WHAT THE HELL WENT WRONG WITH GREEN LANTERN?

WHAT THE HELL WENT WRONG WITH GREEN LANTERN?

This isn´t so much a review, as an attempt to understand why it had everything to be an awesome CBM, but it isn´t. Contains SPOILERS, though.

Editorial Opinion
By ultimatefan1974 - Jun 19, 2011 12:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Green Lantern
Source: ComicBookMovie.com

I won´t so much review the Green Lantern movie. It has been done to death already. I wouldn´t call it a train wreck in the same category as something like Fantastic Four or Elektra, but it does have a lot of the same shortcomings that almost all Fox superhero movies do. It didn´t have to be this way. GL, in fact, had everything to be a very successful adaptation, and open the way for more DC characters´ adaptations. The character got very popular in comics and animated films in recent years, has a rich mythology and characters, DC was apparently taking more control of its adaptations through DC Entertainment. The adaptation had such talent as director Martin Campbell, who resurrected James Bond twice, and stars Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong, who do their best with what they´re given. More than comment on the specifics of what didn´t work, I´ll try to understand more what led to the studio ultimately butchering what could have been great.

Ironically, the best answer I could come up with is what holds Hal back for a big chunk of the movie: fear. It feels like the studio had little confidence in the material they had, in spite of how much money they spent on it. They believed more in the FX – and I love Oa, the alien GLs, the much-criticized suit, even Parallax – than in the story and characters. Much like Fox often does, they put pacing above character development and storytelling, which makes it feel like a big chunk of this movie might have ended up in the editing room. All for the cheap trick of making the movie short to get more screenings, one that actually actually almost never pays off with superhero movies. Ask the Spider-Man movies, the Iron Man movies, Chris Nolan´s Batman movies, X2, Thor, the first two Superman movies. On the other hand, ask the FF movies, Elektra or Daredevil,XMOW if the short screentime did them any favors.

Claims are that Secret Origins was largely the “blueprint” for the movie, and If it´s true,a lot of it is missing. Hal has a whole background around his father´s death, which in the comics was a heroic decision, instead of the accident that´s portrayed in the movie. It also plays into his relationship with Carol, for he blames her father for it. It´s a far more compelling and dramatic storyline than in the movie, where the father´s death is a glossed over, generic “character issue” without its proper dramatic context, and as a result the romance between him and Carol comes off bland and generic as well. His complicated relationship with his family, especially his mother, as a result of pursuing the same passion that took his father away, also comes off without any of the weight it has in the comics.

One might say that we didn´t come to see Hal´s dramas, but the cool GL aliens, Oa, an epic battle with Parallax, and all that. I don´t quite agree with that, but I see where it´s coming from. I could even get that the studio went for that line of thinking. And indeed those are the best moments we get from the movie, such as Parallax´s first attack, Hal´s arrival at Oa and training, and so on. Even so, you feel like he didn´t spend nearly enough time there. Kilowog and Tomar-Re are there for, like, a minute each, and we don’t see Hal and Sinestro build the mentorship/friendship they do before he falls to the dark side. One minute he´s trashing Hal, the other he supports him. I won´t make a cost calculation, but they could have saved a lot of that money without using a throwaway villain like Hector is in the movie, who seems to be there for no better reason than being an “appetizer” for the real threat, Parallax. And, in spite of its lack of poignancy, we´re still treated to way too much of Hal and Carol´s boring will they/won´t they.

The biggest disaster is the final showdown between Hal and Parallax, that should have been the moment for the GLs, for Kilowog, for Tomar-Re, to take a stand for Hal, for the unity of the GL, as that hypocrite Sinestro mentioned, and be the cavalry. It ends up making them seem like a bunch of cowardly douchebags. The “we are the Corps” chorus sounded awesome in trailers, but you never really feel like the Corps earn that moment. All because nothing in the movie has the proper build-up.

Something that will remain a mystery is how four writers couldn´t come up with better material than this. I´m not in general a fan of the 1000 monkeys with typewriters – fine, computers - theory, but Spider-Man 2, First Class and X2 were written by a bunch of people, too, with much better results.

