The Official Green Lantern Review Thread - Part 5

[KalMart]

Dude almost everything I said in my previous post is based on a special called the science behind star wars where actual scientist speculated how the technology behind star wars could be done. So please look it up but don't accuse me of not knowing what I'm talking about.

Yeah, but that's all speculated after the fact....it's not written into the film/narrative where they show exactly what allows them to manipulate gravity, etc. Lucas writes that a ship can fly. After it's done, others offer opinions as to how it could, with very broad imaginative license. Star Wars doesn't actually take the time to provide realistic/plausible scientific explanation to anything while the movie is actually playing.

If you asked those same 'scientists' to come up with some sort of real-life explanation/similarity for the issues you had with GL, they'd find a way. And to be frank, 3600 'guardians' being able to protect millions of star systems each is no more implausible than an empire, who can be taken down by small rebel forces and a jungle tribe of teddy-bears, ruling over any galaxy.

When you're watching Star Wars (the better ones, at least), you're not sitting there wondering what makes certain things do what they do in a realistic scientific way. You're too busy experiencing the story. It's when that story involvement starts to wane that you begin to critique the details...and you're bound to come up disappointed because very little of it makes any plausible sense without a major suspension of disbelief. That's how fantasy works...it doesn't require you to suspend disbelief as a virtue...it has to provide an engaging storyline to invite you to do it. When that comes up short, then the concept begins to undermine itself because accuracy/plausibility was never really a goal to begin with.

 

[Paradox1]

Yeah, but that's all speculated after the fact....it's not written into the film/narrative where they show exactly what allows them to manipulate gravity, etc. Lucas writes that a ship can fly. After it's done, others offer opinions as to how it could, with very broad imaginative license. Star Wars doesn't actually take the time to provide realistic/plausible scientific explanation to anything while the movie is actually playing.

If you asked those same 'scientists' to come up with some sort of real-life explanation/similarity for the issues you had with GL, they'd find a way. And to be frank, 3600 'guardians' being able to protect millions of star systems each is no more implausible than an empire, who can be taken down by small rebel forces and a jungle tribe of teddy-bears, ruling over any galaxy.

When you're watching Star Wars (the better ones, at least), you're not sitting there wondering what makes certain things do what they do in a realistic scientific way. You're too busy experiencing the story. It's when that story involvement starts to wane that you begin to critique the details...and you're bound to come up disappointed because very little of it makes any plausible sense without a major suspension of disbelief. That's how fantasy works...it doesn't require you to suspend disbelief as a virtue...it has to provide an engaging storyline to invite you to do it. When that comes up short, then the concept begins to undermine itself because accuracy/plausibility was never really a goal to begin with.

Firstly some of the tech doesn't need to be explained how it works in a story because a lot of is a retreaded idea. Such things as force fields, anti-gravity, energy weapons, warp drive, hyper drive, holograms,and etc are retreaded concepts that the general audience will accept because its not anything new to them. However in Star Wars for example the one new concept they introduced the "force" they explained in each trilogy. The importance of making a new concept make sense can not be overstated when its at the center of a story.

Secondly the Ewoks didn't defeat the Empire in a war, they won one battle it just happened to be one of the more pivotal ones. The Rebels won the war and history is full of lesser armies winning a battle over more advanced, better trained armies. Them winning a battle isn't a ridiculous as 3600 beings protecting an entire universe. However I have no problem with that concept because its not that serious of an issue that I can't overlook it. Hyperdrive, wormholes,warp drive could explain how they could somehow protect this almost infinite space.

Lastly when a concept doesn't make sense to me it takes me out of the story. That also takes away some of the enjoyment out of the story for me. If you can overlook things that are clearly out of the realm of reality as we know it. Well good for you but I am not you nor do I see things as you do. I like the details of a story to line up and make sense within the world the writer as created. When you make a story that based on our reality then you have to factor in what we know to be reality.

 

[JAK®]

Fast paced editing never worked. The so called "pulled into the chaos of the moment" intended effect is bulls***. I was "pulled into the chaos" more in Children of Men than I ever was with any rapidly cut action scene.

So you didn't like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Inception?

The prevalence of sloppy fast paced editing is annoying, and it has managed to ruin some movies (like Quantum Of Solace) but to say that it has never worked is a bit much.

 

[moviedoors]

So you didn't like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Inception?

There's a world of difference between the selective fast cutting in a Nolan movie and the meth-head wall-of-noise of a Michael Bay movie.

