Marval Movie

Well here I am. I would have never thought that I would have made it this far. When realising that my hundredth post was approaching I thought about what I could do. Perhaps a reflection of my work so far? Perhaps a review of my favourite movie? Maybe a review of a notoriously bad movie like Birdemic, Plan 9 or Troll 2.  But over consideration I decided that there has been one movie, like the sword of Damocles, that has been hanging over my head since I started all this. Yes in my first movie review, Green Lantern: First Flight, I talked about this movie, so, for the occasion here I go. This is my review of the Green Lantern movie!

The Green Lantern movie is something that I have been building up and it has built itself up so much that it was probably impossible for it to be as despicable as it could have been. I cant help feeling that I would absolutely hate this movie if it wasn't for the three years I spent already hating the idea of watching it.

The movie kicks off with test pilot Hal Jordan that works for Ferris Airlines. He can fly with the best of them (wouldn't it be great if he flew to Danger Zone?).  But he has trouble with authority as well as either not knowing or accepting his limitations. But then one day an alien crashes to Earth and bestows a ring of nearly limitless possibilities upon him, because in all the places to crash, he crashes next to the guy that really seems to need it the most (that's convenient).

Ryan Reynolds is our Hal Jordan, where do I begin. OK well he is good looking and he does have a certain charm. I think the dilema I have with his performance is that Hal Jordan is meant to be a character without fear, that's why the ring chose him. And I never believed that he was a man without fear, not once. He seems like a man with fear as well as someone who has his own share of insecurities.

One of the problems with the movie as a whole is script itself and its lack of belief in the source material. You can lightly parody or poke holes in the long lasting cliches in the characters and concepts but it needs to be the right amount. For example there's a scene where Hal sits down with his newly acquired lantern and is told he has to recite an oath, so he sits down and says "I pledge allegiance to a lantern...that I got from a dying purple alien"...well when you say it like that it sounds really stupid.

The costume is something that was an interesting choice that I go back and forth on whether I'm OK with it or not. The suit, as well as the little domino mask, is all C.G.I. that does make sense because its part of the rings construct and not a real material. It just doesn't seem right to me, I understand the reasoning behind it, but in actually seeing it I don't think I'm on-board. I think its because I feel a little cheated out of seeing what a real workshop of people came up with and executed. Even Iron Mans suit is real for a few shots in the movies. Even if it was crappy I could at least give them the excuse for effort but here they just slapped it on him in post.

The way the constructs are handled are fine. I personally prefer the way they were executed in Green Lantern The Animated Series but there still good here. They come off a little more clunky. I also got the feeling that to touch them they would feel very brittle. Jordan still uses the ring with the right amount of fun, imagination, and practicality. When Hal makes his first big public appearance as Green Lantern there's a crashing helicopter so he forms a race-car around it and then a twisting track for it to spiral out of the way to safety. That's pretty cool and fun. 

James Newton Howard handles the soundtrack and I don't remember a thing from it, not on note. That pretty sad in a superhero movie. A superhero movie needs a great score to really sell them, Batman, Superman, Spider-man, Wonder Woman all have scores to sell their names and put them in the minds of the public.  It works as a charge, so that you cheer for and with the hero. Not here, shame.

The director is something that really affects me, probably more than most people. Director, Martin Campbell,  is a director that holds a soft spot in my heart, he directed Golden Eye and The Mask of Zorro. Both of those movies are so intrinsic to my childhood and are the seeds that grew into my love of movies. He has also directed Casino Royal, which was well made but I didn't enjoy it. He seems to just want to get his paychek. He's a good director so all the shots and passing is fines but theres no passion or energy to it.

Blake Lively, plays the romantic interest for Hal as his boss, Carol Ferris. She is just awful...awful, Awful! I have never seen such a dry, non-caring performance. Just about every line she delivers is as if she knows nothing about what the scene is about or how she's suppose to feel in it. I was expecting a terrible performance from Reynolds but I truly got it from her.

There is an awesome scene where the entire Green Lantern core is assembled to hear a rousing speech by Sinestro. And in that scene we see an immense abundance of alien races, enough to fill four movies. Rock aliens, bug aliens, elf like aliens, jelly aliens and some aliens that look like they could have come from Star Wars or other science-fiction movies. Sinestro then descends, gives his rousing speech and then the scenes done...more boring earth people to deal with...yey...

Fan-favourite Kilowog gets his scene in this movie where he breaks in Hal. The late, great Michael Clarke Duncan supplies his voice work and to no surprise he injects all the gravity and a voice tone lower that rock bottom. He was a great choice for this noble memorable character, if only he was given some better material to work with, but still a great enough actor can make a lame script seem pretty good. This was one of the last handful of movies that Duncan ever did, the only upside to this is that he left his fingerprint on the superhero genre as-well.

This time our villain is Paralax. It is a living mass of fear energy that gets bigger and bigger the more fear it consumes. Its body is shaped like a dreadlocks wig. Along with that its body is made from what looks like a giant, living entity of thick vomit with a face that forms in-front of it. Its pretty much as gross as whatever your imagining right now.

Along with him we get doctor Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard). He's creepy along with taking creepy pills after breakfast. Later he gets infected by Paralax, by some of the laziest writing in movie history, and his brain starts to get bigger. He doesn't gain any intelligence but with his massive forehead (which makes him look rather Elephantman like) does come even more creepiness and telepathic abilities.

Tim Robbins plays a government general guy who I guess has become rather mandatory for these movies. There really isn't much to say, he's Hector Hammond dad and it seems like he's a bad one. Its just weird that an Oscar winner is now playing this really meaningless role. There's stunt casting and then there's this which just seems like their wasting his time. If you cast a recognisable actor to gain appeal for your movie how about giving them an important or significant role. Just a thought.

Speaking of which, Geoffry Rush in in this movie as a classic fan favourite Tomar-Re. He looks like some kind of man featherless chicken fusion that is just as terrifying as you'd think it would be.

Then we meet Amanda Waller, one of the most interesting and crucial characters in the DC universe. I do have to give this movie credit on her casting. Angela Bassett is an older mature woman, good, that's what Amanda Waller is suppose to be, she also has a little bit of meat on her bones, also correct. But I feel the character wasn't utilised nowhere near as effective as she could have been. So in this case its better casting than with Tim Robbins but the character is wasted.

When all's said and done this movie sucks! However it is not Godawful, which was what I was expecting from it. But the lead is underwhelming, the effects are good but they come with a raised eyebrow from me, the villain is creepy in an unpleasant way and there is lack of belief in the source material. Its fascinating that they could have a concept like Green Lantern, one of the most entertaining concepts to ever be developed by humanity and make it a bore.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

-I'd like to send out thanks to my sister for setting up this blog and Roger Ebert for showing me hoe movie reviews are done. Here's to another hundred posts.