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arrowGreen Lantern Movie Reviews
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Green Lantern Movie Reviews
(06/16/2011)
• Goto Comments

Green Lantern Movie Reviews(with spoiler) IGN (read full review)
Snippet: "Last summer gave us the DC bomb that was Jonah Hex and this summer offers the colossal disappointment that is Green Lantern. The epitome of spectacle over substance, Green Lantern is a cosmic mess and a huge letdown given the source material it had to draw from. Indeed, X-Men: The Last Stand and Wolverine are better than Green Lantern. This was DC and Warner Bros.' best bet yet at establishing a deeper bullpen of big screen superheroes beyond Batman and Superman, but the film is bad enough to possibly kill any hope for ever seeing The Flash or Justice League."

(no spoilers) ABCNews (read full review)
"Remember when big, summer blockbusters were fun? That notion apparently eluded the makers of "Green Lantern," a joyless amalgamation of expository dialogue and special effects that aren't especially special."

"Still, Hal must undergo the obligatory training montage to learn how to harness his new-found power. The ring allows him to create whatever he can envision in his mind, which would theoretically provide a great opportunity to inject some imagination into this otherwise dull film. But the stuff Hal constructs is pretty lame, which only highlights how idiotic the mythology of "Green Lantern" truly is."

(no spoilers) ComicBookMovie (read full review)
"Now let's cut to the chase: The movie pretty bad. Yup, you read it right it was just BAD (I hate saying this but the critics were right). The movie just didn't live up to its expectations. So i'll try to make this as simple as possible."

(with spoilers) HitFix (read full review)
"It's a state of the art superhero film if the year were 1995. If this were released in the same summer as "Judge Dredd" and "Johnny Mnemonic," this would look pretty solid by comparison. "

(with spoilers) SuperHeroHype (read full review)
While DC Comics are constantly proving themselves ahead of the curve in the comic publishing business, "Green Lantern" shows they have a long way to go to catch up with Marvel in terms of bringing their characters to the screen in a way that can please both fan and novice alike. There's little about "Green Lantern" that will convince non-comic readers to care enough about the characters to want to see more of them even with an obvious after-credits scene that just adds insult to injury, not just because it should have been dealt with in the body of the movie but also because by then, we just don't care to see what happens next.

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Your Comments:
@Awesome101

Um, no...It sucked. There was no supporting GL's!! (except for a few minutes of combat training with Kilowog and Sinestro, which doesn't count.)Also, Too many special effects, not enough plot.

Posted by: Owlman166 on 7/30/2011 12:21:59 PM
That movie was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is one of the few times I don't agree with critics but that movie movie is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Awesome101 on 7/20/2011 3:16:42 PM
And yet this movie is slightly better than suckerpunch-the only thing lacking is a few more hotter chicks.

Posted by: jim on 6/24/2011 8:42:56 AM
I watched it opening day, and yeah, I was pretty disappointed. IGN had it right: too much going on, not enough development of any given plot device. Hal faced too many "threats" for an origin movie: relationship with Carol, Hector evolving, Parallax, training, dealing with Sinestro, dealing with his own fears....grrrr... It's an origin movie that suffers from a snotload of "sequel bloat". Neat trick, and badly pulled off.
The film-makers just threw a TON of stuff at the script, and said, "Make it work." Not so easy. If they'd stuck with, "Hal gets ring, goes to Oa to train with Tomar-Re and Kilowog. Sinestro doesn't like him, so there's your conflict." Now, THAT'S an origin!
To say nothing of the fact that Parallax was supposed to be the end-all be-all Big Bad of GL World--why put it (him?) in the FIRST MOVIE?!? (Though its connection to the Guardians is a nice touch.)
Yeah, I'll get the dvd.....eventually. It'll be out by Hallowe'en; MAYBE I'll ask for it for Christmas. Probably not.

Muskie, movie-going snob

Posted by: MuskieLodge on 6/23/2011 7:34:00 AM
I really liked it. The only thing i would have liked better was doing the Sinestro ark first.

