Green Lantern (2011) User Reviews

Movie could have been so much better

[abecip · 6/10 · 20 June 2011]

As someone who's followed Green Lantern a little bit of a decent amount (not big but fairly decent, for DC character), I liked some things about the movie; but I definitely say that it could have been made better, both for casual fans, non-GL fans or hard core ones.

Good points... 1. It stuck fairly consistently with the mythos of the origin and Planet OA; 2. Ryan Reynolds did decently as Hal Jordan (though he fits more with the Kyle Rayner/Guy Gardner type than Jordan) -- but I wish he was more serious; though non-GL fans couldn't care less about this; 3. Blake Lively was eye candy; super hot, but not much else; 4. Green Lanterns Tomar Re, Kilowog and Abin Sur were damn good but didn't have enough screen time to be significant; 5. Mark Strong's Sinestro was excellent! 6. Hector Hammond was well portrayed by Peter Saarsgard (though it lacked a proper finish) 7. Good supporting cast from Tim Robbins (Sen. Hammond) to Angela Bassett (Amanda Waller); 8. Green Lantern's costume was wicked; 9. Visual/CGI effects were pretty good

Bad Points... > It tried to fit too much into one movie, moving back and forth from Earth and outer space/OA, thus there was no proper flow... (like when there was a build up of momentum, things go slow or boring; or from serious to funny without proper pacing); too many stories were crammed into one movie > Humor was misplaced at times (good peg is Thor which had it in the flow rather than contrived/forced) > Parallax looked comical; scary at times but only a couple of times > Like Iron Man 2, I wish the fight scenes were so much more; they spent too much on the set-up that the fights were short and could have been so much more and elaborate. > Some scenes and even some characters were not necessary (Hal's best friend, even some scenes with Blake's Carol Ferris were not needed); they should have added more action instead

Summary, visual effects, actors, GL base story good. But the way the writers and director put things together were a mixture of various plots and subplots crazy glued into one movie for pure entertainment. Kids will enjoy it, but adults likely will not. This is a summer of superheroes, with 3 down and one more to go (well, technically 5 with Transformers if you're thinking comic book stories), so it's quite impossible not to compare them to each other.

The director is known to direct good flicks like Goldeneye and Casino Royale (two good movies), but I wish he did more; studied more, had split up more stories to be more single- minded and not work on a cluttered material.

Not bad, not good, just mildly average

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 10 July 2011]

I like superhero movies as much as the next person, having grown up on the likes of Superman and Batman. Green Lantern is not the worst superhero movie, but far from the best either. For me it was just a mildly average and somewhat bland movie, that didn't live up to the potential it had.

Getting the good things out of the way, I did like the cinematography, settings and costumes very much, and while they weren't among the best or most detailed I've seen the effects were better than average apart from Parralex. The score/soundtrack by James Newton Howard compliments the film very nicely, Martin Campbell's direction is assured and there are classy turns from Mark Strong, Tim Robbins and Peter Sarsgaard.

On the other hand, Ryan Reynolds didn't quite work for me. Now don't get me wrong, I initially found him an ideal choice in the title role. The problem is not that Reynolds is bad, actually he is quite spirited in the role, it's just that the character himself like a lot of the characters in the movie is irritatingly bland. Blake Lively is cute and lovely, but her performance goes little beyond that. The story starts off well with an intriguing idea, being an origin story and all, but is bogged down by too many characters, tedious pacing and too thin a story for such a running time consequently some scenes seemed as though they were going on longer than they should've done. However though, these problems are pretty trivial compared to the script, which to put it kindly was an awkward, cliché-driven mess.

Overall, neither good or bad, but very average and bland. 5/10 Bethany Cox

It's Not Easy Being Green.....

[Fields201 · 5/10 · 19 June 2011]

I went to see Green Lantern because a friend of mine was boycotting DC for such a long time because there has been no release of a Green Lantern movie. Sure, there were plenty reincarnations of Batman and Superman, but where's Green Lantern? Someone out there listened to his plea, and the result is this.....

A mess.

I will go on record to say that it's at least enjoyable. Even though the movie seems to be everywhere in its storytelling, with characters being underdeveloped and random things just happening. I would say that during this movie, I had a hard time finding a bathroom break. I was at least interested to see where the movie is going.

