In the long history of DC comic movies, most of them come down to Superman and Batman. DC has plenty of characters, but I guess some of them would be hard to translate to the big screen. Well, DC is trying to branch out by releasing Green Lantern, a movie that began with the idea of being a comedy staring Jack Black (seriously, look it up). It's come a long way since then, but was it worth the wait? I've watched it, and here is my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review of the movie. Your opinion may very well be different from mine.
Story
The movie follows a pilot named Hal Jordan, played by Ryan Reynolds. While he loves flying and is really good at it, he's kind of a screwup at everything else in his life. However, he is given a chance to serve a greater purpose, as he meets a dying alien named Abin Sur. Abin chooses Hal as his successor before passing away, and Hal is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. He must now learn to harness his incredible new powers and overcome his fears, as Parallax, the physical manifestation of fear, prepares to consume everything.
I will say that everything dealing with Hal being the Green Lantern, or him on the Corps' home planet of Oa training, was amazing. Some of the scenes where Hal is throwing down with his enemies are downright amazing, and it's awesome to see what the Green Lantern Ring can do. However, those amazing scenes are few and far between, as most of the movie actually deals with Hal's personal problems. And while I have no problem with character development, I was beginning to wonder if I was watching the right movie at times.
All of the characters in the movie I enjoyed, especially the Green Lanterns that are highlighted. However, they don't get nearly enough screentime that they deserve. And I haven't been a follower of the comics, but I know who Parallax is, and I know they changed it a lot. It looks like some sort of insect or parasite in the comics, and it's a huge cloud monster in the movie. I don't think the original Parallax would have translated well into the movie, much like Galactus in Fantastic 4 2. The difference is that Parallax definitely presents itself as a threat more than Galactus ever did, so I did like what they did with Parallax.
Acting
I never understand why people continue doubting Ryan Reynolds. He has proven time and time again that he is a great actor, yet whenever he's cast, people are concerned. Well, no need to fear, as Ryan does a great job as Hal Jordan. I don't know if he was a good Hal in terms of being loyal to the character, but he did a great job in the movie.
In fact, everyone does a great job in this movie. Mark Strong as Sinestro, in fact, is one of the show stealers, though like most other characters, I wish he had more screentime. Geoffrey Rush voiced Tomar-Re, and Michael Clark Duncan voiced Kilowog, two of the more popular Green Lanterns, and both do a great job. Quite frankly, I can't find any problems in the acting.
Presentation
In the trailers for the movie, I must say that the CG costume used for the Green Lantern looked horrible, not realistic whatsoever. However, in the final product, I must say that it looked really cool, and pretty good. This movie is heavy on special effects, so those old school movie viewers who view CGI as the devil will despise this movie.
The soundtrack was nothing to write home about, but it did it's job throughout the movie. Not every movie has to be a Dark Knight soundtrack, so there's that.
The biggest issue with the movie is the pacing. One moment you'll be having a badass fight between Hal and Hector Hammond, and for the next 30 minutes, you'll be stuck watching Hal's personal life and issues, and how he resolves them. The movie feels almost like it was directed by two different people at times, and that's not a very good thing.
Verdict
So I give The Green Lantern a:
7 / 10
This movie looks amazing, and gives you characters that you do care about, accompanied by some truly badass fight scenes. However, many of the characters act as throwaway cameos, and those awesome fight scenes are very few and far between. For a Green Lantern movie, there isn't much Green Lantern to be found here, which throws the pacing all over the place. I don't think this movie is as bad as people are saying it is, but it's nothing special either. I can't recommend seeing it because it's a movie you'll love, but I'll recommend it so you can forge your own opinion of the movie.
So, have you seen Green Lantern? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
In the long history of DC comic movies, most of them come down to Superman and Batman. DC has plenty of characters, but I guess some of them would be hard to translate to the big screen. Well, DC is trying to branch out by releasing Green Lantern, a movie that began with the idea of being a comedy staring Jack Black (seriously, look it up). It's come a long way since then, but was it worth the wait? I've watched it, and here is my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review of the movie. Your opinion may very well be different from mine.
Story
The movie follows a pilot named Hal Jordan, played by Ryan Reynolds. While he loves flying and is really good at it, he's kind of a screwup at everything else in his life. However, he is given a chance to serve a greater purpose, as he meets a dying alien named Abin Sur. Abin chooses Hal as his successor before passing away, and Hal is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. He must now learn to harness his incredible new powers and overcome his fears, as Parallax, the physical manifestation of fear, prepares to consume everything.
I will say that everything dealing with Hal being the Green Lantern, or him on the Corps' home planet of Oa training, was amazing. Some of the scenes where Hal is throwing down with his enemies are downright amazing, and it's awesome to see what the Green Lantern Ring can do. However, those amazing scenes are few and far between, as most of the movie actually deals with Hal's personal problems. And while I have no problem with character development, I was beginning to wonder if I was watching the right movie at times.
All of the characters in the movie I enjoyed, especially the Green Lanterns that are highlighted. However, they don't get nearly enough screentime that they deserve. And I haven't been a follower of the comics, but I know who Parallax is, and I know they changed it a lot. It looks like some sort of insect or parasite in the comics, and it's a huge cloud monster in the movie. I don't think the original Parallax would have translated well into the movie, much like Galactus in Fantastic 4 2. The difference is that Parallax definitely presents itself as a threat more than Galactus ever did, so I did like what they did with Parallax.
Acting
I never understand why people continue doubting Ryan Reynolds. He has proven time and time again that he is a great actor, yet whenever he's cast, people are concerned. Well, no need to fear, as Ryan does a great job as Hal Jordan. I don't know if he was a good Hal in terms of being loyal to the character, but he did a great job in the movie.
In fact, everyone does a great job in this movie. Mark Strong as Sinestro, in fact, is one of the show stealers, though like most other characters, I wish he had more screentime. Geoffrey Rush voiced Tomar-Re, and Michael Clark Duncan voiced Kilowog, two of the more popular Green Lanterns, and both do a great job. Quite frankly, I can't find any problems in the acting.
Presentation
In the trailers for the movie, I must say that the CG costume used for the Green Lantern looked horrible, not realistic whatsoever. However, in the final product, I must say that it looked really cool, and pretty good. This movie is heavy on special effects, so those old school movie viewers who view CGI as the devil will despise this movie.
The soundtrack was nothing to write home about, but it did it's job throughout the movie. Not every movie has to be a Dark Knight soundtrack, so there's that.
The biggest issue with the movie is the pacing. One moment you'll be having a badass fight between Hal and Hector Hammond, and for the next 30 minutes, you'll be stuck watching Hal's personal life and issues, and how he resolves them. The movie feels almost like it was directed by two different people at times, and that's not a very good thing.
Verdict
So I give The Green Lantern a:
7 / 10
This movie looks amazing, and gives you characters that you do care about, accompanied by some truly badass fight scenes. However, many of the characters act as throwaway cameos, and those awesome fight scenes are very few and far between. For a Green Lantern movie, there isn't much Green Lantern to be found here, which throws the pacing all over the place. I don't think this movie is as bad as people are saying it is, but it's nothing special either. I can't recommend seeing it because it's a movie you'll love, but I'll recommend it so you can forge your own opinion of the movie.
So, have you seen Green Lantern? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
baylaust out.