Another comic book superhero brought to the big screen…definitely the theme of the Summer of 2011. And once again I have no frame of reference when it comes to this particular superhero, which meant that I didn’t have any specific expectations about the movie. I had read some of the reviews, which were mixed, but I didn’t want these opinions to affect my judgment of the film. I wanted to give Green Lantern a fair shot. And I was pleasantly surprised about this movie.
Ryan Reynolds gives an energetic and ultimately convincing performance as Hal Jordan, a reckless but charismatic pilot who is still haunted by the death of his father (who was also a pilot). One night he is suddenly swept up into a green light and transported to a secluded area, where he discovers a spaceship that has crash landed on Earth. The dying alien pilot of the spaceship gives Hal a special ring, explaining that the ring has chosen him. The ring turns out to be a very unique ring with amazing powers. And there’s more: Hal has been chosen to represent the planet Earth within a realm of peacekeepers for the entire galaxy.
Hal is transported way out into the universe to a planet where the other Green Lanterns reside, and he gets a crash course in utilizing the power of the ring, which is the ability to create any object/device/weapon by using one’s will. In fact, it is will that is the key element/factor. But as with The Force, there is another side - fear. An alien being (which to me resembled The Nothing from The Neverending Story) called Parallax is feasting on other planets, absorbing on the fear of the inhabitants, and Earth is next on the menu.
Meanwhile, Hal struggles to control his powers, while dealing with a complicated relationship with the beautiful Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively). In a refreshing switch from the typical superhero movie, when Carol meets Hal as The Green Lantern she immediately recognizes who he is, despite the mask. Also refreshing is that Hal is willing to confide in another friend about his “close encounter” and the ring bestowed to him. Apparently when it comes to people he cares about, Hal does not choose to deceive them.
There is another villain that appears in the form of a professor (played by Peter Sarsgaard). He helps perform an autopsy on the alien being that Hal met, but in the process is infected with a demon virus that disfigures him. He also develops mind-reading abilities and super strength. Oh, and he has a crush on Carol and is none too pleased to find out she loves Hal Jordan.
There is a lot of great action as well as some memorably funny lines. While I would have preferred to see more of a struggle with Hal adapting to his new powers (like difficulty in flying - yeah, I know he’s a pilot, but he could have had at least some hesitation with flying as himself) and more closure at the end of the movie, overall I really enjoyed this movie. Green Lantern gets this ranking from me:
Good enough. I need to confirm if Karen wants to see this and then I think it's time for "Date Night" ! :)
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