Let me try to explain this movie: There is this elite group of Green Lanterns led by Sinestro (well played by Mark Strong) who are having a hard time beating this giant alien in the Milky Way called The Parallax. So when their alien friend who's name I cannot remember falls to earth and dies, his ring is sent out to choose a new victim, and somehow it chooses Ryan Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds discovers that he has a new ability, and that he is the earth's only hope, but he can't handle that until the end of the movie. Not only that, but some doctor guy turns into an evil alien which, I guess, is controlled by Parallax, and Ryan has to stop him too.

I must say that I was intrigued by the doctor subplot where he is not accepted by his father (Tim Robbins) and slowly goes insane until he turns into John Travolta from Battlefield: Earth. I also liked seeing Ryan Reynolds in the movie because he brings energy to what could otherwise be a boring movie, and I was enjoying both stories that were coming along. The problem is that the whole movie felt disjointed, and not only did scenes felt random, but events turn random too.

Like the scene where Reynolds is chosen by the ring. It just happens out of nowhere. One minute he's talking to this kid (which never served much purpose to the film) and then all of a sudden he's walking and gets carried away in green light to that dying alien dude. This happened in more than one occasion. Also the CGI was all over the place, even on Reynold's outfit, and it's rather distracting. It's very vibrant and colorful (which is good), but it looked very cartoonish and took me out of the film. I also mentioned that the characters are underdeveloped, which goes a lot to Sinestro and that Parallax thing they are trying to fight. Heck, even the love interest felt underdeveloped. By the end of the film, I felt like I barely knew the characters, with just a likable performance by Ryan Reynolds.

However, Green Lantern isn't boring, just purely average. I think the reason why I sort of liked this film was that I went into it not expecting much. I already had groups of people telling me that this film is awful before its release, so I ended up getting a little more than I expected. Just a little. It was still entertaining, to say the least.

It wasn't that bad, why the hate?

[BigMaxAttacks · 6 October 2011]

I saw Green Lantern with my son because it looked safe enough and I used to collect the comic books when I was a kid. I felt like I was the only guy over 20 at the theater, which I guess isn't surprising anymore. Did think there would be more adults, however, because the Green Lantern was something we read in my generation. Not sure if it's even around anymore. Being a fan of the comic book I had to go see it, and I was intrigued with the movie. After I got home I jumped on the computer and read the reviews. I was very disappointed with the professional reviews that cast stones at it, while at the same time, regular folk like myself thought it was a pretty good stab at the DC comic book version. I guess I look for something different when I go to the movies. I go to unwind and enjoy myself for a couple of hours, and Green Lantern worked for me.

The Green Cheese

[TourettesPersonal · 5/10 · 19 June 2011]

We are getting decent and compelling superhero movies these days, which is a great thing that happened to the genre. Now "Green Lantern" is one of those films that also needs to be powerful, but it ends up being a generic cheesy cinema. "Green Lantern" is not perfectly horrible or the worst superhero movie ever but it's just too much exposition and a whole lot of green cheese.

"Green Lantern" has a great concept. Just like the other superhero films, the storytelling also needs to be compelling. Unfortunately, the film gets lazy to tell the story so they just threw a lot of narration and even the ones that are not quite necessary to narrate. The action is not very amazing. it's just showing us how eye-candy the effects are.

At least the movie is loyal to its corniness. Hal Jordan's wacky imagination and the aliens' zany looking faces. The CGI is pretty. The performances were entertaining enough. Ryan Reynolds is doing his same old thing. Mark Strong didn't appear so much (which is disappointing) but still he's awesome.

It's disappointing because they're making the interesting villains into uninteresting. Example, Parallax should be terrifying and menacing. Instead he's a scrambled egg who eats fear. Not really terrifying nor menacing. Peter Sarsgaard's mad scientist performance was pretty good but the only thing he did in this film is crying in agony and use his telekinesis powers in a lame way.

