The Official Green Lantern Review Thread - Part 4

[The Sage]

I can understand where he's going with that mentality. They could have taken two stances for the first film:

1) Grounded it more on Earth (maybe not even gone to Oa) like the original GL comics were and left the ending as the big reveal/cliffhanger teasing the scope of Oa and the entire GL Corps for the sequel

2) Gone total ape **** crazy and embraced the uber sci-fi theme; hardly spending any time on Earth after Hal's intro.

They straddled the fence too much with the film and it appears they didn't really know where they wanted it to focus; Earth or space.

The original comics? Which ones? In both origin stories, Hal goes to Oa in the middle of the plot and learns everything. How would it have worked without showing Oa?

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Also, Im getting tired of people complaining about editing in this movie. Maybe the only scene that people could complain is the last battle in space because it was not clear as to where they were, etc, but i blame the special effects people or simply the lack of money to create a huge space battle like people were expecting. Or even Campbell`s lack of ability to pull off a nice space action scene. The scene still looked cool to me and was good enough. Just a taste of things to come.

Back to editing, the are many examples in which the editing is great, one of them being during the moment Hal recites the Oath for the first time. As he says "no evil shall escape my sight" the movie parallels Hector`s transformation into the villain. It's done really well without never losing momentum of both scenes.

Maybe people are just getting dumber and dumber and can`t follow a movie that is adventurous and jumps between clearly defined scenarios. They only like the boring realistic way of making movies.

Editing being elegant in one small portion of the flick doesn't make the rest of it any better.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I didn't get any sense of Bale or Wayne vibes from Reynolds at all. If anything, the worst he can be accused of is playing himself - but after all, Ryan Reynolds and Hal Jordan do seem to have some similar traits, which is probably half the reason he was hired in the first place.

Honestly, for that reason that is why it's a crappy, uninspired choice. You don't get a sense that the actor is "acting" .... he's just being himself. I find that guy entertaining but it's like eating the same damn bowl of cereal of frickin' morning when you watch that guy.

 

[Rock Sexton]

Sorry but point one is one of the most ridiculous thins i`ve ever read in this thread. The GL mythos is part of the character and you go watch a GL movie expecting that.

You mean instead of you denying the major editing problems it had?

Seriously I can't stop laughing about that scene where he walks thru his apartment door fully dressed when two seconds ago he was on Oa in his suit. There were just dreadful moments like that all over this movie.

 

[Rock Sexton]

BTW, did anyone else in here laugh when Parallax was in Hal's grill giving him some shpeel about his fear and how he's going to destroy earth? I couldn't believe how long he rambled on.

 

[Liam_H]

BTW, did anyone else in here laugh when Parallax was in Hal's grill giving him some shpeel about his fear and how he's going to destroy earth? I couldn't believe how long he rambled on.

I'm guessing you're referring to the moment when Hal is reciting the Oath. I didn't necessarily laugh but the moment was so underwhelming to me because it wasn't earned. There was nothing behind it to make it epic, which it should've been. He did ramble on for someone who barely did anything the entire movie to make it sound menacing. So it was just Meh to me. Might've been too depressed to even laugh at that point.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I'm guessing you're referring to the moment when Hal is reciting the Oath. I didn't necessarily laugh but the moment was so underwhelming to me because it wasn't earned. There was nothing behind it to make it epic, which it should've been. So it was just Meh to me. Might've been too depressed to even laugh at that point.

LOL "too depressed to even laugh" .....

Ya, that was the scene though. Just Parallax's low key delivery and the forced oath was just so unbearable to me.

 

[Liam_H]

LOL "too depressed to even laugh" .....

Ya, that was the scene though. Just Parallax's low key delivery and the forced oath was just so unbearable to me.

Yes defending this movie for so long and having faith in it was just depressing to watch the Oath during this underwhelming scene.

 

[gmanca]

I didn't think the cut to the apartment was that bad; wasn't the scene where he put on the suit in front of his friend prior to that?

 

[Deaths Head II]

I saw it. Even with my low expectations I was still disappointed. It's just a bad movie. Most of the film I was just bored. The only interesting moments were in space and they were way too quick. I was actually interested in Hector Hammond from the previews but he was just a waste of a character. We don't even learn he used to be friends with Hal until like an hour into the movie and they don't do much with it. He also held no real major threat of his own and just wasted time until Parallax arrived. I assumed he would be mind controlling people and threatening earth or something. But nope. His big final scene with Hal is holding Carol hostage. That's it. Yawn.

