The Official Green Lantern Review Thread - Part 5

[S.A.A.D.]

Let's avoid doing comparisons to the Marvel films, because I already see the flame war that'll come from it.

I don't plan on comparing them to each other again.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Ok, i just saw this for the first time today, and, even though a lot of folk said it was crap, I am genuinely surprised at how sh** it was.

I was thinking it was maybe along the lines of a Spider-man 3, lots of folk on the boards, and movie critics, being really hard on a sh movie, but there was still a lot to enjoy about the film.

It felt a bit all over the place.
You're introduced to his brother, and his nephew, and then they are never seen again in the film.
His pal with the glasses just did not feel real, he felt like some cheesey version of a geek archetype, again, he just pops up and then disapears from the film.
About the only bit I liked was when he was sitting on top of that air-tower thing talking to his girlfriend, they really did seem like childhood sweethearts there.
when that whole sequence started, with him flying down to her bedroom window, i was starting to cringe, it feeling like that equally cringe-worthy bit in Batman Forever, but it actually played out quite nicely, with her seeing through his silly disguise, which is the first time I've actually seen that done on film, and no wonder in this case.

They should have left in that scene they re-instated for the blu-ray, of the three of them, including the villan, playing together as kids, because, maybe i missed something, but you have no idea how he is connected to the guy until they are talking about it in ways that assume you already know, ie him fancying the girlfriend for the longest time, I only knew cause I had read about that blu-ray scene beforehand.

Good parts...as everyone has been saying, and as I already knew from that footage they released, the OA training sequence was by far the highlight, actually the only highlight really.
I guess the sequence with the jets was ok, but it did not feel thrilling really at all, in the way it was supposed to.
The bit with Parralax enveloping the city actually started off pretty good, quite chilling, but shot off into space too quickly, for budget reasons of course.

I have to say, after all that talk about the limits of your imagination powering the ring, i laughed out loud(lol) when he finished parralax off with the first thing he generated with the ring, a big green punch.

About the only really imaginative sequence they came up with for him using the ring was with the race track he made to save the helicopter, but the scene was not really successful, it was like there was no real action to focus on, it was just a big pile of green jelly flying about the screen.
Otherwise, he just came up with regular weapons used in the way we see in any other action movie, guns, swords, flame thrower, and punching of course.
and I don't like the fact he can shoot bullets or actual flames materialise from the flame thrower, that's just pushing the power a bit too much.

eh, it was just a crap script, because with such a concept, that needs a massive budget, you better come up with damn good situations and ideas for the power ring to be utilised in the few and far between scenes when it is.
The race track scene was not a bad idea, eh, maybe that looked better on the big screen.

Oa was great though, if only they could have made the whole movie in space, on other planets, but I guess there was no way the budget could have stretched that far.

I only have a few GL comics(apart from JLA), 4 of the Neal Adams/Denny O Neil books, and a couple of others from the 80s, so I don't know the potential here really, but y'know, I think if I sat down to write one up with that power, I'd try to come up with amusing and surprising visuals to solve some interesting situations, like the race car track one. Not just guns and swords and sh** like that, we already saw those movies.
but, y'know, he is a test pilot army guy, so it makes sense for him to be coming up with the usual crap like guns and planes. I would have changed the character's background completely, made him some struggling artist type, so's you could explain all the crazy sh** he comes up with. It is certainly a power you could do interesting things with, just have sh** pop up from his subconcious and stuff.
eh, maybe that would have been too trippy, but with that kind of power, it should be.

 

[The Sage]

The third or fourth GL, Kyle Rayner was a struggling artist. I imagine the plan was for Hal to pass the torch to him or John Stewart if this had been successful. No idea what will happen now.