"Green Lantern" just wanted to show its beautiful visuals. It's not a very bad thing but the filmmakers doesn't take its storytelling so seriously. It can be entertaining for some reason but it can also be forgettable. It's good to see it in the big screen for the visuals but you don't want to see it again after that. This might be the weakest superhero movie of the year. Even "The Green Hornet" is better than this. "Thor" might be the best superhero film of 2011 so far in my opinion because even though the action isn't great, at least there is a compelling storytelling. The sad thing is, both the action and the storytelling are not compelling in "Green Lantern".

3D? Very dark!

A World Of Overreaction

[Jimmyboyjr4 · 7/10 · 5 October 2011]

While I admit this movie had it's flaws, I do strongly believe this movie has been vastly underrated by the public. Unfortunately Green Lantern came at a time when comic inspired novels have been done almost to death. While most done quite brilliantly (most being the operative word here) Green Lantern I believe did not live up to the expectations we now have of comic adaptations.

Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan was a great choice for the role of The Green Lantern, the character arc while helping you to understand the character of Hal Jordan was sufficient I do believe they could of well exceeded what they did.

For a story as immense as the Green Lantern I believe that the close to two hours was to short to completely describe and help understand the Green Lantern universe. The length I believe to be the biggest drawback in this movie. In my opinion the movie should of been closer to the length of The Watchmen to completely illustrate the complexity and brilliance that the Green Lantern universe really is.

For me, I believed the hype going into this movie, I had a completely closed mind and fully expected this movie to be as one critic described it "Green Lantern, The worst comic book movie ever made". Honestly I have to say that I'm glad that I read that review before viewing this movie as it made it all that sweeter when the movie went beyond all I thought it would be and greatly impressed me.

I'm sorry that this movie was received so badly because the chances of seeing a sequel have dropped and in a universe where anything is possible I think we will miss out on all that the Green Lantern franchise could be.

Terrible Script, Good Characters- Verdict: FIRE THE SCRIPT WRITERS!

[teslacoil_89 · 2/10 · 1 July 2011]

For a comic book movie, Green Lantern had the potential to be great. If the writers of the movie even watched the animated movie First Flight, they would've been able to come up with a better script than what they did. I think the cast did the best that they could with the corny lines and terrible writing.

Ryan Reynolds was believable as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively was exceptional in her role (which primarily involved looking pretty which she is good at) and Mark Strong as Sinestro was flawless. Though I thoroughly disliked what the writers did to this movie, I do hope the GL series isn't written off. There is still enough in the story of Green Lantern for a sequel, but for the love of Oa the old script writers need to go and a brand new team needs to bring something to the table. Mark Strong is an acting powerhouse and as we have seen in the Dark Knight, it is the villain and not the hero that makes an exceptional comic book movie! Sinestro has to do for GL what the Joker did for Batman! Thats my 2 cents

My thoughts on the movie.

[insangpa87 · 5/10 · 17 June 2011]

After using IMDb for about 10 years this is my first time writing a review so here goes.

I am a big fan of DC Comics and Green Lantern is definitely one of my favorites as I even own quite a volume of comics of him. I wasn't really looking forward to this movie since every time I do I always got let down. My first thought after hearing Parallax being in the movie I was wondering if they would do it like in the comics. But that didn't make sense because this is only the first movie and the studio would make it as an origin movie not something else. The whole thing seemed a little tad slow and I think they tried to do character developments and get the story going but even for a fan I kind of found it hard to follow. It wasn't engaging enough I suppose. There were some action scenes but that also didn't really live up to expectations. I thought they had the right director and actors for this movie but something was missing from the comics.

If they ever make a sequel to this movie I do hope they hire someone from DC to write a script and have the sort of impact Iron Man did back in 2008. I do have a feeling this is going to be another Superman Returns though.

Movie came 5 or 6 years too early

[k-94538 · 7/10 · 14 September 2020]

This movie became a meme when it came out. Even using it for punch lines and promos for Deadpool. Its light hearted approach would fit perfectly into MCU (I know its DC) . The reason this movie really got slated on release is down to timing. We just had the Dark Knight in 2009 (I think) and in 2012 the Dark Knight rises. So that dark and serious Nolan style was all the rage. I remember complaints like its too cartoony. Not sure how else you can show the Lanterns power without it. Recent reviews with this being on Amazon are much better, averaging at 7 out of 10. Thats where I'd put it. Its better than a lot of the marvel stuff in recent years. Maybe DC will reboot it who knows.

