Movie Reviews Blu-ray Green Lantern

Film Details

Director

Martin Campbell

Starring

Certificate

12A

Genre

Blu-ray Extras

Extended cut – additional 8 minutes
MMM: Green Lanterns’s Light (Focus Pods and PiP)
Focus Pods: The Art of Green Lantern
Weapons Hot: The U.C.A.V. Dog Fight / Reinventing the Superheor Costume
Ring Slinging 101 / We Are the Corps
Acting Under 10 Pounds of Silicone / Guardians Revealed
When Parallax Attacks / The Universe According to Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds Becomes the Green Lantern / Deleted Scenes
Justice League #1 Digital Comic / Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Green Lantern Hot

Editor rating

4.0

User rating

0.0 (0)

October 20, 2011 0Add

Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Editor review

Green Lantern 2011-11-22 16:05:56 Christopher Herbert

Overall rating		4.0
Film		3.0
Picture Quality		5.0
Sound Quality		4.0
Special Features		4.0

Reviewed by Christopher Herbert November 22, 2011

Surprisingly Enjoyable.

Green Lantern is a bit of a mixed bag. Tonally, it's a mess. Is this supposed to be a light hearted action movie, or is it a dark and broody 'dark knight-esque' film? Is it a space epic, or an earth based action/romance? Unfortunately, it's all of these, thrown into a blender and coming out the other side with no real balance. Green Lantern attempts to stay true to it's source material, for the most part, but when it doesn't this is when the film is glaringly off-balance.

However, the film is highly enjoyable. Whether you know the back-story from the comics or not, the film is worth watching. The action sequences blow you away. The story is a little convoluted, but if you pay attention you may well surprise yourself by enjoying this.

Casting is a bit hit and miss. Whilst many have picked on Blake Lively, I believe her to be well-cast, just poorly served by a script that doesn';t really know what to do with her, other than use her as a Lois Lane damsel in distress clone (ala the original Superman. There's even a helicopter in the superhero reveal scene). Ryan Reynolds as the cocky Hal Jordan too often goes over the line into obviously comic. This does not work. Is this a left over element from when they were supposed to be doing a Green Lantern comedy with Jack Black starring?

Tim Robbins and Peter Saarsgard do not impress, and Saarsgard is not a threatening villain by any measure, getting worse as the film progresses. Whilst I'm on the subject of villains, did Martin Campbell (director) not see Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer and realise that a big gaseous cloud doesn't work as a bad guy? Parallax is possibley worse than Galactus, but it is a very close thing.

The effects are excellent throughout (even Parallax looks good, even if non-threatening). Oa is stunning, the Green Lantern constructs amazing, it all just works. However, the Green Lantern CGI costumes were a bad idea. A costume painted on skin is a poor substitute for an actual costume.

The visual and audio transfer is excellent, despite the audio beinga little too loud at points. As for extras, we are spoilt. The amount, and quality of the extras here is beyond amazing.

Overall this is an impressive package. Whilst it has it's downpoints (many, to be fair), overall the film is quite good and the blu-ray is pretty damn nifty. Well worth it.