Parallax was also incredibly lame. The space octopus design just looked stupid and whats the point of getting Clancy Brown to voice him when you alter it so much you can't tell it's him? The only characters I thought were really well done were Abin Sur, Sinestro, Tomar-Re, and Kilawog. Too bad they had such few scenes and so little to do. Ryan Reynolds did okay with what he had. He deserved a better film.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I didn't think the cut to the apartment was that bad; wasn't the scene where he put on the suit in front of his friend prior to that?

Nah ... remember after his first visit to Oa? After he was done there they just cut to him casually walking in thru his front door dressed in his street clothes.

 

[gmanca]

Oh ok, yeah I remember the sequencing now. Is it an issue of the clothes or the difference in attitude?

Geez, I really can't see how this movie is seen as anything but subpar.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I saw it. Even with my low expectations I was still disappointed. It's just a bad movie. Most of the film I was just bored. The only interesting moments were in space and they were way too quick. I was actually interested in Hector Hammond from the previews but he was just a waste of a character. We don't even learn he used to be friends with Hal until like an hour into the movie and they don't do much with it. He also held no real major threat of his own and just wasted time until Parallax arrived. I assumed he would be mind controlling people and threatening earth or something. But nope. His big final scene with Hal is holding Carol hostage. That's it. Yawn.

Parallax was also incredibly lame. The space octopus design just looked stupid and whats the point of getting Clancy Brown to voice him when you alter it so much you can't tell it's him? The only characters I thought were really well done were Abin Sur, Sinestro, Tomar-Re, and Kilawog. Too bad they had such few scenes and so little to do. Ryan Reynolds did okay with what he had. He deserved a better film.

Hector was pure camp. That was a major issue with it .... just from his looks and behavior .... It's hard to take a villain seriously when he's just so damn funny looking.

On a side note, what is with the looks of Sinestro and Hector? Did the original creators have some sort of affinity for stereotypical "metropolitan Chicago" looking fellas? LOL.

 

[Liam_H]

Nah ... remember after his first visit to Oa? After he was done there they just cut to him casually walking in thru his front door dressed in his street clothes.

Well your right the cut was bad but they did show a green streak flying through the Earth's atmosphere before entering his apartment.

This could've been such an easy fix; Tomar-Re should've accompanied him back to Earth even if he didn't need to. During the journey we could've seen Tomar-Re telling him despite what Sinestro said the ring never makes a mistake. Hal should've offered the ring back because he quit; but Tomar-Re refusing to take it believing Hal is the right man and flies away. One of the moments with Hal looking into the horizon would make sense since he actually has something to ponder about and looking at Tomar-Re fly off.

 

[Alientraveller]

Well Sinestro was based on David Niven who was far from that.

Anyway I saw the movie this afternoon. If I'm generous I'll give it 5 or 6 out of 10. My primary problem is it feels like three movies (about the Corp, Hal and Carol, and Hector) awkwardly mashed together, and that the trailer suggested a much better story. Nothing is introduced with any sense of wonder, we just see Abin Sur at the start and then cut to Sinestro and the Guardians if we're used to seeing movies about purple aliens and blue dwarfs. Why was Martin Jordan's death forced in like that? Why do we meet Hector Hammond without the foggiest of who he is and have him intercut with Hal's origin (and how many times did they ask why they couldn't be like each other? 'No you had rough', 'No, you had it rough'.) How did Hector get around unhindered, why was Amanda Waller washed out of the plot like that, are there seriously that few guards at the government facility, and why does Parallax appear on Earth without any momentum whatsoever?

Considering how little screentime Kilowog and Tomar-Re had I would've preferred them and the Corp, Oa and the Guardians to be absent. I was so disappointed there was nothing made of the Three Musketeers dynamic of Sinestro, Kilowog and Tomar-Re, that we didn't see what kind of constructs they would make based on their homeworld (I thought Sinestro was going to wield a Korugarian spear?) or Sinestro and Hal develop their relationship which to me is so much more important to GL than the one between Hal and Carol. It's no wonder most of the Lanterns were CG considering they all showed up and died (Green Man and Isamot Kol died? I was shocked and then angry these digital generics weren't really representations of the comics characters as promised, like the Constructicons turning out to be clones in ROTF). I feel bad for Neville Page and Grant Major that barely any of their work was seen.

I liked the performances, as I've said before the leads in anything apart from Wolverine, and I thought Lively did well with the surprising decision to make the love interest the hero's sage, it was great that Carol could see through that lame mask. I liked the constructs, and I believe people would've swallowed their silliness more if it was explained willpower is increased by how imagination goes into them. I found Hammond's make-up really gross, and Parallax's soul sucking disturbing, but the Dante's Inferno design clearly didn't work because they never emphasized it. Which is a great microcosm for the film's problems really.

