Green Lantern (2011)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils movie Green Lantern (2011).

I have never read any Green Lantern comics. My only exposure to Green Lantern are random event comics and few JLA comics. What I remember from them, is that Green Lantern was one of those jerks with no personality. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter act like adults while rest act like spoiled kids. I have always been more of a Marvel guy than DC guy. When I was younger and read comics there were only Superman and Batman available. Rest of DC is quite unknown to me. This movie has reputation of being bad superhero movie. Is it that bad?

It is not good movie, but I don't think, it is as bad as it is said to be. I don't know how faithful it is to source material. For someone, who doesn't know the source material, it is little below average superhero movie. It looks good. Story telling is off the mark. Things are not explained enough and there is too much stuff that is not needed. I didn't like that all the main characters were connected to each others. Everyone knew each others and had history. It didn't work for this movie. It felt like bad Spiderman story, where everyone Peter Parker knows is some sort of supercriminal. There was no need for Hector to have crush on Carol Ferris and be part of extended family. He was introduced as random scientist. Later we learn that he knows everyone else because he and his father are part of extended family. Movie didn't give reason why there were this extended family.

Hal Jordan is irresponsible test pilot, who is always running away from responsibility and commitment. He gets power ring from dying green lantern. Power ring allows him to make solid constructs with his willpower. Hal Jordan storyline is him thinking, is he really up to task of being Green Lantern. In that storyline we see his extended family. I think this storyline is worst part of movie. Hector storyline links to this storyline. Hector is scientist and loser son of senator. Hector gets called to look at dead alien. He gets infected by Parallax. Infection disfigures him and gives him superpowers. He uses his new powers to revenge those who see him as loser.

There are two villains in this movie. Hector has more screen time but main villains is strange energy or something like that creature called Parallax. Movie starts when Parallax get away from his prison. Parallax is part of Green Lantern Corp story line. Hal jumps between Hal Jordan and Green Lantern Corp storylines. Green Lantern Corp storyline is better of these. Green Lantern Corp storyline is given less time than Hal Jordan storyline. Hal Jordan story line is down to earth and Green Lantern story line is cosmic. Movie should have chosen one and go with that. Now main storylines are in so on different levels that it hurts both storylines.

Green Lantern Corp storyline doesn't explain almost anything for first half hour or so. Things just happen and it feels like anything can happen. We learn almost everything important by the end of the movie. It feels  like movie was made for those who know Green Lantern. I wanted to know more about Guardians. Maybe that was saved for sequel, which may never come.

Movie has some good ideas, but can't make all of them work. Extended family is good idea to give more meat for characters. Problem is that it doesn't work. it makes movie longer than it should be and take us away from Green Lantern Corp storyline. Two villains with different power levels didn't work. Parallax was just too powerful for the rest of the movie. Hal had enough trouble with Hector, who only had telepathic and telekinetic powers. For final battle he gets Parallax, who has eaten worlds and beaten group of best green lanterns.

Friends don't get fooled by Green Lantern mask. Movie almost jokes to movies, where hero's friends don't recognize the hero, when he is in his hero outfit. Hector storyline is good. Too bad that Parallax spoils it. If it was up to me Parallax and Green Lantern Corp storyline were saved for sequel. In this movie they ate credibility and time from Hal Jordan and Hector storylines. Those storylines would have been enough for this movie.

This is like Fantastic Four movies and Ang Lee's Hulk. You can watch them once, but there is no need to watch them again. You don't go telling people how great they were and you soon forget they existed. However this movie made me want to check Green Lantern comics.