Green Lantern

Finally, after years of sitting on the bench as Marvel Studios churned out adaptation after adaptation for their iconic comic book characters, DC Comics is making an effort to step up to the plate. Sure, DC has had massive success with Batman and to a lesser extent Superman, but their other popular characters have been relatively absent from the silver screen. That is until now.

“Green Lantern” follows a test pilot named Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) as he inadvertently finds himself chosen to become a member of the elite, intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. As Hal learns the ropes and begins to understand the scope of his new responsibilities, a mysterious and powerful enemy known as Parallax has set its sights upon Earth. Now, with the aid of his one-time love Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), Hal must find the courage to overcome his fears and insecurities and unleash the power of will before Parallax and his accomplice, Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), tear our world apart.

“In brightest day, in blackest night; no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!” Those words form the pledge by which every single member of the Green Lantern Corps live their lives. It’s not a pledge the characters in this film take lightly, by any means. So, does the film adaptation do justice in bringing this character, all of his supporting cast (both alien and human), and the pledge by which they live and breathe, to cinematic life?

If you ask me to answer that question, I would say…yes, for the most part. Are there issues with the film as an adaptation or as just a movie? To an extent, yes there is, but the good and accurate portions (in relation to the comic book) far outweigh the few bits that are incorrect or need work.

Written by Greg Berlanti (TV’s “No Ordinary Family”) and Marc Guggenheim (TV’s “FlashForward”) the story for “Green Lantern” is a combination of a character-driven drama and an origin tale. Plus, the story boasts a hefty dose of science-fiction, moments of humor, and the rekindling of a romance, not bad for a character’s first foray to the big screen.

In blending all of those elements together the writers did an impressive job of striking a relative balance between each of them. Thus, leaving audiences with an end result that is a thoroughly entertaining first installment in what will hopefully continue on to become another successful superhero franchise.

As I mentioned earlier, more often than not, the film works very well. The scenes set on Oa were both visually stunning and fanboy dreams come to life. I mean come on, anyone that has read a Green Lantern comic has got to admit that it was great to see so many members of the esteemed Corps up on the big screen. The action scenes were also very energetic and well choreographed and the intermixing of live-action with CGI was relatively seamless (at least 95% of the time).

As for the drama unfolding within the story, most of it was gleamed from Geoff Johns’ superior retelling of Green Lantern’s origin during a comic book story arc known as Secret Origin. The movie does an admirable job of conveying the inner turmoil that had consumed Hal for much of his life. Plus, the scenes shared between Hal and Carol were very nice moments that offered a quiet respite from the more sci-fi oriented aspects of the story.

Now, I will admit that there were parts of the film that didn’t work as well as they should have. Chief among these issues is the handling of the film’s primary villain, Parallax.

For the most part, I didn’t mind the film’s take on Parallax, because in the comics he’s never really been given an origin tale. So, the fact that the writers, with the blessing of Geoff Johns (who served as a consultant on the film), combined the Parallax character with a fallen Guardian, although not canon, it did make sense to me.

Of course, some may cry foul at that departure from the comics, but for me it wasn’t much of an issue. The bigger problem with the character was in his appearance.

Never has Parallax appeared in the comics as a cloud-like entity (à la Galactus from “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”). While at various points within the film the character’s face does somewhat resemble his comic book counterpart, more often than not, it looked nothing like him. However, since the goal was apparently to make the character a villain of more substance rather than merely a spirit entity, this departure while not my favorite choice, didn’t ruin the movie, but it did bring it down a little bit.

Some other very minor gripes surround a few of the CGI sequences that appeared more rushed in order to get the film completed on time. And in some instances some of the scenes of Hal on Earth interacting with Carol or various other characters would occasionally feel oddly edited. As if there were bits of information either omitted from earlier in the scene or from elsewhere in the film.

Now, a major issue that some critics are citing with this film is that many of the actors and actresses in this movie are woefully miscast. If you ask me, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

First off, Ryan Reynolds (“The Proposal”) as Hal Jordan turned out to be a spot-on choice for the role. I’ll admit that at first I was skeptical of Ryan’s casting. Reason being was aside from having the proper physical appearance his typically sarcastic demeanor didn’t seem to fit the character. However, aside from a few brief moments early on in the film, Ryan’s trademark sarcasm was kept in check.