 

[JAK®]

There's a world of difference between the selective fast cutting in a Nolan movie and the meth-head wall-of-noise of a Michael Bay movie.

Maybe, but fast cutting is fast cutting. The claim was that it never worked, I named examples where it did.

 

[moviedoors]

Maybe, but fast cutting is fast cutting. The claim was that it never worked, I named examples where it did.

True. I guess I'm just sympathetic to knee jerk vehemence in reference to Michael Bay.

 

[JAK®]

I'm not. As far as I'm concerned you know what you're getting with a Michael Bay movie. If you pay to see it expecting something different you're a chump.

 

[moviedoors]

Which is why I won't be watching Transformers 3. I know it's going to suck something awful.

 

[marcvader]

Good post

Firstly some of the tech doesn't need to be explained how it works in a story because a lot of is a retreaded idea. Such things as force fields, anti-gravity, energy weapons, warp drive, hyper drive, holograms,and etc are retreaded concepts that the general audience will accept because its not anything new to them. However in Star Wars for example the one new concept they introduced the "force" they explained in each trilogy. The importance of making a new concept make sense can not be overstated when its at the center of a story.

Secondly the Ewoks didn't defeat the Empire in a war, they won one battle it just happened to be one of the more pivotal ones. The Rebels won the war and history is full of lesser armies winning a battle over more advanced, better trained armies. Them winning a battle isn't a ridiculous as 3600 beings protecting an entire universe. However I have no problem with that concept because its not that serious of an issue that I can't overlook it. Hyperdrive, wormholes,warp drive could explain how they could somehow protect this almost infinite space.

Lastly when a concept doesn't make sense to me it takes me out of the story. That also takes away some of the enjoyment out of the story for me. If you can overlook things that are clearly out of the realm of reality as we know it. Well good for you but I am not you nor do I see things as you do. I like the details of a story to line up and make sense within the world the writer as created. When you make a story that based on our reality then you have to factor in what we know to be reality.

 

[hame4479]

I hope the Avengers will achieve the same kind of spectacle that TF3 offers. At least ILM will be doing the effects, and that's a great thing.

Where did u hear that ILM is doing the effects for avengers, if so that is the single greatest thing Iv heard in a while, but i guess it makes sense cuz they did do all the iron man movies

 

[Tacit Ronin]

So you didn't like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Inception?

The prevalence of sloppy fast paced editing is annoying, and it has managed to ruin some movies (like Quantum Of Solace) but to say that it has never worked is a bit much.

I didn't like the sequences where it was cut that way. Fortunately, his films are better paced for most of its runtime. Bay edits a dramatic sequence like he edits an action scene.

 

[KalMart]

Firstly some of the tech doesn't need to be explained how it works in a story because a lot of is a retreaded idea. Such things as force fields, anti-gravity, energy weapons, warp drive, hyper drive, holograms,and etc are retreaded concepts that the general audience will accept because its not anything new to them. However in Star Wars for example the one new concept they introduced the "force" they explained in each trilogy. The importance of making a new concept make sense can not be overstated when its at the center of a story.

And they never brought up 'midichlorians' until the fourth movie. Until then, it was a mystical energy that Jedis could control...and that's it. Did it need to be any more scientific in those movies? Did the (ridiculous) idea of micro-organisms actually add anything, storywise, to the Force?

Secondly the Ewoks didn't defeat the Empire in a war, they won one battle it just happened to be one of the more pivotal ones. The Rebels won the war and history is full of lesser armies winning a battle over more advanced, better trained armies. Them winning a battle isn't a ridiculous as 3600 beings protecting an entire universe. However I have no problem with that concept because its not that serious of an issue that I can't overlook it. Hyperdrive, wormholes,warp drive could explain how they could somehow protect this almost infinite space.

Again, it's all intended as fantasy...and if you have issues withe h scientific plausibility of any of those elements in either movie, then something about the storytelling is off...because you can counter every 'detail' that you found implausible in GL with at least another if not more in Star Wars or any other fantasy movie out there.

And the Ewoks beating any part of the Empire in any setting is ridiculous....made even moreso by how silly it played out onscreen.

Lastly when a concept doesn't make sense to me it takes me out of the story.

When the story is engaging, it doesn't call attention to the details that require a stretch of plausibilty....unless one is actually looking for more than a fantasy story is out to provide.

That also takes away some of the enjoyment out of the story for me. If you can overlook things that are clearly out of the realm of reality as we know it. Well good for you but I am not you nor do I see things as you do.

