GREEN LANTERN
By: John ’Doc’ Strange
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Taika Waititi, Angela Bassett
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action)
Selig Rating: FULL PRICE
Runtime: 105 Min.
Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, test pilot extraordinaire and ladies man. He arrives late for a hot test flight as wingman to Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) heiress and hot jet pilot. They are flying against state-of-the-art unmanned fighters built by Carol’s father and his company. Hal defeats the drones by using a risky maneuver which results in victory but also the loss of his F-35 fighter.
Elsewhere in the universe, a great evil has broken free of its eternal prison. The Green Lantern who had originally caught and imprisoned this evil is attacked and mortally wounded. Escaping from his starship in a pod, he makes for the nearest inhabited world to find his replacement before he dies.
Landing on Earth, Green Lantern Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison) releases the power of his ring to find the proper candidate. The green orb finds Hal and whisks him to the escape pod where Abin Sur gives Hal the ring and tells him to take the lantern to recharge it while quoting the oath (but dies without telling Hal what the oath is).
Hal’s growth into the man he needs to be in order to live up to the ideal of a Green Lantern is well scripted and well played. Ryan plays the character with just the right amount of humor while carrying the action extremely well. Blake does a very strong turn as the friend and love interest.
The computer graphics/special effects are first rate. From huge storm-cloud-like evil aliens to the various Green Lanterns (each Green Lantern, all 3066 of them, is of a different species) to jets and helicopters crashing, they are worth the price of the ticket alone.
Comic book adaptations seem to be hit or miss these days. Some, like THE GREEN HORNET, are extreme misses. After watching the trailers for GREEN LANTERN, I was afraid that GL was going to be frittered away like that disaster from Seth Rogan. Thank you, Martin Campbell, for working WITH the character instead of making changes for the sake of humor!
Movie Site: http://greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com/
The Selig Rating Scale:
FULL PRICE – Excellent movie, well worth the price
MATINEE – Good movie
DOLLAR – OK movie
CABLE – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
FREEBIE – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
COMMERCIAL TV – Commercials and cutting to the allotted time will not hurt this one.
FORGET IT! – Bad. If you see this one, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself.
GET YOUR TORCHES – BAD! – Burn the script, the writer, the director and maybe even the actors!
