Amidst all the juggernaut comic book films in recent memory like Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the Avengers especially, Green Lantern is out of place, like a Blue Lantern on Ysmault (the home of the Red Lanterns, for those who didn’t know it). Released in the summer of 2011, Green Lantern was almost universally panned by critics and fans alike. However, I enjoyed the film immensely after first seeing it, and continued to do so upon many repeat viewing.

The plot centers on Hal Jordan, a test pilot who is chosen to become a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force founded by the Guardians, an immortal alien race. A dying Abin Sur (member of the Corps), who has been mortally wounded by Parallax, a living embodiment of fear, gives Jordan a Green Lantern power ring that bestows upon him superpowers which are fueled by his willpower and imagination. In addition to dealing with these strange new abilities, he must also prove himself to the rest of the Corps, especially Sinestro and confront Parallax, which has possessed an old friend of Jordan’s.



Why I Like It: One thing Green Lantern had going for it was that I’ve never been a huge fan of the comics. So, unlike other comic book adaptations like the Batman or X-Men films, there was no “baggage” with this film. There were no opportunities for me to get infuriated over any altered origins or character inaccuracies. I went into Green Lantern with no expectations, other than being entertained, which the film was very successful in doing.



The film does a great job of balancing drama and comedy, much like the many of the Marvel films are acclaimed for. Ryan Reynolds, who portrays the title character, especially does a great job in this respect. He portrays Hal Jordan as a multi-layered individual, a man with a cynical sense of humor, whose identifiable loneliness can be heard in his voice whenever he speaks. Most importantly, he is a man who must overcome his crippling self-doubt not only to save the universe but also to become a strong enough partner for his beautiful love interest Carol Ferris (Blake Lively).



However, with all the drama and quiet character moments, there are plenty of comedic and exciting adventure moments to balance the film’s tone out, which, I believe, makes this a film with a wide audience appeal. There’s something here for everyone, including special effect fanatics. I won’t exaggerate and call the effects groundbreaking, but they are certainly sensational. Oa, the home planet of the Guardians and Green Lantern Corps, is beautifully rendered in CGI, as are the countless alien species that rank among the Crops’ numbers and fight scenes. More importantly, the effects are successful, unlike many blockbuster action films, at being an enhancement without ever suffocating the plot or characters.



Why You Don’t Like It: A lot of people really dislike, or even outright hate, Green Lantern. The obvious reason for that, I think, is that fans did not appreciate some of the liberties taken with the source material. For example, Green lantern’s costume in the film is part of his body while wearing rather than an actually, removable uniform like in the comics. It’s such a small, almost insignificant change that comic fans really do not have to worry themselves over. It embarrasses them to the mainstream public who tends to rope all comic book fans in together as though we’re a hive mind.



I am a huge X-Men fan. They are my favorite comic book characters. The films change a lot from the comics, including the costumes, but it does not bother me. That’s because I realize there is a difference between comic books and films. Certain things work in one medium that does not work in the other. Spandex works in comics, but not so much in film, so filmmakers, with the audience’s best interests in mind believe it or not, come up with solutions to this sort of problem. And, I believe they certainly succeeded here. Green Lantern looks like Green Lantern.



Some criticism has been made about the film’s acting performances. That being said, the supporting cast, which is often the lifeblood of a film, is somewhat weak. I only really connected with Blake Lively’s performance as Carol Ferris towards the end of the film. And while I did enjoy Peter Sarsgaard in the role of Hector Hammond, I would have liked there to have been a little more time for his performance to cook, to grow more and become more fully realized. I think the same can be said for Mark Strong's performance as Sinestro. I enjoyed it, but a little more space to grow could have gone a long way, though, judging by Sinestro's actions in the after-credits scene, this character will certainly be further explored if there is ever a sequel.



Previously I stated that I believed Ryan Reynolds did a wonderful job in his role, and I meant it, for the most part that is. There are instances where Reynolds loses me. I don’t necessarily believe this has so much to do with his acting ability as it does the film’s juggling act of drama and comedy. As a writer, I fully appreciate how hard it would be for any individual to change tone without losing some integrity. However, I don’t believe Reynolds’ performance suffers for too long at any time, and he bounces back remarkably well. 

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Why You Should Give This Film a Chance: Green Lantern is an imperfect film. However, it is exceeding fun and exciting with some wonderful special effects. In addition, it also happens to be a very dramatically potent effort that delivers strong performances from its actors and a strong execution of an interesting and engaging comic book/science fiction story.