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Another huge problem is that the movie seems to be going out of its way to make the story seem bland. Instead of focusing on what makes the character unique and fun, the movie is forced into a clichéd story mold. It seems like they were working from a checklist more than a script. It is also apparent that the movie is not at all concerned with character development. Aside from Green Lantern himself, most of the characters barely qualify as one dimensional. And that’s not to say that the hero is developed very well. But perhaps the most surprising disappointment was the visual effects. Although it did have some bright spots, a lot of it is just really bad.

But the reason I’m writing about this movie is that in spite of its many disappointments I do still like it. But I have to admit that I’m a bit biased towards comic book movies, so I’m a lot more forgiving than the “average” viewer. While the movie wasn’t actually good, it had its moments and that was enough for me.

Ryan Reynolds is, in my opinion, the movie’s best asset. I think it’s clear that his performance was influenced by Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Iron Man. The only problem is that Green Lantern is lacking the smart writing or clever dialogue that made Iron Man such a wild success. But even so, Reynolds does a commendable job and is mostly tolerable and sometimes even good.

Although the supporting cast is mostly relegated to the background, two characters almost stand out. Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond is actually quite good. The movie spends a good amount of time building him up as the antagonist. It’s too bad that when he actually does become the bad guy the movie turns him into a walking cliché. As a pretty big Green Lantern fan, I was very excited to see Sinestro on screen. He was a mentor to our hero and a badass Green Lantern himself. It’s unfortunate the movie barely uses him. But when he is on screen, he really shines. Mark Strong, although he’s not given much to work with, does a great job. He exudes confidence and is totally cool. I felt like they really got the character right.

Unlike other characters that try to be more “realistic,” Green Lantern has some inherent silliness - his weakness is the color yellow after all - and I liked that at times the movie embraces that. There is a great bit in the movie where Green Lantern’s love interest - played by Blake Lively - recognizes him under his mask. She asks if he really thought covering his cheekbones would hide his identity from her. I mentioned that sometimes the special effects were good. I think one of the highlights of the movie is how cool Green Lantern’s costume looks. I know a lot of people complained that it was completely CGI but I loved it. The costume is created by a ring that can materialize anything its wearer imagines and that ring was created by the guardians of the universe, so shouldn’t the costume look otherworldly? I always thought it was kind of lame that his costume looked like it was sewn together with regular fabric.

I agree that it doesn’t sound like there are too many reasons to watch this movie but it’s not as bad as people will have you believe. I also know that’s not high praise and I can’t really recommend this to many people. I will say that if you enjoy comic book movies and are forgiving then you should check out Green Lantern.

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