With the popularity of comic book films being at an all-time high, it's no wonder Hollywood is testing the waters and seeing what sticks with the masses. Green Lantern, one of DC's fan-favorites right next to Batman and Superman, got the green light for such a theatrical treatment. Directed by Martin Campbell, Hal Jordan and his alien company hit theaters in Summer 2011. They didn't hit with a bang, however, instead there was a resounding "thud."
To say that Green Lantern wasn't well-received by the masses would be an understatement. Now that the film has hit Blu-ray a merely four months later, will it find a second wind and a new audience?
Green Lantern had plenty of potential. The comic spans the universe and is epic by most standards. Hal Jordan is a complex and interesting character who brings the human condition to a galactic fight via the Lantern Corps. Ultimately the plot grounds Hal (portrayed here by Ryan Reynolds), muddles things up with a love interest, and pops off an anti-climactic battle against a big CGI monster. Sure some of the trappings are cool, and yeah it's great to see versions of Corps members such as Sinestro and Kilowog, but the flat narrative and misdirection of the plot make it one boring action-packed outing.
The film starts out with a young Hal Jordan watching his father fly an experimental aircraft. One thing leads to another and his dad dies in an explosion after an accident. Fast-forward to Hal as a young man and he's a pilot for the same company his father worked for, and is reckless to say the least. Fast speeds, dangerous maneuvers, and a new woman every night. He's basically Tony Stark without the charming personality and finances. In all honesty Hal is portrayed, and played by Reynolds, as a very one-dimensional character. The tragedy surrounding his father defines him and pushes him to the edge, but he's more of a dick than a likable character you can root for. Thus it's perplexing that Green Lantern Corps member Abin Sur's ring chooses Hal to be his beneficiary.
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