You have seen the billboards, the countless TV ads, and the promotional from WonderCon, does “Green Lantern” live up to the hype? Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Tim Robbins star in the long-awaited film.
GREEN LANTERN
Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.”
URL: www.greenlantern.com
Studio Synopsis:
Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).
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.
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.
Campbell directs “Green Lantern” from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
The film also stars Blake Lively (“The Town,” TV’s “Gossip Girl”) as the spirited Carol Ferris, a test pilot and the heir apparent to her father’s aviation company; Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education,” “Flightplan”) as scientist Dr. Hector Hammond; Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes”) as Sinestro, Jordan’s powerful mentor in the Green Lantern Corps; Jay O. Sanders (“Revolutionary Road”) as Carl Ferris, Carol’s aircraft designer dad; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars” Episodes II and III) as Abin Sur, Jordan’s alien predecessor; Taika Waititi (TV’s “The Flight of the Conchords”) as flight navigator Tom Kalmaku, Hal’s good friend and confidante; Jon Tenney as Martin Jordan, Hal’s idolized father; Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as enigmatic government scientist Amanda Waller; and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) as Hector’s influential father, Senator Robert Hammond.
The film is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”) and Greg Berlanti (“Life As We Know It”). Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers. Geoff Johns and Lucienne Papon are co-producing.
The film’s behind-the-scenes creative team is led by a number of Academy Award® winners, including director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), and costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), as well as Oscar®-nominated editor and longtime Campbell collaborator, Stuart Baird (“Gorillas in the Mist,” “Superman”). The film’s visual effects are being overseen by John “DJ” DesJardins (“Watchmen”).
“Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgTTaNrX0Fo[/youtube]
J.P.’s Take:
“Green Lantern” recalls the typical frame work of many superhero films that have come before it. Here you have the average human being, in this case, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), the cocky fearless flyboy, who pilots jets for the Air Force. Jordan then inherits the power of will from an alien Green Lantern corpsman that has crash landed to Earth. The next logical step in the process of becoming a superhero is learning to use these newly gained powers to fight evil. Thus, the omnipresent showdown between good and evil transpires. This evil comes in the form of a planet sized galactic demon named Parallax (voiced by Clancy Brown), who feeds on fear and steals the souls of his victims.
Here’s where the rules of engagement change when it comes to the immortal battle of good vs. evil. Hal’s power is based on will where he has to think creatively in order to conquer fear. This unique perspective on the war between hero and villain is the only twist separating it from other hero movies. You throw in a little comedy, with some romance which takes place between Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) and Hal and you have yourself a complete superhero movie.
Audience members will no doubt enjoy the action sequences, as Green Lantern conjures up tactile weaponry using just his imagination. I can remember doing that as a kid, while playing with my friends at the park; pretending to shoot fireballs from my hands. One notable scene involves the “green one” saving a helicopter carrying Senator Robert Hammond (Tim Robbins) from crashing into party goers at a ball. He turns it into a hot-rod allowing it to glide along a race track made of green light. Other fun scenes include Lantern standing his ground as Parallax is about to attack him. The massive creature, which resembles mold that grows in your shower, spews an energy blast towards him. Hal once again saves the day by thinking up a catapult to fling the blast back at Parallax. It goes on and on from there.
All credit goes to the special effects department for creating some of the most surreal environments around, where Hal is transported to the planet Oa via a glowing sphere. There you’ll find creatures even George Lucas hasn’t even thought of, with abilities that defy human nature. The story will leave an impression on it’s viewers as it speaks of conquering your fears, as well as thinking outside the box to over come personal issues.
As for the cast, I give Ryan Reynolds credit for his whimsical portrayal of Hal Jordan. He’s good looking, youthful and full of life, such as the comic character. Blake Lively is easy on the eyes and feisty. She seems like the type of woman who can take care of herself. Yet, she feels a little one dimensional (she doesn’t do much in the film, beyond being the beauty and every superhero film needs a female love interest). Although a fantastic actor, Tim Robbins seemed a little robotic as Senator Robert Hammond as well in the role. I loved the grotesqueness of Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, where he plays his part as a cross between the Elephant Man and a mad scientist. Parallax is another villain I’d be truly afraid of, and he’s just an animated character. Just the very thought of a creature that can instill fear in someone; then rip the soul form their body is down right demonic. It’s great to see the lovely Angela Bassett, as Dr. Amanda Waller, back on the big screen again. All did there best none the less to keep this movie alive.
However, the thrills became short lived, and I’m sorry to say the writers got a little lazy by giving this movie an anticlimactic ending. You may want to stay in your seat for something extra after the credits though. “Green Lantern” earns a C from me, though I wasn’t truly impressed with it, I wasn’t totally disappointed with it either.