I love movies. More importantly, I love seeing movies before almost everyone else. Certain movies will get me to the theater at midnight, so I figured I’d see them first and write a review the next day so you can get a real review from someone that isn’t a Hollywood hack.
In this installment… Green Lantern.
For those of you unfamiliar with Green Lantern, I’ll sum up the plot. The Green Lanterns are a 3600-member intergalactic peacekeeping force based on the planet Oa, home of the Guardians of the Universe. They are each gifted with a ring that allows them to turn thought into reality, powered by their will. On the emotional spectrum, will is represented by the color green, and fear the color yellow. Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a cocky Human test pilot, who is selected by the Green Lanterns to join their ranks after the Green Lantern that previously owned the ring, Abin Sur, is killed in combat with Parallax, the living embodiment of fear. Reynolds is accompanied by Blake Lively, who plays Carol Ferris, Jordan’s on again, off again love interest, and Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Hector Hammond, a childhood friend of Jordan and Ferris’, who is infected with part of the Parallax entity after examining Abin Sur’s body. Long story short, Parallax attacks Earth, and it is up to Hal Jordan to conquer his fear and become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
Superhero movies have come a long way from Adam West’s Batman and Christopher Reeves’ Superman films. We’ve come to demand that our superheroes be dark, brooding, and complicated. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was one of the highest grossing films in history, because it took an A-list superhero (Batman) and married it with a great story that didn’t require a lot of special effects. Green Lantern is none of those things. He’s not an A-list superhero, his story isn’t phenomenal, and the nature of his powers requires a ton of CGI-based special effects.
Now, you’re probably thinking “Okay, so if it’s not Batman, it sucks, right?” No. If anything, I think Green Lantern represents something of a throwback to a time when superheroes weren’t always so serious. Reynolds’ performance as Hal Jordan captures both his innate cockiness, as well as his humanity. The movie even gets a few laughs, something I don’t think The Dark Knight ever managed. Blake Lively was always going to be the weak link in this cast; she’s not a terribly strong actress, and there were concerns she might not be able to manage the role. Well, I’m happy to report that Ms. Lively’s performance, although not spectacular, doesn’t detract from the film. She is simply there, which given the material is good enough. Peter Sarsgaard’s Hector Hammond comes off as delightfully unhinged as he falls under Parallax’s influence. Tim Robbins also appears as Hammond’s father, a United States Senator, but frankly I found his role somewhat forgettable. Angela Basset appears as Dr. Amanda Waller, a scientist who brings Hammond in to examine Abin Sur’s body. Mark Strong as Sinestro, Geoffery Rush as the voice of Tomar-Re, and Michael Clarke Duncan as the voice of Kilowog were among the strongest performances. Strong’s Sinestro was excellent, and he’ll be a great villain for the inevitable sequel. Overall, I found the acting to be decent to good. It didn’t detract from the story, and the emotional performances gave the appropriate amount of depth and nuance.
I found the story itself to be relatively easy to follow, without any gigantic plot holes. Yes, it was a bit thin in places, but it worked well enough to keep the pace moving. It does differ from the comic books in a few areas, but I feel like the explanation the movie gives for this is more than adequate.
With a movie like this, I’ve found that three things matter most: the quality of the story, the quality of the acting, and the quality of the effects. As I’ve stated previously, the acting is decent, and the story is simple without obvious plot holes. Where Green Lantern really shines is the special effects. Because of the nature of Hal Jordan’s powers, this movie wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago. His ability to create literally anything he can think of comes in to play several times. Moreover, the trailers don’t even give away some of the more interesting constructs. The planet of Oa is rendered beautifully, and is reminiscent of Asgard in Thor. There is plenty of fan service, and many of the classic characters from the comics are rendered faithfully and are similar enough to be identified. There is one rather funny cameo that I won’t spoil, but I think that Green Lantern fans will enjoy it.
All in all, I’d call Green Lantern a good summer popcorn movie. It’s not going to blow anyone away. It’s not going to win a bunch of Oscars (except maybe in special effects). If you have two hours to kill and some cash to burn, and want to be entertained without thinking a whole lot, Green Lantern is your movie. It’s worlds better than Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, but not quite as good as rival Marvel’s Thor or X-Men: First Class. Also, do yourself a favor and stay after the first part of the credits.
My final rating 3 out of 5 gold stars:
