Green Lantern

This Summer's helping of superhero movies is almost at its end with Green Lantern, DC's latest hero to hit the silver screen. Ryan Reynolds, who already has one failed comic book adaptation under his belt, decides to give it another go. Reynolds plays fearless and surprisingly reckless test pilot Hal Jordan. After a brief alien encounter, Jordan dons a mystical ring and joins the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force who take it upon themselves to keep the peace in the universe. Each Green Lantern protects his/her/its sector, so when trouble begins to brew on good ol' Earth, it's Hal's responsibility to save the day.

In case anyone actually is wondering: yes, this is miles - hell, light years better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But that isn't a heroic feat. Wolverine was a criminal act masquerading as a film. Green Lantern, on the other, greener hand, isn't bad. It's just not good, either. As much as I hate to use the "m" word, Green Lantern is shockingly, painfully mediocre. Someone on the internet used the term "paint-by-numbers" when talking about the film and I think that describes the format nicely. This is a film in which a man eagerly accepts a newfound and then reluctantly accepts the responsibility that comes with it. It's a lesson covered in many superhero tales and Green Lantern follows the lesson all-too-closely to stand out on its own. 

That isn't to say certain elements aren't memorable. The best thing the film has to offer is Peter Sarsgaard as the bitter Dr. Hector Hammond. Like all good villains, Hammond doesn't think he gets the recognition that he deserves. And like all good villains, he's right. Hammond is a genius leading an unfulfilling life until he's given the opportunity to inspect an alien corpse - an opportunity he's only granted because of his politician father. Soon after, he finds himself infected with something alien and he begins to develop strange powers and even stranger deformations. Sarsgaard delightfully hams it up, calling to mind science fiction pulp from decades ago. It's a blast to watch, or it would be, if Sarsgaard's makeup weren't so damn repulsive. Score one for practical effects.

Speaking of practical effects, they're not something that Green Lantern dabbles in often. Using its $200 million budget, Green Lantern packs in more CGI than every other film combined this year - and that includes Rango and Kung Fu Panda 2. Even Green Lantern's suit is computer-generated. And while I'm as iffy as the next guy whenever CGI is involved - it work here.

I made special mention of Hector Hammond and the film's use of CGI because those are probably the only two aspects of the film that I would consider good. Again, it's not bad, but I wouldn't rate it higher than passable. Green Lantern, with its intergalactic setting, had the opportunity to be something truly special. Instead, it's a black hole - sucking in all the creativity and innovation in sight.

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