“Green Lantern” directed by Martin Campbell
In the early 1960’s, when my best friend and I were mostly into Marvel Comics, I crossed the line over into the DC world by reading comics about a new hero who would become my private hero, Green Lantern. I liked the idea he could use his ring in a creative way: making shapes that basically saved people’s lives. The people at DC soon discovered they had a large following behind Superman, Batman, and Flash. Still, I liked Green Lantern and collected many of the comics.
Hollywood of the 21st Century has entered the world of CGI and 3D and they are not looking backward. Green Lantern is all grown up and along with that, all the vulgarities which sell good box office appealing to the late teen and early twenties crowd. So nothing that resembled the lovable character from my childhood remotely exists in this latest version, and perhaps that a good thing. Green Lantern is more sophisticated, his love interest more sincere, his friendship is funnier and more open. The mask thing just doesn’t work any longer. The girlfriend sees right through it (a very funny scene), and the intensity of the drama has far more depth than a superhero usually requires.
The time is slightly in the future. The jet aircraft have technology that surpasses our current level. A test pilot proves man can still outsmart machine in a one on one war game that starts the film. At the same time, a parallel plot speaks of alien worlds under attack from a growing galactic menace in the form of a large rocky head with tentacles that spouts yellow light from its mouth. Parallax, once a guardian, now uses fear to gobble up worlds and gain power. He is our villain in this very two dimensional philosophical discourse. The lesson being: we can overcome our fears with determination to do better – simple rules for super hero films that require little or no logic in their execution. When a Green Lantern crashes on Earth, he tells his ring to find a worthy candidate. That leads to our pilot who is whisked away one night to the Green Lantern planet. He has the same “I’m new with this power so I’m comically clumsy” scenes we see in so many similar pictures. Add to the mix that our pilot, Hal Jordon (Ryan Reynolds) has a love interest, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) that always seems too vulnerable and you have a story mix as old as comic books themselves. As is always the case in these movies, the villain uses the girl to get to the guy.
The film is not entirely predictable and Campbell uses the screen well with good camera placement making each scene enjoyable to watch. However, the film relies heavily on CGI to deliver the goods. The Green Lantern suit often appears like goo applied over the top of bodies, although in the multiple character scenes, Reynolds has his eyes lined up properly. While I’ve seen plenty of worse offerings, such as the miserable Green Hornet fiasco, Green Lantern is not completely unsatisfying and will no doubt please a younger crowd used to being hit over the head with special effects.
I saw it in 3D and found this version difficult to watch because the theater involved did not have the digital version. Therefore, the film did not always match up and the audience had the “right eye black frame” effect, which places a faint black edge around the image in the right eye and throws off the full screen effect. So this may have added to why I was annoyed with the presentation. Seems the theater is more interested in “Transformers” and “Harry Potter” which had previously booked the digital theaters. So goes distribution deals that can make or break a film. Still, I wish Green Lantern well. I liked the character as a kid and Ryan Reynolds does a good job emoting us into temporary suspended belief (better than most). Recommended for those who like lots of CGI and your happy ending scenario.
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