I can't admit that I've ever been the comic-book type (as surprising as that may be to some who know me). I just never got into them as a kid, so I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to analysing how faithfully their big screen franchises stick to the things that made them possible in the first place. All that said, I am normally a big fan of the result. Sadly, 'Green Lantern' seemed to fall short of the mark. Though the premise is certainly intriguing enough (intergalactic peacekeepers with the ability to manifest their own willpower), the resulting story is far too convoluted for 'virgin' 'Green Lantern' viewers, yet seemed surprisingly patronising for anyone familiar with the characters and mythology.
Though expectations on visual effects will always be high on a film such as this, the CGI in 'Green Lantern' is genuinely striking in places. Regrettably, there is such an annoying over-reliance on the post-production elements that they do begin to lose their impressiveness rather quickly, and are all too frequently interspersed with less-than spectacular moments, that do little to maintain the illusion.
Looking back, it's probably easy to be critical about 'Green Lantern' - comic book adaptations always seem to be easier targets for the particularly scathing reviews, which is perhaps a little harsh. In a funny way, they've almost got the toughest job - trying not to offend the vast legion of hyper-discerning enthusiasts of the original stories, whilst simultaneously appealing to a whole new set of fans enough to warrant the studios to finance the all too inevitable trilogy. In the case of 'Green Lantern', I'm not sure it has done quite enough of either to really justify a full franchise, but given the current Hollywood penchant for the Marvel and DC universes, and the fact that we have several more colours to go through (a quick Wikipedia search would suggest at least 5), I have a funny feeling they'll do their best to make this one work...
Though expectations on visual effects will always be high on a film such as this, the CGI in 'Green Lantern' is genuinely striking in places. Regrettably, there is such an annoying over-reliance on the post-production elements that they do begin to lose their impressiveness rather quickly, and are all too frequently interspersed with less-than spectacular moments, that do little to maintain the illusion.
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| I must not make a joke about Ryan Reynolds' ring... I must not make a joke about Ryan Reynolds' ring.. |
Looking back, it's probably easy to be critical about 'Green Lantern' - comic book adaptations always seem to be easier targets for the particularly scathing reviews, which is perhaps a little harsh. In a funny way, they've almost got the toughest job - trying not to offend the vast legion of hyper-discerning enthusiasts of the original stories, whilst simultaneously appealing to a whole new set of fans enough to warrant the studios to finance the all too inevitable trilogy. In the case of 'Green Lantern', I'm not sure it has done quite enough of either to really justify a full franchise, but given the current Hollywood penchant for the Marvel and DC universes, and the fact that we have several more colours to go through (a quick Wikipedia search would suggest at least 5), I have a funny feeling they'll do their best to make this one work...
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