Green Lantern

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Release Date: June 17, 2011     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Action, Superhero

Film Review

Test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a screw up in every part of his life but one, he can fly a plane better than most. His existence that consists of avoiding responsibility and achieving very little is about to change drastically when he is chosen by a very special ring to become part of the Green Lantern Corps.. The Green Lanterns are a group of warriors from various Worlds in the Universe who swear an oath to be protectors, maintaining peace and justice across the Universe. Becoming a member of such an elite group is not to be taken lightly, and Hal quickly realizes the heavy nature of the commitment–as well as his need to prove that human’s can be just as strong as anyone else as he is the first human to wear the ring. There is an evil that has escaped its prison and it is up to the Green Lanterns, and Hal especially as it threatens his planet Earth, to find a way to stop the all-consuming evil Parallax before he takes his final prize, the Green Lantern’s planet of Oa.

Hal’s journey is quick, in film time, and it helps the story immensely because there is not much to the story. The latest in a long line of super hero films is just a good time to be had, without much depth or a deep rooted origin story. Hal must learn to use his newfound powers, figure out how to manage his relationship with Carol (Blake Lively), and ultimately save the world from a very powerful force who is also influencing a man on Earth, Hector (Peter Sarsgaard). Throw in some acceptable humor, a few good action scenes, and (not the best) special effects and you have Green Lantern in a neat little box. This is obviously not a full-blown summer blockbuster of epic super hero adaptation proportions but it does its job at amusing the viewer.

While Green Lantern may not be the “best” super hero adaptation it is well written. The script is quick and dirty, but incredibly tight with it’s storyline and it makes sense. There are no moments of eye-rolling to be had from silly dialogue or failed seriousness. Even in a skin tight suit Hal is never something to laugh at; unless it is intended with the injections of humor provided purposefully by the script and Reynold’s comedic timing. This film is very much a simple story about a man who becomes a superhero almost instantaneously. He does not get a great deal of training, yet it is believable that he is able to fight evil and conjure up his weapons with his mind and the ring. The side story of his romance with Carol (Blake Lively) is established enough to where the viewer knows what happened, and what may happen again, if Hal can ever figure his life out–becoming an instant superhero is not really helping the cause. Earthbound bad guy Hector (Peter Sarsgaard) is given a great deal of screen time to establish his not so loving relationship with his father, as well as his transformation from nerdy scientist to elephant-man-esque evil doer. Every piece of Green Lantern just seems to fit in nicely to make for an easily enjoyable, if somewhat forgettable, super hero flick. Sure, the script could have given more information on the history of the Lanterns, or dived further into Hal’s issues with his father’s death, or just how one really becomes a strong Green Lantern, but as a viewer you will not really care about any of these things because you are enjoying yourself as much as you can in a simple film. Sometimes being simple is the best route to take, and it worked for Green Lantern.

With an estimated budget of $150 million dollars, including an additional $9 million thrown in at the last minute to get the film completed on time, it is surprising that the majority of the effects are done so poorly in Green Lantern. The planing between CGI and live action is disastrous, making the “real” people, like Hal, appear to be floating in front of other characters or backdrops. The planet Oa is given a decent rendering, and one awe inspiring wide shot of its otherworldly enormity, but the finer details have clearly been overlooked. Watching Green Lantern‘s effects at times are reminiscent of a cartoon caricature, or what one expected from visual effect houses more than ten years ago. There are the finer moments, and the use of green to create everything visually in terms of the action helps to hide many flaws. One cannot escape the shininess that everything appears to have in the film that makes everything appear fake, and without a grounding in reality, that is desperately needed. Hal’s suit may be impressive, even if his mask looks like make-up half the time and his face built out of putty. Green Lantern is an effects laden production that seems to have forgotten it was being made in the 21st century; it is too bad the audience will not soon forget.

What do you expect to see at the end of the credits of a movie? The answer to this question is quite simple, usually. In the case of Green Lantern things change. It is not an extra scene, that happens after the above-the-line credits directly following the film. For this movie Warner Bros. and DC Comics have thrown in a still image Green Lantern himself, as an advertisement to go out and read the comic books the film is based upon. Is it bothersome to have an advertisement at the end of the credits? No, not really. It is more comical than anything.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): Martin Campbell
• Producer(s): Greg BerlantiMichael GreenMarc GuggenheimMichael Goldenberg
• Screenwriter(s): Ryan Reynolds (Hal Jordan/Green Lantern)Blake Lively (Carol Ferris)
• Story: Peter Sarsgaard (Hector Hammond)
• Cast: Mark Strong (Sinestro)Temuera Morrison (Abin Sur)Jon Tenney (Martin Jordan) Mike Doyle (Jack Jordan)Stuart BairdDion Beebe
• Editor(s): Grant Major
• Cinematographer: James Newton Howard
• Production Designer(s):
• Costume Designer: 
• Casting Director(s): 
• Music Score: 
• Music Performed By: 
• Country Of Origin: USA