Green Lantern review; flickers more than glows

It's the Golden Age of comic book films, and it was only a matter of time before a Green Lantern film was to be made.  Quick breakdown: Hal Jordan is a Green Lantern, an intergalactic space cop who is in charge of patrolling multiple planets.  He is chosen after one of greatest Green Lanters to ever live, Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), crash lands on Earth.  By wearing the Green Lantern ring, you can make your thoughts into reality (including an automatic machine gun).  Jordan is now a member of the Green Lantern Corp made up of 3600 Green Lanterns; Oa is where they call home.

I remember the news coming out about the 'terrific' script, to the casting showdown between Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper to the hiring of director Martin Campbell.  Who better to start up a new franchise than Campbell, he successfully did so for James Bond in the great Casino Royale.  A GL film should have been a piece of cake, not so much.  Let me begin my likes and dislikes. 

What I liked about the film:
Ryan Reynolds

I'm a fan of the man's work, and have been since his sitcom, "Two Guys and a Girl".  Reynolds has had a leading man charisma since the beginning, so it shouldn't have been too difficult a choice for Warner Brothers when it came time to cast the hero.  Reynolds did well creating the character.  Hal Jordan is the fighter pilot that does well to pretend he's fearless, but in reality, battles his inner fear throughout the film.  His comedic timing is as good as ever and so are his abs (which are glorified throughout the movie).  If the movie does indeed become a franchise, he will be great in the next GL tale.

Oa / Eye Candy
Warner Brothers spent millions and millions of dollars on the CG, and I could tell.  They even had last minute touch ups that really enhanced the film.  Perhaps the best part of the movie is seeing how Hal Jordan and the other Green Lanterns turn their thoughts into reality.  Everything from machine guns to swords to catapults; it shows you how CGI has made it possible to make movies of this size and scope.

The planet of Oa looks incredible in the film.  It is completely computer generated and really is eye candy.  The way Green Lantern's suit illuminates, the way he flies, etc. are magnificent.  The supporting characters such as Tomar Re (voiced by Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush) and Kilowag (voiced by Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan) look great.  They are true to the comics and look as real as possible.  Money well spent Warner Brothers.

The Supporting Cast

This includes the aforementioned Rush and Duncan.  But those are voice actors, what about the live actors?  Blake Lively is good in this film.  I am not a fan of the actress at all, and enjoyed her turn as Hal Jordan's oldest friend/love interest.  The primary villain is Hector Hammond, played by Peter Sarsgaard, and he does a great job being as spooky as possible.  Hammond's father is a senator, played by Tim Robbins.  Angela Bassett rounds out the primary cast of characters as a doctor in charge of testing Abin Sur's body.  Robbins and Bassett don't have much to do in the film but could if there is a sequel.

I must point out Mark Strong.  He was THE PERFECT choice for the role of Sinestro, one of the leaders in the Green Lantern Corp.  Strong's performance is something to behold as he keeps us guessing which side he will end up on.  He challenges Hal Jordan and is able to intimidate without yelling, just simply being stern.  Great job.

What I didn't like about the film:
The Script / Story
Remember that 'terrific' script I was talking about?  Yeah, it must not have translated then.  The movie suffers beyond believe due to the script.  The second act is abysmal, there is no other way to describe it.  There is a whole lot of nothing going on for a good 45 minutes before an impressive action sequence hits.  In this second act, the hero is supposed to have some sort of self-discovery that never really formulates.  I was asking myself, "why did they keep this in the final cut?"

Besides the second act, the movie is so unorganized, and it wasn't due to editing.  We're on Earth, then Oa, then Earth, but back to Oa, then he quits, back to Earth, then he un-quits, back to Oa.  What the hell?  I hate when this happens in film.  Campbell should have cleaned up the story and screenplay so there is a smoother flow to the storytelling.  Again, the narrative is so weak, the main character ultimately never live up to their full potential.

The Supporting Cast
I know, I know.  How can the supporting cast be an aspect of the movie I liked AND disliked?  Well, because they're barely in the movie!  Ryan Reynolds must have been in 95% of the film.  Those amazing special effects featuring fully CG characters are barely on display for more than a few minutes at at time.  I wanted so much more.  What makes Green Lantern such a unique superhero is that he is a part of a team, the Green Lantern Corp.  He doesn't fight alone like Superman and Batman.  There is NO teamwork on this film whatsoever, it's all about Ryan Reynolds sporting the suit and nothing more.

