In brightest day... In Blackest Night... Green Lantern 2010

Now, making it totally separate from the Nolan and MoS movies, to me, seems like an extremely good move. Take a different route. Excellent idea. Didn't like those at all. All flash, no heart.

 

I've got all the Green Lantern stories after Rebirth to Emerald Eclipse, I'm waiting for paperback for Blackest Night too. Probably going to get them at Christmas so I can get them all at once.

I would love to see Nolan Christian Bale Batman meeting Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern, that would... that would be interesting.

I think the best way to handle showing the Lanterns doing their day to day work would be using it as a way to train Kyle or John Stewart. Hal or some other member takes them out, fights some alien criminals or warlords, then they get called back to Oa to deal with a galactic threat.

 

Nolan's Batman meeting up with this GL would actually end up exactly like the comics. Bruce would be skeptical about this green glowbug, and he'd probably sock him in the mouth.

I could see it working.

Even in comics now, we only take for granted that Hal and Bruce share a universe because that's been established since the 60s. The tone of Gotham City and Batman when Grant Morrison isn't writing him is totally outside what GL's world is. And yet the two can meet in Justice League. Because Batman generally doesn't deal with aliens and what not.

I'd love to see a shared universe approach. Just without all the attempts to tie them together into a team in each film like the use of SHIELD and Nick Fury in the Marvel flicks.

If we could get some reference to Metropolis in TDKR, and something about Coast City in MOS, and then something hinting about the New Gods in a GL sequel we could easily draw together a Justice League film that pits the heroes against Darkseid.

With GL throwing down on Parallax and Superman set to clash with Zod, you're going to need something BIG to justify the Justice League and Starro won't cut it. It'd have to be Mongol and Warworld or Darkseid and Apokolips. "Crisis" type stuff.

I would, frankly, love to see Nolan's Batman in that situation and him just being completely flumoxed by it all. He's always been the odd man out in the JLA. Even Aquaman is more relevant that Batman because he's got superpowers. Bruce is largely just the man with the plan.

 

Pretty much what I'd do as well. Either Star Sapphires or Atrocitus and his gang would work.

 

The only reason I would use the Star Sapphires rather than the Red Lanterns is that we already have Carol as a character. If she's going to be a major part of the sequels getting her into the violet light is the best way to make her useful and interesting. Though I would LOVE to see a live action Red Lantern Corps with a live action Dex-Starr. That would just be amazing.

 

The "GREEN LANTERN" was a solid and entertaining movie. But it was not the best comic book hero movie I have ever seen. I think the critics went too far in their bashing of it (which is not surprising). The critics always go too far, one way or the other.

 

It looks good.

 

While I enjoyed the movie, the box office future is looking pretty dim. If, by chance, the late release in some international markets in August helps to garner it a bit more money to put it into sequel territory(from what I've heard it's in the neighborhood of $325 million) I'll be happy. Plus the addition of the Bruce Timm helmed Green Lantern: The Animated Series this fall, signs point to WB looking to make GL it's new ongoing franchise. It's a safe bet the studio will be getting about $1 billion in box office revenues from Harry Potter as it always does, The Dark Night Rises could well go into that range if it hits like The Dark Knight did, and Man Of Steel could be a big hit. If GL:TAS, which is taking the space opera approach from what info I've seen, ends up a critical and ratings hit, possibly roping an Emmy, that could be enough to get GL2 in theaters and done in the way it really needs to be done. Which means there needs to be some amalgam of Emerald Dawn II where Hal discovers Sinestro is a dictator on Korugar and the Sinestro Corps War(and they'll probably have to get into that because they can't approach the story like a GL3 is a guarantee).

All our GL hopes may now rest here:

[image=http://www.impawards.com/tv/posters/green_lantern_the_animated_series.jpg]

 

Frankly, Bruce Timm is the only reason this might make a successful franchise. The man is well established with the best superhero cartoons period, the direct to dvds have all been good if not great or fantastic (Under the Red Hood and New Frontier are my top two). Add in that Ryan Reynolds and the majority of the cast were great and the CGI was fine and you only come away with the issue of the script and the villains being poor. Easy fixes for a sequel. And this movie WILL get a sequel. It won't bring in the money the studio hoped for, but it will be enough to justify another just like Superman Returns. The difference is there is no need to reboot. They just need to enhance the film. The hard part is done. The origin is over with. Now they can take some great stories, adapt them to the film and let the cast actually act. Give Mark Strong about 50% of screen time next round. Allow the other lanterns to fight. And they should be in great shape.