Yeah...you're missing much, much more.

I like the details of a story to line up and make sense within the world the writer as created. When you make a story that based on our reality then you have to factor in what we know to be reality.

Then these kinds of stories/movies are apparently not for you. Either that, or you should place the blame squarely on the filmmaking/storytelling for allowing such details, which are no more ridiculous than many others that you seem to have accepted, to distract you to such an extent. Did it ever bother you that Tony Stark's internal organs should never have been able to survive the extreme G-forces put on them while flying/maneuvering the way he does as Iron Man? Why not? That took place on Earth...with no alien technology, etc. Better movie...less niggling over the details.

Besides, when a real cop has a 'beat', it's not like it's up to him...and only him...to protect every person within that 20-block radius or what have you. He calls for backup...so unless some aocalyptic things are happening in every single galaxy in the universe at the same time, it's a safe bet that any one Lantern would do the same.

 

[fixxxer1022]

although it was not as good as thor my wife and i enjoyed the movie tonight. not sure why it's getting soo many bad reviews?

 

[Batgort]

Just saw it last week with my wife too, and we liked it. Not sure why it's getting bad reviews either? The 'love scenes' were a little corny, but they didn't dominate the film, and otherwise it felt like a real super hero movie.

 

[fixxxer1022]

Just saw it last week with my wife too, and we liked it. Not sure why it's getting bad reviews either? The 'love scenes' were a little corny, but they didn't dominate the film, and otherwise it felt like a real super hero movie.

it did have some boring parts but i think renolds did a great job as hal and i enjoyed it alot. if the new superman flick has effects like this movie did ill be happy. the only thing i didn't like about this movie was the big blob of fear, it should of been designed better.

id give it a solid 8.5/10

 

[spider_rob]

Wow, this movie was bad. The worst part is how incompetent they made the GLs and the Guardians. Why were they so mean to Hal? Isn't it their duty to protect the universe? And they're just going to let Parallax feed off of Earth and become even stronger?

Ugggh.

And then the GLs arrive to save Hal AFTER he defeats Paralax. Lame.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Why were they so mean to Hal? Isn't it their duty to protect the universe? And they're just going to let Parallax feed off of Earth and become even stronger?

That's clearly explained in the movie. They were going to use the time Parallax used to destroy Earth to let Sinestro master the yellow ring and train others. They make their decisions based on the fate of the universe and deemed Earth a necessary sacrifice. In other words, the greater good.

 

[spider_rob]

That's clearly explained in the movie. They were going to use the time Parallax used to destroy Earth to let Sinestro master the yellow ring and train others. They make their decisions based on the fate of the universe and deemed Earth a necessary sacrifice. In other words, the greater good.

Okay... So, before, Parallax was defeated by a single GL- Abin Sur. Why didn't they just send all the GL after it? They were all sittin' around on Oa anyway.

I thought Parallax was created from yellow energy, and that it feeds off fear... How would a ring forged from that same energy defeat it?

And how was any of that "clearly" explained?

Also, "The ring never chooses wrongly." Um, WTF are they treating Hal like crap if they put so much faith into these rings of theirs?

 

[HighFivingMF]

Okay... So, before, Parallax was defeated by a single GL- Abin Sur. Why didn't they just send all the GL after it? They were all sittin' around on Oa anyway.

Abin didn't actually defeat him, he imprisoned him. Parallax began to feed off fear and become more powerful, a whole mess of Green Lanterns went after him and Parallax killed four. What if they sent all of the Green Lantern's and he killed all of them? Not only would Parallax be 3200 souls stronger, but there wouldn't be a single Lantern left.

I thought Parallax was created from yellow energy, and that it feeds off fear... How would a ring forged from that same energy defeat it?

Remember the training sequence? Where constructs damaged other constructs? Why wouldn't that work with a light of a different color? Fear's supposed to be a more powerful force, which is why they wanted to do it.

And how was any of that "clearly" explained?

Because one of the Guardians said it.

Also, "The ring never chooses wrongly." Um, WTF are they treating Hal like crap if they put so much faith into these rings of theirs?

I don't understand what you mean with this part.

But Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar saw Hal as a lesser being because he was human. Sinestro treated him poorly because Hal was taking his friends' place and he took the Corps seriously and wasn't sure Hal was up to the task because, again, he's human. Kilowog is rough and tough because he's, well, Kilowog.