Maybe there´s gonna be a director´s cut of GL on DVD that will turn out a considerably better movie. An improved sequel seems like a distant possibility at this point. Campbell says he won´t come back for such sequel, if it ever happens, which seems to suggest he didn´t have the best relationship with the studio. I wouln´t doubt it, given the result. As it stands now, GL may not be as bad as something like Fantastic Four, but it´s almost as much of a wasted opportunity.

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ironpool007
ironpool007 - 6/19/2011, 1:43 PM
That's Campbell's m.o. He launches the franchise and passes the reins. He did it with Bond, saying Goldeneye would be his only Bond movie. He only made an acception with Casino Royale because it was a reboot for Bond and a return to Ian Fleming's novels.
ultimatefan1974
ultimatefan1974 - 6/19/2011, 2:00 PM
Didn´t he direct the sequel for Mask Of The Zorro?
Hellsing
Hellsing - 6/19/2011, 2:13 PM
Honestly I don't blame Campbell the dude more staight forward director you give the script to him and he'll go and shoot plus he's more of practical guy, totally out of his element but saying that dude should have spotted how sloppy the script especially that pathetic excuse of after credit which might be cool but makes no sense with in the context of the movie. and the only GL comic I have ever read was secret origin and what I loved about it the most was the family dynamic he had which was barely shown.
Hellsing
Hellsing - 6/19/2011, 2:15 PM
mask of zorro wasn't a sequel legend of zorro was and it was bad but yeah he did direct a sequel.
ultimatefan1974
ultimatefan1974 - 6/19/2011, 2:24 PM
I know Mask wasn´t a sequel, I said it was a sequel to it, which was Legend.
JM4Superman
JM4Superman - 6/19/2011, 3:12 PM
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/UltimateSuperman/news/?a=39835
vermillion
vermillion - 6/19/2011, 3:54 PM
I heard that they filmed a lot of Oa/Parallax scenes, but they cut them due to time/money. If that's true, that's really sad. They should have waited to put this out. I think it would've benefited the most. I still found the film enjoyable, and I think 20% on the RT meter isn't right, but whatever.
EarOne
EarOne - 6/19/2011, 8:07 PM
naaa...Campbell's not to blame. he's a damn good director, his track record shows it, BUT, that doesn't mean he could do ANY genre/material. with CBMs, i think you need a director who just GETS that world and their fans, so he/she knows how and what to translate to the general moviegoers, who are not comic book fans.

of course, there are occasionally some exceptions, i.e. Bryan Singer when he did the X-Men movies. but, even with that, you can see how ROUGH his first X-Men compared to X2. he's learnt his trade pretty quickly. such a shame that he would lose it when he did Superman Returns, and he claimed the fault to that is his fondness of Richard Donner's Superman MOVIES, instead of the comic books. and this AGAIN proves my point that for CBMs you gotta have directors who know this territory, so that nothing is lost in the translation.

Campbell might've been better off directing a Punisher, or Daredevil movie. Green Lantern with ALL the other worldliness may've been just too much for him.

anyway, with things not looking good, i'm sure heads gonna be rolling over at WB/DCE camp, right around this time. i hope Geoff Johns' name is on that "to let go" list, cuz CLEARLY GL's his baby and it's his ball to drop. and i guess, the ball's been DROPPED.
AstonishingSpiderMan
AstonishingSpiderMan - 6/19/2011, 9:28 PM
I actually liked it it was very entering
BellHorneKing
BellHorneKing - 6/19/2011, 9:55 PM
The film-makers DID have a solid script to work from. Too bad the running time eliminated the possibilities of using it.

