Chuck the CRITICS! - Green Lantern (2011)

Gather round the LED 4k fire... from your fav masterfilmator (is that a word? - is now!) ... This segment is where I find films that the internet at large, and all them shiny and surprisingly well compensated mainstream critics hate (and smalltime wannabe hate), and prove perhaps... No battle, for these films that were crushed and left for dead before the public at large could even give them a chance. Now don't get me wrong, some films deserve hate (see my CRAP! segment) but we are a hate first society. Medi-ogres, Meh-heads, and just plain old HATERS. Because hating is just fun. And we like it. Well, you ever been watching a critics youtube playlist and thought to yourself - Man, does this person even like movies? Well, I do. So I will bravely fly into the face of the hate abyss, and try, despite the forces allied against me, to find hope... in the darkness... (Yay! Grab your chips)

Oh man. 

This is gunna fire up some net nerds, and set off some couch potato canons... but it has to be said. GREEN LANTERN IS NOT A BAD MOVIE. In fact. IT'S ALMOST AWESOME. There I said it. Now I don't think I have ever reviewed this film. And part of me that is because like a lot of people at the time of release, I walked out of the theatre pretty underwhelmed. Now, I still found things to like, but this was smack in the middle of the early days of the superhero movie - AND I'M A FREAKING DC GUY - and I wanted this to be awesome. I remember running around my house in my childhood days with a cardboard green lantern ring I had made and taped to my finger. 

I remember when Green Lantern Hal Jordan's home city was destroyed by the Cyborg superman. I remember him becoming Parallax and destroying the green lantern corps. I remember a young kid called Kyle taking over the ring and battling him, powerless, after the justice league had been destroyed... I ... Ok. You really, don't need to know any of that. Point is, I liked me some green lantern. And I liked me some Ryan Reynolds. SO I was pretty sure it would be awesome. 

SO you have a huge budget film that managed to have some of the worst green screen moments ever, in the history of superhero films (though, look if we are all being honest, it still happens - in example Black Panther had some weak moments, that train track showdown anyone?). And I remember thinking, the villain was kind of weak, and their didn't seem to be a lot of action... 

BUT. BUT. Hindsight is 20/20 right? I know sayings and stuff. We have now had a multitude of superhero successes and less thans to compare this too, and now, man, did I have fun re watching this flick. 

Hug? ... Come on... HUG!

1. This was the extended version I found in some bin in probably mid 2012 that I had yet to watch (extra 12-15 minutes of footage).

2. RYAN REYNOLDS really is an awesome Hal Jordan. The humour, the confidence, the real likability - its all there. 

3. Black Lively is awesome as the love interest - in fact she has one of my all time favourite lines from any hero flick ever - it involves cheekbones. 

4. Yes, some of the effects are rough, but not that many. In fact, in this age of fancy TVs at home, I thought most held up well.

5. The villain is actually pretty well developed. There is one scene in particular when he is lying besides Reynolds that I thought was a particularly well realized scene. 

6. Angela basset as AMANDA WALLER! Yup. And I bet you she was gunna get her Nick Fury cross movies role on had this film panned out. 

7. It's slow at times... but this is a true origin story, and I really had no problems with that. 

8. The glowing costumes, now having watched justice league (both TV shows) many times, honestly they glow. The costume glows. Could it have been handled a little better - sure -  But its really not that bad. In fact it looks pretty cool most of the time. 

9. GREEN LANTERNS! Yes I know everyone wanted more lanterns in here - me too. And I know the training montage and him just rolling into his roll move really fast - but reference #7... this is more about his origins as a man, and the path to being a hero, than what the ring does. And if you have (or ever do) read the Geoff Johns green lantern run you will see - that is more Hal Jordan and more true to his character than near any big screen superhero flick. 

10. Its fun. It's really really fun. 

Yes the film is over CGI'd... but honestly... is that even a complaint nowadays? I mean INFINITY WAR anyone? It's just the way of the multibillion dollar films now... and I think that helps when rematching this film, it simply doesn't seem as jarring visually because you have seen so many variations of the full green screen, CGI main characters doing stuff. 

Part of the reason I do this segment... is people hate things without watching them. They hate music without listening to it. That is a dangerous place to be - no critic - not even ME! (takes a moment to soak in the acclaim) should ever deter you from experiencing a film. Even my CRAP! Segment is meant for truly poor films... but maybe that inspires your curiosity - so be it! Do it. I have chatted about this GREEN LANTERN with people and heard them actually say - Ah that movie sucks, heard Ryan Reynolds didn't even want to be in it... 

Then when questioning them... realized - they had never seen the movie, and they were basing that statement on his comments in DEADPOOL.

For shame. This is the golden age of comics on the big (and small) screen, and I think this film is right there middle of the pack. Its not great, the flaws are there (I know I know, more sinestro, and that - learn what you're doing part - really is breakneck speed)... but a decent story, some really good actors and some real GREEN LANTERN ring action make for a great time. 

This will definitely be a film I rematch... many times. 

Movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars

Superhero movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Till next... remember dear Booniacs... fight the film hate! Whether you liked it or did not, for all things sacred remember - WE ALL WOULDNT BE HERE READING THIS REVIEWS - PAYING 10$ FOR POPCORN - WATCHING YOUTUBERS TRASH STUFF - IF WE DIDN'T LOVE MOVIES. 

Boonsweet reminding all... 

He's a lover... 

That will always fight... the good fight... 

-CBB