Why Is the ‘Green Lantern’ Movie So Bad? Here’s What We Think

‘Green Lantern‘ was a long-awaited movie that was released in 2011. It is fair to say that the final result was not satisfactory, and this movie arguably became one of the worst movies based on DC Comics characters. We know that even star actor, Ryan Reynolds, is not particularly proud of having this movie as part of his resume, but let’s see why it is all that. Here’s what we think is why the ‘Green Lantern’ movie is so bad.

The ‘Green Lantern’ movie was long-awaited, and everyone behind the project initially had high hopes not only for the success of this movie but for the potential future that comes after it. Eventually, the movie flopped because of many differences among the people in charge of the project, and the movie itself felt rushed, with little to no ‘in-depth’ character development.

That being said, let’s get into more detail about everything that went wrong with this movie. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll pinpoint the crucial mistakes and problems we think the movie had and offer the overall conclusion for its unsuccessful result.

Everything was out of order behind the cameras during the filming of ‘Green Lantern’

Even though this movie was planned for years before its release, things started to unfold only when the producer Greg Berlanti and the writer Marc Guggenheim decided to take things into their own hands. Things might have improved if these two had remained in charge of the movie’s production since they later became known for developing the Arrowverse franchise.

However, that did not happen, as they ultimately left the ‘Green Lantern’ project and dedicated themselves to others. Their scenario was redone, and Martin Cambell became the new director. And that’s where the first problems occurred. Clearly, these three talented movie creators had different visions for this project, which could later be felt in the final result.

The movie grossed around $219 million, which was not much considering the production budget was around $200 million. So, if anyone were asking why there was never a sequel, this would be why – Warner Bros did not want to risk another flop among the critics and at the Box Office.

The movie’s storyline was all over the place, and it was because everything that was happening behind the cameras was filled with tension and disagreements. The production was filled with problems. The movie’s director, Martin Cambell, did not particularly agree with the demands the studio had for this movie. Cambell wanted Bradley Cooper as a star actor in this movie, but Warner Bros. hired Ryan Reynolds for the role of Hal Jordan behind Cambell’s back.

That resulted in a toxic workplace environment where Cambell and Reynolds did not like working with each other. And when the main actor is unsatisfied with the movie he’s working on, that becomes apparent in the end. And even though Reynolds did a fine job considering the script and the overall execution of the movie, he was among those who were the target of the movie critics the most afterward.

‘Green Lantern’ failed to kick-start the DCEU

The movie was rushed and crowded, with many important characters for the overall Green Lantern storyline. At least they were important in the comics. They did not get the chance to be what they needed to be in just one movie. We know that Hal Jordan becomes the Green Lantern after Abin Sur, one of the greatest Green Lanterns, is mortally wounded in a battle against a cosmic monster, Parallax.

Abin Sur crashes on Earth and decides that Hal Jordan, a brave test pilot, will be his replacement as Green Lantern. And, of course, what should’ve happened was that we follow Hal’s transformation from being an ordinary human to becoming one of the most powerful heroes in the cosmos and the ultimate savior of the world. At least, that’s how origin stories usually go, and they are almost always accepted rather well.

‘Green Lantern’ fails to do that because many of the scenes were either rushed or completely cut off from the movie, which makes us believe that they were either concerned about the movie being too long or simply trying to save money. Either way, when it comes to origins stories, it is important not to rush anything because a detailed introduction of a central character is important for the audience and their ability to connect with the character in the long run.

The movie was forgettable and nothing special because it offered nothing new or special. It was predictable and filled with cliche dialogues and revelations, and the characters that could lift the movie to the other level were provided with insufficient screen time. For example, in his brief screen time, Dr. Hector Hammond provided more potential to be the more dangerous villain than Parallax, and it is a shame they did not go in that direction with the storyline.

Overall, the main idea behind the movie was not bad. But, somewhere along the line, the team behind the movie developed too many differences, resulting in the final result being rushed, maybe even with a ‘let’s just get this over’ attitude. Superhero fans are sensitive about that kind of thing, especially when you know what kind of potential characters have.

And if we keep in mind that this movie was initially supposed to kick start the whole DCEU, and the plan was that Green Lantern would be a part of Justice League alongside Batman, Superman, and others, the fact that the movie flopped stings even more.

What did you think about the ‘Green Lantern’ movie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!