What mistakes can be learned from the last GL film?

[The Overlord]

What mistakes can be learned from the last GL film? What decisions from 2011 film should be avoided in this film?

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

1. The GL film needs to include MORE outer space action, not less.

2. The aspects of what it means to be chosen have to be DEEPLY ingrained in the character of the Lantern. So, no usual Super Hero trope of the hero losing confidence or the like. How about instead, get into the ramifications on the character being so honest and fearless. Is that ALWAYS a positive thing? If you think so, please tell your girlfriend next time that, Yes, in fact that dress does make them look fat.

3. Get way more creative with the constructs and make the action much faster.

4. Like in GL REBIRTH show that it takes a lot out of a ring bearer to use the power. Show the physical toll in some way. Let it be known that GL's are bad asses just for operating the rings.

5. Turn the usual super hero tropes on their ear. This is a character that doesn't need to be like every other super hero, or super hero movie. This was a huge part of GL's mediocre nature.

6. No origin story. Information can be given throughout the film to fill in the audience, and it can be done organically.

7. Show Hal having fun in his duties. This is a similar thing he shares with Flash. Both guys can be confident enough to be playful when the stakes aren't so high.

8. The Corps. must be a huge part of the film. Show what the day to day operation of a universe wide super powered police force would be like. Take cues from somthing like Hill Street Blues and use a "morning briefing" situation as a framing device.

Those are off the top of my head

 

[Rorschach2012]

-Use practical effects and CGI only when absolutely necessary

-Hire a director with a knack for visuals

-Set the movie in space

-Make Sinestro the villain

-introduce John as a side character with a greater focus on the corps beyond Hal

-focus more on the antagonistic relationship between Hal and Sinestro

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

-Use practical effects and CGI only when absolutely necessary

-Hire a director with a knack for visuals

-Set the movie in space

-Make Sinestro the villain

-introduce John as a side character with a greater focus on the corps beyond Hal

-focus more on the antagonistic relationship between Hal and Sinestro

This is something that in modern versions of these characters that fans are going to have to let go of. CGI is here to stay. It IS integral to making a property like GL even possible in the first place. Without it the Corps would essentially be the alien crew members on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. You can't do the constructs with physical effects. If this is about the uniforms, well, in MOS they used CGI clothing in a ton of scenes and it worked. If people didn't like the CGI SFX of the Reynolds film, maybe it's the over all quality and workmanship that was put into them and not just that they were CGI? Compare the various Hulks we've gotten on the big screen. Why does Ruffalo Hulk look better than the Bana or the Norton Hulk? Because greater care was put into it.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I said cgi should be used only when absolutely necessary. They should go with prosthetics for the aliens, with cgi enhancements when necessary

They should build sets when they can instead of relying on cgi

I'm all for good cgi, but practical is preferable. Basically my point is that they should do everything they can to make the effects look realistic. The cgi sucked in the last film, they need to step up their cgi game while beig inspired by classic scifi films that use practical effects. Like Alien and the original Star Wars movies. Sets with cgi enhancements>poorly rendered full cgi environments like in Green Lantern

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I said cgi should be used only when absolutely necessary. They should go with prosthetics for the aliens, with cgi enhancements when necessary

They should build sets when they can instead of relying on cgi

I'm all for good cgi, but practical is preferable. Basically my point is that they should do everything they can to make the effects look realistic. The cgi sucked in the last film, they need to step up their cgi game while beig inspired by classic scifi films that use practical effects. Like Alien and the original Star Wars movies. Sets with cgi enhancements>poorly rendered full cgi environments like in Green Lantern

Again, the key factor then is the quality not that in fact it's CGI rendered. Let's also remember the versatility that comes with CGI over practical, physical effects. As for make up versus CGI, I really want to know how you do Kil, Ch'p or something like the villains of the Sinestro Corps without HEAVY CGI. Atrocitus would have to be mo capped. Kil has to be mo capped. Can you get away with Boodika being just make up, and digital composite techniques to make her look huge? Sure. That's one Lantern. How silly would Tomar Re (or Tomar Tu) look if done TNG styled? CGI mocap is the tool of the present and saves time and money by being more efficient. No make up touch ups, no half hour bathroom breaks to get an actor in and out of cumbersome make up and suits, no over heating or constriction of the actors body movement. I know you are way younger than me, so this viewpoint always strikes me as odd. I grew up with the classic SFX of back in the day. From Harryhausen to Phil Tippet. I love that stuff, but it's time has mostly past. We are the age of Zod's armor being totally CGI. Of Andy Serkis giving what many think should be Oscar worthy performances using motion capture not once, not twice, but three times in recent years. Like with any tool it's how much time and care any given artist puts into using it that really matters.

