Comic book geeks (this critic among them) have been looking forward to this summer: no less than four big super hero movies for us to obsess over and compare. To make them more exciting, three out of four are debuts that could lead to new franchises. There anticipation for the first movies and for their sequels.
But in a way, we’re a little jealous of audiences who get to watch these films with virginal eyes. For the first time, they’re discovering Marvel Comics offerings of a Thunder God (Thor) and a symbol of American freedom (Captain America: The First Avenger). Those not versed in the X-Men mythology get to start fresh with X-Men: First Class.
Meanwhile, on the DC Comics side of things, they’re getting their first look at intergalactic law enforcer Green Lantern. Amazingly, in DC Comics’ 70+ year super hero publishing history, Green Lantern is only the third of its heroes (after Superman and Batman) to make it to a major motion picture. Expectations among the guys wearing the GL emblem and who can recite his oath by heart are high.
Green Lantern is Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) a fearless but reckless test pilot. He’s a top-notch aviator but a screw-up when it comes to career and love, mostly because he has a scarred family history and maybe even something of a death wish. The power ring of a dying alien from the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps seeks Hal out to be its new bearer, focusing on the fearless part and not caring about the reckless. Hal becomes Earth’s Green Lantern and has to face fear literally and figuratively – the living embodiment of Fear in the form of the all-powerful Parallax is waging war with the Green Lantern Corps, while Hal has to overcome his own issues and insecurities to prove he’s worthy of the responsibility.
Director Martin Campbell has worked on two James Bond and two Zorro films, and now has to take a hero to all new worlds. Those worlds are where the movie really stands out. Hal is one of thousands of Lanterns – each from a different planet. That means each has to have its own look. This is not like a Star Trek episode where the only way to create an alien is to give it different eyebrows or a disfigured forehead. The Green Lanterns are each unique, with looks from amphibious to furry mammal to gaseous, and it’s fun to see them all together. Hal’s official greeter Tomar-Re and his trainer Kilowog come to three-dimensional life and walk naturally by his side.
It’s in Outer Space that we have the most fun. Like this summer’s Thor, the story takes place both on Earth and an out-of-this-world 
kingdom. Unlike Thor, the hero is the fish-out-of-water when he’s not on Earth - but the fish-out-of water stuff is still the most fun.
Also fun are Hal’s nemeses. His menacing rival Sinestro is played by Mark Strong (Kick-Ass, Sherlock Holmes), who is always a convincing menace. Meanwhile back on Earth, mad scientist Hector Hammond practically steals the movie. Peter Sarsgaard is so good as the sniveling worm of a villain that it’s almost a shame he mutates into a giant-headed monster. Sarsgaard gets lost in the special effects.
Those who aren’t huge comic book fans should enjoy Green Lantern but will see some flaws the faithful may be willing to forgive. Chief among them is Reynolds himself. He’s a likeable star whose abs have turned many heads, but he doesn’t necessarily offer anything to the role that any other cocky pretty boy couldn’t have pulled off. This may not be a fair comparison since Hal debuted in the comics in 1959, long before Tom Cruise was Maverick in 1986’s Top Gun – but on the big screen, we’ve seen this character plenty of times.
Hal’s earthbound life is also a bit of a disappointment, and the script doesn’t go deep enough into it. He’s given a family early in the movie that doesn’t come back. We know he and Hector have a history, but it’s mostly unexplained. Blake Lively is just as pretty as Ryan Reynolds, but her Carol Ferris isn’t all that deep either.
Speaking as a comic book geek, the Guardians of the Universe were disappointing. When you’re dealing with thousands of aliens that are all unique, their creation would be hit-and-miss, and unfortunately, the overlords of the Green Lantern Corps are a miss. They look like those big-headed aliens in the Star Trek pilot “The Cage.”
But speaking as a comic book geek, there’s hope that this good movie will inspire an even better sequel. Spider-Man 2 was better than Spider-Man 1. The Dark Knight was better than Batman Begins. Learning from the Marvel movies, the makers of Green Lantern put a nice little tease in the credits that made fanboys at this critic’s screening cheer.
Green Lantern is better than X-Men: First Class. It’s not as good as Thor. Captain America– you’re up.