 

[Triad]

I have to pretty much agree with Thebumwhowalks. I too saw it for the first time today. Bought the Extended Cut Blu-Ray because I figured that with so many trying to defend it against all the negative (fan and professional) reviews, then it couldn't be as totally bad as some people say it is...Much like Spidey 3 wasn't as horrible as it's critics make it out to be, IMHO.
I was wrong.
It had some decent elements, but as a whole it was ripe with directorial missteps, a juvenile, cliched script, thin characterization and seriously bad editing.
I expected so much more from Martin Campbell. I truly can not believe that he churned this out. The saddest thing is that I felt that it held so much potential. It certainly isn't the worst comicbook hero movie that I've ever seen, but it really isn't very good. It should (could?) have been, though.
For the record, I thought that the special effects and the CGI costume looked pretty cool, despite all the flack they get from critics and Reynolds wasn't bad at all as Hal, even though I was first leery of his being cast.
I really do hope that a sequel does get made though. I think that the character and fans deserve better than this offering. I can still see it turning out great if done right this time around.
4/10

 

[HighFivingMF]

The third or fourth GL, Kyle Rayner was a struggling artist. I imagine the plan was for Hal to pass the torch to him or John Stewart if this had been successful. No idea what will happen now.

I'm pretty sure Guy would have been next in line. He was in the original script and the prequel comics (written by the film's writers and Geoff Johns [Good reads I might add]) featured Sinestro looking over Hal's past with Tomar during the scene where Jordan's suit was created and being shocked that he was chosen. He asked the ring to show him who else from Earth was worthy. The only other person worthy of a ring? A red-headed fellow in a locker room laughing with his teammates and sitting in front of a jersey that read GARDNER.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^That would have been a great scene to see, I wish a couple of the deleted scene's would have been kept in as well, one of were Hal saves his Nephew from Parallax and another one on Oa were Hal confronts Sinestro before confronting the Guardians, really wish the effects for these scene's were finished and they could be added back in.

 

[Octoberist]

I'd compare Green lantern to an essay for school that hits the right points and could get an A, but is filled with so many typos that it ends up getting a C.

 

[marcvader]

That's too much credit still.

 

[terry78]

Caught the final act and credits at FYE yesterday while one of the guys that worked there was standing there watching it. When the Sinestro stinger came up, we both were like, "that was the best part of the entire movie."

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I'd compare Green lantern to an essay for school that hits the right points and could get an A, but is filled with so many typos that it ends up getting a C.

This about sums up my feelings on the movie, I watched the extended cut tonight again and there really is a good movie in there somewere, narratively and character wise some different choices should have been made and we would have gotten a good movie. I dont think we got a bad one personally (the EE anyway) but it could have been so much better.

 

[Marvin]

The sequel will be a reboot a la WB's contemporary policy. The torch will be passed in order to avoid Reynolds. It won't be a black man so say hello to a young actor stepping in the shoes of Kyle Rayner.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^I dont know, if Reynolds' stock rises between now and when they make the sequel/re-boot, they may go with him again and just change everything else. Sony are doing it with Ghost Rider so I can see WB following suit if thats successful. Its going to be a wait and see game and I think quite a lot depends on the success of the animated series.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Honestly, I think they need to recast. I liked Reynolds, but his casting never felt right with me. I think an spiritual sequel ala The Incredible Hulk is what we need here.

 

[CelticPredator]

Reynolds should be banned from doing another DC film.

He needs to do that damn Deadpool movie already! Stop lolly gagin around! Marvel is your home!

 

[DyeLorean]

I don't think Reynolds was bad, he's charming, looks the part, some scenes fit perfectly with the character. The problem (or one of the problems) was the whole casting around him. Specially the Earth's characters. My God, that annoying friend...

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^I too was wary about Reynolds casting, but he wasnt bad at all, he was certainly far from the worst thing in the movie, and he did the best with what he was given in my eyes. I wouldnt mind him returning to the role IF they do a sequel.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

I loved reynolds. He's a great actor, its not his fault the script was all over the place...as much as I loved the movie.

 

[steintym]

I finally saw this movie and I don't know what to think. I went into it with very low expectations, so I don't think it was as bad as I was anticipating.

It definitely wasn't good, but I did enjoy it, I guess. The movie just seemed all over the place.

Ryan Reynolds also wasn't as bad as I was expecting. He actually fit the part better than what I saw from the previews.

I hated how quickly the "big" finale ended. The whole movie was pointing to this massive climax and they just wrapped things up too quickly. Didn't seem like that big of a threat after all.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I loved reynolds. He's a great actor, its not his fault the script was all over the place...as much as I loved the movie.

