My Take On: Green Lantern

Cast:

Hal Jordan/Green Lantern– Ryan Reynolds

Abin Sur-Temuera Morrison

Carol Ferris– Blake Lively

Sinestro- Mark Strong

Kilowog (voice) – Michael Clarke Duncan

Tomar-Re (voice) – Geoffrey Rush

Hector Hammond- Peter Sarsgaard

Parallax (voice) – Clancy Brown

Dr. Amanda Waller- Angela Bassett

Film Info:

Directed By: Martin Campbell

Written By: Greg Berlanti,Michael Green,Marc Guggenheim,Michael Goldenberg

Runtime: 114 minutes

Spoiler Free Plot Synopsis:

A brash and cocky test pilot named Hal Jordan is chosen by a dying alien to assume the mantle of Green Lantern and become a member of the intergalactic peace keeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps. In addition to receiving this honor  Hal must protect earth from the villainous entity known as Parallax.

Kick Ass Moments:

My Take:

Let me start off by saying that I had extremely high hopes for this film but like always my comic nerd judgment played a part in my overall enjoyment .  Ryan Reynolds is an actor known for his sharp wit and snarky,sarcastic delivery and my first concern was that his witticisms would not translate well with this particular character and in some instances that is very true. In the comics Hal Jordan is portrayed as more of a level headed hero while the Flash is more in tune with Reynolds acting style but alas this review is about GL and not The Flash.  Reynolds work as Jordan was impressive and in my eyes made the character his own. While the snark and attitude were there it did not detract from the character which I am grateful for. Blake Lively’s work as Carol Ferris left a lot to be desired and I honestly felt that her role could have been played by a more seasoned actress like Rachel McAdams who would have added a bit more meat to the character. The film itself had great special effects that were not overblown and were used at the appropriate times. My wife and I erroneously watched this in 3D which honestly wasn’t a sell for this particular film. The only 3D scene that really jumped out was the scene with Parallax.

Peter Saarsgard and Mark Strong were solid in their roles. Mark Strong has always had a solid track record portraying villains. His portrayal of Sinestro was spot on and gave viewers great insight into what this character is destined to become in future films. Saarsgard’s portrayal of Hector Hammond made you actually feel bad for the guy since he had been dealt such a shitty hand.

Michael Clarke Duncan needs to mentioned for his voice work as Kilowog who while limited in screen time looked spot on to the books.

Lastly I would like to say to those that bitched about the costume to think about the fact that the ring creates his uniform and him wearing a non CGI uniform would have looked stupid and hokey. Could it have used a bit more black? Sure  but to basing  your opinion on that alone is stupid.

Recommendation:

A solid and enjoyable pop corn flick that makes a few alterations to the source material but not enough to make it suck. Special effects were great and I recommend you don’t spend the extra $ on 3D since it was not a factor in overall enjoyment.