Posted by: joe on 6/22/2011 9:38:58 PM
It was great! Was it The Dark Knight, or Iron Man? No, but it was a fun summer action/sci-fi. I came out wondering if the critics had seen the same film I saw. My favorite scene was the sparring session with Kilowog and Sinestro... Hope there's a sequel! Personally I thought it was a little better than Thor, but I like GL better than Thor.

@ The Le: Some critics did bash the first X-Men movie. I remember one that bashed Magneto's origin scene because he thought action movies should open with action scenes. Clearly a moron.

Posted by: Licensedhero on 6/22/2011 12:08:42 PM
Walk in expecting the movie to suck and you will be pleased. Walk in with high Expectations then you will be disappointed. Thats the kinda movie it is

Posted by: Dan on 6/22/2011 4:45:29 AM
"and it never happened. It was a fun movie, "

Agreed!

Posted by: hair10 on 6/20/2011 7:25:46 PM
So, I went to see the GL movie after reading all of the bad reviews. I found myself waiting for the movie to get bad, and it never happened. It was a fun movie, and Ryan Reynolds did a great job. nothing any of these reviews had to say had any wieght. Maybe it's because I take pride in forming my own opinion. Oh, and my friends liked the movie too.

Posted by: bgreyloc on 6/20/2011 6:28:22 AM
After seeing comicbook movies,the comicbook fan in me always picks a fight with the movie fan in me.
Of course the movie fan in wins the argument. Arguing first and foremost it is a movie adapted from
A comic book. As with all movies from literary works, you will never get the verbatum. The thing that
Comicbook adaptation suffer from is that their is visual reference to draw from. You don't get that
tradional books. Every on imagione heroes scenery individualy in their minds eye. Then when it bec
reality we tend to give them a pass. But sunce comicbooks are a visual medium you know what the hero
And villains both look like. If the actor or scenery does not match. criticism abounds.I like the flick
.Just think of it as a new artists re-imagined rendering. Or use the tried and true method. Repeat to
Yourself its only a movie.

Posted by: aztek65 on 6/18/2011 9:34:53 PM
*sense

Posted by: Jeris on 6/18/2011 6:01:35 PM
Ya I went and saw it and I really think the critics went in there to just bash the movie just to bash it but I will agree the extra scene after some credits didn't make since to what happened in the movie BUT that's y there will be a second movie and will explain it and to them complaining about the girl being a damsel in distress while wearing hot outfits...ya in 1 scene, I guess the love interest shouldn't be in trouble when she's got a psycho guy after her and parralax trying to destroy the entire world

Posted by: Jeris on 6/18/2011 6:00:39 PM
Something else that needs to be kept in mind is that the critics are expressing their OPINIONS. They cannot be treated as the end all and be all movies (I'd say "lore" but it does not seem to fit and I cannot think of the right word for it). Everyone has their own tastes.

I, for one, almost always disagree with critics because they are not me and don't know what I like.

Posted by: lordoracle on 6/18/2011 1:38:44 PM
I enjoyed it very much. You do have to go into it forgetting what you know from the comics. And, truth be told, it was not hard for it to be better than I expected. I had A LOT of reservations about this especially when it was announced Ryan Reynolds would be playing Hal Jordan.

I love Ryan's acting, but he is better known for playing a somewhat goofball/smart alec, which Hal Jordan is not. Hal is traditionally portrayed as if he has a phone poll up his butt. I think Ryan would have been a better Kyle Rayner (goofball/smart alec).

I went into the movie not expecting the comic book and walked out happy with what I was given.

Posted by: lordoracle on 6/18/2011 1:19:42 PM
it was awesome! forget the critics they aren't always right!

Posted by: mario on 6/17/2011 9:31:08 PM
I just got back from seeing GL in 3D and I was pleasantly surprised. I was happy with it as Hal's origin story and feel like yes seeing more of oa would have been nice but the movie is about Hal not the corps its self. Make sure to stay a couple of mins after the movie for a cool surprise. To me this is a good example of why you should not always listen to the critics.

