I won't sit here and go into all the back story about Lantern right now, other than he is played by the newly crowned sexist man alive, Ryan Reynolds. More importantly, he is a breath of fresh air that we all need in this day and time.
Why do I say that? Well, think about all the superhero movies that have come out in the last...shall we say, 5 yrs? With the exception of the Fantastic Four movies and you can make the case for the Iron Man films, as well. Most have been dark.
The most notorious of these is Batman, especially in what most people have called the best comic book movie, ever, The Dark Knight. I am one of the few people that didn't gush over it, though. I liked it, but it was mostly because I'm a Batman fan, not because of the tone.
The point I'm trying to make here is that while Batman is dark and psychotic (been that way since the late 80s), whereas Green Lantern is a throwback to those swashbuckler heroes of the 40s and 50s.
Yahoo put this up yesterday, and said basically what I'm trying to say
Ever since the first "X-Men" in 2000, the trend in comic book movie adaptations has been to try to give a sense of realism to costumed superheroes. "Spider-Man," "Iron Man" and especially Christopher Nolan's two "Batman" movies have all tried to tone down the fantastical elements from the source material and bring the characters down to Earth.
It looks like that trend may end next summer with the release of "Green Lantern." Based on the much-loved DC Comics series, this latest superhero movie has aliens, spaceships, and a ring that creates objects out of light. But unlike some more terrestrial heroes, the cosmic explorations of the Green Lantern have always been a major part of the character's appeal.
Take a look at the first trailer for "Green Lantern" starring the newly crowned "Sexiest Man Alive," Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, who was actually the second Green Lantern in the comic books starting in 1959. He is a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft alongside Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively). Jordan discovers where a spacecraft crashes on Earth, and its alien passenger, Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), passes on his power ring to Jordan before he dies. So Jordan is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, sort of an interplanetary police force whose rings have the power to create anything they can imagine.
It's still an early trailer, so we only get a few glimpses of the Green Lantern's power, specifically one shot where he punches out three guys with one giant glowing fist. You see the villain Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) both before and after his head mutates to an enormous size. There is also a brief look at Sinestro (Mark Strong), the purple-skinned Lantern Corps member who starts off as Jordan's ally (but, as comic book readers know, doesn't stay that way).
It's a far cry from the gritty realism of a movie like "The Dark Knight," but that's by design. It also has a lighter tone that gives Reynolds the chance to show off his trademark charm, putting his romantic comedy experience to use in his bantering with Lively. And unlike the brooding, tortured heroes like Christian Bale's Batman or Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Reynolds seems to be having fun with his superpowers.
Another difference is Green Lantern's costume. Rather than the spandex bodysuits or leathery armor of most movie superheroes, Reynolds was filmed wearing a motion capture suit (much like the actors in "Avatar"), and his costume is entirely created with digital effects. It gives him a sleek, glowing look that could not be acheived by traditional means.
"Green Lantern" arrives in theaters on June 17, 2011
The trailer isn't without its problems, but I am looking forward to this movie. It's fun, action packed, and above all...NOT DARK!!!!
What do you think?
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