 

[Rorschach2012]

.. All I'm saying is that they should go practical as much as they can. It's clearly goig to be a very CGI centric movie, but there should be a healthy balance between cgi and practical effects

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Mistakes? Martin Campbell.

All the problems in that movie boil down to execution imo. It was just a wet noodle of a film. I think Snyder could taken the same script and made something out of this world, no pun intended.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Imagine if Ridley Scott did Green Lantern...

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Mistakes? Martin Campbell.

All the problems in that movie boil down to execution imo. It was just a wet noodle of a film. I think Snyder could taken the same script and made something out of this world, no pun intended.

Even the visual mastery of Snyder wouldn't have kept the script of GL from being so inert though. Snyder would have the same problem of making that sows ear into a silk purse that Campbell had. The script had the Corps introduced in spectacular manner and then just didn't do anything with all the characters and possibility they represented. Kilowog needed more screen time and a deeper connection to Hal, as did Tomar and Sinestro. Snyder's hand at the controls wouldn't have changed the course that was set, I think. GL had most of it's problems in the mediocre, been there done that script really to my eyes. And I am not even one of the people that HATES the film. I don't think it's this great sin against the character. It's just so totally "meh" and generic. It's not bad... It's blah.

 

[Rorschach2012]

If the movie had exceptional visuals, it would have been more successful

I thought oblivion and pacific rim had an equal to or weaker script than Green Lantern, the visuals made those films redeeming though.

With an amazing visual director like Snyder, Blomkamp, Kosinksi, Ridley Scott or Guillermo Del Toro, it would've been a bigger success.

GL didn't look horrible it just didn't look nearly as good as it could have. There is a ton of visual potential for a GL movie series

 

[Airwings]

Imagine if Ridley Scott did Green Lantern...

I've been saying this for ages. He is one of the greatest sci fi directors ever. Easily top 5.
But everytime I suggest him, people just go "naaaah"

 

[LEVITIKUZ]

Let's not focus on the mistakes, it's easier to take what they did right.

Mark Strong as Sinestro.

 

[Rorschach2012]

If WB really wants another GL movie, i have faith that they learned the right lessons.

Snyder is going to establish that Hal is a complete badass and by the time the solo rolls around, he'll be well established .

 

[The_Manhunter]

I said cgi should be used only when absolutely necessary. They should go with prosthetics for the aliens, with cgi enhancements when necessary

They should build sets when they can instead of relying on cgi

I'm all for good cgi, but practical is preferable. Basically my point is that they should do everything they can to make the effects look realistic. The cgi sucked in the last film, they need to step up their cgi game while beig inspired by classic scifi films that use practical effects. Like Alien and the original Star Wars movies. Sets with cgi enhancements>poorly rendered full cgi environments like in Green Lantern

For me it depends on the movie. The Star Wars prequels needed the CGI, while movies like The Hobbit (even though I really enjoy them) would have been better if they used less CGI. I look at it this way: Star Wars is supposed to be a epic space fantasy, whereas Tolkien wanted his world to feel more realistic.

This is all just my opinion of course.

 

[Loki882]

And yet the OT got away with not using a ton of CGI, and are considered to be far better films with effects that hold up much better today than those of the PT. That being said, there will be a lot of CGI in a GL movie, it's just part of the deal. You could try and do practical effects/prosthetics with some of the aliens/worlds. But given the scale and number of them, that'd be REALLY expensive and time-consuming.

 

[The_Manhunter]

And yet the OT got away with not using a ton of CGI, and are considered to be far better films with effects that hold up much better today than those of the PT. That being said, there will be a lot of CGI in a GL movie, it's just part of the deal. You could try and do practical effects/prosthetics with some of the aliens/worlds. But given the scale and number of them, that'd be REALLY expensive and time-consuming.

The OT got away with little CGI because that really wasn't an option back then. And personally I don't think some of the effects hold up all that well, like the speeder bike chase in ROTJ. And I would debate them being better films.

