Green Lantern | Review
After such fantastic superhero films such as ‘The Dark Knight‘ and ‘X-Men: First Class‘, this first feature-length adaptation of ‘Green Lantern’ is sort of a step back. Quite a few superhero films are great films in general, not just comic-book ones, and ‘Green Lantern’ is unfortunately not in this category. Though it’s not as terrible as both ‘Fantastic Four’ films, it should have been better. ‘Green Lantern’ settles for just “okay” when it should have been great.
‘Green Lantern’ stars Ryan Reynolds (‘Buried‘ & ‘The Proposal’) as Hal Jordan, who gains the power of the Green Lantern through a cosmic ring. See, billions of years ago, a group of immortal aliens harnessed the power of “willpower,” which is embodied as green light. These immortals formed the planet “Oa” and created an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps in order to keep order and peace throughout the universe. Special rings were created to allow members of the corps to use its power, and the rings are powered by lanterns, which gets power from the harnessed “willpower.” It is said only those who have no fear are chosen by the rings, and being chosen as a member of the Green Lantern Corps is of the highest honor.
Hal Jordan doesn’t believe he’s suitable for the job of a Green Lantern. Though he’s cocky, hard-headed, and irresponsible, what convinces Hal that he’s been mis-chosen is the fact that he’s not fearless. This fear stems from a past event involving his father, Martin (Jon Tenney).
Fear, embodied as yellow light, is the direct enemy of willpower. In ‘Green Lantern’, this yellow fear is depicted through Parallax, a ghastly floating blob of fire, pollution, and destruction. Parallax is one of two antagonists in the film, the other being Doctor Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), a brilliant and nerdy professor. After being exposed to some of Parallax’s power, Hammond gains telepathic powers and an oversized head.
Hal Jordan and Hector Hammond’s experiences are interestingly told in a “parallel” format. As Hal goes through one thing, Hector goes through a similar experience. It’s thoughtful to depict Hal’s transformation into the Green Lantern coincide with that of Hector’s transformation, though sometimes this obvious effect gets a bit tedious.
The problem with ‘Green Lantern’ is ultimately a result of the film’s lacking script as well as the over-abundance of special effects. Written by four screenwriters, the film should have been better. The idea’s are there, and they’re interesting, but it’s not enough. Hector Hammond’s storyline didn’t go as far as it should have, and his story ends terribly. The third act of the film, in particular, is especially weak and rushed. The climactic confrontation with Parallax lasts for a good three-to-five minutes at best. Too much money went into the film’s special effects department, and not enough focus went into the screenplay. Sure, the images on screen are definitely beautiful and awe-inspiring, it’s not enough to warrant a great film.
The entirely computerized world of Oa is something to look at, but it’s definitely not as great as the just-as-computerized world of Asgard from ‘Thor‘. In fact, both ‘Thor’ and ‘Green Lantern’ are quite similar. Both present a far-fetched premise that has to be made believable enough for audience-goers. Both films succeeded in being believable enough to be enjoyable.
Though there are a lot of problems with ‘Green Lantern’, the film also does many things right. For the most part cliches are avoided. Hal Jordan’s close friends recognize him instantly, even though he was disguised as the Green Lantern. I’ve always wondered how superheroes were able to be completely disguised by having their eyes covered. Heck, Superman changes completely merely by taking off his glasses! Gladly, ‘Green Lantern’ avoids this cliche.
The humor of the film is balanced well with the serious side of the film. Ryan Reynolds is perfect as Hal Jordan, effectively portraying the character’s charm, humor, and arrogance.
Two of the most effective scenes in ‘Green Lantern’ take place in the beginning of the film, and in the middle. One of these scenes involves Hal and Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) piloting fighter jets, along with two computer-controlled fighter jets. This scene is really cool and mesmerizing to look at. The best part comes from the conclusion of the scene, where Hal has a goosebump-inducing flashback.
The second of these scenes involves the training of Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern. Another Green Lantern by the name of Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) shows just how powerful the Green Lantern rings can be, and how it truly is limited by the user’s imagination. The creativity of the ring’s usage is a high-point of the film, and every single time the ring is used this way is an awesome experience. I was wildly impressed with the creation of a sun in order to use it’s gravitational pull in battle. That’s pure creativity.
‘Green Lantern’ isn’t a terrible superhero film, but it certainly isn’t a great one. There was so much potential for this film to be great, and the decades of ‘Green Lantern’ mythology is sort of wasted. Director Martin Campbell, who’s successfully rebooted the James Bond films twice with ‘Goldeneye’ and ‘Casino Royale’ does a commendable job here, though ‘Green Lantern’ is ultimately mediocre. The effects are wonderful, the casting is great, but the story is just not well-put together. I was thoroughly entertained, though, and I found myself authentically laughing at most the film’s jokes. The film had a good enough effect on me to want a sequel, mostly because I want to see more of the Green Lantern mythology, and also because I would like to see the proposed “franchise” get a second, and hopefully a lot better, chance.
Two and a half out of four Kents.
Extra Notes:
Tomar-Re, the fish-like Green Lantern, is voiced by ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘The King’s Speech’ star Geoffrey Rush!
Mark Strong (‘Kick-Ass‘) is perfectly-casted as the major Green Lantern Sinestro. If you wait half-way through the film’s end credits, there’s a special scene involving Sinestro and possible the next film in the series. I loved it.