 

[kedrell]

 

[dnno1]

At the Movies review of Green Lantern.

"The mythology is idiotic". Sounds like a slap in the face to everyone who's ever wrote or read a Green Lantern story. As far as I am concerned they get my thumbs down for their inability to suspend their disbelief. :

 

[Poni_Boy]

The original comics? Which ones? In both origin stories, Hal goes to Oa in the middle of the plot and learns everything. How would it have worked without showing Oa?

Sorry, should have explained more. I meant may -- though I can't say if this would have appealed more or less -- Hal could have spend the first part of the film just on Earth as a GL before using Oa and the heavy space scene stuff. Let me try to break it down (using the elements already in the film) the best I can:

- Film opens with a Martin/Hal scene in the locker room before Martin's final flight. Gives the kid his jacket and some speech about "not being fearless but accepting your fear and moving past it." Martin dies trying to steer the plan away from a crowded Ferris airfield, dying an obvious hero. Scene ends with Hal staring at the wreckage clutching his father's jacket.

- Film title opens (not with all the crazy green construct effects; more akin to Iron Man's)

- First 15 minutes are all about Hal being a pilot recently kicked out of the Air Force and going to Ferris air for a job. Reunites with Carol (who he hasn't seen since he was a kid). Her dad gives him a job not as a pilot but as a mechanic. He meets Tom

- Hal is driving away from a meeting with his fam (same scenario from the film) and is caught by the GL ring searching for a replacement. We hear Abin's voice detailing who he is, why he was chosen, etc, etc (Hal Jordan, you have the ability to overcome great fear...)

- Hal/Abin scene unfolds (and without the audience previously seeing any aliens their reaction should be influences by Hal's)

- Abin dies, Hal gets ring. Puts it on as Abin instructed and his suit appears. we get a Secret Origins scene where Hal is freaking out, ends up sloppily flying around and crashing into things. The sentient ring begins explaining things to him sporatically.

- Hector is introduced. Find's Abin's body on behalf of the governemnt. Gets infected right away.

- Hal goes into action the first time saving a crashing plane at Ferris. 20 min or so shows Hal back and forth between GL form and his regular job, trying to come to terms with the ring, battery and all that.

- Hammnd finds Hal (he "feels" Hal's thoughts around the crash site and wants to know what Hal knows). Sinestro shows up to help Hal beat Hammond.

- Hal and Sinestro talk, he warns Hal that a greater threat - the one that killed Aibin - is more important than whatever Hal has on Earth at the time. Sinestro takes Hal to Oa to train/prepare for Parallax's arrival (third act)

- 10 minutes of the movie they all fight and Hal is the one to imprison Parallax (Emerald Dawn like scene where, though the rings don't work against yellow, Hal finds a way around it)

- Hal meets the Guardians who decide he is worthy to be Abins successor. He returns to Earth even though Sinestro and Kilowog say he needs more training

- Final scene, no idea lol But Carol should definitely not know Hal's identity.

I'm not a screenwriter, but I'm starting to think having two thirds of the film grounded on Earth before all the space stuff would have make it flow better.

And, yes, I know that in the origin comics Hal goes to Oa to train but he then spends a whole lotta time just on Earth.

 

[Liam_H]

At the Movies review of Green Lantern.

"The mythology is idiotic". Sounds like a slap in the face to everyone who's ever wrote or read a Green Lantern story. As far as I am concerned they get my thumbs down for their inability to suspend their disbelief. :

I really respect Christy Lemire as a reviewer because shes fair and explains her points well. But I think its wrong to just dismiss the mythology itself as being stupid; I can't see what's so hard to comprehend that we have space cops patrolling the universe for evil. This is just simple fantasy with sci-fi. The movie itself just did a poor job of explaining the mythology and engaging the general audience. It would be fair to say the movie did nothing to make me care for the idea of GL.

 

[dnno1]

They should have spent less time on Earth and more in space. They also should have made the film more appealing to the adult audience and less to children. It seems that we adults are the only once commenting on the film and the lack of love they gave to us seems to be why there was so much negative buzz.

 

[dnno1]

I really respect Christy Lemire as a reviewer because shes fair and explains her points well. But I think its wrong to just dismiss the mythology itself as being stupid; I can't see what's so hard to comprehend that we have space cops patrolling the universe for evil. This is just simple fantasy with sci-fi. The movie itself just did a poor job of explaining the mythology and engaging the general audience. It would be fair to say the movie did nothing to make me care for the idea of GL.

