The Official Green Lantern Review Thread - Part 5

[EliteF50]

It was a disaster movie.

Box office wise? Of course. As a movie? Hell no.

The hype may have raised people's expectations, but if you just watch it as a movie, it is in no way a disaster. A disaster would be Catwoman.

 

[Rock Sexton]

Box office wise? Of course. As a movie? Hell no.

The hype may have raised people's expectations, but if you just watch it as a movie, it is in no way a disaster. A disaster would be Catwoman.

Please. If you don't just drool over CGI, it's pretty easy to see how poorly put together this entire film is. The Box Office is just further proof of that.

 

[Karelia]

It wasn't that bad. If this came out around the time the first Spider-Man did, I imagine people would be loving it. We just expect a lot more these days. This film was average when it should have been a "space epic," which I didn't feel it was.

Oh well. At least I got Bruce Timm's GL: TAS to look forward to. He said Hal will be in space through most of the episodes.

 

[BestGirl]

It wasn't that bad. If this came out around the time the first Spider-Man did, I imagine people would be loving it. We just expect a lot more these days. This film was average when it should have been a "space epic," which I didn't feel it was.

I think GL's clunky editing guarantees that would not have been the case.

 

[Vartha]

Finally heard from My buddy from the Kubert School.
He said he liked the Film alot and his biggest complaint was Killowog didn't have enough screen time.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Prescription glasses.... they do wonders .....

I'm not sure what you're referring to. If it's because I had some spelling errors, then I'm sorry it annoyed you. Let's be honest though, it happens to everyone.

If I see one more person b****ing about rottentomatoes when they have no idea how it works, I'm gonna go postal.

I get that RT is just a general consensus of critic's reviews. However, my point is that the movie was being slammed harder then I thought it deserved to be. Beyond RT, the critics really gave this a bashing. The way some people went on about it I came in expecting another Ghost Rider. This film wasn't nearly as bad as that.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Why not, I'll bite

Green Lantern RT score: 26%
Audience rating: 55%

FF: Rise of yours truly: 37%
Audience rating: 55%

So yeah.......

Audience reviews aren't as reliable as critics. The difference being that critics have to go see it as a part of their job so you can get a reliable census, whereas with the audience the people who are most likely to dislike a film are also the most likely not to go see it at all and thus can't give a rating. Audience ratings are always skewed too high as a result.

 

[Weadazoid]

Well the producers of Super 8 have to be pretty happy, Paramounts had a good year

 

[DaveMoral]

Audience reviews aren't as reliable as critics. The difference being that critics have to go see it as a part of their job so you can get a reliable census, whereas with the audience the people who are most likely to dislike a film are also the most likely not to go see it at all and thus can't give a rating. Audience ratings are always skewed too high as a result.

Reliable census as to what though? That people whose job it is to be somewhat nitpicky have a negative opinion of the film? Audiences are more likely to go in and respond to the whole thing on a visceral level IMO than critics. And that goes for movies generally, not GL specifically.

Even if there's a reliable census amongst critics and their reviews, it makes no objective claim about the actual quality of the film because that's quite frankly, impossible. How people perceive and receive a movie is entirely subjective.

 

[RoughNTumble]

I care about what the audience thinks as much as I care about what gets 'best album' at the grammies.

 

[KalMart]

I care about what the audience thinks as much as I care about what gets 'best album' at the grammies.

Good thing you're not an executive, then....or a chef.

 

[RoughNTumble]

Well if it was in my interest to pander to the lowest common denominator, then of course I would be interested in what the audience thinks.

 

[KalMart]

Reliable census as to what though? That people whose job it is to be somewhat nitpicky have a negative opinion of the film? Audiences are more likely to go in and respond to the whole thing on a visceral level IMO than critics. And that goes for movies generally, not GL specifically.

Even if there's a reliable census amongst critics and their reviews, it makes no objective claim about the actual quality of the film because that's quite frankly, impossible. How people perceive and receive a movie is entirely subjective.

And in a lot of cases, like GL, its performance is a direct reflection as to how they subjectively felt about it....if we believe that word-of-mouth is a big contributor to a movie having sustained success in theaters.

 

[KalMart]

Well if it was in my interest to pander to the lowest common denominator, then of course I would be interested in what the audience thinks.

Which denomination do you think GL worked best for? Was it a rare gourmet dish best suited to only the most distinguished of tastes...or was it a big basket of fries?

 

[RoughNTumble]

more like a big basket of fail with extra poop sauce

 

[Infinity9999x]

Eh, it was not nearly as bad as other comic films before it. Ghost Rider, F4 both of them, Catwoman, Steel etc.

However, the most frustrating thing about Ghost Rider is that it hits that level of mediocrity where it's not good, not horrible....but you could see glimpses of how it could have been a good film. And in some ways, that's even more frustrating then a film that's just completely horrible like Batman and Robin or Catwoman.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Eh, it was not nearly as bad as other comic films before it. Ghost Rider, F4 both of them, Catwoman, Steel etc.

However, the most frustrating thing about Ghost Rider is that it hits that level of mediocrity where it's not good, not horrible....but you could see glimpses of how it could have been a good film. And in some ways, that's even more frustrating then a film that's just completely horrible like Batman and Robin or Catwoman.

