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This year’s superheroes come in all shapes, styles, and sizes (though, when it comes to colors, I’d have to say that green is definitely in this year). But few were more perfectly cast than A-lister and Sexiest Man Alive Ryan Reynolds, the star of Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern. After all, while fanboys of all ages are flocking to see the latest big-budget comic book adaptation, Reynolds’ casting (not to mention his skin-tight green costume) promises plenty of eye candy for the fanboys’ wives and girlfriends (and moms) to enjoy, too. If only Campbell had been able to make the rest of the movie as memorable as its star, he might have had a hit on his hands.
Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a talented test pilot who faces his greatest challenge yet when he’s chosen to be a Green Lantern, one of 3,600 members of an intergalactic peace-keeping team. Thanks to a magical green ring, he’s given superhuman powers that help him channel his own will to defeat evil—but he’s the first human Lantern, and many are skeptical of his abilities.
Hal doesn’t have a lot of time to practice, though—because a villain known as Parallax (voiced by Clancy Brown) has broken out of his prison and is using the yellow power of fear to destroy whole planets. Parallax has infected human scientist Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), and now he’s planning to make Earth his next target.
With Reynolds in the heroic lead, Green Lantern gets off to a promising start. After all, Reynolds makes a likable addition to the superhero brotherhood. As the charmingly arrogant pilot turned hero, he’s Tom-Cruise-in-Top-Gun cool with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark swagger and just the slightest hint of vulnerability to keep him human. Granted, the suit sometimes looks a little silly—and that ridiculous mask has got to go—but at least he makes a believable hero.
Unfortunately, though, the character’s story isn’t fully explored. All of the interesting things that make him an endearingly human hero are merely hinted at, making him feel like the same old generic superhero. Of course, too much character development could have brought the pacing to a screeching halt—but, with so little, the characters seem flat and clichéd. And no matter how much you may like Reynolds as Hal Jordan, you won’t find many reasons to care about him.
The rest of the movie, meanwhile, feels more like an animated kids’ movie—or maybe a video game—than a summer blockbuster, with cartoonish aliens and a couple of goofy-looking villains. At times, it almost seems better suited for Saturday morning TV than a major release. It simply lacks the depth, maturity, and super-cool style of so many recent superhero flicks—and, in the end, it’s mildly entertaining but regrettably forgettable.
If you have the power to channel your inner pre-teen fanboy—or if you just want to see Ryan Reynolds in a skin-tight suit—you’ll still enjoy this colorful new superhero adventure. But it’s far from the stylish and sophisticated summer blockbuster that’s become the superhero standard.
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