So, we were jawing around the Playlist watercooler today about how with three high profile comic book movies set to hit next year — “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Green Lantern” — they can’t all be mega hits. We figure at least one of the them will under-perform, and while the early footage of “Thor” that was leaked and subsequently pulled this summer was pretty goofy, the hyped Ryan Reynolds vehicle “Green Lantern” pic has its own share of problems.
Following the 30-second scrap of footage that appeared over the weekend, the first full trailer has dropped and it still looks like something made on a high TV budget or a low tentpole budget. But besides the dodgy looking special effects, can we just ask Hollywood to stop pretending like every single comic book exists in a vacuum where no other comic movie has ever been made? It’s getting simply tedious to watch yet another comic book origin story with all the familiar beats in place, and in the case of “Green Lantern,” we get the standard “responsibility” bit, a really overwrought passing-of-the-ring scene and it’s all capped off by the rote “how cool is this!” scene. There is a way to do this to make it fresh and exciting and while we have no doubt Ryan Reynolds will be huge, he is done a massive disservice by the amateur hour stuff going on around him, particularly the CGI making Kilowag and the green suit in particular look troublesome.
But all that said, this one is still more than half a year away, and this is probably the first of many trailers that will be cut for the film (we really don’t get much time with any of the cast except Reynolds) and don’t doubt that Warner Bros. is going to do everything they can to make sure fanboys pack theaters on June 17, 2011. But that said, as far as first impressions go, the studio is going to have a lot of work to do. Take a look at the synopsis and trailer below (or in HD at Apple).
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax 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, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has 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 not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