I would say calling Ghost Rider mediocre is VERY generous. That was a TERRIBLE film.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I would say calling Ghost Rider mediocre is VERY generous. That was a TERRIBLE film.

I wasn't. I was saying GL was mediocre, and that it was better then films like GR, Catwoman etc. Films I consider to be bad. Yeah, GR is realllly low on the totem pole for me. The only film that beats it out for worst recent comic book film is Catwoman.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I wasn't. I was saying GL was mediocre, and that it was better then films like GR, Catwoman etc. Films I consider to be bad. Yeah, GR is realllly low on the totem pole for me. The only film that beats it out for worst recent comic book film is Catwoman.

I agree there. GL is above films like GR and such.

Ghost Rider gives me nightmares with its suckage

 

[Infinity9999x]

I agree there. GL is above films like GR and such.

Ghost Rider gives me nightmares with its suckage

The thing I really got annoyed at with GR is that it didn't even have good fights. I mean, if the movie is going to suck, at least have some good fight scenes! GR punk'd every baddie he fought in about ten seconds. It was wayyy too easy.

But like I said above, in some ways movies like GL are more frustrating to me, because I can see a lot of good ingredients that, had they tweaked some things, could have produced a very good movie. The acting was good for the most part. Even Lively, while not great, was not nearly as horrible as most people made her out to be. I thought she was less bland then Emma in X:FC. (Though FC was by far the superior film).

Like Wolverine, this is a film that could have been good. It had the talent there...the script just sucked. Which was really too bad.

 

[Spider-Fan]

The thing I really got annoyed at with GR is that it didn't even have good fights. I mean, if the movie is going to suck, at least have some good fight scenes! GR punk'd every baddie he fought in about ten seconds. It was wayyy too easy.

But like I said above, in some ways movies like GL are more frustrating to me, because I can see a lot of good ingredients that, had they tweaked some things, could have produced a very good movie. The acting was good for the most part. Even Lively, while not great, was not nearly as horrible as most people made her out to be. I thought she was less bland then Emma in X:FC. (Though FC was by far the superior film).

Like Wolverine, this is a film that could have been good. It had the talent there...the script just sucked. Which was really too bad.

Agreed. GL had many good ideas and things I felt it could have built off of to make a very solid film, but they never let those ideas materialize. They just let it flounder and in the end, the film was very muddled. If this had made some script tweaks, this would have been MUCH better. I agree, this film is somewhat frustrating in that way.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Agreed. GL had many good ideas and things I felt it could have built off of to make a very solid film, but they never let those ideas materialize. They just let it flounder and in the end, the film was very muddled. If this had made some script tweaks, this would have been MUCH better. I agree, this film is somewhat frustrating in that way.

Yeah, I honestly felt like they may have even filmed enough footage to include deleted scenes that would greatly improve the quality of the movie. I felt that there had to be more character building scenes establishing the relationship between Hal and Hecter. Honestly, I would not have picked up that they were childhood friends from the movie. I would have thought them casual acquaintances at the most. Same with Hal and Carol and the other guardians.

I really wish they had just cut Parallax as a villain (save him for a movie or two down the road) picked a less "galaxy threatening bad guy of awesome power and BADNESS!" and done a more character based story. The theme of overcoming fear is a very interesting angle. The thing I would have liked to see is Hal admitting that he's genuinely afraid to die. We've never really seen a hero admit that before in a superhero movie. Show that fear, and show what experiences help Hal put aside that fear and put his life in danger. And explore other fears and what goes into making fear such a powerful weapon.

Alas...the things that could have been. Basically the same feeling I had after watching Wolverine. I think GL was better, but Wolverine was frustrating in just the sheer acting talent that cast had. Schrieber as Sabretooth...lord he would have been AMAZING with a decent script.

 

[The Morningstar]

I wouldn't put GL above Ghost Rider. They are both crap films, but Ghost Rider has Nic Cage, Sam Elliot and Peter Fonda.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I wouldn't put GL above Ghost Rider. They are both crap films, but Ghost Rider has Nic Cage, Sam Elliot and Peter Fonda.

I'd have to disagree. Heavily. Ghost Rider's plot was in even more shambles then Green Lantern's. They didn't even try to follow a coherent logic in that film.

The devil gives guy powers. The devil then says "k dude, I'm taking those powers back." The human guy then says "nope." And the Devil....let me emphasize that....THE FREAKING DEVIL. THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS. THE GUY WHO GAVE THE MORTAL HUMAN HIS POWERS. The Devil just says "aww shucks. Guess I can't take your powers back now."

GL was definitley a step above GR in my book.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I'd have to disagree. Heavily. Ghost Rider's plot was in even more shambles then Green Lantern's. They didn't even try to follow a coherent logic in that film.

The devil gives guy powers. The devil then says "k dude, I'm taking those powers back." The human guy then says "nope." And the Devil....let me emphasize that....THE FREAKING DEVIL. THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS. THE GUY WHO GAVE THE MORTAL HUMAN HIS POWERS. The Devil just says "aww shucks. Guess I can't take your powers back now."

GL was definitley a step above GR in my book.

My personal favorite will always be at the beginning. Caretaker just rides off in the opposite direction...and Mephisto stands there like an idiot for like a minute...THOUGH HE CAN TELEPORT ANYTIME HE WANTS IN FRONT OF HIM TO STOP HIM!!!!