Green Lantern

This was the movie I was looking forward to the most this summer. It did not wow me. Everyone in it did a great job. I just don't think the script was there. The movie cost more to make then "The Dark Knight". Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a test pilot who joins an intergalactic police force known as The Green Lantern Corp. The effects looked great. I was worried about the mask, the suit, the constructs (the stuff he makes with his ring), everything. Everything ended up looking pretty good. Except maybe Parallax. In the comics he looks like this, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parallax_rebirth.jpg an almost lizard, snake looking thing. In this movie he is a giant fart cloud with a head.

I think what happened for this movie for me was that I had too much invested into it. The Green Lantern is probably my next favorite super hero, next to Batman, and I wanted this to be good. There is so much mythology that goes into this character that I think it was hard to make a movie that introduces all of these elements in a way that the audience can come in and digest it. Having to explain the Guardians, the Corp, the green energy, Parallax, Hal Jordan, why he can over come fear, all that takes time. Because of this takes time, you don't have any to develop anything. Briefly got a glimpse of the animosity that Sinestro, played by Mark Strong, has for Hal.

I think why I was disappointed with the movie is because to be the Green Lantern comics is not just about Hal. It is the plethora of characters. Again, with it needing to be a 1 hour and 45 minute movie, you cannot develop all of this.

I did like the rivalry that they played out between Hector Hammond, played by Peter Sarsgaard, and Hal. Hector trying to figure out how Hal gets the girl and he doesn't. I wish the movie was just them, as opposed to throwing in Parallax, but then I might have complained about how the movie's climax did not have high enough stakes. I think that if they played up more of Hector's jealousy of Hal, and his desire to win the heart of Carroll Ferris, Blake Lively, that would have been a good movie.

Was it good? No. Was it fun? Yes. I hope it makes enough money to make sequels. I'd love to see a Sinestro Corp, or Blake Lively in this costume, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StarSapphires01.jpg