'Green Lantern' 101: What you need to know about Hollywood's latest hero
HOLLYWOOD -- The Green Lantern isn't exactly an obscure superhero, as anyone who has seen Sheldon Cooper talk about his favorite comic-book character the CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" can tell you. But as popular as he his among fanboys, D.C. Comics' sci-fi crime-fighter doesn't quite boast the same iconic status as Superman or Batman, either.
The first youn need to know about 'Green Lantern' is this: ring plus lantern equals awesome superpowers.
He's what Donald De Line -- producer of Warner Bros.' New Orleans-shot mega-budget film based on the character -- called a "second-tier" comic book character last week during a press day at the Beverly Hilton.
(The reaction of actor Ryan Reynolds, who plays the Green Lantern and alter-ego Hal Jordan in the film: "Yeah, that hurts. That hurts.")
So with Warner Bros.' eagerly awaited big-screen adaptation set to hit screens on Friday -- the biggest film, in terms of money spent in-state, ever shot in Louisiana, according to state film officials -- here's a quick primer on the emerald avenger, for those who might need a bit of remediation before heading to the theater on Friday.
The Green Lantern boasts some of the most powerful bling in comic-book history.
The ring: Batman has his utility belt. Superman has his cape. The Green Lantern has an alien green ring from which all of his powers derive -- but only when it is coupled with ...
The lantern: Yes, it is green, and it serves as a sort of battery that must be used to recharge the ring every so often.
The oath: The movie trailer has a little fun with it, but it's the noble, Burma-Shave-style rhyme that the Green Lantern traditionally utters when charging his ring: "In brightest day, in blackest night, / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might, / Beware my power ... Green Lantern's light!" (If you didn't click on the "Big Bang Theory" clip I linked to above, now would be the perfect time.)
The man: Before becoming the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan is a hotshot, daredevil test pilot. Sort of an anti-Clark Kent, he's the kind of super-suave guy who is quick with a one-liner and popular with the ladies. In other words, he's perfect superhero material. In the long-running comic-book series, the ring that gives him his power has been passed on to several other humans who have fulfilled the Green Lantern's duties over the years. The movie, however, focuses on Jordan.
the Green Lantern Corps assembles, in an image from Warner Bros.' New Orleans-shot superhero film 'Green Lantern.'
The backstory: The intergalactic peacekeeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps -- made up of 3,600 Green Lanterns from various other planets -- is struggling to keep peace in the universe, as a powerful, malevolent force known as Parallax has been reawakened and is once again wreaking havoc. That's when Jordan is chosen to become a new, human member of the Corps -- by the ring itself, when its previous holder is mortally wounded. Naturally, Jordan is not sure what to make of all this at first.
The superpowers: Among other things, the ring gives its holder the ability to conjure up anything his imagination desires -- and maintain it as long as his will and strength hold out. That means weapons, force fields, invisibility cloaks and other snatches of emerald awesomeness. Jordan's ability to conquer his fears makes him a particularly strong ring-bearer.
The monstrous Parallax strikes, in a scene from Warner Bros. New Orleans-shot superhero film 'Green Lantern.'
The bad guys: Every good superhero needs a good supervillain or two. For Hal Jordan and his fellow Green Lanterns, it's Parallax, a monolithic alien force that draws its strength from the fear of others; and his Earth-bound surrogate, Dr. Hector Hammond. Played by Peter Sarsgaard in the film, Hammond is a longtime acquaintance of Jordan's but has always been jealous of Jordan's talent -- and his relationship with ...
The girl: Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively) is a childhood friend of Jordan's, and his longtime romantic interest. She's also an executive with Ferris Aircraft, where Jordan works. In the comic books -- though not in this movie -- she goes on to become the supervillain known as Star Sapphire.
Blake Lively, in a scene from Warner Bros.' New Orleans-shot superhero film 'Green Lantern.'
The supporting characters: Sinestro is the magenta-skinned head of the Green Lantern Corps. Played by Mark Strong in the film, he's not at all convinced that a mere human is worthy of becoming a Green Lantern -- and, in a scene hidden in the film's closing credits -- appears to be ready to fight for that belief in a planned sequel. ... Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) is a monolithic alien Green Lantern who heads up training for new members of the Green Lantern Corps. ... Another alien Lantern, Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush), helps with the training. ... Abin Sur is the dying alien who gives Jordan his Green Lantern ring ... Dr. Amanda Blake (played by Angela Bassett), is a former government agent and congressional aide -- and a formidable D.C. Comics antihero.
The miscellany: Oa is the fictional planet on which the Green Lantern Corps is based. ... The color yellow, which is "the color of fear," is one of the Green Lantern's few weaknesses. ... The fictional California town of Coast City is the setting for "Green Lantern" ... The Justice League of America is the D.C. Comics superhero alliance that includes Green Lantern, as well as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and others -- all of whom may team up for a "Justice League" film as early as 2013.
