Movie · 2011 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 1h 54m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.1/10 (625.8K ratings)
In brightest day. In blackest night.
Overview
For centuries, a small but powerful force of warriors called the Green Lantern Corps has sworn to keep intergalactic order. Each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. 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 the first human ever recruited.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.1/10
IMDb: 5.5/10
Letterboxd: 1.60/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 25%
Metacritic: 39
TMDB: 5.2/10
Director
Martin Campbell
Production
De Line Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, DC
Cast
Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett, Taika Waititi, Temuera Morrison, Michael Clarke Duncan, Geoffrey Rush, Clancy Brown, Jay O. Sanders, Gattlin Griffith, Jenna Craig, Jon Tenney, Mike Doyle, Nick Jandl, Dylan James, Leanne Cochran, Amy Carlson
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, effects-heavy superhero origin story that never finds a convincing tone or momentum. The cast has moments, and the premise has real comic-book appeal, but the film feels overcut, undercooked, and surprisingly flat for a story about cosmic power.
Best for
completionists working through every major superhero movie
viewers curious about early-2010s studio comic-book misfires
fans who enjoy campy, uneven blockbusters for curiosity value
Skip if
you want a tight or emotionally engaging origin story
you are looking for strong world-building and payoff
you are sensitive to thin plotting, rushed pacing, or obvious studio interference
Overview
Green Lantern is a case study in how a big, imaginative comic-book premise can collapse under generic execution. The Corps, the ring, and the interstellar mythology all suggest something wild and expansive, but the movie keeps sanding off the weirdness instead of embracing it. What remains is a standard origin narrative with too much exposition and too little wonder.
Worth noting
Ryan Reynolds is reasonably charismatic, and Peter Sarsgaard clearly understands the assignment, but the film never gives its performers enough shape to overcome the script’s blandness. The visual effects were meant to sell a universe; instead, they often make the movie feel oddly weightless and unfinished. The result is less a disaster than a missed opportunity, which may be why it’s so frustrating.
Bottom line
There are occasional signs of a better movie hiding inside it, especially in the more absurd comic-book elements. But the final cut feels cautious where it should be exuberant, and hurried where it should be mythic. For most viewers, this is one to admire as a cautionary example rather than seek out for pleasure.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Painkiller Jaime (1.5★) · 1615 likes
If I had a ring that was powered by disappointment I'd be pretty dangerous right now.
DirkH (1.5★) · 1430 likes
This film is like the sneeze that doesn't happen. It uncomfortably promises glorious release which never comes.
And afterwards you realize you looked incredibly stupid during the whole affair.
Matt Singer (1.5★) · 846 likes
Peter Sarsgaard with a giant testicle growing out of his forehead is my spirit animal.
Josh Lewis (2★) · 775 likes
Honestly, in retrospect, probably one of the stronger Ryan Reynolds movies.
Dakota Joaquin (3★) · 467 likes
I know it’s fun to hate on this movie, but I’ll go out and say this isn’t as bad as everyone says it is.
Maybe the Marvel fatigue has clouded my judgment, but in retrospect, it really is nice to see a classic superhero origin story with (for its time) good visual effects, a charismatic lead performance (we do not appreciate how solid of a casting Ryan Reynolds was as Hal Jordan), and really cool casting for the primary antagonist… more
2004 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 7m · PG-13 · Curator 8.2/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads
A superhero film that understands character conflict, emotional stakes, and action as extension of personality.