Review of Green Lantern (2011) by Marcdoyle — 17 Jun 2011

As I've said many times before, it's all about expectations. I didn't expect a ton from the movie, especially after many of the critics panned it, so I was pleasantly surprised by it. No, it's not high art - it's a comic book movie.

But I felt more emotionally engaged in than I did with Thor and many other films of this genre. Reynolds is solid, and the relationship between him and his scientist "nemesis" is much more tangible and human than many comic book conflicts.

There are sympathetic feelings going both ways before things get perverted. What's more, while it's a little cheesy, the will vs. fear conflict is very Romantic. The physical manifestation of the human feelings is something that Nathaniel Hawthorne likely would have found interesting.

I enjoyed it. Blake Lively wasn't as bad as many in my theater would argue, but there wasn't enough chemistry between her and Reynolds. Yes, they are exes and mere colleagues now; However, there is more heat between cop partners on TV procedurals than there is here.

So for me, it's better than Thor, Spider-man, the new Superman, and the Hulks, but not as good as either new Batman film - though that's a high bar.