Posted by: Japete61 on 6/17/2011 8:01:33 PM
Both my son & I saw it in 3D this morning... we both enjoyed it and were entertained. I enjoyed seeing all the more obscure Lanterns like Stel, Bzzd, Boodikka, etc. The scene where Hal is demonstraing the power of the ring with "Pie" was a hoot... and earned the PG-13 rating. (For the record, my son's not quite 13; hence the PG portion...)

Some of the reviews refer to an "Easter Egg" mid-way through the credits... certainly worth waiting for (not a long wait). Sets up nicely for a sequel...

Posted by: MEsch on 6/17/2011 7:47:51 PM
Just got back from seeing Green Lantern in 3D. I loved it! This was also the first 3D movie that I have seen since Creature from the Black Lagoon thanks to Dr. Creep and 7-11 on channel 22.

I know everyone will say there should have been more time on Oa and with the other GL's and I agree to a point. This movie is about Hal getting a ring the most powerful weapon in the universe and weither he really fits in with the responsibility it carries.

After reading the four posted critics just bashing the movie, Ryan and WB studios. I started thinking about how my favorite DC character was going to go down in flames before they even opened up the door. I'm an old school guy don't go all Hollywood on my guy for a big fall. Example, the things I didn't like about my favorite superhero movies that I do like now. X-Men: Wolverine being over 6 foot tall, claws popping out between his fingers and no tiger stripped spandex. Spider-Man: no web-shooters. Green Lantern: The Battery looks like a piece of crystal and smart mouth Hannibal King/Deadpool Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan no way.

Guess what it is all good. I'm looking forward to see it again, I'm planning on getting a Bluray player for when it is released and I wouldn't mind getting a 3D TV either.

Go see themovie and you decide if its good or not. Don't let some critics tell you it stinks and don't go. Remember some people didn't know what a lightsaber, a wookie or Darth Vader were before 1977. I bet George's great great grandkids will know.

Posted by: Qui-Jan on 6/17/2011 2:41:46 PM
@Tony: In my opinion, a movie does not need to be comic accurate. As a matter of fact, the best comic based movies have been ones that veer away from their comic book sources.

@Qui-Jan: Critics did not attack the original X-Men movie. As a matter of fact, they were quite favorable towards it when it was released. If anything the fanboys are the ones that should be ashamed of themselves -- for at least a year before it's release they kicked and screamed at the "no tights" decision... just like they screamed about Toby McGquire's "organic webshooters" (and Spider-Man also ended up with very favorable reviews).

Posted by: The Le on 6/17/2011 6:19:16 AM
Sadly have to agree with some critics. It was Okay, but i wanted a fun action adventure movie, to much melodrama, not enought Green Lantern awesome.

Posted by: Logan on 6/17/2011 3:24:57 AM
I'll wait until I see it to make a decision whether I like it or not. One thing that I do see that makes no sense from the previews is all the gun constructs do not belong to Hal Jordan but to John Stewart. It's like Ghost Rider mixing the two characters in that movie. It's just wrong. I still have to see X-Men first class but I'm not expecting that to be comic accurate either as it looks like Emma Frost is as old as Magneto and Prof X when clearly she isn't in the comics. I kind of liked Arrested Development myself but I have a weird sense of humour sometimes.....I also liked Star Trek Enterprise but it could have been just looking at T'Pol that made me like it. :)

Posted by: Tony Antoniuk on 6/16/2011 8:44:50 PM
Warner Bros are making a real mess with this movie
Now it seems that this movie is going to be release in latinamerica 2 months late
WTF is your problem Warner Bros?!!!
I am a hardcore GL/DC comis fan, and it seems that no only I will have to wait till august to see this movie also is going to be a bad movie.
I am really disappointed :(

Posted by: Kalibak on 6/16/2011 8:13:22 PM
I can remember how the "Critics" attacked X-Men, the first two Batman movies and every other superhero movie that I loved. And I'll admit I watched Jonah Hex on HBO and liked it. Being a huge GL fan I can't wait to go see it and I'm seeing it in 3D. But it comes down to the fanboy that brings his girlfriend/wife and goes with his buddies that buys the tickets to see if GL 2, Flash or the Justice League is in the future.