I think that in casting Ryan Reynolds DC and Warner Bros. made a wise decision by going with a lead actor that has star power, is young enough to build a franchise around, and has the acting chops to help the audience relate to the character and accept the more outlandish aspects of the material. Personally, I think that Ryan was a great choice in the end, and despite my misgivings early on, he ultimately wound up impressing me in the role.

Alongside Ryan as Carol Ferris, a love interest for Hal, is actress Blake Lively (“The Town”). Blake is yet another casting choice that many took issue with by saying that she never convincingly conveys the authority her character possesses and that she lacks any true acting ability.

Again, I disagree as I felt that Blake was very good as Carol. She brought strength and determination to the role. And, any perceived limitations with her character are due to the fact that her role wasn’t as fleshed out as Hal’s, but that’s where a sequel can come in to play.

Serving as one of the film’s villains (the one that is flesh and blood) is actor Peter Sarsgaard (“Flightplan”) as Hector Hammond. In the comics Hector has always been very creepy and stalker-ish towards women, and as odd as this is to say, Peter really nailed this aspect of the character perfectly.

As Hector, Peter played the part in two distinct ways. The first was as a very meek and subservient individual, who was always too weak to speak out or defend himself or his ideas. Then after his chance encounter with Parallax he embraces his newfound power and lords it over everyone he can. All the while he is trying to woo Carol Ferris, albeit in the creepiest manner possible.

Now, a big gripe by many a critic, and even some comic book fans, is that the various alien members of the Green Lantern Corps show up as little more than over-glorified cameos. Honestly, this to me made sense given that this film was about Hal Jordan’s journey to become a Green Lantern, and not the collective Corps at large. However, Warner Bros.’ marketing department (whether instructed to or not) showcased the various other members of the Corps to such a degree that most expected to see a lot more of them in the movie.

However, what’s done is done, and despite their cameo status, the various alien members of the Corps that were featured were all terrific adaptations of their comic book counterparts. Whether they were completely computer generated (for example Tomar-Re and Kilowog) or an actor with heavy amounts of make-up and prosthetics applied (Sinestro), each were convincing, living breathing versions of some of the more renowned members of the Corps come to life.

Comprising the main three members we are introduced to in the film are three very talented actors. First is Mark Strong (“Robin Hood”) as Sinestro, one of the leading and most revered members of the Corps. Mark perfectly conveyed Sinestro’s contempt for new recruits into the Corps. Plus, showcasing his indomitable inner strength and determination to be the best there is at what he does is Sinestro through and through.

Along with Mark Strong, are actors Geoffrey Rush (“The King’s Speech”) and Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile”) providing the voices for Tomar-Re and Kilowog respectively. Both Geoffrey and Michael were spot-on in their vocal renditions of the characters, especially Michael whose booming bass voice perfectly complimented Kilowog’s impressive stature.

Well, I suppose I’ve gone on about this movie long enough, and so I leave you with one last thought: despite what most of the critics have said about the film, “Green Lantern” is truly an entertaining piece of summer superhero movie fun and is easy to follow and understand even if you’re not familiar with the character.

Not to mention, those aforementioned critics, most of them admit they’ve never read the comic book on which this film is based. Which is obvious given that much of their complaining is in regards to aspects of the film that are completely accurate to the source material. So, in that respect, I wouldn’t put too much stock in their opinions of this movie.

“Green Lantern” is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

X-Men: First Class

Eleven years ago 20th Century Fox and director Bryan Singer introduced the world at large to the idea of mutants living among us with the box office smash “X-Men”. Following that success a couple of years later with “X2: X-Men United”, which was an even bigger blockbuster and an even better movie. However, when Bryan Singer left the franchise to direct “Superman Returns”, some would argue the franchise lost its way with the likes of the critically maligned “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”.

Personally, I enjoyed both of those films (as did many audiences based on their box office receipts), although I do recognize their flaws. To those critics and even some fans that were displeased with the aforementioned last two installment into the franchise, a new entry has come along to right those proverbial wrongs. That film is the critically acclaimed “X-Men: First Class” from director Matthew Vaughn (“Layer Cake”), with Bryan Singer serving as a producer this time around.

“X-Men: First Class” explores the friendship between Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). Set in the early 1960’s, the two one-time friends and veritable leaders of the mutant race, join forces with the CIA to discover and train new mutants in the use of their powers. However, when a dangerous mutant named Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) sets into motion events that could lead to nuclear war; Charles, Erik and their team of mutant recruits must band together to save mankind.