Ah, here I go again debating Star Wars on the Hype lol. But ya CGI is just gonna be part of the deal with GL there's not much choice.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Yeah for sure, CGI will definitely play a large part in the movie. They should still try to go practical as much as possible for sets and costumes

 

[The_Manhunter]

Yeah for sure, CGI will definitely play a large part in the movie. They should still try to go practical as much as possible for sets and costumes

I will say the mix did work very well in Guardians of the Galaxy. Should be interesting to see what WB/DC can come up with. I think Green Lantern has a ton of potential on the big screen.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I really hope GL is NOTHING like GOTG. The visuals in that movie are solid, but the tone is not something a GL movie should be. GOTG was way too much of a joke, it's a superhero space comedy. GL has to be an epic, Star Wars esque saga. Green Lantern should have subtle comedy like Star Wars did.


For the record, i really like GOTG, it's just not what GL should be.

 

[flickchick85]

First and foremost, they need to nail down their lead character, and if it's Hal Jordan, that means realizing you're NOT telling a "reluctant hero" story, because that's pretty much the opposite of who Hal Jordan is. He's the guy who jumps in head first without hesitation or worry. That can be both his greatest strength AND his greatest weakness, but it's easily his defining character trait, imo.

Second, for goodness sake, set it in space. Earth should feature for maybe 20-25mins, TOPS. Preferably less than that if possible. Anything more than that and you're missing the main appeal of GL stories.

Third, get a director who's got experience working with VFX, and who's not gonna see this as just another studio paycheck project. There are plenty of directors who would geek out over this material and really take the job and run with it. Let them bring a little passion to it.

Oh, and never turn to Sony Imageworks for your VFX.

 

[DrCosmic]

First and foremost, they need to nail down their lead character, and if it's Hal Jordan, that means realizing you're NOT telling a "reluctant hero" story, because that's pretty much the opposite of who Hal Jordan is. He's the guy who jumps in head first without hesitation or worry. That can be both his greatest strength AND his greatest weakness, but it's easily his defining character trait, imo.

Second, for goodness sake, set it in space. Earth should feature for maybe 20-25mins, TOPS. Preferably less than that if possible. Anything more than that and you're missing the main appeal of GL stories.

Third, get a director who's got experience working with VFX, and who's not gonna see this as just another studio paycheck project. There are plenty of directors who would geek out over this material and really take the job and run with it. Let them bring a little passion to it.

Oh, and never turn to Sony Imageworks for your VFX.

This.

Also, at the risk of repeating earlier comments:

1) CGI when necessary. It is necessary for space travel, and constructs and soo much stuff in GL. It is not necessary for costumes, or even half the aliens. Doing dumb stuff as CGI blows up your budget, introduces a new element into all filmmaking processes and forces you to cut money/time from perfecting the CGI in other areas where it's needed like flight scenes, constructs, crazy weird aliens and etc. It's dumb. CGI as necessary. Wastefulness, and the attitudes that cause it, lead to a bad film.

2) Don't do a superhero story. Don't do those tropes. Do a police story in space. This brings the freshness and the familiarity needed.

3) Don't chase Star Wars either. Star Wars wasn't revered as this amazing filmmaking when it came out, it wasn't something serious, far from it. Actors thought about cutting out while filming because it was so laughable and ridiculous. What it was was popular, it tapped into something primal, and it became popular and that's the only thing that made it serious. Every film/franchise that tries to be Star Wars, even the PT, fails. Either you make Star Wars or you don't make Star Wars. There is no try. Anyone making Star Wars knows that.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I agree with 1 and 2, but a trilogy based around Blaxkest Night would be very Star Wars influenced. They should totally try to be the next Star Wars. That should be the primary influence on this series.

 

[DarKush]

Not so much info dumping like Green Lantern '11. Let us learn about the Corps and the history of the Corps when the main character learns about it. Let us see the wonder through their eyes and I think that will translate better to the audience.

Definitely think they should include the Corps more and lay the seeds for something major that will happen by the third film (Blackest Night, Lights Out, or something along those lines).

 

[Sorath]

I didn't mind Green Lantern movie. It wasn't a bad film but it wasn't great either. I think major issue with the film was the villain. I think had they stuck to Sinestro as the villain the movie would been far better. I think they should have done something along the lines of Green Lantern First Flight. I had no issues with the CGI other then using CGI for the Lantern costumes.