Green There, Done That

Green Lantern, 2011
3.8

I’ll be honest. I did not have high expectations going into Green Lantern, Martin Campbell’s expensive superhero flick about a jet pilot who obtains a ring that can project a green cartoon of anything he can imagine. I’m not a big fan of Ryan Reynolds, though his dramatic and intense turn in 2010’s Buried was surprisingly good. I feared his default cocky mode, which in all honestly, does not bode well for a superhero. Aren’t we supposed to like these guys, not be reminded of that frat guy we all hate?

I also feared the no-named director, Martin Campbell, who I had to look up to find out he helmed two very successful Bond reboots Casino Royale and GoldenEye. My fear was reassured when it was revealed that Reynolds would where a green suit to digitally render him a… shiny green suit. One can only wonder if Charlie Day was approached before Reynolds.

Rest assured, I enter every film with an open mind (yes, even Bratz). I was excited when I found out that an unrecognizable Peter Sarsgaard would play the hideous and disfigured villain, Dr. Hector Hammond. And I always say, a superhero movie is only as good as its villain. Unfortunately, though Sarsgaard tries very very hard, sloppy writing and clunky editing do the film in. The only thing we know about any of the characters’ pasts we have to take from another character referring to it, normally in a very vague manner. Hal Jordan (Reynolds), Carol (Blake Lively), and Hector all share a history? I can’t be too sure about that, but someone says something about it at some time.

Also, Campbell and his editor Stuart Baird seem to like parallel editing. An important scene of Dr. Hammond dissecting an alien is intercut with a scene of Jordan discovering his powers from the mysterious green ring bestowed to him by said alien. It’s awkward and regrettable because each half-scene should get its own due, its own specific attention. It certainly doesn’t work out like the baptism scene in The Godfather. The editing does get worse; at some points, scenes follow unexpectedly, almost randomly, and not in a good way.

My only other serious complaint is where did all the money go? We’re talking a $300 million movie, including marketing. We should be getting some pretty stellar effects. They’re just OK. There are go-to guys for a budget like that, and Campbell is not one of them. I really don’t expect Green Lantern to make its money back, but hey, people have paid for just as bad (ahem, Transformers 2).

Is there anything really worth paying for? The third dimension, perhaps? I watched it in 2D (I didn’t feel like fiddling around with glasses on my face for two hours), and I can’t see it being worth an extra 3.50. But the fear entity Parallax is kind of cool, and if you’re a Sarsgaard fan like me, well he’s OK too. Otherwise, re-watch The Dark Knight.