Green Lantern: Revisited

With June 14th fast approaching (not fast enough for me), Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment are hoping to kick off a shared cinematic universe where Superman, Batman and all the Justice League-rs exist in the same world and more importantly on the same screen. With that possibility on the horizon, some questions are raised. One of which is what to do with Green Lantern. Any potential Justice League movie would almost certainly include some version of him, but should DC/WB reboot the character on the big screen or continue in the world inhabited by Ryan Reynolds's Hal Jordan from the 2011 film? The film was relentlessly flogged by fans and critics alike, but I decided to revisit it myself to determine if there's anything salvageable.

PLOT

For those unfamiliar, Green Lantern is about test pilot Hal Jordan who, after discovering a dying alien, is given a mysterious ring that grants him the power to manifest anything he can thing of using the ring. This film is definitely an origin story of the famed superhero, but Green Lantern is a little too ambitious for its own good. It starts out really strong. The audience is introduced to the Green Lantern Corps. and the threat they face. You get the feeling that an epic space opera is what is in store for you. Unfortunately, that ends when you meet Hal Jordan. Suddenly, we are wading through the inner workings of Ferris Aircraft company and their business dealings. While necessary to fill in the world in which Hal lives, we expect to leave this stuff behind when Hal finds the ring and is chosen to join the Corps. And at first that's true. But at a crucial moment when the film could have gone in a great, action packed direction, we are suddenly back on Earth in the midst of romance and business dealings. This moment in the film is immediately noticeable and extremely frustrating. It doesn't stop there, however, as later in the movie an entire scene that is supposed to be the moment where the hero sets off on his final mission is completely pointless. Here's what happens: Hal Jordan decided he has to step up and be brave to save the world. So he leaves Earth and travels to Oa. There, he speaks to the Guardians, asking for help to save Earth. When they say no, he tells them to "let" him go fight for Earth. This scene accomplished nothing. Hal Jordan could have stayed on Earth and still stepped up to save it.

DIALOGUE

Green Lantern's dialogue is not too bad. With the exception of most of Blake Lively's lines, the film does well at saying what needs to be said and in an interesting way. Of course, Reynolds does what he is known for, the funny one liners, and they work well enough.

VISUALS

Visually, Green Lantern both knocks it out of the park and fails to achieve passable at different times. The opening scenes are expertly done and instill a sense of awe at the scale. However, when these cosmic forces suddenly break into Hal Jordan's life, they feel cartoonish and amateur. It's when Hal finds himself off world,  especially in the film's climax, where it pulls off its best images. Also, the suit is pretty cool, despite fan complaints.

CHARACTERS

In terms of characters, Green Lantern is all over the place. This is best explored in list form.

• Hal Jordan's internal struggle and daddy issues are abruptly introduced and just as quickly dismissed when the story needed it. Despite strong performance by Ryan Reynolds, I feel like he just didn't have a good script to work with.
• Carol Ferris is completely useless in this movie. I defy anyone to convince me that if she had not been in this movie it would have ended any different. Also, Blake Lively is laughable as a strong female lead. The character calls for a stronger screen presence and Lively doesn't have it.
• Hector Hammond starts out promising as a creepy guy developing some deadly abilities. Ultimately though, his character falls to lazy mind-reading cliches and weak motivation. The time spent on his development could have been spent in space where Green Lantern shines.
• The one bright spot here is Sinestro, portrayed expertly by Mark Strong. With such a veteran actor at work, it makes sense. But if Ryan Reynold's Green Lantern does get a sequel or a spot in Justice League, Mark Strong's Sinestro will at least be 3/4 of the reason.

ACTION

At their heart, comic book movies are action films. And when it comes to action, Green Lantern has its fair share but squanders most of its potential on needless romance and filler.

I really wanted to love this movie. I saw it when it was first released and again tonight and both times, I genuinely enjoyed the experience. That being said, it really is not a good movie when you think about it. There are so many places where the filmmakers could have taken it in an amazing direction but each time, you're left thinking about all that you didn't get to see. The Parallax story-line could have been fantastic, but trying to fit such a huge villain in an origin story WITH a secondary villain is a tall order and one Green Lantern failed to fill. 

Plot - 1 Points

Dialogue - 1 Point
Visuals - 1.5 Points
Characters - 1 Points
Action - 1.5 Point
Dusty's Score - 5.5 out of 10

So will this version of Green Lantern be part of the DC cinematic universe kicked off by Man of Steel on June 14th? This reviewer says probably not. What do you think? Also, who would you trust to direct a Green Lantern reboot?