 

They may have to pull out all the stops for GL2, which is one of my fears. If they do that, what's to say it won't end up just as rushed in places? Are they going to be able to take the time to establish Sinestro as Hal's archnemesis in his own right or will they jump head long into the Sinestro Corps?

Honestly, if budget becomes a concern, and I don't doubt it will.... maybe they will step away from the overwhelming CGI. The suits I think they have to keep, but they could go practical for certain things. Otherworldly sets. The Guardians. Kilowog. Tomar-Re. All of that could easily be animatronics.

 

I could see them doing an 'Incredible Hulk' making the next movie officially a reboot but expecting everyone to know the origin story that was in the last movie and moving straight into the plot. I will say they'll likely do a Sinestro Corps War story next knowing that would get the most buzz and bucks.

If they do a sequel though, they CAN'T, I repeat, CAN'T recast Sinestro. Mark Strong owned that role. Anyone else being replaced I could live with but not him.

But the animated series will probably be the best bet for seeing a Sinestro Corps War and War of Light done right. I mean it's Bruce freaking Timm. He can take all season building up to the War and do all the next doing it. That almost sounds better than a 2 hour live action movie, almost.

 

I thought Reynolds was good as Hal. I'm none too keen on re-casting characters mid-franchise. I have zero anticipation for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man specifically because of this.

The Incredible Hulk is a bit different IMO, primarily because the rights reverted to Marvel. But I'm hoping Bruce Banner does not factor into the Avengers because I'm not stoked on the recast for that.

Besides, there's literally no need to recast GL because there are 3 other human GLs they could use. Seems odd to keep the main villain the same and not the hero too.

I kind of hope some word of mouth from people who aren't so over the top in their hate of the film gets around that it's not nearly as bad as some would have you believe, it makes a bit more money overseas and GL:TAS is a huge hit. Paving the way for the sequel with Sinestro and his yellow ring.

 

I think WB is very reluctant to give up on GL. They know it's got tons of potential, and they've put a lot of eggs in that basket.

 

Yeah, all the money they put into the movie they know they can't get back unless they make it a successful franchise. They either call it quits and lose millions of dollars or keep going and hope the next movies are massive hits so they can make a profit.

I don't want any of the cast replaced either, but I could deal with anyone but Sinestro being recast. Ryan Reynolds was a very good Hal Jordan, I think most of the criticism of his portrayal was due to the critics not knowing anything about Green Lantern and not knowing that's how Hal acts. Instead they just assumed Ryan Reynolds was just playing himself in space.

 

You know, a forgotten route to take with the sequel as a means of avoiding a rush into the Sinestro Corps and the frankly hokey Star Sapphires, is to use the Manhunters. Killer robots that the Guardians unwittingly unleashed upon the universe? Hal, Sinestro and Kilowog kicking their hides? In space? Made of win. Especially if they can then set up a climactic battle between Hal and Sinestro on Korugar for the end, which would set up the Sinestro Corps War for film 3.

And I still think GL:TAS' success or failure will also be a factor in making a sequel.

 

The only issue I could see with that is what would they be having Blake Lively do during the movie? They are going to want her getting screentime and that would mean more time on Earth. That's why I really want her to get the violet ring quick, as long as Hal's love interest is on Earth the movie will have Hal's time on Earth be the focus. But once she's a Star Sapphire we have no more reason to have any scenes on Earth anymore, everybody of importance will be out in space then.

The only way I could see them bypassing it would be if they introduce John Stewart and have Katma Tui be the leading lady. Or heck they might have Arisia be Hal's love interest for the next movie too. It'll really depend on if Blake Lively will be back, if she is and she's not a star Sapphire I see the movie being on Earth a good 50% of the time.

But the Manhunters would be an interesting villain. The only issue with them would be you really wouldn't have any personality for them. I wish DC had tied their movies together cause a Cyborg Superman leading the Manhunters would work.

