Green Lantern: The Actual Review

I'm going to keep this brief. Like Hal Jordan's underwear when the Guardians are testing him on Oa.

Shazam!

While I wasn't blown away by the film (it is no Dark Knight, by any stretch), I had a great time watching it. While there was a ridiculous amount of CGI used, it wasn't that bad. It's a movie about a space cop & aliens. You can't have realistic looking practical SFX for that kind of thing. It gets a pass, and the costumes are even growing on me. Now, as a self-admitted GL nerd, every time there was an inconsistency with the original source material (or comic books, if you want to be an asshat about the specifics), I made a (usually) silent comment about it under my breath. But that didn't take away from the story. The way I see it, just like if you watch a movie based off of a good book, you have to keep the source material & the film separate. The books are one entity. The film, another. After watching it in that mindset, here's what I thought:


Movie: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Abs: 6 out of 6-pack (nailed it!)
Greenness: Just really, really green. Vibrant, really.


What you have to remember with this movie is that it's (supposed to be) the first in a series of Green Lantern films. Maybe this (like the Marvel film series - minus X-Men & Spider-Man) will be used to as a cornerstone for the oft-talked about/oft-beleaguered/cash machine waiting to happen that is the Justice League film that, I'm sure, is on DC/WB's radar. And there's a very good chance that it'll be fast-tracked if (read: when) Marvel's Avengers makes so many dollar bills next year. But getting back to my point: Green Lantern is an origin story. It's supposed to introduce the audience to Hal Jordan, the ring, Sinestro,  Kilowog, and the rest of the Corps (I even saw Stel!). It did this job admirably. And [SPOILER ALERT] it had a great set-up for the Sinestro Corps that'll clearly play a role in the sequel(s).

Do your research, people.

Is the film perfect? No. It has some flaws. Is it a solid actioneer that does GL justice & provide entertainment for a wide range of moviegoers? Yes. I suggest you go see it, but know that if you're disappointed, the next one will get better.

Also: there'll be a chance of seeing Blake

Lively dressed like this.

On a side note: I found it an interesting choice for the artists of the Flashpoint (and its tie-in comics) mini-series to use the movie version of Abin Sur & Sinestro's looks, instead of their classic portrayals. Hmm...very clever timing, DC. Very cleaver.