When this film was initially announced I was excited because at the time Bryan Singer was attached to direct. However, shortly thereafter Singer was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and eventually director Matthew Vaughn was hired to take over the reins.

It was upon this revelation that my excitement for the prequel began to wane because Matthew Vaughn had already balked at the chance to direct an X-Men feature with “X-Men: The Last Stand”. Thus, my confidence in him wasn’t exactly solid. That was before I watched his surprisingly entertaining, tongue planted firmly in cheek, comic book adaptation “Kick-@$$”.

After seeing the aforementioned film, my concern for the X-Men franchise was quickly dissipating. My thought was so long as Matthew Vaughn, and company, remained relatively faithful to the material, plus made every attempt possible to ensure this is the best in the series; then the future of the franchise would be in good hands.

So, let me say that I for one can attest that “X-Men: First Class” not only delivered the goods, but surpassed almost every one of my expectations. If you are one of the fans or critics or general moviegoers that were disappointed to some degree with any of the previous films, then this movie should easily renew your faith in the franchise.

Written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (“Thor”) the story for “X-Men: First Class” is jam-packed with history for not only the franchise, but even some actual world history to boot (albeit with a comic book slant). Not to mention terrific character beats (especially for the primary cast members); plus, taking considerable care to not trample too much upon the continuity that had been established by the previous films in the series.

Admittedly there were some minor contradictions between this film and the rest of the series; however, they can be forgiven or explained away in later sequels. So I digress.

On top of all that the film boasts some very entertaining action and visual effects set pieces that are some of the best this series has ever had to offer. From the scenes of the various young mutants training to harness their abilities to the film’s climactic moments, the visual spectacle on display is well worth the price of admission.

As always the best scripts, action, visual effects, and directors and crew members are all for naught if the cast can’t step up to deliver the goods too. And this cast delivered with great ease and nearly flawless execution.

Leading the cast are two very talented actors: one is the more recognizable James McAvoy (“Wanted”) portraying Charles Xavier, and the other is the soon to be recognizable, due to this role, Michael Fassbender (“300”).

At the onset of this film you can forget some of your preconceived notions for the character of Charles Xavier that you may have gleamed from comics or the movies. Here we are introduced to a version of the character that’s willing to be somewhat ethically loose with his powers. For example, he is not above using his telepathic abilities to hit on women in bars and such.

Now, I understand that some could be turned off by this take on the character in his younger years, and therefore attempt to write off the film in the process. However, actor James McAvoy manages to portray this time in Xavier’s life with such charm and personality that you can’t help but be drawn in by him.

And when the character begins to embrace his destiny as a potential future leader of mutants, McAvoy naturally shifts gears with the character. Over the course of his story arc James begins tempering the more spirited side to Xavier with an over-bearing sense of responsibility and a strong ethical moral code that we all know from the original trilogy.

As for the future Magneto, actor Michael Fassbender portrays this younger Erik Lehnsherr with much more volatility than we’ve ever seen from the character. However, with that temperament, we also see an underlying sadness that is constantly at odds with his intense anger and aggression.

When we see those flashes of sadness come to the surface of Erik, Michael truly excels at playing them off with genuine surprise and bewilderment from the character. Seeing these moments of vulnerability seep into the role was a fresh approach to Erik that we had not seen previously.

Plus, witnessing the transition of Erik from a man consumed by vengeance and lacking any real sense of direction to a man with a mission and purpose in life was extremely satisfying and intriguing to watch.

Separately both James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were great, but their shared scenes are simply excellent. The natural rapport the two share onscreen perfectly conveys the brotherly relationship the characters once shared in the comics.

Honestly, if the Academy was willing to take a chance on another comic book property for a potential award nomination (beyond the visual and sound effects categories), then this film and its two lead actors could easily snag a nod. Of course, this most likely will not happen, but the fact that they could be considered worthy is a testament to the quality of this movie.

Alongside the two leads are a plethora of actors and actresses delivering very solid turns, even if their characters aren’t given as much to do as the aforementioned. The two biggest standouts from the supporting cast of young mutants are Mystique and Beast, played by Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone”) and Nicholas Hoult (“Clash of the Titans”).