She also said that she wanted to "reach out and touch" Ryan Reynolds abs. I guess she was more interested in that than actually watching the movie.

 

[Liam_H]

She also said that she wanted to "reach out and touch" Ryan Reynolds abs. I guess she was more interested in that than actually watching the movie.

I had no problem with that; its no secret a lot of women love Ryan Reynolds and him being half naked at some points was for them. I just saw her doing it as a joke; but if she kept bringing it back to that than yeah it would have been annoying.

 

[dnno1]

I had no problem with that; its no secret a lot of women love Ryan Reynolds and him being half naked at some points was for them. I just saw her doing it as a joke; but if she kept bringing it back to that than yeah it would have been annoying.

I guess you could say that it was a joke, but she wasn't laughing. Neither was I.

 

[Franklin Richards]

For what it's worth, I saw it this afternoon and I enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one. This one was a nice addition to the summer of superheroes and I feel like I got my money's worth.

Could I pick at some stuff? Yeah but overall it's just that I wanted more.

Go see it.

 

[Liam_H]

Sorry, should have explained more. I meant may -- though I can't say if this would have appealed more or less -- Hal could have spend the first part of the film just on Earth as a GL before using Oa and the heavy space scene stuff. Let me try to break it down (using the elements already in the film) the best I can:

- Film opens with a Martin/Hal scene in the locker room before Martin's final flight. Gives the kid his jacket and some speech about "not being fearless but accepting your fear and moving past it." Martin dies trying to steer the plan away from a crowded Ferris airfield, dying an obvious hero. Scene ends with Hal staring at the wreckage clutching his father's jacket.

- Film title opens (not with all the crazy green construct effects; more akin to Iron Man's)

- First 15 minutes are all about Hal being a pilot recently kicked out of the Air Force and going to Ferris air for a job. Reunites with Carol (who he hasn't seen since he was a kid). Her dad gives him a job not as a pilot but as a mechanic. He meets Tom

- Hal is driving away from a meeting with his fam (same scenario from the film) and is caught by the GL ring searching for a replacement. We hear Abin's voice detailing who he is, why he was chosen, etc, etc (Hal Jordan, you have the ability to overcome great fear...)

- Hal/Abin scene unfolds (and without the audience previously seeing any aliens their reaction should be influences by Hal's)

- Abin dies, Hal gets ring. Puts it on as Abin instructed and his suit appears. we get a Secret Origins scene where Hal is freaking out, ends up sloppily flying around and crashing into things. The sentient ring begins explaining things to him sporatically.

- Hector is introduced. Find's Abin's body on behalf of the governemnt. Gets infected right away.

- Hal goes into action the first time saving a crashing plane at Ferris. 20 min or so shows Hal back and forth between GL form and his regular job, trying to come to terms with the ring, battery and all that.

- Hammnd finds Hal (he "feels" Hal's thoughts around the crash site and wants to know what Hal knows). Sinestro shows up to help Hal beat Hammond.

- Hal and Sinestro talk, he warns Hal that a greater threat - the one that killed Aibin - is more important than whatever Hal has on Earth at the time. Sinestro takes Hal to Oa to train/prepare for Parallax's arrival (third act)

- 10 minutes of the movie they all fight and Hal is the one to imprison Parallax (Emerald Dawn like scene where, though the rings don't work against yellow, Hal finds a way around it)

- Hal meets the Guardians who decide he is worthy to be Abins successor. He returns to Earth even though Sinestro and Kilowog say he needs more training

- Final scene, no idea lol But Carol should definitely not know Hal's identity.

I'm not a screenwriter, but I'm starting to think having two thirds of the film grounded on Earth before all the space stuff would have make it flow better.

And, yes, I know that in the origin comics Hal goes to Oa to train but he then spends a whole lotta time just on Earth.

For coming up something on the fly that was pretty good. I'm gonna guess you read the first draft(?) because there are some elements of it I see in there especially Martin Jordan's death. I was just wondering what your thought's were on that first draft; personally I had more fun reading it than watching the movie overall.

Also I disagree with you about Carol not knowing who he is at the end. She should find out but not embrace and immediately be together. She keeps the composure of being his boss. They should have a moment at the end where its obvious she loves him and vice-versa. She wishes him safe as he flies off to learn more about being a GL. We know she'll wait for him but is happy that he's finally taking responsibility and not screwing around with his life.