What A Nice Surprise

[stormhappy106 · 8/10 · 3 January 2015]

I avoided this film for for a long time because I thought that many didn't like it(a la Daredevil)but was I wrong to avoid it! I loved this movie and have now seen it many times.

I barely remember reading Green Lantern as a kid, but who cares, this was a fun, exciting and impressive movie.

Ryan Reynolds was perfect as Hal Jordan, and everyone else was fine also.

Special Effects were top-notch.

The film still made an impressive $116 million domestically, which shows that many people ignored the ignorant critics.

Parallax was a superb creation.

I intend to see this film many more times in the future.

I wanted a sequel!!

[reddiemurf81 · 7/10 · 24 June 2020]

I saw this in the theater a thought it was really good (my introduction to the character). I really wanted to see Sinestro go bad in a sequel. Oh well,,,

Was it as good as it could've been,, well,, no, but what movie can you not say that about?!? That list is not long,,,

I thought Reynolds was great, as well as the rest of the cast. While I certainly wouldn't want to have derailed the Deadpool movies,, I really wish this had been more successful. I don't know why it wasn't,,, I mean the first Fantastic Four movie had a sequel,, and while I liked that one this was way better. Anyways,,,

Go watch it!!

I enjoyed it.

[TxMike · 12 November 2011]

Three months ago I watched the animated movie that covers essentially the same story, that of the hot-shot, sometimes irresponsible American test pilot that gets recruited into the Green Latern Corps, the several thousand who each have a sector of the universe to protect.

Here we get real people telling the story. Ryan Reynolds is the focus as test pilot Hal Jordan. He is flying a test mission to help demonstrate the advantages of a new fighter plane when he pulls a very risky move and ends up destroying the plane. Soon after he is pulled into the presence of a dying Green Lantern, who tells him "the ring has chosen you." When he is transported to the secret location, in a far corner of the universe, he is met with much skepticism.

All the other green lanterns are from races much older than the human race, and they doubt that an Earthling human has what it takes. This of course provides the drama for Hal's quest to prove himself and become what our comic books refer to as the Green Lantern.

A large obstacle is the evil monster of sorts that is absorbing the energy of others and in the process growing more powerful. Unstopped it would destroy the universe as we know it. Hal needs to become the hero that stops the monster and in the process earning his status.

Good movie, I enjoyed it.

Bloody terrible !

[janus-20 · 1/10 · 30 June 2011]

I'm of a forgiving nature, especially when it comes to sci-fi, special effects driven, blockbuster movies. I enjoyed the Star Wars prequels, i even enjoyed the last Indy movie, i gave G.I Joe a decent review....G.I Joe, yeah, that G.I Joe.

I cant go easy on this film, because Warner Bros deserve this, they are currently at the bottom of a deep pit when it comes to what is arguably the most popular current genre at the summer box office, super hero movies.

Marvel are wiping the floor with them, Superman had muted return, yes the Batman films are superb, yes Warners/DC turn out fantastic animated movies. But this Green Latern movie was going to show they can do more than just Batman well, it was going to be, hopefully a step towards a Justice League movie, one day, a less well known DC superhero, introduced to the non geek public, to open the floodgates to the larger DC universe than just Superman and Batman.

Well with all that riding on it, if this is the best they can do, then don't bother. This was one whopping mess of a film, Batman and Robin made more sense and yes i really have considered that statement, its nearly two weeks since i saw the movie, so this is a considered opinion, not a knee jerk one in the heat of the moment.

The characters were characterless, they were'nt funny, engaging, sympathetic, there was no emotional resonance in their situations. eg When Hal returns to Earth, after his initial visit to Oa, the scenes just drag where we are urged to feel his sense of dissonance with himself at not excepting the challenge he has been presented with.

I felt nothing, no sympathy, no empathy, nothing, it was all intercut at this stage with the origin of the Hector Hammond character. The scenes of Hal moping, are set against the scenes with us finding out that Hammond, already a creepy, sullen character before his head swells, doesn't get on with Dad, who himself is grease ball politician.

