Green Lantern

Green Lantern

Directed by: Martin Campbell

Cast: Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern

Blake Lively as Carrol Ferris

Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond

Mark Strong as Sinestro

Rated PG-13

*The following may contain spoilers*

I feel like I should be clear here, since I respect you guys and all. Here it goes: I am not a fan of Green Lantern. For some reason, the idea of a guy running around with a glowing piece of jewelry that allows him to make anything he thinks of appear into thin air never appealed to me. I know, I’m a weird kid. Thankfully though, my brother and best friend are way into the Green Lantern, so I’ve heard the origin, main villains and plot points of the Green Lantern comics dozens of times. However, no amount of reiterations could have prepared me for Ryan Reynold’s portrayal of the classic hero. 

Green Lantern tells the story of Hal Jordan, an “ordinary” jet fighter pilot, who’s life gets turned upside down when he’s given a green power ring by a dying purple alien (don’t worry, that was all in the trailer). A bunch of other stuff happens, all while I suffered through a bad plot, terrible acting and classic character destruction, but we’ll get to that later. All you really need to know is that, by choosing him, the ring catapulted Hal into an elite group of galactic protectors called the Green Lanterns. And adventures ensue!

What I Liked:

I've got to give the movie credit, it did a fantastic job with the special effects. The green creations from Hal's ring looked really cool and were actually pretty believable, while retaining the comedic and classically campy feel of the comic books.  Plus, when you combine Hal's imagined weapons with the villains telepathy, it makes for some rocking awesome battle sequences. Not gonna lie, I appreciated it. 

What I Didn't Like:

Alright, here comes the long and painful part. I'd like to apologize to any fans of the Lantern, specifically those friends and brothers of mine, because this is going to be harsh. 

Let's just break down the horribleness into two sections: Plot and Characters.

Plot:

The movie started out pretty strong, explaining the Green Lantern core through a cool-looking montage in the beginning, followed by a pretty awesome battle scene between a Lantern Core member (not Hal, but the alien who gave him the ring) and the main villain, Pharalax, the embodiment of fear, which leaves the Core member mortally wounded and soaring towards the nearest planet...which just so happens to be Earth. Go figure. 

Then it starts to smell. 

After the strong opening, we get several shots of Hal being a punk and then a 30 minute plane battle that had nothing to do with the plot whatsoever, save for setting up a very weird and unclear backstory and acting as "foreshadowing" for the final battle.

On top of that, the plot seemed to be full of holes, a fact not helped by the lack of acting shown by the entire cast and a terrible script. When Ryan Reynold's is the best actor in the movie, you have a problem. 

For example, when Hal first meets the alien who gives him the ring, he is first transported an unspecified distance by a giant glowing orb of green energy and then drops him into a puddle...and he has no reaction. Instead, he just strides over to the crashed alien spacecraft and pulls the purple dude out of the cockpit, again with no reaction. 

The scene only gets worse when it pulls in the analyst from the flight company, who is apparently Hal's best friend. There was no previous implication of this friendship, yet the nerd is apparently the first guy that Hal calls in the event of meeting an alien. 

On top of unexplained character relationships, the film is littered with ill-fitting dialogue, throwing in cheesy lines in otherwise serious scenes. Drawing again from scene mentioned above, when Hal tells his surprise friend that the dead alien gave him a ring, the nerd responded with, "He proposed?!" Sure, it was kind of funny, but drastically took away from the already weak scene.

Scenes and dialogue like this lay scattered throughout the movie, leaving an odd, broken and jumpy feeling to the film and a sour taste in my mouth after it was all over.

Characters:

There's no way around it, the characters in the film make the movie, even more so in those based on comic books. However, when all of your stars decide they're just not going to actually act in the movie, the characters lose a bit of their life force. Unfortunately, that's what happened in this movie. 

As I mentioned above, Ryan Reynolds is the best actor in this movie. And while that's great for his career, it doesn't do much for the audience. 

For example, Blake Lively is a decent actress, with a career of her own. She's not a no-name and it's obvious from the beginning that she isn't just another pretty face. She's a real woman; well rounded as a jet pilot and about to be made the CEO of the aircraft company, and she's not obnoxiously obsessed with Hal. Yet, for some unknown reason, she chose to deliver all of her lines like she had a lemon in her mouth. As a result, she went from a real person to a "filler-character" the second she opened her mouth. And none of the other portrayals got any better.

No matter how much I couldn't get into the Green Lantern as a kid, I always respected Hal Jordan, the man behind the suit. He always seemed better than most, the man we all aspire to be. He is the embodiment of goodness and that's the whole reason the ring chose him in the first place. Keep in mind, this is my perception. There are probably emotional problems he faces in the comics as well. 

The point is, i walked in expecting Hal Jordan to be fearless, heroic and a little witty and smart. Instead, I got Ryan Reynolds waking up with a nameless girl, dropping a terrible line and racing to work, calling another driver an a-hole after Hal almost drives into the man. So much for being a better person. 

Instead of the Hal Jordan I expected, I got an unlikable Tony Stark. 