The Lack Of A Real Villain

I really like Peter Sarsgaard, I do, but Hector Hammond is just not going to cut it!  He's a spooky science teacher that can read your thoughts and throw projectiles at you.  He's no Two-Face, and definitely no Joker!  Then there is Parallax, the worst possible choice for the first film in the franchise.  It is basically a cloud that eats up the souls of people who possess fear.  Remember when Fox tried this with the Fantastic Four sequel?  IT DOES NOT WORK!  Seeing hundreds of extras run through the streets is not what's scary.  Seeing the Joker threaten to cut someone's cheek off was ten times as affective and didn't require millions of dollars in CGI work. 


The Verdict:
Unfortunately, Pass (until the blu-ray)

I have to be honest, the first few minutes after leaving the theater, I think I convinced myself it was a better film than it really was.  After discussing it with my cousin Robert in more detail, I began to find more and more things that irked me about the film.  I think Campbell had a lot to do with the poor outcome of the film.  He is a very capable director, but just did not come through on this one.  Reynolds will be fine, as well as the rest of the cast, but I doubt Campbell is asked to return after the movie just opened to only $52 million dollars (on a $300 million dollar budget). 

I wish I could say it was the same caliber film as X-Men: First Class, but I can't.  Or even as good as Thor, but I can't.  All the pieces were in place: Ryan Reynolds, Martin Campbell, a cult following, etc.  But they just could not come together for the narrative.  If they're lucky to get another crack at it, let's hope they do a lot better next time. 

Good superhero movies in the Summer of 2011: 2
Bad superhero movies in the Summer of 2011: 1

"Green Lantern" World Premier Trailer!

The footage gives away the basic plot, but leaves much to the imagination. Blake Lively's pretty face is thrown in the mix and we get to see Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard as well. It has a unique style, similar to Iron Man if I had to choose one to compare it to. I doubt this will be "dark" as other comic book adaptations have been. And it shouldn't be. The Green Lantern character has dark days, but overall, Hal Jordan (human name) is a fun loving jokester. Ryan Reynolds will do well, deeeeeep down inside I'm still curious what Bradley Cooper would have looked like donning the cgi suit. Overall, the trailer did for me what its supposed to do, get me to want to watch the movie. You?

"The Town" Review

I remember the first time I saw the trailer for The Town and thought to myself, WOW! Now, granted trailers aren't exactly the most accurate way to judge a film, but this one was good, really good. Ben Affleck directs and stars in the film about bank robbers. Let's jump right in.


What I liked about the movie:
The Story/Characters
I'm a sucker for heist movies, I have to admit. But what I hate is when a writer or director plays on all the cliches from movies in the past. This movie does not do that. It's an original story with original characters. Each character is an intricate part of the movie. There are no wasted characters, no wasted plot points.

Peter Craig, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard weave together a fascinating story about friends, loyalty, trust, respect and most of all, money. Without giving much away, the movie breaks down into three major action sequences with obvious character development in between. But The Town does something very elegantly. It not only makes us care about the criminals, but the FBI agents tracking them as well.

Acting
The acting in the film was great. Ben Affleck showed off the emotional chops needed to play a troubled lead. He has to portray someone who is lost; his mother abandoned him as child, his father's in jail and he wants out of the family business of robbing banks. Great performance.

Rebecca Hall plays Affleck's love interest, but she's not just some girl. She's the girl he robs at the beginning of the film. The two develop a relationship throughout the film. Hall is great at showing the aftereffects of a traumatic experience like being robbed at gun point.

Jeremy Renner plays Affleck's best friend. He's the crazy gunslinger of the gang and does well to show his loyalty to Affleck. He really didn't have much screen time where he wasn't shooting a gun, but does great with the character development and motivations.

Jon Hamm, aka the rumored new Superman, is awesome! They could have easily written Hamm as a stereotypical FBI agent out to do good and bring the bad guys to justice. Uh-uh! He's a bad ass. He's a perp-beating, insult-flinging, threat-making son of a bitch. I loved his character! Wait until you see the exchange between him and Affleck. It's awesome. Oh, and there are bit roles for Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite which are AMAZING! I don't want to tell you more about their characters, see the movie.

