Green Lantern Continues Superhero Summer
"In brightest day, in blackest night...Green Lantern Promises to Give Fans the Ultimate Superhero Experience
by Stacy Phay
“In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. 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 (Ryan Reynolds).
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’s humanity is one weapon no member of the Corps has ever had, and if—with willpower, determination and the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively)—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 save the Earth and all of mankind from certain destruction.”
When you look back on all the superheroes that have graced the big screen over the last 30 years it is surprising that one of the more popular comic book characters, Green Lantern, has never had a major motion picture based on it. The daunting task of being the first to bring the character to the big screen has fallen on the well-toned shoulders of actor Ryan Reynolds and director Martin Campbell along with screenwriters Greg Berlanti & Michael Green and Michael Goldenberg, and producers Donald De Line, Herbert Gains, Andrew Haas, Lucienne Papon and Geoff Johns.
Hal Jordan is the first human to ever be chosen to wear the ring of the Green Lantern Corp, so it is only fitting that this production went through its share of firsts as well. With Green Lantern, the filmmakers had the opportunity to really give fans a look into who this character is and how he came to be a part of the Lantern Corp. Because Green Lantern was not as widely popular as characters like Batman and Superman, it was up to them to give fans first hand knowledge of the origin story. This gave them a unique opportunity to show the fans how one’s imagination is the focus of the Lantern’s ultimate power. “Green Lantern” is also the first film to be set not only on Earth, but on the planet Oa, the headquarters of the Lantern Corp.
Superheroes need villains, sidekicks, love interests and costumes.
Joining Ryan Reynolds in the film is Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan’s flight companion and sometime love. Ferris is about to take over her father’s aviation company just as Hal’s journey to becoming a Green Lantern is taking place. She is not a damsel in distress by any means. Peter Sarsgaard takes on the role of Hector Hammond, a long-time friend of both Hal and Carol, and a scientist who is infinitely fascinated by the idea that there are aliens out in space. His interest in otherworldly things becomes detrimental to him, and Hal and Carol, when the evil Parallax overtakes him and brings his jealousy for Hal and love for Carol to the surface with terrifying results.
As leader of the Lanterns, Mark Strong takes on the role of Sinestro, who’s longtime friend Abin Sur is the fallen alien who bestows Hal with the Green Lantern ring after crash landing on Earth. Sinestro is not a big fan of the humans and is at first skeptical of Jordan’s being chosen as the next Lantern. When Hal is brought to Oa he is greeted by Tomar-Re and Kilowog. The two alien species who will help train him to become a part of the Green Lantern Corp. The two actors who play Tomar-Re and Kilowog have the distinction of having only their voice on screen, with their characters being computer generated. The filmmakers chose wisely, bringing the unique and well-known voices of Geoffry Rush (Tomar-Re) and Michael Clark Duncan (Kilowog).
Every superhero has a costume and this hero is no different. With the idea that the power behind the Lantern ring is all based on your mind, costume designer Ngila Dickson did something she had never done before. She suggested the Green Lantern suit come from a computer generated program rather than her own needle and thread. With her help, the special effects team was able to create a unique “skin molding” costume that fit exactly over Ryan Reynolds’s body in post-production. This helped the actor and the audience, get a more organic feel for what Jordan would imagine as his ultimate crime-fighting outfit. One of the most important parts of the entire Green Lantern Corp is the oath that is spoken to bring the Lantern’s ring to life.
The filmmakers knew that it was imperative to say the oath properly and give fans the thrill of seeing the oath that the have memorized and even used come to life on screen. Taking that into consideration, Ryan and director Martin Campbell approached the lines with care.
Bringing the world of the Green Lantern to life has been a joy for everyone involved in the production. The film opens Friday, June 17 through Warner Bros, De Line Productions and DC Comics. It is rated PG-13.
Check out the trailer:
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