Heck Marvel kicked Lee's Hulk to the curve and relaunched it with Norton and now with a third Banner/Hulk for Avengers and no one is screaming about that iconic character going through the wash again.

I know I'm at least seeing this movie once this weekend and might even go more just in spite. This Green Lantern Fanboy might need to trade in for a Red Lantern ring, move over Guy.

Posted by: Qui-Jan on 6/16/2011 6:15:50 PM
"But the stuff Hal constructs is pretty lame"

Yeah... but that's Hal! Boxing gloves, fly swatters, and baseball bats. He never had Kyle's imagination with the ring. Or John's military training to bring in all the 'hardware'.


I'll see the movie. I'm kind of glad the "critics" don't like it. Movies critics like suck. Can someone say "Black Swan".

Posted by: hair10 on 6/16/2011 2:53:06 PM
@Jeris: Good debates are welcome here. Just keep it clean.

Posted by: The Le on 6/16/2011 12:44:15 PM
@Jeris: I don't need to see all 53 episodes of Arrested Development to understand it. I saw 6, in order, and it wasn't very good. That's more than enough time to make a proper judgement.

(People tell me all the time that I need to watch an entire series to appreciate it, but that's bull. It's same argument my friends give me for Star Trek Enterprise -- I'm not going to watch all 96 episodes of Enterprise when the 10 episodes I've already seen were just terrible).

Posted by: The Le on 6/16/2011 12:42:49 PM
Just so I'm clear tho I'm not trying to sound mean or anything if it sounds like that just a spirited debate lol

Posted by: Jeris on 6/16/2011 12:37:15 PM
@The Le: oh u watch 6 episodes and I'm sure not in order of a 3 season show and the first season having 22 episodes! And yes there isn't suppose to be alot of likable characters since the overall theme of the show is one man and his kid against his uncaring, self centered, immorale family and to tell u the truth I've never seen a single episode of it when it was running and being a comedy where u have to watch all the episodes in order to know what's going on it's not suprising that it got cancelled but since I've only seen u write about how u don't like tv shows I'd hate to see what u think is good

Posted by: Jeris on 6/16/2011 12:32:17 PM
@Jeris: I've watched half a dozen episodes -- I didn't find it funny or endearing. Lots of curveballs, sure, but there's far too many unlikeable characters to make it watchable... and to even call it "humorous" is a stretch. It got canceled and deservedly so.

Posted by: The Le on 6/16/2011 12:16:25 PM
@The Le: idk how arrested development is bad at all, the whole show was very well entwined with every episode instead of a show where u can just sit down and never see a single episode and know what's going on...for once there is a show that involves every episode before it that isn't just oh that guy is the bad guy as usual and he's trying to hurt people. Arrested development throws curvballs at u the entire time and u never know whose siding with who and whose going to backstab their own family in a hilarious way

Posted by: Jeris on 6/16/2011 12:09:12 PM
@Jeris: Yes, but Arrested Development is awful. As is Firefly.

Posted by: The Le on 6/16/2011 11:43:31 AM
Can't argue with MEsch, I mean big time critics at least have no clue what is good to the audience I still remember them hyping tr movie The Kings Speech but really how many people bought that and compare it to how many people own star wars, the dark knight, 300, boondock saints, evil dead, hell I bet more people own the tv show arrested development over most movies critics "rave" over

Posted by: Jeris on 6/16/2011 11:21:16 AM
I, for one, put little stock in so-called "critics". After all, a number of critics panned "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and yet, these films remain endearing, whereas the critics are lost to history. I recall a review of Iron Maiden's 1983 track "Run to the Hills", which was simply: "Don't tempt me." Who's got the last laugh now? Eff 'em, I say.

Posted by: MEsch on 6/16/2011 7:31:35 AM