Minus the stache.

So, yeah. Total destruction of a classic character. Thanks, Hollywood. 

I'd also like to go into the relationships of the characters a little bit more. It's not just Hal and the nerd that are never explained, it's everyone. Through only mentions throughout the movie, the audience is forced to piece together the reasons why the only human characters with lines have known each other their entire lives, though it's never completely explained. 

Overall, I found myself bored and irritated by the human's interactions with each other as they continued to be confusing and boring, filled with cheesy dialogue and terrible foreshadowing.

Honestly, I could go on, but i think I'll quiet my rant for the night. 

Final Thoughts:

I really shouldn't be surprised; Hollywood has a knack for making good things terrible. However, despite the other critics and my own apparent hatred of the film, the fans of Green Lantern seem to be eating it up. I know my friends loved it, and, honestly, I can see where they're coming from. For some reason, Green Lantern is endearing. It carries a certain charm that even had me overlooking it's awfulness a few times.

Green Lantern won't win any awards. Heck, it probably wouldn't even have made it out the door of a basic film making class. But there was something about it that kept you watching and cheering for him until the very end. I guess Ryan Reynold's captured Hal Jordan's charm after all. 

Oh boy...

When Should You See It?

Despite my ending comments, I really didn't like the movie. Wait for the DVD if you absolutely have to see it. 

Personal Rating: 3 of 10

Plot: 2 of 10

Sexuality/Sensuality: 1 of 10

Language: 2 of 10

For an apparent kids movie, the language was kind of rough, with two uses of a-hole and two of GD in the first ten minutes, proving further that the movie really couldn't decide whether it wanted to be Spider Man or Christopher Nolan's Batman.

X-MEN: First Class

X-MEN: First Class
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: James McAvoy as Charles Xavier
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnscherr / Magneto
Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw
Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique
January Jones as Emma Frost
Rated PG-13


*The following may contain spoilers*
Ah, comic books; Hollywood's latest fallback. However, as the studio executives have learned, they are indeed a fickle mistress. With all of the obsessed, nerdy fanboys who pin their few hopes and dreams on these films and leave their mothers basements to see them, the possibility of a fan riot is very high, Needless to say, these movies really can't afford to be terrible. At least, that's what we keep trying to tell them.
It hasn't always worked...

However, X-Men: First Class seems to be shuttling in a new era for comic book films. With an outstanding cast, amazing depiction of the story and great pacing, First Class seemed to encompass everything that the terrible comic movies were lacking.

Set in the 1960's, First Class takes place before the events of the previous X-Men movies and presumably before Origins: Wolverine (poster above), though they do all of us a favor and just ignore that entire trainwreck of a film.

First Class tells the original tale of how they X-Men came to be, tracing all the way back to the childhood of the two most famous mutants; Professor X and Magneto. It is here that the heroes become truly human. It is here that we learn who Charles was before his wheelchair and his school, who Erik was before and how he became Magneto.

Starting when they were children and moving quickly into adulthood, the film follows the two men as they first join forces, gather a team and face their first enemy, setting the stage for the greatest mutant rivalry ever.

What I Liked: 
In case it wasn't clear above, I am one of the obsessed fanboys who loves these movies. These films bounce between great to terrible with very little space in between. And the first three X-Men movies landed closer to terrible. Thankfully, X-Men: First Class faith in the entire franchise.

Encompassing everything that most comic book movies lack, First Class goes deeper than special effects and witty dialogue. It truly does the characters justice as we watch them grow and become the heroes they were supposed to be.

The writing was also very solid, something else other super-movies have considered optional. Tackling something that most comics are afraid of, First Class combines the fictional story with an actual historic event and does it well. The real-life tie-in does a lot to ground the plot and I found myself almost believing that the Cuban Missile Crisis actually had a mutant-provided solution.

Marvel does a lot to respect their fans, specifically throwing in numerous "Easter eggs" and hints about other movies inside each one, especially in all the Avenger build up movies. First Class is no exception, even though it isn't a part of a "series" per say. Instead, they throw in subtle tie-ins to the first three X-Men movies, such as a brief cameo from Wolverine and the original Mystique (separately) and a glimpse of a young Storm. It's the little things that really make the movie a fanboy's dream come true. And not just in cameos. The scenes that previously existed only in our imaginations (such as the first time Xavier dons Cerebro or when Magneto puts on his classic helmet and cape) bring forth a certain euphoria when they're realized visually on the screen. It truly is a wonderful experience.

What I Didn't Like:
The X-Men have always been touted as a somewhat "pro-Gay" comic group, given that they're the oddities fighting against normal people. This isn't helped by the repeated phrase "Mutant and Proud" or the closeness of Erik and Charles in their friendship. Then, there's that little bit about Charles "leaving a void" in Erik's life that he needs a woman to fill...
Needless to say, some might say that there is an overtly "pro-Gay" overtone.

I also would have preferred if they had stuck more to the original X-Men team (Angel [the boy], Cyclops and Jean Grey, as well as Beast). However, based on the subtle tie-ins mentioned above and the fact that one of the mutant team members is named Alex Summers. Though originally created as Scott Summer's (aka trilogy, these theories just might become a reality.

