C’mon Hollywood #226

…don’t screw up Green Lantern!
by J.A. Hamilton

Despite all the merger, sequel and reboot drama circulating within the comic book film universe lately, there’s one project in particular that’s caught my eye and has me relatively stoked: THE GREEN LANTERN. I wasn’t always a true believer, but after watching FIRST FLIGHT (GL’s animated origin story) I immediately got on board. The sheer character depth and cosmic overtone was too much to resist. GL’s storyline is perfect for the big screen as long as Hollywood follows the proper guidelines and keeps this thing serious as opposed to ridiculous. More than that, this film looks fun (THE DARK KNIGHT sort of fun), intriguing and more or less takes us in a different and original direction for a change.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Ryan Reynolds can hold his own as GL (though personally I was rooting for Bradley Cooper, who deserves his own breakout franchise opportunity). It’s a little weird seeing him juggle Hal Jordan AND Deadpool, but I’ve been a “YES MAN” for Ryan Reynolds since VAN WILDER and I’m not about to give up on the guy now (despite the fact he dated Alanis Morissette, which still has me scratching my head to this day). Hal Jordan’s attitude, dialogue and persona are something Reynolds will have no problem running with, and I for one am excited to see him in action.

As far as Villains are concerned, I’m no expert in the ways of GL’s roster. Sinestro was totally bad ass in FIRST FLIGHT, and though he’s not the villain this time around, he’s still very much a part of the story. Rumor has it Jackie Earl Haley is up for the role (though people seem to be screaming for Hugo Weaving, which I could also get on board with), and with the exception of physical prowess, I’m thinking Haley is far from the worst choice. I’m unfamiliar with Legion as well as Hector Hammond but they sound pretty good as far as antagonists go and are explained (in the script) with clarity and realism, despite the obvious supernatural overtones. Will they remain that way? Let’s hope so.

My biggest worry here comes in the form of CGI effects, which is a bit of a “do’s and don’ts” game. There are two tricky areas here that could seriously make or break the film if they screw the pooch. One; is the fact that ninety-nine percent of the Green Lanterns are aliens. How they handle the visual details here is crucial, as too much CGI will kill the vibe pretty quick (Kilowog comes to mind here as a primary example). The second (and most important in my mind); is how they portray the ring’s power. You can get away with green light taking the form of giant hands that bitch slap people, or nets and things of that nature in the comics and in the animated world, but that shit won’t fly on the big screen and will suck the seriousness (and life) out of the film all too quickly.

I love that DC is upping their ante and treating their comic book films like it’s the “all or nothing days.” The first draft of the GL script is fantastic, and I’m not the only one who thinks so as many people are raving about it. If they keep this script relatively intact, focus on making the GL powers look believable and keep the tone edgy and serious, I’m thinking this could spell “WIN” across the board for everyone involved. However, the sad truth of the matter is that there are so many things that could go wrong and cause this thing to crash and burn. Luckily (as I said), DC have their game faces on and are not only trying to give Marvel a run for their money (which I feel they most certainly are), they seem to be trying their damndest to give the fans what they want as well. And at the end of the day, that’s about all we can really ask for. Here’s hoping they have a new blockbuster franchise on the horizon.