I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. After that recent Superman trailer (and a dearth of things that I’m looking forward to on the Marvel side of things), I’ve moved on from the MCU, and I’m now a DC fanboy.
With my recent metamorphosis, I’ve come to look backward, as well as forward. No, this doesn’t mean that I’ve had a change of heart about the Snyderverse (because while it definitely had its strengths, I’m happy that it’s over), I will say that anything pre-Man of Steel is fair game for re-evaluation.
Plus, with the new streaming show, Lanterns, set to premier…at some point, I thought that now was as good a time as any to re-watch 2011’s Green Lantern. Because guess what? Even though I know a lot of people think it sucks (even Ryan Reynolds doesn’t like it), I enjoyed it back then, and I still enjoy it today. Here’s why.
The Movie Does A Pretty Good Job Of Introducing The Green Lantern Corps To Newbies Like Myself
I had never read a single Green Lantern comic book prior to my first time watching Green Lantern back in 2011. I knew about the character, because I’d sometimes watch the Justice League cartoon, which actually had a Black Green Lantern, who I would later learn was just one of many versions of the character.
Other than that, I didn’t know what his deal was, or even why he was called Green Lantern in the first place because he always used a ring. So, like I said, I didn’t know him from Adam (Or Alan…Scott).
However, when I watched the movie, I learned about the Green Lantern Corp, and how they were an intergalactic police force, kind of like Marvel’s Nova Corps., which, now that I think about it, is probably a rip-off of DC. (Do you now see how much I’ve turned from Marvel?)
The movie does a good job of showcasing all the different kinds of races within the Corps, and how Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is unique in that he’s the first human accepted into this elite group.
Honestly, with my rewatch, I was very impressed with how they showcased this. We learn from the very beginning about the Corps, as well as Abin Sur, a Green Lantern from a distant planet. We also learn about the green essence of willpower, and the antagonist, Parallax. This is no small feat, because all of this is really weird, far-out stuff. (The green light of willpower?!?) But, it’s presented in a way that even a newbie like myself could understand, and that’s pretty cool!
I Still Don't Mind The CGI-Suit. I Think It Looks Neat
You really had to be there, but there was a whole brouhaha about how “bad” the CGI-suit looked in the movie, with some people wishing that they had just used a physical costume. And, that probably would have been okay.
I mean, if you watch or rewatch a movie like Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman look awesome in their costumes. In fact, a lot of people were overjoyed to see Jackman don Wolvie’s classic yellow suit, with it being one of the many highlights of the film.
And yet…I still really like the CGI-suit in Green Lantern. I think it’s neat.
Keep in mind, the Corps. is not of this world, so the idea of them just wearing regular, plain-Jane fabrics from humdrum planet Earth doesn’t really vibe with me
Yes, I get it. This is just a movie where they can explain away anything, but I really like the idea of some kind of bizarre element (this time being CGI) that makes up his suit, since it really should seem alien in nature–because it is! Plot-wise, anyway.
Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the suit looks neat. I like the way light reflects off of it, and how it shines at different moments. I like how the mask comes on at different times when it’s necessary. I also appreciate how it looks like it’s from outer space, and not just some fabric. All these years later, I’m still impressed by the suit, and I think CGI was the right move, despite what many people say.
Ryan Reynolds Actually Makes For A Good Hal Jordan
As I already mentioned, I didn’t really know anything about Green Lantern prior to this movie, and I especially didn’t know anything about Hal Jordan.
That said, through mediums like video games (I’m a big fan of the Injustice series), and Green Lantern animated movies, I’ve come to learn more about Hal and what a prominent role he plays in the Green Lantern mythos.
He, by most accounts, is the Green Lantern that most people associate with the character. Though not the first one in the comics (that would be Alan Scott), he is the most recognizable version of the character (even though I prefer John Stewart).
As a character, Hal has a lot of traits that make him highly likeable. For example, he can temper down his fear, he’s pretty cocky, and he’s also a bit of a wiseass…which makes Reynolds the perfect actor to play him.
In fact, I know this might be controversial, but I think Reynolds is a better Hal than he is a Wade Wilson. That might be because I know a lot more about Deadpool than I do about Green Lantern. Because even though Reynolds does a great job as the Merc with a Mouth, I also think Reynolds is, dare I say, too nice to play Deadpool?
What I mean is, it’s hard for me to separate the actor from the character. Even though Deadpool is a fourth wall-breaking-wiseass, I also think there’s a sardonic quality that is kind of missing from Reynolds' portrayal of the character.
That said, I think his Hal–from what I now know about the character, anyway–is a great representation, and it really works.
Green Lantern's Powers Still Look Cool
Now, a lot of people say that I have pretty bad taste in movies, especially when it comes to comic book films (I’m a huge Eternals fan, so that’s a strike against me, and I even liked the recent Joker: Folie a Deux, which nobody seemed to).
Be that as it may, though you might not agree with my choice in movies, I think we can all agree upon one thing, and that’s that Green Lantern has some of the coolest superpowers ever.
Having the ability to turn anything he can think about into a tangible, green weapon is so awesome. Lanterns pretty much have imagination as their superpower. I think the movie does a really good job of showcasing this.
Whether it’s making a gatling gun, or a ramp out of thin air, or something to block an attack, the special effects that show off their abilities are always welcome.
That said, my only issue is that I wish there were more of it. There is a suitable amount of action, but I really wish we got to see more of what Green Lantern could conjure up from his imagination.
Perhaps if we had gotten a sequel, we would have seen more of it. Oh, and speaking of which…
I Also Really Love The Sinestro Tease For The Sequel We'll Never Get
Lastly, I really love all of the world-building and teases for the sequel that we’ll never get.
I know this is a grim statement, especially for a movie that I like, but Green Lantern didn’t ignite the world with green willpower light, so I’ll just have to be content with the mid-credit scene where Sinestro (Mark Strong) puts on the yellow ring.
Now, as somebody who didn’t know a thing about these characters upon my first watch, I didn’t understand what all the different colors meant (or that there were so many different colors, like Red, and Orange, and Indigo).
Honestly, I just knew that this Green Lantern turned into a Yellow Lantern, and that it meant there was going to be some cool Green Lantern vs. Sinestro stuff in the sequel, but alas, we won’t be getting any of that. At least, not with a sequel to this movie.
Still, I’m excited for Lanterns, because perhaps we’ll get a version of that. Hey, a Blue Lantern can hope, can’t he? (Do you see what I did there?)