These two young talents deliver strong performances, and provide a different perspective on the events of the film than that of the leads. For me, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the movie spent as much time as it did showcasing the viewpoint of the “students”; especially, since the driving force of the film was the early years of Charles and Erik.

On the villainous side of things, we have Kevin Bacon (“Hollow Man”) and January Jones (TV’s “Mad Men”), portraying Sebastian Shaw and his femme fatale, Emma Frost respectively.

Between the two, Kevin gave the stronger performance, not to mention having more to do within the story. His portrayal of Sebastian Shaw was an interesting blend of a charismatic, suave, and sophisticated business man, mixed with a cold and calculating killer, devoid of any vestige of humanity.

To his credit, Kevin could have played the role over-the-top, which seems to be the temptation for so many actors when playing characters with a clear messiah complex, but he didn’t. Instead, he opted to play things more subdued and both the character and the film benefited.

Now, a moment ago, when I said that Kevin’s performance was the stronger of the two, that wasn’t to say that January Jones didn’t deliver on her end. On the contrary, January did a good job portraying Emma, a character whose beauty belies the cold-hearted mutant she truly is.

Some have complained that January seemed too emotionless and detached, but that’s the way her character should be, so her portrayal would be accurate. It’s just so many times critics aren’t aware of the source material (I know I’m guilty of this too), and judge based solely on what they see whether that’s the way the character is supposed to be or not.

So, in the end, with all the terrific performances, excellent storytelling, and great visual effects and action sequences, “X-Men: First Class” is an outstanding movie! Serving as a perfect introduction to those who may be unfamiliar with the film franchise or its comic book source material, but also providing longtime fans another excellent entry into the franchise that easily erases any ill-will garnered from the last two installments.

“X-Men: First Class” is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

Thor

The summer of 2011 could easily be known as “The Summer of Heroes” (especially superheroes) with the likes of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “X-Men: First Class” gracing the silver screen. But before any of those heroes made their triumphant arrival in theaters, the summer was kicked off to the thunderous release of the box office hit, “Thor”.

After an impulsive act of violence jeopardizes the sanctity of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is stripped of his power and banished, by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), to Earth. There he encounters the lovely Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and realizes that there is more to life than glorious battles alongside his fellow Asgardians. With Thor out of the way, his step-brother Loki puts into motion a plan that threatens to destroy all Thor holds dear in Asgard and on Earth. With time running out Thor must prove to be worthy of the power he wielded and once more command the fury of the storm.

Of all the comic book characters that Marvel has either already adapted for feature films or have announced plans to do so, Thor seemed the most audacious as he is hardly one of their most recognizable comic staples to the general public. Not to mention, the choice of Kenneth Branagh, an actor and director known for his Shakespearean background, didn’t seem an ideal fit for bringing the mystical realm of Asgard to life on the big screen.

However, after viewing this outstanding summer blockbuster, I must say that Marvel’s bold choices paid off brilliantly. Not only is Thor fast-becoming a household name, but Kenneth Branagh proved to be a truly inspired choice for director. No doubt thanks to his Shakespearean roots, Branagh successfully envisioned a nearly perfect blend of the fantastic elements of Asgard, with the realism (or hyperrealism) that has been established in Marvel Studios’ previous film releases with which this movie is connected.

Written by the writing duo of Ashley Miller and Zack Stenz (“X-Men: First Class”), alongside Don Payne (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and based on a story from comic book and film scribe J. Michael Stracyznski (“Changeling”) and Mark Protosevich (“I Am Legend”), the story for “Thor” is epic in scope (much larger than most first-attempt comic book adaptations ever dare), featuring incredible action, unforgettable characters, with plenty of drama, intensity, a budding romance, and even some comedy to boot.

Another apparent stroke of genius for this film was the casting, which was spot-on in nearly every instance. Leading the assemblage of characters is relative newcomer (to our shores anyway) Chris Hemsworth as the thunderer himself, Thor. Chris portrays Thor with such bravado, arrogance, and a seemingly unshakable desire for battle that exactly matches his early comic book days.

It is also worth mentioning that upon Thor’s exile to Earth, Chris slowly brings out a softer side to the demoted god of thunder. Naturally conveying Thor’s gradual embracing of humility and an understanding that violence isn’t always the best solution.

With these two distinct sides to the character, we are left with a very well-rounded and believable hero of mythic proportions that feels much more real than I had ever expected.

