Today’s quick review: Green Lantern. Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a cocky test pilot, inherits a solemn responsibility when he is chosen to join the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar peacekeeping force. Hal struggles to master his powers and earn the respect of Sinestro (Mark Strong), a veteran Green Lantern. Meanwhile, Parallax, an ancient enemy of the Corps, escapes his prison and possesses Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), a bitter scientist.
Green Lantern is a superhero action movie based on the DC Comics character. Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a confident pilot who must conquer his fears to save the universe from an ancient evil. Green Lantern ventures farther into science fiction than other superhero movies, with an alien police force and a ring that can create anything the wearer imagines. The movie has a promising setup, but it never figures out quite what to do with it.
Green Lantern’s main failing is that it never commits to a particular angle for its story. The script toys with several unifying themes, including Hal learning responsibility, mastering his fears, proving himself to the Corps, or maturing enough to rekindle his relationship with Carol (Blake Lively). But instead of choosing one and using that to structure the story, Green Lantern bounces between them, making it a jumble of semi-coherent ideas.
The lack of structure also makes it hard for the movie to exploit its strengths. Hal’s ring allows him to create almost anything, but there are only a handful of opportunities for him to use it. The other Green Lanterns provide a window into a fully developed sci-fi world, but Hal’s interactions with them are rare and brief. Finally, while not a perfect fit, Ryan Reynolds never gets the chance to show the full extent of Hal’s character growth.
Green Lantern still makes for a passable watch under the right circumstances. The movie’s strengths lie with its unique superhero, its science fiction setting, and its cast, but none of these are enough to make up for the structural weaknesses in its story and limited amounts of action. Fans of the genre with loose standards will find it to be a modestly entertaining choice, but discerning viewers can do better.
For a more balanced superhero adventure about a hero connected to an advanced alien race, try Thor. For a much more violent and comedic superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds, try Deadpool. For a more comedic superhero adventure starring Mark Strong, try Shazam!.
[5.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133985/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent action and a muddled plot.