Another second-tier superhero

Green Lantern (2011)
Certified: 12
Duration: 114 minutes
Directed by: Martin Campbell Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Liveley, Peter Saarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temeura Morrison, Taika Waititi
Voices of: Clancy Brown, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan
KRS release

Adapting Thor and The Green Lantern was always going to be a challenge. Both superheroes are out of this world: one is a long-haired blonde who wields a hammer while the other has a powerful ring and is an intergalactic policeman. Both are important characters in their respective universes but for the non-comic book fan cinema-going public, they are second-tier characters.

Recently Marvel managed to turn Iron Man, also a second-tier character, into not just a hit but a franchise. With Thor, the company has once again proven that it has the savvy to translate a comic book character that seemed destined to flop to instead succeed, resulting in a very entertaining film.

However, DC, who is behind Superman and Batman, demonstrates difficulty in creating other characters that translate well onto the big screen.

The memory of his father crashing and dying in the ensuing explosion after an airplane crash still haunts daredevil test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). He is immature, cocky and exasperates the people around him who care for him. This includes Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) who used to drive aircraft but is now occupying a managerial position in her father’s aviation company.

This same company is also looking at Senator Hammond’s (Tim Robbins) approval in securing a mega budget contract. Senator Hammond’s son Hector (Peter Saarsgaard) is a scientist who grew up with Hal and Carol and has a crush on Carol. Hal Jordan’s latest test drive has, however, ended badly and placed the contract in danger.

On the other side of the universe, on the planet Oa, we find the Green Lantern Corps. These are a sort of policemen of the galaxy whose powers depend on the energy that is generated by the strength of one’s will and channelled through a ring. Now the Green Lantern Corps is facing the challenge of Parallax (voice of Clancy Brown), a cloud-like monster that feeds on fear and is moving from one planet to another eating up whole worlds. The renowned Green Lantern Abin Sur (Temeura Morrison) tries to stop him but is wounded and crashes on earth. It is here that the ring chooses Hal Jordan to be the next Green Lantern, the first human for this role.

Hal Jordan travels to Oa, endures the training of the rough Kilowog (voice of Michael Clarke Duncan), is taken under the wing of proud Sinestro (Mark Strong) and returns to earth to save it from Parallax. On earth he has to face off Hector who, after studying Abin Sur’s corpse, develops and mutates telekinetic and telepathic powers. This leads him to be a threat to both his father and Carol.

Technically and visually, Green Lantern is quite a ride. The scenes where Green Lanterns battle it out using the rings to create swords, gatling guns, catapults and Hot Wheels-style ramps are fun and creative. The film here is not at fault; the problems lie elsewhere.

The choice of Parallax as a villain has no appeal at all. Presented as a gigantic cloud of ash absorbing all in its waste has no charm and has already been seen in many other films including the second Fantastic Four. This way of portraying Parallax is very limiting to the film’s scope and emotions in play.

Ryan Reynolds is an actor who usually charms his audience but here, unlike Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man, he fails to transcend the character. Seeing him wearing the green mask seems like a waste of talent; there is no wild rush of imagination, humour and creativity that is what is needed.

Mark Strong makes for an interesting Sinestro, the Green Lantern’s arch enemy. Stay till the credits roll up as there is a further sequence involving Sinestro and the direction that a possible sequel will take. Peter Sarsgaard ends up lost under the grotesque cosmetics. Blake Lively plays the obligatory clichéd belle. The voicing of Kilowog by Michael Clarke Duncan is simply top notch and he is really convincing in the few scenes in which the character appears.

Director Martin Campbell is seemingly not convinced of the film he is directing, not knowing what to aim for. He seems to be going for epic space opera but never pushes the button enough and thus leaves the film feeling just like another superhero origins tale.

As storytelling goes the script fails the material that it is adapting. The film may end up pleasing some of the fan boys as they will enjoy watching Green Lantern travel across the stars but DC had better take more control of their properties in the way Marvel is doing or they will end losing the comic book movie race!