I’ve wanted to see this movie since I saw the trailers. Even that first one, which most people were iffy about. The effects weren’t done and an awful lot of it seemed to take place before Hal gets the ring. I saw that awesome 4-minute WonderCon trailer. I saw the final trailer, heard the initial critical reaction, as well as the comments of my peers. A number of people did not like the film and felt that it had underperformed. This film has a shocking 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. For the record, I did not seek out this information. I overheard it. Despite it all, there was one that stated his enjoyment of the film, despite shortcomings that seemed to overall not get in the way of the film’s fun. Because of this, I continued my interest in seeing this film.
I was not disappointed.
The movie opens with a narration by Tomar-Re, who explains the origins of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force who patrol the universe and protect it. They harness green energy, of which there is basically an unlimited amount on their planet headquarters, Oa. They each wield a green Power Ring, which is powered by the wearer’s strength of will. The opening narration does a much better job of setting this up than I probably am.
It also sets up the Parallax, a malevolent force consisting of pure fear. It is shown battling and wounding Green Lantern Abin Sur, who escapes and lands on Earth, instructing the ring to seek out a successor for him.
We are then presented with Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds, his exceptional smart-assness underplayed), an overconfident, reckless pilot. Hal seems to adopt this cockiness for two reasons: First, because he has the skill to back it up, and second, as a defense mechanism against the fearful memory of the day his father died. Hal is chosen by the ring and taken to the wreckage of Abin Sur’s ship, where he is given the ring and his lantern. He is eventually taken to Oa, where he meets other members of the Corps, including Kilowog (unimaginatively voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) and Sinestro (Mark Strong). They train him and teach him how to use his ring, which turns his thoughts into tangible reality. Without giving away too much of the plot, we are also introduced to Hal’s fellow pilot and love interest Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) and scientist Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard). At a certain point, the Parallax comes to Earth to destroy it.
I am pleased to report that I liked this movie very much. More than I thought I would. Let’s start with the actors. Ryan Reynolds was good as Hal Jordan. I was kind of glad that he didn’t spout off a large arsenal of one-liners and witty jokes. It made Hal Jordan seem more like a character and less like Reynolds himself. He is the movie’s focus, and as such, he should be convincing enough for us to want him to succeed. He does indeed. Peter Sarsgaard is marvelous as Hector Hammond. As a piece of the Parallax slowly infects his body, we see him descend beautifully from innocent brilliance into deranged madness. He brought a fresh take on a character that could have been far less interesting to watch on screen. Kudos as well to Mark Strong for completely embodying Sinestro. They nailed his character and I can’t wait to see him in a sequel.
Let’s talk about Blake Lively: The Elephant in the Room. I’ve heard a couple of complaints about her in this movie, and I’ll admit I was worried that she would not be great in it, but she does just fine. I wouldn’t say she didn’t have a lot to do, because she had enough. She didn’t have to display a wide range of emotion, so maybe that’s why she did just fine. Honestly, she got the job done and though they probably could have gotten someone better for this role, they certainly could have done much worse than Blake Lively. Especially in this film. Any issues anyone might have with her this time around has zero effect on the movie. Don't worry.
The special effects are amazing in this film. The world-building is incredible. Bringing Oa to the screen was a success, not to mention the Parallax, which is absolutely breathtaking to look at. It was essential that they nail this aspect of the film, since so much of it takes place in outer space. Aside from a few bad green screen shots, the outer space stuff looked great.
I also want to note the flying sequences in this film. It’s always fun to see movies depict flight and to see filmmakers keep pushing for realism of motion. What they did for this film was put Ryan Reynolds on wires and actually shoot him “across the room at 200 miles per hour.” The idea was to capture the correct movement of flight: How your body responds to flight, how your feet move, etc. It really comes across as realistic movement in the film. The action sequences are incredible. It can be a trap in films like this to let the action get repetitive, but there is also a chance, with fantasy and comic book movies, to make unique action and to take it to the next level. This film does that. I think a big reason is the fact that Hal Jordan can fight in outer space, or really, the fact that he has the ring. It’s such a unique weapon to have and the filmmakers really took advantage of the kind of action they could show with the resources this story offered. The action is engaging and inventive. And new. They showed me something I’ve never seen before. That alone is worth its weight in gold.
I think a strong reason why I like this film so much is its message: Don’t be afraid. Hal Jordan’s power comes from courage. Not brute strength, not advanced weaponry. Courage. His strength literally comes from within. Even against an enemy as terrifying (and I mean it really is absolutely terrifying) as the Parallax, the way that Jordan prevails is by overcoming fear and relying on his strength of will. I really love messages like this in movies. They push a positive moral truth and teach it through fantasy action, showing this ideal in motion. I think we can all identify with the feeling of fear and how crippling it can be. Even the smallest bit of fear can grow itself within you and control you. But if you rise above the fear and refuse to be its victim, you can accomplish great things.
I’m glad the ring chose Hal Jordan. And I’m glad this movie chose me. Fun. New. Full price ticket. I may even go see it again. Strongly recommended.
