The Official Green Lantern Review Thread

[S.A.A.D.]

33%

Fresh: 4
Rotten: 8

 

[Keyser Soze]

Well, in the character's defense, why does every main character have to be likable?

I know that's the conventions/cliches of cinema in general but it doesn't have to be that way all the time.

If you understand the point of view of the character, even if he's unlikable, then I don't see an issue with the character.

A main character doesn't have to be likeable, by any stretch of the imagination. But he has to be compelling. There Will Be Blood has a main character who becomes increasingly vile as the movie goes on, but he is always compelling, and that is one of the best movies of the last decade, and one of my all-time favorites. But if a main character is boring, and you don't care about them... that can often mean death to your movie.

 

[The Morningstar]

I've been saying ever since he was cast that this film would likely soar or sink based on the success of Ryan Reynolds' performance in the lead role.

Well I know he is a decent actor, but I've never really bought him as Hal. But reading a few of the reviews, it doesn't seem like Reynolds himself is the problem, but more with the writing.

 

[J.Howlett]

Soze,

I agree. But Morningstar does hit on something all the reviews are saying and that, as written, Hal doesn't work...not Ryan Reynolds, which is interesting. For me, it sounds very similar to Thor.

 

[SuperDaniel]

The joblo review is what i expect from the movie. That is a well written one.

 

[The Morningstar]

Soze,

I agree. But Morningstar does hit on something all the reviews are saying and that, as written, Hal doesn't work...not Ryan Reynolds, which is interesting. For me, it sounds very similar to Thor.

Yea but with Thor Hemsworth was getting a lot of praise. So far with this Reyolds' best praise has been "it's not his fault".

 

[jmc]

HuffPo is another negative.

A main character doesn't have to be likeable, by any stretch of the imagination. But he has to be compelling. There Will Be Blood has a main character who becomes increasingly vile as the movie goes on, but he is always compelling, and that is one of the best movies of the last decade, and one of my all-time favorites. But if a main character is boring, and you don't care about them... that can often mean death to your movie.

100% correct.

 

[J.Howlett]

Morningstar,

Yeah.

 

[StarkTheProdigy]

Yeah, like I said, I'll go into the movie open minded, but probably 90% of the time I end up agreeing with Joblo (And yes, I read the review after viewing the movie, I just look at the score)

 

[Keyser Soze]

Regardless of reviews, I still hope this movie is a huge box office success. Because of all this summer's superhero films, this is the one that more than any other needs to be a hit. Even if Thor or Captain America flopped, The Avengers is still coming next year. If X-Men: First Class flopped, it's another instalment in a proven franchise that's had a good run. Green Lantern is the gateway to the DCU movie universe. This movie needs to be a smash - commercially, if not critically - to convince WB to commit to a line of superhero movies beyond proven cash cows like Batman and Superman.

 

[SuperDaniel]

I think the movies that are going to make a lot of money are Transformers and Harry Potter. That's it.

 

[J.Howlett]

Regardless of reviews, I still hope this movie is a huge box office success. Because of all this summer's superhero films, this is the one that more than any other needs to be a hit. Even if Thor or Captain America flopped, The Avengers is still coming next year. If X-Men: First Class flopped, it's another instalment in a proven franchise that's had a good run. Green Lantern is the gateway to the DCU movie universe. This movie needs to be a smash - commercially, if not critically - to convince WB to commit to a line of superhero movies beyond proven cash cows like Batman and Superman.

These are the stakes. This is the truth.

 

[SuperDaniel]

I guess it wont be a box office success but it is going to have a sequel.

 

[jmc]

Regardless of reviews, I still hope this movie is a huge box office success. Because of all this summer's superhero films, this is the one that more than any other needs to be a hit. Even if Thor or Captain America flopped, The Avengers is still coming next year. If X-Men: First Class flopped, it's another instalment in a proven franchise that's had a good run. Green Lantern is the gateway to the DCU movie universe. This movie needs to be a smash - commercially, if not critically - to convince WB to commit to a line of superhero movies beyond proven cash cows like Batman and Superman.

What they needed to do was ensure this thing was good so people wanted to go see it. It's already spreading on Facebook and Twitter that's it's getting crap reviews. This movie will not be huge.

 

[mace1]

I'd say both Thor & GL had this happen to them. I think it's basically about being such 'out there' concepts as opposed to other superheroes.

Agree.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I guess it wont be a box office success but it is going to have a sequel.

It'll have a sequel if it's a box office success. It's not too late for that planned sequel to quietly go away...

 

[The Batman]

This is disappointing as a DC Fan.

This film looks like what would happen if movies like Iron Man and Thor DIDNT have amazing performances and relied mainly on the script.

This also proves what I've been thinking for a while: That people are tired of the same generic origin story where the hero is deeply flawed but learns how to be a hero in the end. First Class escaped that by being a different kind of origin, as well as being a prequel. Thor was somewhat different as well. Indications suggest that GL tries to rip of STM, SM1, and Iron MAn.

Between this and the WW TV pilot, I have become skeptical with DC Entertainment. WTF is Geoff Johns doing?

 

[mace1]

Even if some other director was directing this and some other actor like Nathan Fillon (just for example .) was playing as Hal, the movie Would have turned out to be same, as there is not much to change in Hal's origin story or GL Corps mythology.

True.

 

[J.Howlett]

jmc,

It's not like they didn't try. Drew's review hit on something that I always wondered about with Lantern and that's why would Campbell take this on?

This kind of film is not his M.O. If Drew's correct, it sounds as if Campbell may have gotten lost in the type of film he had to make, which is a lot of CG...which again, isn't his M.O.

 

[mace1]

jmc,

I have no idea why but for some reason people have been wanting this film to fail for years. I cannot understand it, something about this character is offending people.

Yep.

Agree.

 

[jmc]

To early to ask what went wrong?

 

[Sith Scotti]

I guess it wont be a box office success but it is going to have a sequel.

The sequel ain't hasppening . I just hope other dc characters are not scrapped because of what looks to be a financial and critical disaster here

 

[jmc]

jmc,

It's not like they didn't try. Drew's review hit on something that I always wondered about with Lantern and that's why would Campbell take this on?

This kind of film is not his M.O. If Drew's correct, it sounds as if Campbell may have gotten lost in the type of film he had to make, which is a lot of CG...which again, isn't his M.O.

I commend them for trying but something has gone horribly wrong along the way, and the ramifications could be huge.

 

[J.Howlett]

I think it would be interest if Green Lantern isn't a hit but both Man of Steel and Rises are runaway hits.

What does DC/WB do then? I mean, the whole point of launching Green Lantern is to open the box of DC characters. But, if he doesn't work but Superman and Batman work, yet again, how does DC/WB go forward?

Do they even attempt the flash or do they just do spin off films off of Batman and Superman?

I always wondered why they never attempted a Nightwing film...

 

[Keyser Soze]

jmc,

It's not like they didn't try. Drew's review hit on something that I always wondered about with Lantern and that's why would Campbell take this on?

This kind of film is not his M.O. If Drew's correct, it sounds as if Campbell may have gotten lost in the type of film he had to make, which is a lot of CG...which again, isn't his M.O.

At first glance, Martin Campbell was a smart choice. A big part of his "M.O." has been launching franchises and making potentially dated and inaccessible heroes feel modern and cool. But in practice it might not have worked out.