Remember Spider-Man 2 where Alfred Molina's Doc Ock had a pathos to his story which created a sense of sympathy for him and how that made for such a layered and involving villain, none of that here thank you very much.

The entire "i hate you dad" routine is old, old hat, but something fresh or dramatic could have been made of it, but instead the "i'm sensitive and dad's overbearing" tentpole is hammered into the ground, aided by awful dialogue and choppy scene structure.

The editing (amazing considering it was Stuart Baird) in these middle scenes was staccato in tone and numbing, it earned no sympathy for either character and therefore sabotaged any hope of an emotional pay off at the end of the film.

Superman's first appearance on Earth in the Donner version had you cheering, as Superman saves our feisty, likable damsel in distress Lois Lane, from a nasty helicopter crash, in front of a diverse social cross section of the good people of Metropolis.

Green Lantern's first appearance on Earth leaves you cold, as he saves an already established grease ball politician, from a nasty helicopter crash, in front of a gathering of over-achievers and posh-knobs who frankly you couldn't give a tinkers cuss about.

My abiding memory of the entire Hammond sub-plot is Peter Sarsgaard holding his head in his hands and moaning, which is ironic as i joined him in this action at numerous points.

Most unforgivable of all even the action scenes were flat and lifeless and when considering what Hal's character can do with his ring, thats just not acceptable.

On the up side, Oa was very impressive, there are some good effects and Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong do their best to carry it off, but they are let down by other badly handled elements.

Mum always said: "If you've got nothing good to say, say nothing at all!", and mum's usually right, but in this case it cost me £15, so sorry Mum, i'm speaking my Brains !!

It's not that bad from the viewer pov

[ingra88 · 7/10 · 18 June 2022]

Seriously it is not that bad from the publics point of view, it still entertaining to watch on a boring afternoon!

Ryan hated this film a lot had a poor working relationship with director.

BUT one brilliant thing did happen, he met Blake and had a happy family, that is one good thing!

The critics are way overreacting.

[Loving_Silence · 7/10 · 18 June 2011]

Now let me begin by saying this film is not an amazing film. It is definitely not an awful film, like most critics are saying. I think critics might have raised their expectations due to Thor and X-Men: First Class. They should not compare the Green Lantern with those films. It is ranked now 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is way too low. It would probably be in the high 60s, if it was released before Thor and X-Men: First Class.

The acting in the film is good and not terrible at all. Ryan Reynolds is great as Hal Jordan and extremely likable. He definitely fits the role as Hal Jordan really well. Blake Lively is great and extremely sexy, she's not just a pretty face as most are suggesting. Peter Sarsgaard is a great actor and he plays the villainous Hector Hemmond really well and interesting. Overall everyone tries their best and at the end of the day do a really great job, certainly no Oscar worthy performances, though.

The special effects are pretty superb and extremely worthwhile to say the least. Although it sometimes feel a little CGIish, but it doesn't get too big of a distraction. I have to say I was a little disappointed how Parallax looked like, it felt a little fake at times, but it is not horrible in any sense of the way. Also the film did not take itself seriously which is kind of refreshing. Which could be the reason why critics disliked it so much. They want another sad, personal and serious story. Unlike Thor and X-Men, The Green Lantern is more kids friendly.

The main problem of the film was that they were trying to cram stuff in from the comics and the personal lives of the other characters. It seems that there could be so many sequels for the other characters. It did kind of focus on too many characters. Also the editing gets to be a little distracting at times, they certainly needed to have done a better job, but the editing is mediocre at best.

Overall the Green Lantern was a fun summer flick. Although it is nowhere near the realm of The Dark Knight, it didn't need to be. The 3D was actually really good and the special effects were memorable. No doubt, the critics were extremely tough on the Green Lantern and it is unfair. At the end of the day, don't listen to the critics. Make up your mind and see this film. At the end of the day, it should be only your opinion that matters to you. You might agree with the critics or you might not. However don't skip this movie because of the low Rotten Tomatoes score.