Alongside, Thor is his step-brother Loki played to absolute perfection by Tom Hiddleston (“The Gathering Storm”). Loki has always been portrayed as a villainous character that went from harmless mischief to ultimately succumbing to his darker side due to his growing contempt for Thor.

In the film, Tom plays Loki as mischievous, but not completely evil (at least not yet). His actions though malicious in nature at times, are laced with an underlying desire for approval from those around him. In my opinion, this more deep-seeded emotional drive behind Loki’s actions allowed for the character to be much more relatable and intriguing to the audience.

Rounding out the primary characters featured in this film is actress Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) as Jane Foster. Some have criticized Natalie’s role as being merely the damsel-in-distress. Or that she portrayed the character as head-over-heels in love with a man she’s barely just met, rather than a mature woman with an infatuation. Personally, I disagree on both counts.

I felt that Natalie’s role was decently fleshed out, albeit not as much as some of the other main characters, but that’s where a sequel can come in handy. After all, this was really Thor’s movie, and it was pivotal to not only this film, but the impending “Avengers” that audiences really come to know and understand him (which seems obvious to me). So, in that regard, some side characters were left slightly short-handed in the story department, but I never felt she was there merely for the damsel role or to be just eye candy.

As for the relationship between Thor and Jane, I felt it was handled naturally as both characters showed they liked each other and that it was merely an infatuation at the moment. Neither played it anything beyond that, as some other critics have stated. As for how Jane acted around Thor; Natalie played her as clearly with a new crush, and it felt very believable. To see the relationship as anything else is reading too much into it at this point.

But I digress. I must mention that there is a plethora of supporting roles in this film, several of which merit a mention, but to do so for each of them would take quite some time. So, let me be succinct by saying that almost every single one of the supporting players delivers great performances.

Each of the supporting cast members brought something different to strengthen the creative process of moviemaking. Plus, in several instances some of them provided brief moments of much-needed levity to break up the intensity and drama unfolding within the story.

Those supporting cast members that are clearly worthy of mentioning due to their importance to the story and/or excellent work in the film are: Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) as Jane’s college assistant Darcy (and a major source of the aforementioned levity), Ray Stevenson (“Punisher: War Zone”) as Volstagg, a member of Asgard’s esteemed Warriors Three, and Idris Elba (“The Losers”) as Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost Bridge.

Lastly, two pivotal roles in the film that don’t receive a ton of screen time, yet were incredibly vital, are the roles of Odin and SHIELD agent Coulson, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) and Clark Gregg (“Iron Man 2”) respectively.

Sir Anthony Hopkins was the ideal choice to play Odin, Thor’s father and Lord of Asgard. Anthony always elevates any project he’s involved in due to his incredible acting prowess, his almost regal demeanor, and the respect that he clearly commands from those around him. For Odin, Anthony brought all of these qualities to bear, and crafted a performance that is worthy of the king of the god-like Asgardians.

Actor Clark Gregg, whose character Agent Coulson, has become a staple of Marvel’s feature films, once again steals almost every scene in which he appears. Clark’s portrayal of Coulson is so entertaining to watch because in one scene he will appear affable and potentially a push-over, but then he will establish himself as an authority figure with a quiet strength to back it up.

It is this dichotomy within Agent Coulson that has allowed this potentially one-dimensional character to have such staying power. Plus, he has grown, developed, and become even more interesting every time we meet him in these films.

Now, beyond having a terrific story, director and cast, the film also boasted some truly spectacular visual effects sequences. From Asgard’s majestic golden spires to the subtly multi-colored Bifrost Bridge (or Rainbow Bridge as it is sometimes referred) to the menacing Frost Giants, every supernatural or fantastical aspect of this film was rendered with such detail and precision that it literally blew away all of my expectations. Every frame looked as if it had been pulled directly from the comic book into amazing reality.

This movie featured Hollywood movie magic at its finest, and the quality on display played a significant role in the believability of the film. Bravo to all involved in the creation of the picture-perfect imagery that blended seamlessly with the live actors and physical sets and backgrounds.

So, if you haven’t figured it out by now, “Thor” is an incredibly entertaining blockbuster film and a terrific way to kick off the summer movie season. Even for those moviegoers that aren’t aware of the particulars for this character, I believe there is still plenty for you to enjoy in this film. This movie is definitely a must-see.

“Thor” is rated PG-13 for violence.