Green Lantern

Just got back from watching Green Lantern.  I have to say I enjoyed it.  It's one of those movies where if you just kick back with some popcorn and don't think too hard, you'll have an entertaining time.  It's nice to look at;  the visuals are quite amazing, the ladies will enjoy Ryan Reynolds' hard body, and for the guys, Blake Lively's very easy on the eyes.  The story is fairly formulaic, but solid enough.  I don't know if hardcore comic book fans will be pleased; all I know of Green Lantern I learned from cartoons, comic book reviews or articles in Wizard magazine.  For the casual viewer, it's fine.  Ryan Reynolds has no problem carrying a movie on his charismatic shoulders.  Blake Lively is good as the love interest, though she's not given a whole lot to do here.  Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes) is excellent as Sinestro, who seems to be the leader of the Green Lantern Corps, although casual fans know he's a future bad guy.  Peter Sarsgaard is disgusting as Hector Hammond, a creepy doctor who becomes possessed by the film's baddie Parallax.

Granted, there seems to be a lot of exposition to get through, which is why an origin movie can seem so formula-driven.  And maybe that's the reason we don't get to see much of Hal Jordan's Green Lantern training, which is one of the best sequences of the movie.  I did feel that I didn't get enough of any one aspect of the movie, i.e. the love story, the training, action scenes, Hal's personal story arc of defeating his own fears.  But you get a bit of everything, and it's all good fun.

So should you go see it?  If you're a movie nerd like I am, yes, definitely.  If you're not quite the kind of person who must see every epic flick on the big screen, I still say it's worth a watch, even if you wait for the Blu-ray to come out.  If I had to give a letter grade, I'd write a B on Hal's paper in red marker.  It's good solid entertainment, but no one's going to win an Oscar or make anyone cry.  Ranking the superhero flicks of this season so far in order from best to worst, I'd have to put Green Lantern behind both X-Men: First Class and Thor, though I have high hopes for Captain America.

A quick footnote: I didn't even consider seeing Green Lantern in 3D!  As a matter of fact, the only upcoming flick I think it will be worth paying for the 3D price is Harry Potter.  Even the trailer for that flick gets me all choked up!

My ratings system:

See it in theaters, worth full price!  
See it in theaters, worth a matinee price  <---- Agent X says see it!  (diehard moviegoer)
Watch it, but wait for the dvd  <---- Agent X says see it!  (casual moviegoer)
Watch it if it's free
Don't bother


Til next time, kiddies!