Hidy Ho neighbour.
Every so often there is a movie that just pisses off film critics, for whatever reason. And it never seems to make much sense me the slightly more than average filmgoer.* When this happens it seems almost as if the critics are colluding to destroy said movie. And despite what everyone says about how much they trust critics, it works. I don't think there is a great conspiracy or anything but when critics are unanimous it creates buzz. That is how a godawful peice of bovine droppings, like "Dances with Wolves" is considered a classic, and a movie that did the crime of being just okay, Like "Revenge of the Sith" is considered irrevocably awful. This is currently happening to the, until last weekend, biggest movie of the summer "Green Lantern"
Well your humble narrator, has just seen, this supposedly awful movie and you know what? It was pretty good, I would also say I liked it. I wouldn't say it was Damn good like earlier in the month's "X-men First class" but I thought it was at least "Thor" good (though it didn't have the Foo Fighters but I digress). Sure it had plot holes, but unlike some action movies, they never took away from my enjoyment of the movie. As I said above this movies only crime it that it was just okay, and I think it's pretty good which last I checked was a step above okay. It was a good entertaining superhero movie, that my brother whom is a bigger Green Lantern fan than me thought was true enough to the book, in fact he also likes the movie more than me.
I think the thing with the critics is two fold. Chritics Hate computer animation in live action movies, it's a fact just live with it. And this movie had a lot of computer animation. And second, I think critics are tired of superhero movies. Many have felt that superheroes where gaining critical mass this year with so many superhero and movies based on comics coming out the bottom had to give at some point and I think "Green Lantern" with it's more outlandish premise gave the critics their opening to express this subject fatigue.
So here's what I thought worked about it minor spoiler warning though I'll try not too. Ryan Reynolds was good, and he made this lighter Hal Jordon a joy to watch, in fact I kinda wish he was lighter like this in the comic as well. I in fact liked all of the casting especially Hector Hammond. I liked that they kept Sinestro as a good guy for the entire film, something that is very hard for super hero movies to do. I wish "X Men first class (the movie that will definatley have a sequel) did the same. The Action was good the constructs imaginative and fun, and yes the famous fist does make an appearance. I thought OA was cool looking as where the Gaurdians.
Now what I didn't feel worked. The computer animated costumes. As well designed and executed as they where, they never quite got to the point where you believed them, especially the mask. I also thought (and this is true of many summer movies) that the sub plots about the corps. would have made a better movie. Like many first superhero movies, it took a bit to get started, and wasn't particularly interesting until he met Abun Sur, (who was played by Jango frikkn Fett BTW).
Above all I think it's a good start up film that would probably have a bitchin' sequel. Kinda like how the abysmal "Batman Begins" led o the "Dark Knight". But will it get one? the actors are attached, but if the box office keeps going the way I hear it is (I don't watch figures I just hear about them in the abstract) it's unlikely and that makes me sad. But back to the present, if you wanted to see this movie don't let a bunch of pissed off critics, deter you from seeing it. If you want to see it, go see it! and make your own decision if it is good or bovine excretions.
That is all.
* Before you brand me an egotist for my slightly more than average filmgoer line, I call myself this because, I have written for comics and screen (student work when it comes to screen), and have been a storyboard artist. So I know a bit of what it takes to craft a film. I was not saying I was some sort of superior film viewing being.
image of course (c) 2011 Time Warner and DC Comics.
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