" There is a great power which fears only the Power of my Ring "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 20 December 2012]

In 1938, comic Imigination arrived at Dectective Comics with the Introducted of the Dark Knight also called The Batman. Before long a plethora of others soon followed, among them was the mysterious " Green Lantern. " Hal Jordan AKA Green Lantern are both played by Ryan Reynold. The story reaches back to the 20th century and the space age. Here we find our hero and his special selection by a celestial being who reaches into his chosen's human heart to learn that he possesses true Courage and no fear. That, then is the primary ingredient for his selection and the gist of the legend. Once you enter the myth of the Green Lantern, you also enter the vast din of the Universe and it's mystical powers, where beings from other planets are collected to fight their Nemesis, . . . Fear. This film does it's best to take our Hero and the audience to their world and the battlefield of the Universe. It's a fabulous journey and one which is responsible for the enjoyment of the cinema, A great slice of DC comics transformed into the stuff of imagination and the world of Entertainment. Recommended to all. ****

Are you kidding me???

[sunnykanagi-82-388587 · 1/10 · 20 June 2011]

This is one of the worst superhero movie I've ever seen...

I had enough of the bad-a$$ attitude of the hero, the sad love story between the hero and his lover, experiencing the awesomeness after getting the power... haven't we all seen this in Spiderman or Superman??

The villain was shown like an idiot who is defeated by our hero in what was like a 2 minute climax(when all the experienced and smart Green Lanterns of the Universe fail to) And these Green Lanterns arrive after the hero defeats the villain, just like the Police in any Hollywood movie.

The Special Effects was so stupid and childish, even a 3 year old would mock this movie.

Acting wise Peter Sarsgaard was good. Blake Lively was pretty. Ryan Reynolds carried one expression on his face in the entire movie, he almost made Twilight actors look Oscar worthy. Tim Robins was wasted in the movie. The other Green Lanterns were hardly present.

If you want to save yourself from anger and frustration, then please avoid this movie. The critics were right to mock this movie..

this movie maybe for hardcore comic fans.. Rest all watch Kung Fu Panda 2 or Hangover 2 again....

Underrated

[tiagoabreu2007 · 9/10 · 28 March 2018]

Not the best superhero movie of all time but this was a lot of fun. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious and a lot of the action is great. You can also tell that the people who made this film were actual fans of the character and his history, staying relatively faithful (for a movie) to the source material and comics. I wish they had done another one.

I listened to the critics...

[rmquinones · 7/10 · 6 September 2021]

I listened to the critics, and what a mistake! Ten years after the movie came out, watched it and liked it!

Ridiculous film with a ridiculous choice of lead role.

[sam_fenn · 1/10 · 2 July 2011]

This film was terrible. I could not believe they've picked Ryan Reynolds to play Green Lantern, he belongs in rom-coms. And that is what he almost turned this into, the comedy played far too big a part in this. What little faith I had in Reynolds as playing this role was shattered very quickly, he simply is not made for serious movies. Though this film isn't exactly serious, it isn't exactly a comedy either.

Mainly though, the story line was completely flawed. The whole thing just seemed like bits of 'filler' taken from other films and clumped together. Nothing was properly explained, like, why didn't the evil guy have a body? Why was he telekinetic if he didn't have a stupid ring? Why is fear yellow? Whenever they mentioned the yellow power of fear I felt like I was watching kids play with action figures making up a stupid story off the top of their heads. And the fact that all Green Lantern needed to do was say the 'vow' then become super powerful and cunning to kill this thing? Being a superhero movie I was hoping for more Earthly heroics. It was just ridiculous.

The whole immortal thing was stupid as well. Seemed again like they just couldn't come up with an idea, so they just thought 'ah whatever, a load of unoriginal aliens sat in really high seats at the top of a really high building who have infinite knowledge but then get proved wrong. That sound okay?'. There was just not enough detail to any aspect of this film.

There was genuinely nothing I enjoyed about this film, being a teenager lets me sort of enjoy a film if there's good fighting or action in it, even if I know the film is awful. Like 300. But this, simply offered me nothing. Absolutely awful. Save your money.