Final Thoughts:
As I said, this movie encompasses everything that most hero movies lack. Eloquently combining character development, solid plotline, great cast and classic heroes, First Class is the rare gem in the seemingly endless mine of superhero movies. Not only is it great for newcomers and fans of the first three movies, its great for the die-hard fans as well.

Once again, it's the little moments that really impress me and this movie has all of them. The unseen moments are now visible and the cast portrays them perfectly. In this, the film becomes so much more than just another superhero movie.

We see Charles take in his first stray mutant, we see Erik make his first kill. It is here that the characters come alive for the first time. It's an incredibly difficult time to portray on film but the director's and cast handled it beautifully, making every emotion and difficult decision real and human. Truly, the greatest moments were those one-on-one interactions between Erik and Charles as we see the friendship build and then unravel.

It's those interactions that we pay for, those are what we want to see. It's the beginnings of the greatest hero and the greatest villain that we wished for; everything else is just filler. As we knew it would, all good things must come to an end and the innocence of a new friendship must eventually collide with the reality that everyone knows. And they couldn't have done it any better.

When Should You See It?
Right now.
Whether you've never seen any of the movies or read all the comics, this movie is sure to please some part of your nerdy heart.

Personal Rating: 9 of 10
Plot: 9 of 10
Sexuality/Sensuality: 3 of 10
Drugs/Alcohol: 2 of 10

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2
Directed by: Jennifer Yuh
Cast: Jack Black as Po
Dustin Hoffman as Shifu
Gary Oldman as Shen
Angelina Jolie as Tigress
Jackie Chan as Monkey
Seth Rogen as Mantis
Lucy Lui as Viper
David Cross as Crane
Rated PG

*The following may contain spoilers*
The summer of sequels continues!! Kung Fu Panda 2 comes in hard and fast as the second big sequel of the summer. Beginning several months after the first, Kung Fu Panda 2 dives deeper into Po's mysterious past, giving us answers to the haunting questions the first left in our mind, such as why is Po the last panda and why is his dad a goose?

Starting with a beautifully animated sequence, audiences learn about a vengeful peacock named Shen, the villain this time around. Shen was the heir to a rather vast empire until his basement experiments with fireworks freaked out his parents. And, as all animal parents do, the peacock's called in a fortune-telling goat named Soothsayer (original) who predicts that Shen will fall to a hero of black and white.

In a completely sane and justified move, Shen sets out and wipes out the entirety of the panda race. Apparently forgetting that skunks exist, Shen commits genocide against the pandas, believing he has avoided the prophecy. Again, I'd like to point out the skunks. 

After his genocidal rage calms down, Shen returns to his parents home, shocked when they are not pleased with his mass murder (seriously, this bird has issues).Instead, his parents banish him from the kingdom that would have once been his, leaving him to plot his revenge for 30 some-odd years and soon the old bird decides to just eliminate Kung Fu all together. Because that makes sense.

Little known to Shen, he missed one furry little bundle of joy who just so happens to be the Dragon Warrior. Bring on the showdown of "awesomeness."

Oh, this won't end well.

What I Liked:
The original Kung Fu Panda holds a special place in my heart. Its unique charm and humor made it one of my favorite animated movies, ever. Kung Fu Panda 2 did nothing but improve on the original, delving deeper into the characters and having more characters on the screen than Po and Shifu.
I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the characters. The conversations between Po and others seemed charged with emotions, the actors bringing a humanity to the animals that is rarely seen in a Dreamworks film.

Ugh. Dreamworks.

The writers also did a really good job with the plotline. I was afraid it would be run into the ground and make it super cheesy, especially after I heard it would be about Po's past. I was pleasantly surprised though when they maintained an originality that rivaled the first, along with some new wit and hilarity.
As usual, the animation was incredible, demonstrating some pretty cool Kung Fu sequences and firework explosions.

What I Didn't Like: 
Besides an original plot, there wasn't a whole lot of depth to it. Granted, this is a kids movie, but I felt like it could have been a little longer with a little more for the adults and teenagers to get out of it.
As I said above, they could have made it longer, taking a little more time to actually dive into Po's quest for "inner peace" instead of just "BOOM. I have inner peace now." They also delivered a "deus ex machina" into the final battle which I thought kind of detracted from the overall point of the original mission.
And, *SPOILER ALERT* they set it up for a third one. Pretty sure they should quick while they're still a little bit ahead.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, the movie was a gem, the rare sequel that matches it's predecessor. Taking a bold leap into a deep plot-element, Dreamworks handled it rather well. Know what you're getting into; a Kung Fu panda warrior on a quest to find himself and fight a deranged peacock. Remember that and expect nothing more and you'll enjoy this movie. 


When Should You See It? 
You wouldn't be missing much waiting for the DVD. Use Redbox and you'll save $6.50


Personal Rating: 6 of 10
Plot: 5 of 10

Spiritual Aspects: 2 of 10

I just had to include this. Cutest animated thing ever.