 

[moviedoors]

Abin didn't actually defeat him, he imprisoned him. Parallax began to feed off fear and become more powerful, a whole mess of Green Lanterns went after him and Parallax killed four. What if they sent all of the Green Lantern's and he killed all of them? Not only would Parallax be 3200 souls stronger, but there wouldn't be a single Lantern left.



Remember the training sequence? Where constructs damaged other constructs? Why wouldn't that work with a light of a different color? Fear's supposed to be a more powerful force, which is why they wanted to do it.



Because one of the Guardians said it.


I don't understand what you mean with this part.

But Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar saw Hal as a lesser being because he was human. Sinestro treated him poorly because Hal was taking his friends' place and he took the Corps seriously and wasn't sure Hal was up to the task because, again, he's human. Kilowog is rough and tough because he's, well, Kilowog.

All these excuses accomplish is making the Corps look petty, stupid, and utterly incompetent.

 

[HighFivingMF]

All these excuses accomplish is making the Corps look petty, stupid, and utterly incompetent.

Cool.

 

[Deaths Head II]

The movie seemed to try to make Hal seem awesome by doing something no one in the corp was able to do but in reality it just made the corp look incompetent. Especially considering how easily Hal kills Parallax.

 

[The Guard]

Hal being able to defeat Parallax doesn't make the Corps look incompetent any more than say, it makes Ra's Al Ghul incompetent when Batman is able to suddenly defeat him at the end of BATMAN BEGINS. The hero having an edge others don't is a pretty common staple of literature.

And if The Corps actions (or inaction) displays incompetence, so be it. Parallax was shown to be able to defeat the Green Lanterns quickly. It was shown that their rings had little to no effect on it. Even Sinestro recognized this. I don't consider not risking your entire force of warriors when their weapons have proven useless to be incompetence.

And The Corps. (and their leadership) was not meant to be depicted as perfect. That's very clear over the course of the film. Hal flat out called them out on it.

And I think saying that Hal killed Parallax "easily" is a bit relative, and frankly, a little silly.

He battled Parallax on the streets of Coast City in a fight that clearly took a ridiculous amount of willpower.

He then flew Parallax into space through sheer force of will, had a dogfight in an asteroid belt, and then had to avoid being sucked into the Sun. These things don't strike me as easy, and were not portrayed as such, but rather as efforts that required tremendous will, concentration, inventiveness, and skill. And that's all pretty awesome.

 

[spider_rob]

Hal being able to defeat Parallax doesn't make the Corps look incompetent any more than say, it makes Ra's Al Ghul incompetent when Batman is able to suddenly defeat him at the end of BATMAN BEGINS. The hero having an edge others don't is a pretty common staple of literature.

And if The Corps actions (or inaction) displays incompetence, so be it. Parallax was shown to be able to defeat the Green Lanterns quickly. It was shown that their rings had little to no effect on it. Even Sinestro recognized this. I don't consider not risking your entire force of warriors when their weapons have proven useless to be incompetence.

And The Corps. (and their leadership) was not meant to be depicted as perfect. That's very clear over the course of the film. Hal flat out called them out on it.

And I think saying that Hal killed Parallax "easily" is a bit relative, and frankly, a little silly.

He battled Parallax on the streets of Coast City in a fight that clearly took a ridiculous amount of willpower.

He then flew Parallax into space through sheer force of will, had a dogfight in an asteroid belt, and then had to avoid being sucked into the Sun. These things don't strike me as easy, and were not portrayed as such, but rather as efforts that required tremendous will, concentration, inventiveness, and skill. And that's all pretty awesome.

Useless? What did Abin Sur use to imprison Parallax in the first place?

They should have added some scenes that showed the GL Corps acting competently to offset them acting like *****es and getting their asses handed to them.

Hector Hammond put up a better fight than Parallax just by throwing stuff at Hal.

Hal defeats Parallax by tricking him into the Sun... Earlier, Kilowogg creates a gravity well when he's training Hal. So, you're saying all of the GL together couldn't create something powerful enough to destroy Parallax, or at the very least trap him and transport him into a star?

And it never really showed that the rings had no effect on Parallax. It seemed more like the GL just didn't prepare properly, or lacked ingenuity. Hal is shown damaging Parallax multiple times in the final battle (tossing explosives at it, drilling through his entire being).

 

[S.A.A.D.]

Doe's anyone know why Hal went into an unconscious state after he bested Parallax? I don't have a clue! I watched some of the movie some more at work and like it even more, I picked up on more things that were seemingly executed in a refreshing manner. I will touch on the moments later on.