Below Average Superhero Movie

[loufalce · 1/10 · 16 June 2011]

This is the 4th. superhero movie this year {Green Hornet, X Men, Thor,so far-not including Captain America,and the worst. Total dud misfires from the first frame. A cocky test pilot-whose father was killed in an aircraft crash somehow gets to be a guardian of the universe after a strange green light shines on him. Next thing you know, he has to defend the world from bad evildoers who are much more interesting than the title character. Ryan Reynolds is fairly likable but he seems more appropriate in a show like "Glee" rather than in the title role. Although he tries his one dimensional character really shows no depth, even in the scenes with his lover. The CGI effects are standard issue, and you've probably seen them a million times before. The trouble with this movie is that its just sooooo ordinary. There is absolutely nothing in it to lift it above a less than mediocre level, and the story line can be somewhat hard to follow. Before my review gets pulled due to "abuse", heed my advice and avoid the multiplex showing this disaster. Yes, I know its supposed to be based on a comic book, but even comic books can sometimes show some character development, intelligence, and try to portray their stories in a more realistic and believable way. Unfortunately, this film does not. It will just get lost in the shuffle of superhero overkill and fade from the scene after it predictably makes a fortune on its first weekend. It will be on DVD by summer's end. If you must see it, wait until then. Not worth your time or money, but don't be too surprised if the producers try to "franchise" it and milk it for all its worth. A sad fact in todays Hollywood. The fans claim that the critics killed this film , but thats only partially true. It committed suicide just being made.However, this movie could have been much, much worse-it could have had Jennifer Aniston in it.If that was the case, I would have given it a zero star rating!

So much potential ended in a incredibly flawed movie

[k_g_barreto · 3/10 · 27 January 2020]

Green Lantern is a character with so many good stories, which universe have a rich and unique lore, and they deliver this to the fans. The film feels like a B tier TV series pilot, with mediocre performances, although a good casting, inconsistent visual effects, sometimes beliveable, sometimes horrible, bad to look at, this film is inconsistent as a whole, a bunch of good ideas with a poorly done execution, both in the script and in the bland directing. This film is realy ugly, the gray filter, the absence of vivid colors and the bland shots give us a uninspired cinematography, resulting in a bad movie, unfortunely. There is good points, some designs and moments, but overall this film is bad, and it had so much potential, now the way is wait a worth Green Lantern adaptation.

Not as bad as Critics say

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 21 December 2013]

There are some good and some bad. The CGI is too dark (lighting wise), and the green makes it look too fake cartoon-like. It's watchable, but it doesn't inspire. The Green Lantern manifestations make the action rather random. I could tell they spent lots of money on the CGI. I'm just not certain it was the most compelling creations. Parallax also look very much like a cartoon instead of something menacing.

Ryan Reynolds is a good actor. He's making Hal Jordan a jester. It's in Reynolds' DNA, and I don't think he could stop anyways. Blake Lively is not my favorite actress. She does slightly better than I expected. Basically she does a girlfriend role without much heat. Peter Sarsgaard is also functional as the weaselly Hector Hammond. I can certainly see others who could do the villain role much better.

There may be too much going on for a single movie. But it could still be followed quite easily. I'm just not sure if all the elements are given enough attention. I do like the theme of fear, and the will to overcome those fears. It's a little ham-fisted, but it still works. Overall, it's an average superhero movie with some minor flaws.

Interesting misfire

[markdroulston · 5/10 · 15 June 2011]

Let me begin this review by mentioning where I stand on comic books. I rarely read many anymore, but in the past I have dipped my toe into a few series and enjoyed them, even forming limited attachments to certain characters, and as such I have feelings and opinions concerning how they are portrayed on screen. Green Lantern was not one of these characters. I was aware of the basic story, had some sense of what his powers were, and I even had a Green Lantern action figure as a kid. But I never read the books, and so, approaching Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, I really had no idea what to expect. What I saw in the trailers looked cool enough that I was excited by what this film could be, but my usual gut-feeling about how a movie will turn out was absent. After seeing Green Lantern this morning, I'm still at a loss to describe how I feel about it. The film features some of the most interesting and stunning visuals I've seen in a while, certainly streaks ahead of this years previous comic book offerings X-Men: First Class and Thor, but, regrettably, the quality of the visuals can't make up for the muddled plot and dreadful pacing issues, particularly in the film's conclusion.