 

They could have Sinestro secretly in control of the Manhunters. Or take control of them at some point, since in my vision he'd be going on Hitler on Korugar during all of this anyway.

Carol is a problem for me. She's an ongoing on again off again thing in the comics and they've used her in the first movie, but I don't think that should tie their hands. And frankly, if at least part of the problem with GL's box office performance has been how well people recieved the very idea of a glowing green guy and ultimately it'll be a glowing green guy fighting a glowing yellow guy... I'm not sure a glowing purple girl is going to help.

Even if Carol goes Star Sapphire, aren't most of her stories until very very recently set on Earth anyway? To do that they'd probably have to do the crystal thing in the first place, have it mind control Carol, and make her an angry jilted lover. Then what? Introduce the Zamarons?

There's so much mythology, it's kind of hard to fathom getting all of that in and not just annoying audiences.

Carol Ferris is a real problem.

 

I don't know. The Guardians seem pretty much devoid of credit to me. Especially in Geoff Johns' material. Not only did they try to cover up Parallax and the Manhunters(and their massacre of numerous systems), but they covered up the existence of the entire emotional spectrum, Krona. Nekron. The Blackest Night Prophecy. The situation is so bad for them in comics they are about to be replaced by various members of the various Corps, Kyle Rayner included, in a new book called The New Guardians.

The only Guardians worth a damn are Ganthet and Sayd.

Heck, even if they go with Sinestro and his Corps as the villains for a sequel the Guardians still look like idiots because they made the goram yellow ring for him. Can't even blame the Weaponers of Qward for that one.

 

Yeah I agree completely with you. It'll be interesting to see how they are going to handle her. But I don't think the comic stories are going to tie them down. They can follow the basic premise but change the location and what not to suit the movie.

But I don't think the box office performance is due to the concept of Green Lantern rather than the presentation. No one really knew who Iron Man was but Robert Downy Jr. sold the character so well he turned the movie into a home run. That's what Green Lantern needed, and it didn't get it.

Rather than hide away it's mythos I think that WB should embrace it and run with it.

But that's a problem cause by the end the audience is going to be asking why Hal doesn't take them down. I mean if they are characterized the way they are in the comics I doubt anyone in the audience is going to think they are anything but the villain.

I mean you can't have the chief of police be the badguy for every movie and not have him replaced at the end.

 

In order to redeem the Guardians they'd have to get involved instead of just sit in their citadel. When the ish hits the fan, and something comes along that even the entire GLC can't handle... that's when the Guardians need to come out and use their powers. Even in First Flight they look like dweebs, and get pwned by Sinestro and his yellow power battery Death Star thing.

The best thing they've done in Johns' run is leave Oa and go toe to toe with the Anti-Monitor in the Sinestro Corps War. And for Ganthet and Sayd to leave and start the Blue Lanterns. Or when Ganthet came back him stepping down as a Guardian and becoming the GL of Sector 000.

 

Yeah I loved the Guardians vs. Anti-Monitor moment. The issue in the movies will be that by the end the audience will hate them as much as people hate the Council in Mass Effect. The Guardians need to do something really heroic to get any sympathy points with the audience. Having them go toe to toe with some Anti-Monitor type threat would be good. Another scene from the Sinestro Corps War I loved was that one Guardian allowing himself to die to take Superboy-Prime down with him, do something like that too.

But whatever they do they need to establish which Guardian was Ganthet, in the movie it seemed like we didn't know who any of them were.

Another thing I'm wondering, in the Sinestro Corps War one of the big things was allowing the Green Lanterns to use lethal force. But are they already allowed to use lethal force in the movie? I mean Hal's ring let him punch Kronalax into the sun, pretty sure that's lethal force.

 

Well.... if Hal didn't throw the punch with his intention being "this punch is going to kill Kronallax" then it wouldn't be stopped. When Boodika tried to kill Raynerllax in Sinestro Corps War she was intending to kill him, so her ring shut off. Hal just slugged Kronallax and as a result he got sucked into the sun. And even then, are we certain that its actually dead? I mean, it's a Parallax possessed Krona. A Parallax possessed Hal had a perfectly preserved body come out the sun.

I'd prefer Parallax not be dead, I just don't want him looking like smoke anymore.