You're right, Alexadnre. FEAR. That's why we didn't get the following things
in the movie that were IN THE SCRIPT:

* Alan Scott
* Hal Jordan with white temples after defeating Parallax on OA--
* --WHILE destroying the central power battery
* Amazing scenes of Hammond using the drone planes to attack Coast City
* The GL Corp descends on the city to save the citizens in a variety of cool ways
* Instead of Hal making Carol a green necklace, he makes the ENTIRE CITY OF PARIS for her on the grounds of Ferris Airfield
* Deeper, more intense scenes of Sinestro turning to the dark side

Here's the script, available for the next 24 hours, accessible with the password "Jordan"

https://files.me.com/scottkingsings/uesomk
BellHorneKing
BellHorneKing - 6/19/2011, 9:56 PM
Er, that would be "jordan"
Hiraga08
Hiraga08 - 6/19/2011, 10:36 PM
Holy Jesus Christ on a stick, some of you guys are so [frick]ing serious about comic movies that it's both hilarious and adorable.
You either come up with horrible reasons to hate a movie, or you come up with horrible reasons to defend it. It's just so sad it's laughable.
Almost everyone here, the supporters and haters, just make me laugh my [frick]ing ass off. Thank you.

The movie was average. Unfortunately it wasn't the space epic we were all hoping for, but Jesus, it wasn't awful at all. It was fun and exciting, which is what a superhero movie should be.
FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 6/20/2011, 12:55 AM
Everyone needs to open their eyes and see this movie for what it is....a glorified trailer. It presented us with a variety of storylines and characters that future films will be made on. As long as they can make a profit (hopefully at least 300mil worldwide), they'll invest in the sequel and I would bet money that it will be far more of what we want.

I do think it was a fun, cool movie, but I see it for what it is, which is a lot like what Ironman 2 was.
jjmeylar
jjmeylar - 6/20/2011, 1:27 AM
Nothing was wrong, really. It was very entertaining.
AreTudaEDub
AreTudaEDub - 6/20/2011, 8:29 AM
I want a reboot/sequel like "the Incredible Hulk" (better of course). Directed by the Wachowski Brothers with a Jonathan Nolan screenplay. Weta on sfx. They would have to used Kyle Rayner, set it slightly in the future, and briefly cover how he is the last Green Lantern.

The sequel would be an adaption of Rebirth....and if later they beside to do it, make prequels if the want to get into back story (in the same vain as first class). YOU WOULD NOT GO WRONG!!!!!


PS
Sub-titles for the aliens please!!! It would make it way more authentic.
skullboy
skullboy - 6/20/2011, 1:36 PM
Yeah what happend with GL is one of the great mysteries in the movie and comic communities. Good point on the scene in which Killowog and Tomar-Re didn't step in to land Hal a hand against Parallax in the climax. I was also surprised about the absence of John Stewart in which he was supposed to cameo and they showed the guy playing him. Also in the flashback scenes, they were suppose to show Carol when she was a child. Guess they cut that off too. I really enjoyed GL and don't understand what happend. Obviously, the bad reviews and criticisms of the trailers scared people from seeing it. It had Ryan in the lead, great special effects, and lots of action. You'd think it was a sure fire hit. Just goes to show how fickel movie goers can be. Not like this hasn't happened before. To make things worse, Cars 2 will take this weekend's number one spot cuz it's f--kin' Pixar/Disney.
CaptainTall
CaptainTall - 6/20/2011, 5:26 PM
This movie was fantastic. Second favorite CBM.
Dmon
Dmon - 6/20/2011, 7:46 PM
Green Lantern is still the best selling comic out of DC and Marvel every month since Johns brought him back. So Johns is not going anywhere and on Kyle Rayner his comics were not selling that was one reason for the return of Hal, if he can't sell comics he ain't going sell at the movies.
Dmon
Dmon - 6/20/2011, 7:54 PM
@skullboy I think the bad reviews turned off the general audience I swear everyone at the theater the 2 times I went were walking out after it was over saying they really liked it. I also think that the regular crowd might have been asking geeks at work what they thought you know their I.T. people or something and maybe most were Marvel fan boys. I just don't know. I also have some theories I stated in my review you may not agree with them though.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/demonsfansite/news/?a=39798
skullboy
skullboy - 6/21/2011, 12:48 PM
@Dmon, I feel ya bro. At the end of the movie the audience clapped and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't so horrible but then again, I have a history of movies that I liked that's hated by the masses. Story of my life. Lol. But yeah, most of the haters are Marvelites who thought Thor was so godly mostly cuz it's Marvel. Whatever. Their opinions will not determine DC/WB's fate on their upcoming films. Bring on the Flash!
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