There is a lot that Campbell gets right with Green Lantern. Firstly the casting, always of utmost importance in a superhero film, is solid. All participants make the most of their roles, with Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan a particularly inspired choice. This is the type of role Reynolds was born to play, and he clearly understands the journey Jordan takes over the course of the film. Bringing his natural charm to elevate the character above the by-the-numbers troubled hero Jordan could have been, he's the best thing about the whole film. Supports are good too, with Peter Sarsgaard wickedly creepy as Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Lantern Corps leader Sinestro making the best of smaller parts. It's also nice to see Campbell keeping it Kiwi with roles for Temuera Morrison and Taika Waititi, although both are underused. Campbell also nails the look of Green Lantern, and the delicate but masterful use of colour (perhaps unsurprising in a film with a colour in the title) shows his visual expertise as a filmmaker. Freed from the restraints of a realistic setting, Campbell really lets loose with his great visual style in scenes that take him away from Earth. Too often superhero films are hampered by the perceived need to keep proceedings grounded in reality to give mass audiences something to better relate to, and much like Marvel's Thor, the sci-fi heavy sequences set in far-off fantastical locations offer refreshing variety. It is however spectacularly geeky, and as much as certain core fans will undoubtedly be crying for more of this style in future comic adaptations, conservative studio thinking is likely the reason we'll never see a Green Lantern movie set entirely off-Earth.

Green Lantern, despite all it has going for it visually, falls down at the story level, perhaps an effect of having four writers working on the script at various times. Adding originality to an origin story is always going to be a challenging task, and the story spends too much time on build-up before rushing to a conclusion, which ultimately seems a touch too easy. Obviously Warner Bros. are counting on the success of the film to launch a new franchise, so therefore Jordan's triumph was a foregone conclusion, but Campbell doesn't spend enough time developing the threat presented by the film's villain, and as such when the confrontation comes it never feels like anything is really at stake. It's an exciting sequence while it lasts, despite its overly obvious terrorism parallels, but it's just over much too quickly, and the colossal visual scale of the villain which Campbell reaches for is unmatched by the battle itself. There's an uneasy balance between the small-scale human story and the epic overarching plot, and unfortunately Green Lantern comes off as unsure of what exactly it wants to be.

So, here I sit, unsure of what to make of Green Lantern. There's potential in it, elements we'll hopefully see explored in the inevitable sequel. As an introduction to a lesser known character (at least for mainstream audiences) it's passable, and for the wow-factor of the visuals alone it may be worth seeing in the cinema. Personally though, I think Green Lantern will be filed under 'interesting failure'.

The "Iron Man" of DC Entertainment!!!

[homey104 · 6/10 · 21 September 2011]

Just came back from the theater and now I'm going to give my two cents on it... After reading the negative reviews that were posted by the mainstream critics (If I should dare call them critics) I actually had my worries but I decided to stick to my guns and go forward with what my opinions were going to be and to my surprise everything turn out exactly as I predicted... And that was the critics were wrong!!! Possibly exaggerated!

The film was as good as it's worth and actually lived up to the trailers and hype that eventually lead the film up to. Of course it did had it's flaws aleast just a few but could easily be over looked and one of the flaws was that it was abit grounded in which I don't find that a bad thing since I for one was expecting it to be since this meant to be the first among many films to come. It's understandable that viewers and fans were expecting a more space opera like theme but I believe we might get more of that in sequels since thats what there for! I for one started enjoying it as the film goes on till I finally come the conclusion that after the end of the movie that I had three words lurking in my head and those words were... I, LIKE, IT!!! The Good: Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, the visuals, the action, the other Lanterns (Abin Sur, Tomar-Re, Kilawog & Sinestro), Hector Hammond & Parallax and the forge of the yellow power ring.

The Flaws: It's slightly grounded, not much screen time for the other Lanterns especially against Parallax and short of a space opera like theme. This is one film that even hardcore fans would & should enjoy and appreciate for what it's worth and the execs of the WB should be patting themselves in the back for actually taking the time from keeping their heads inside their asses to actually taking them out and do what they should have done in the first place and that is giving other DC heroes (Aside from Superman & Batman) their chance to shine on the silver screen and hope the same can be done for other DC heroes to come!