Green Lantern

When my instinct told me during the epic trailers that Green Lantern would be awesome, I decided to give it a chance and not be discouraged by the mocking initial reactions. I admit that the leader of the extraterrestrial protectors of order in the form of a red sage consulting with gray heads may not appeal to everyone, but at the same time, I am amazed at how well this apparently disparate mosaic fits together. Guardians, Lanterns, a traumatic past, personal doubts, and a love story with the beautiful Blake Lively. Being this charmingly conflicted and yet comic book complex is no joke, and thanks to the script handling it with ease, it almost hints at the highest rating. Maybe it would have deserved a sequel, but realistically, it never had a chance. 85% for unexpectedly strong competition to the already excellently made Marvel. (24/09/2011)

This comic book madness is guaranteed to be appreciated by the fans the original comic book. The film doesn’t pull its punches, and during its uncompromising 109 minutes it presents a story that goes against all usual comic book adaptation characteristics. It’s just science fiction about superheroes from outer space fighting for Mother Earth outside of Earth. I have to say that it had its charm, but it was off to a rather slow start. Ryan Reynolds was great, but he could hasten the transformation and not wait for it until the middle of the film. Anyhow, I can’t say that I wasn’t captivated, as this was something else than you’d expect and that also counts for something. (24/12/2012)

Several billion years ago, a race of immortals armed themselves with the most powerful force in existence: the emerald energy of willpower. Just as hallucinatory and incomprehensible as Flash Gordon in its day. Whether this is good or bad, I am not sure; in any case, guilty pleasure par excellence. (07/11/2011)

A monumental mess that is only watchable thanks to the really effective special effects. The screenplay is the sort of utter atrocity that makes many people look down on the world of comic books. And it seemed to me that Campbell wasn’t even trying. The completely disgusting (God, that forehead!) villain, played by Peter Sarsgaard, is a superfluous character for the “story" and Reynold’s portrayal of Jordan is also lackluster. I really liked both the concept of a ring that can materialize the imagination and also an intergalactic police force, because although they are wacky, these ideas offered material for first class entertainment, not for this rehash. I don’t even know why I gave it three stars. Perhaps because of Blake Lively, maybe. (23/09/2011)

At first glance, everything is as it should be. Ryan is a likable guy, Blake is every straight man's wet dream who isn't blind, the special effects team has been paid generously for their overtime, and proven hitmaker Martin Campbell manages it all. Yet only half of it works. No, more like a third because that's about how much the "civilian" world takes off the whole. The section in which the lanterns glow green tries to cloak the boundless naivety in a cheap pomposity that probably comes from the comic books, but it struck me as a cheap carnival ride that (hand on heart) looks pretty stupid. It's not boring and it keeps on flashing, and someone is always jabbering (quite often humorously), but it lacks that drop of soulfulness. This was the worst comic book film six months before Thor. (12/10/2011)