While I wouldnt call him a great actor, he certainly did very well in this part, he actually surprised me with how good he was, and the failings of the movie were definately not down to him.

 

[DCUmoviepage]

Have finally saw the Extended Cut, and my review is here (translate, because i have post it in my blog in PT-BR.Have a translation mode, but its not soo acurate than me writing).

Well, the extra 8 minutes of the film which the Extended Cut is filled are dominated by a flashback of young Hal Jordan (Gattlin Griffith), who has his father, the jet's test driver Martin Jordan (Jon Tenney), as an idol.That scene shows the initial interaction between the film's main characters, young Hal's relationship with his father and the accident that killed Martin and that define the personality of the growing Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) for the rest of his life. Basically, this is the extended part put in the picture, together with the scene of Hal as an adult with his nephew Jason (Dylan James) who earns a (important) sentence over the scene.

I already not expected that there were more scenes in OA and even elsewhere, but those few scenes have made a vast difference in the film by to fix one of the problems what appears in theaters version: the psychological side as been worked better, especially in relation to Hal Jordan. The film now has a whole explanation for the behavior and immaturity of character, giving more meaning to the whole trajectory of maturity as a man and hero he percorre. Define best Hal Jordan as a big kid who wants to walk the paths of his father but not know exactly what that do, but everthing changes with the arrival of the ring and the Green Lantern Corps in his life.

Hal takes nothing seriously, not their relationship with their family and friends, and not the responsibility of being a intergalatic police man.He starts to see that situation no longer as a child's play when the problems of being a hero comes for real.The death of Senator Hammond and the possibilty to a wold's end by Parallax makes him rethink about life, about the legacy he wants to carry on and finally accept the responsibilities of his actions, and stop being a kid wanting to please his dead father's memory, finally able to follow his own path.

The opening scene helps to give even more credibility to some characters and scenes, such as Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), who already shows his difficult relationship since childhood with his father (Tim Robbins), leaving a nice parallel between him and Hal Jordan, especially in the final scene inside the hangar, where Hal uses of immaturity Hector to defeat him. Even the scene of the Hot Wheels Rescue (for more propaganda that is been) and the fact that Hal haywire during the persecution of fighters is justified now because he sees it all the viewpoint of a big kid, someone who wants to grow up but do it the wrong way, and thanks to the ring and its legacy allows this change.

Well, to conclude, the main change in the extended version of Green Lantern is giving a "heart" for the movie and a psychological reason that justifies the actions of the character. The film was never intended to be as dense as The Dark Knight but not as lighter as the Fantastic Four, and the new version of the movie shows exactly the balance that he was not in the movie version. 'Green Lantern' as a film is relaxed, but not empty as many accuse, and by the way the film is being rediscovered and widely accepted (according to sales in the U.S. Home Video) by the public, maybe we gonna see another shot of the Lantern in future on the Theaters. The character deserves this opportunity.

8.0/10.0

 

[A Necessary Evil]

While I wouldnt call him a great actor, he certainly did very well in this part, he actually surprised me with how good he was, and the failings of the movie were definately not down to him.

Have you seen him in buried, and the nines? He's great in that, I'd reccomend it. t:t:

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^I've heard he was good in Buried, but thats the type of film I would have to be in the mood to watch, and I havent been so far.

Really in GL he wasnt given a whole lot to work with, he never really got any emotional scene's or anything like that to flex his acting muscles, but still did well with the part.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Well if you get in the mood..see it asap!

I agree, but once again, that's the script's fault.

Or maybe he was given those scenes, and we just haven't seen them yet.

 

[Frodo]

I just saw it and I gotta say I thought it was quite bad. Not unforgivable but I really see why so many critics ripped it to shreads. That said, I do think a sequel with a good script , Sinestro as the villan, and stronger acting could be really good. I'd give it a C-.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I finally saw this, and I was amazed by how bad it was. Reynolds was awful, but the material is even worse. Devoid of any life. The only scene that worked for me was the arrival on Oa/training scene.

The dialogue just misses every note and the film feels so small. Definitely not an epic space adventure. The story just feels... wrong. Like it isn't the one that should be told.