Green Lantern for Beginners

He’s fresh on celluloid. He’s been metaphorically bashed to the floor by a figurative green fisted punch due to an under developed CGI trailer.  Yet the latest trailer leaks are making us all excited.  So here is an introduction to the latest Ryan Reynolds film- The Green Lantern.

We know the name.  We kind of know he uses a ring to make stuff appear, he hits people with it.  And we know the comic is run by DC- the People who brought us Batman and Superman.  But do we know the Green Lantern?

Here are the basics you should know and what you should expect to see in your over priced chairs this summer:

• The first thing you need to know is that the Green Lantern is not your basic super hero flick.  It’s a space opera.  Think Star Wars but with only one protagonist.
  
  
• CGI is crucial in this film.  Naysayers may leave their coats at the door.  Everything from the landscapes to the costume on Ryan Reynolds back is entirely digitalised.
  
  
• The Green Lantern gets his power from.... a green lantern.  Very creative as you can tell!  But the story behind the lantern varies from each incarnation of the comics.
  
  
• The green lantern, and the ring are what grants him the powers of greenness.  (Eat your heart out Green Party).  Aliens from the planet Oa choose the ring bearers from a committee in space.
  
  
• Hal Jordan is the Lanterns alter-ego.  He derives from the silver age of the comics history.  Like so many complicated comics there are several versions of Hal.
  
  
• Version one: Mighty fine specimen Hal who was chosen to wear the ring for his integrity and wholesomeness.
  
  
• Version two: Right place right time Hal who was chosen as he happened to be the closest to a dying alien of the Lantern Corps .  This version is an imperfect air pilot who has more tints in his armour than Iron Man.  Expect this version in the film.
  
  
• The Super Villain is a bloke called Hector Hammond. (no relation to the Top Gear presenter).  Who funnily enough has no alter ego.  He’s transformed into a big headed person from over exposure from meteorite radiation (it may change somehow in the film to something a little less... lame).
   
  
• This will be later replaced by the ever more menacing (SPOILER) Sinestro.  Who should lay out the sequel bringing in the ‘yellow lanterns’.  Yep, menacing!
  
  
• Finally the love interest is Carol Ferris.  Who may have a meaningful element to the plot in terms of the lanterns origins.  Or she may just be used for a love interest.

Expect lots of epicness but don’t expect anything you might be familiar with.

Also, I’m fresh to the DC universe myself.  This is just a collection of information I could gather late at night to understand what we can expect this summer.  Expect it to hit hard and fast and leave traces of blinding green light behind. 

All new and improved trailer here

Missed any essentail details out? Thoughts below!

Ben Doran