Action Sequences

They did WHAT?! Shot up FattMatt's hometown? Wait, they did what? The climax of the film is at Fenway Park? Are you kidding me? NOPE! The first action sequence is brilliant, perfectly choreographed and executed. The second features a chase through the narrow streets of Charlestown, Massachusetts that is pretty intense. And of course, the much talked-about climax at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Redsox. I don't want to say more, please just see the movie and let me know what you think.


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Love Story

This is a tricky one. The love story works, just trust me, I'm the first to bitch and complain when a love story feels fake or forced. This one works, but I wish there was a bit more of developing the relationship. Yeah, I really did just say that. Maybe one more date, or a walk somewhere would have sealed the deal that the two main characters were as madly in love as we're supposed to believe. I did, however, like the contrast between the relationship of Affleck and Hall vs. Affleck and Blake Lively's character. One is based on nothing but lust (Lively) and the other, love (Hall). Well done.

Coincidences/Tie-in
This one bothered me a bit. I understand the reasoning, but I didn't appreciate the execution. The story needs to tie-in the FBI to the final heist. So Affleck and company give it to us, in a nicely packed box with a bow on it. We're better than that! Come on. It's so absurd the way the FBI is tipped off on the final heist that it left a sour taste in my mouth. Please let me know if it made you roll your eyes as well.

Overall the film was a ton of fun. The characters were rich and their back stories fascinating. Affleck's sophomore effort as director is a great one. I enjoyed Gone Baby Gone a lot, but The Town is even better. The story and execution were unique, great contrast between the thieves and the FBI and a climax that was worth it's location's history. Go see this film and I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Ben Affleck's "The Town" Looks Incredble!

Holy Moly! Ben Affleck in a movie I REALLY want to see? I never thought I'd use those words all in the same sentence in my life. The movie is called The Town, and Affleck is writer/director/star. The screenplay is based on a novel the Chuck Hogan. The movie co-stars Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner, Chris Cooper and Rebecca Hall.

Watch the trailer and look below for my thoughts.

I love this trailer. The story looks so compelling and so enticing. I have to admit when it comes to the acting roles, Ben Affleck's best buddy Matt Damon gets all the good ones. But on the directing side, Affleck's got his number. I really liked Gone Baby Gone, Affleck's directorial debut. And in this film, I think Affleck has captured Boston, the characters and the overall tone necessary to make this movie successful. I am really looking forward to this one, folks.

More "Green Lantern" Pictures from Entertainment Weekly

/Slashfilm has all six new photos, these are the only two I was really interested in. All the photos come courtesy of the next issue of Entertainment Weekly. The picture above shows our main character, Hal Jordan with his Green Lantern Corp. ring. The picture below show's Hal Jordan again, played by Ryan Reynolds along with the character of Carol Ferris, played by the lovely Blake Lively. I STILL don't think she's a good actress by the way. Just had to throw that in for good measure.

The other pics show some of the co-stars of the film (Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett, etc.). It's exciting to see these characters come to life. But like I said this morning, I'm so disappointed in the costume. It looks off for some reason, and the mask doesn't compliment the rest at of the costume at all. I know it was necessary to make the suit CGI because of the shape-shifting, but I don't like it so far. I hope I'm proven wrong!

Quickie: Blake Lively cast in the Green Lantern

Blake Lively has just been cast as the Green Lantern's leading lady, Carol Ferris (who eventually becomes villain Star Sapphire). I know all the men are excited about this news, but I'm not. Maybe I'm the only one in the world that cares about acting ability. There's a notion!

A beautiful face is great and all, but really? Really? Acting ability should come into play. I've seen her work in Accepted starring Justin Long and Jonah Hill, as well as her work on "Gossip Girl". I have to say I'm not thrilled.

Plus, does this make sense alongside Ryan Reynolds? I don't think they match well. But who am I? Just a lowly blogger who loves movies, and comic books. I think Reynolds is too old for it to be believable. I think studios need to look at Jon Favreau's technique and start casting some Oscar caliber actors.

Gwyneth Paltrow is an Oscar-winning actress who did great in Iron Man. You believed she was in love with the Tony Stark character, but knew she couldn't do anything about. I don't know what else to say. The other actresses there were up for the role include some amazing actresses including Eva Gree, Keri Russell and Diane Kruger. Who do you all think should have been cast? I'm going with Kruger!