Movie Review: Green Lantern

Green Lantern
(M), 114 minutes
Stars: 2/5
As someone who has two Green Lantern T-shirts in his wardrobe and can throw in 2c when debating the best Lantern ever, my hopes were high when it came to the Green Lantern movie.
However, groan-inducing dialogue, bland characters and the occasional bewildering editing decisions dash any chance of the movie being great.
This can be forgiven in a superhero movie, even expected to a degree, provided you can get behind the heroes and the trials they have to overcome.
Unfortunately, Green Lantern churns through the action and characters at such a rapid rate that it feels more like the creators just ran through a checklist of what they thought a successful superhero movie should be.
The result is a middling offering that's heavy on special effects sizzle but devoid of any half-decent storytelling substance.
Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a top-flight jet pilot whose brash cockiness is matched only by his unparalleled flying skills.
Then a mortally wounded member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force, the Green Lantern Corp, crash lands on Earth and - in his final act - bestows his power ring upon Hal.
This juiced-up piece of jewellery allows the wearer to turn his thoughts into solid objects.
He is soon called into action to deal with an ancient evil called Parralex - a terrifying creation from outer space that feeds off fear, a more terrestrial telepathic psychopath Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) and a little romancing of a poorly cast Carol Ferris (Blake Lively).
Green Lantern is a solid enough film and you won't get bored.
But 20 minutes after leaving the theatre, you'll be struggling to remember anything memorable about it.