Film File - The Green Lantern

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight." No, not the most recent political promise by Enda Kenny on the economic mess, but the latest superhero waiting anxiously for your cash at the local cineplex. As the advertising blurb puts it: "At the edge of space, a war has been raging between those who rule with fear, and those who protect life: the Green Lantern Corps." And this time, for the first time, a human will become one of them. In this intergalactic universe, this small but powerful force dedicated to upholding peace and justice has existed for centuries. "Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power: Green Lantern's light!" - this is the mantra of the good guys, words that complete the oath taken by each of the Lanterns who have sworn to serve and protect. For the uninitiated, the oath, along with the lantern and ring, are the outward tools that provide a Green Lantern his powers; with them and with his own strength of will, he can create or do anything his mind can envision while policing the 3,600 sectors in the universe, overseen by an ancient race of immortals called the Guardians. However, when a new enemy threatens to destroy the balance of power in the universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a gifted and cocky test pilot, and one for whom the Green Lanterns have little initial respect. But Hal brings to the table the one thing no member of the corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be the key to defeating the all-powerful Parallax. The third-wheel in Hal and Carol's longstanding on-again, off-again relationship is Hector Hammond, a childhood friend with a longtime crush on Carol and college professor whose specialty is even more obscure than he is: xenobiology. Hector's life is changed when Hal lets him examine the first alien corpse ever found on Earth - a shining moment that proves far more dangerous than he could ever imagine when Hector begins to develop evil powers of his own. As this one figures prominently in the summer blockbuster category, special effects need to be top notch - and they are. As Hal takes on the ring's power, expect to see lots of McGyver-type situations as he blends his human ingenuity with this otherworldly power. The CGI effects are well staged, if a little too animated at times, as seen with the use of a sword, flamethrower, Gatling gun, anti-air artillery gun, catapult and even a plane. The storyline is not too demanding: another concession to its intended audience and the season that's in it. Reynolds and Lively are reasonable eye candy for what they do, but it's Mark Strong as the cool and calculating Sinestro that lingers longest - and he is one of the film's main saving graces. Overall, 'The Green Lantern' fits neatly into the overused, but effective, cliché 'does what it says on the tin'. There's plenty of action, a reasonable plot based on the first few comics, and more than enough bells and whistles to keep the younger generation glued. It's all good summer fun.