The best time to go and see “Green Lantern” might already be well past by the time you read this. Midnight premieres, the die-hard fan’s show times, are already over, leaving the seats open for the curious, vaguely interested and die-hard fans with kids. The trip might not be worth it at this point because if this film has any benefit at all, it comes directly from the energy of the comic book fans.
Whether your midnight crowd brought balloons or wore masks or those giant, chunky green rings or not, the vibe coming from a show that only the bravest filmgoers endure is a strong one. To an outsider, it might feel like stepping into the middle of an inside joke with little clue as to what is really going on, but at least the cues to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ help during a movie that is, at its worst, a bit incomprehensible without a little homework in advance.
Short version: Green Lantern is about a high-flying pilot, Hal Jordan, who is summoned by a dying alien space cop to take up his mantle – er, ring – and join thousands of other aliens protecting the universe as part of the Green Lantern Corps. He is given a power ring which, when fully charged, can create constructs of anything he can imagine. Space adventures ensue.
This being an origin story, introducing Average Joe to the mythos of DC’s space heroes, the film spends more time on Earth dealing with character building and relationships than it does with super-neat aliens and their space rings. And make no mistake about this film’s blatant summer blockbuster standings: You will not find brooding, Nolanverse Batman depths in here; this is a hero of a different spandex color.
Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a fairly agreeable, tame and goofy sort of hero, groomed and prepped for the work the movie has to offer. Comic fans might balk at his very un-Jordan-like mannerisms here and there, but for what the story has in store, it seems to work. Mostly. The final rallying speech he gives feels very out-of-place and is hardly rallying — yet it must be, because he is the hero, and that’s what heroes do, dammit.
His token love interest, Carrol Ferris (Blake Lively), is almost a little less so, as she not only fawns and pouts over Jordan as any superhero love interest does, but shows the wits
and brains that so many others before her lacked. She recognizes Jordan, nearly right away. It is a refreshing spin from all the eye-rollingly campy scenes of ‘Who is this mysterious masked man?’ that has played out before.
The villains of the film take form in Parallax — an entity of all the fear in the universe taking shape as a yellowed, dark cloud that is surprisingly tangible and surreal — and Hector Hammond, a kind-of colleague of Jordan and Ferris infected with Parallax, who looks more than borderline pedophile and is six shades of pathetic and creepy all at once. He plays his bit well, and hearing him scream like a girl is surprisingly entertaining for all the times it happens.
Any comic fans near, with or around you, will probably groan the moment the cloudy monster shows up, as most all would agree its comic counterpart is much scarier. Still, it works for what the film attempts to do, and does it rather well. The CGI rendering is simultaneously real and surreal, intermingling with the live action as it does.
As for the other CGI characters, the aliens of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, fans will delight in the painfully short cameos of old and new favorites. There is a real wanting for more of these, as delightful personalities like the cool and collected Tomar-Re stacks up against beloved drill sergeant Kilowog and makes for a charming variety of alien backup one can only wish for more. There are some real exciting designs out there, but all for naught; aside from the mentioned, the most these emerald-suited creatures get to do is a rallying chant and some cheerleader-esque flair. It’s unfortunate.
Then there is Sinestro.
Mark Strong gives an intense performance as the Corps’ premiere Lantern, seemingly commanding more weight than seems credited him. He holds great sway with the Guardians of the Universe, who are famous for being arrogant and hard to convince much of anything, and is head cheerleader, if you will, of those aforementioned rallying cries. He provides only a little friction with young member Jordan, resenting him for wearing the ring of his mentor. Through him, though, plot elements are set up for a sequel that could provide much more than what has been offered so far.
For all the buildup and mythology backing such a character, there is a sense of letdown come time for the big boss battle. It feels less-than spectacular given the character’s power and all he was put through, and it might not click with everyone. Green Lantern’s power is not tactile or gritty; anything he imagines becomes a green construct, giving way to green racecars, green gun turrets, green fists that punch things… It’s cartoonish in the best way possible, but might leave some viewers rolling their eyes. The campy vibe this movie undoubtedly has is not something everyone will overcome to enjoy.
Still, for those sucked in to the sights and sounds of it all, it can be exciting. Stay for the little teaser scene embedded in the credits for the shape of things to come; if the nerd buzz is anything to go by, it could be much more exciting the second time around, now that all the cast has been set and introductions are out of the way.
For now, though, tread with caution. Bring a tolerable nerd friend along. Avoid the 3D. You might walk away surprised, but don’t go in expecting another Dark Knight.
