Green Lantern is an unknown quantity to most of us, without years of pop-culture osmosis and numerous previous big screen versions to get us familiar with the Guardians of the Universe or the Planet Oa and the Green Lantern Corps.

Ryan Reynolds is the most recognisable element of DC’s latest blockbuster and the question you need to ask yourselves as the Blu-ray sits on the shelf opposite you is ‘What sets this superhero movie apart from the countless others?’.

Reynolds is Hal Jordan, a seemingly reckless test pilot who is recruited by an intergalactic protection force just as their most dangerous enemy has escaped. Jordan accepts the Green Lantern Corps ring and is flung through space to the planet of Oa, the home of the Corps to train and become one of the universe’s peace keepers. As he begins to understand his responsibility and powers he is overawed and, facing doubts from other members of the Corps, returns to Earth to face another, far more familiar, enemy.

It’s a basic plot, and each character fits nicely into their assigned point in the narrative. Reynolds has a lot of fun with the role as does Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond as Jordan’s friend who lets his jealous (and an alien force) go to his head. For a superhero story that is virtually limitless in its scope this is a decidedly earthbound tale, necessitated perhaps by the anchoring nature of an origin story but director Martin Campbell moves us quickly through the narrative without every letting us enjoy the world we’re in. There is nothing in the way of surprises here, and while it’s a fairly competent and good-looking blockbuster it’s a shallow first look at a world which promised a lot more.

The Blu-ray boasts an extended edition which appears to consist of the entire opening scene involving the young Hal Jordan witnessing his father’s plane crash pasted on to the beginning of the film. It’s a slow start to the film, and looks very odd when the flashbacks to the scene are bizarrely kept in the extended edition and appear twice in relatively quick succession.

There is a rich universe to explore here, one that is not given its due in this film as it becomes a collection of narrative short cuts and superhero clichés stitched together with some CGI. The heart of the problem is a lazy script (a choice example is Kilowog who has never seen a human but refers to an introductory training session as ‘Ring-Slinging 101′), but it doesn’t weigh the story down, just add an air of disregard which is a shame. Mark Strong is, naturally, excellent as Sinestro and it’s hopeful that if a sequel rears its head then he’ll play a larger role.

I have no problem with an unoriginal premise – this is an origin story and they must all take on the elements of responsibility and maturation to varying degrees, where Green Lantern falls short is be teasing us with a thin surface of a far richer world and lurching from plot point to plot point in a mad rush to introduce the world before the sequel (already being developed despite the generally unfavourable reception of this film) tells the more interesting story.

There’s some great CGI with the Parallax attack on the city and the attacks generated with the all important ring being highlights,  though Oa suffers from the same lack of majesty that Asgard suffered from, and Reynolds is a fun Hal Jordan and it never takes itself to seriously. There’s a certain chemistry between Reynolds, Lively and Sarsgaard it’s hard to care when everything is played out with a strangely uneven tone and a lack of spark and wit which brought Thor and Iron Man to the big screen with such success.

**~~~ (2/5)

Special Features:

There’s a solid line-up of extras on the disc, with some excellent behind the scenes, pre-CG, footage as well as the (necesary for most) accompanying material which sets out the vast background and history to the character and this world. In truth watching all of this material throws the finished film into sharp relief and I came away feeling that more could have been done to make this an exceptional comic book movie, something which the sequel will hopefully fulfill should it be made. It’s well put together and as a package the Green Lantern experience feels more complete with these extras and your appreciation for the world may increase, as may your frustration that Martin Campbell’s film aimed high but unfortunately missed its target.

• MMM: Green Lantern’s Light (Focus Pods and PiP)
- Focus Pods:
The Art of Green Lantern
Weapons Hot: The U.C.A.V. Dog Fight
Reinventing the Superhero Costume
Ring Slinging 101
We Are the Corps
Acting Under 10 Pounds of Silicone
Guardians Revealed
When Parallax Attacks
• The Universe According to Green Lantern
• Ryan Reynolds Becomes The Green Lantern
• Deleted Scenes
• Justice League #1 Digital Comic
• Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series

**½~~ (2.5/5)

Green Lantern is out on Blu-ray and DVD today.

Beginning with a large chuck of inaudible exposition and a digitally-rendered landscape and trio of characters that even George Lucas would criticise for looking too much like an Xbox game, we’re plunged into the world of the Green Lantern Corps – a collective of peacekeepers from around the galaxy who are having to contend with a new and formidable enemy called Parallax. When one of the Corps’ most revered warriors, Abin Sur, is mortally wounded by their evil cloud-like foe, he navigates an escape pod to the nearest planet (guess which one?).

Upon arrival on Earth, his magic ring (from which the Green Lantern obtain their powers) acts as an intergalactic Sat Nav and sources the nearest human replacement who is worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the defenders of the universe. Enter cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) who, underneath his overconfident exterior, and haunted by the tragic death of his pilot father he witnessed as a child (cue unnecessary and thoroughly clichéd flashback), struggles with the necessary courage and fearless attitude needed to make a name for himself within the Corps.

Will he be able to rise to the occasion and win back the love of childhood sweetheart and fellow pilot, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) whilst saving mankind from Parallax and its twisted human host, Professor Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard)?

It takes a real skill and surefootedness in making sure all the elements are present and correct in a origin story, and as Green Lantern is part of the second tier of characters in the DC canon, it’s fair to say that it’s already handicapped to a certain extent as more ground needs to be covered than that of the worlds of Superman and Batman. While a similar property like Iron Man (from competitors Marvel) may have its flaws, it was still able to tell the birth of its hero with a flare and pace which is sadly lacking here.

Even director Martin Campbell, who has previously tackled the beginnings of two icon fantasy characters with favourable results (The Mask of Zorro and Casino Royale), and is usually more than reliable when it comes the shooting and framing of action scenes, seems adrift as the CGI overload threatens (literally at one point) to engulf the screen.

With a reported $8 million spent by the studio to further enhance the effects work in the later stages of post-production, quite where that money has gone is anyone’s guess.The wise Guardians of the Lantern’s universe (who are perched upon steep rock thrones atop of a huge platform) look like mid-90’s digital work. This may have been forgiveable (last month’s X-Men reboot had its fair share of clunky CGI) if attention had been paid to character and plot, but that too is severely in need of a polish.

The cast too, are a mixed bunch. Considering that the makers have assembled a strong  supporting cast, there’s some hit and miss performances here. Lively is ok, but it’s another big screen role which only offers a glimpse of that real star potential she clearly possess. Sarsgaard fares less well, and in a role which would have been enthusiastically offered to John Malkovich 20 years ago, his mad scientist routine is very one note, but this is probably due more to the script’s shortcomings. A parallel between his and Reynolds’ transformations is vaguely referenced visually towards the beginning and there’s even a hint of a possible past love triangle between the three leads (remember, this is a comic book adaptation, so it’s required that the hero, villain and heroine share some kind of emotional connection), but all this is rather worthless when no back story has been properly established, or any kind of character motivation is formed. Sarsgaard has a strained relationship with his senator father (Tim Robbins, unintentionally repeating his turn of ‘American President’ in the second Austin Powers film) and that’s about it really.

Mark Strong is good as Lantern spokesperson Sinestro (appearance-wise, think a beetroot-coloured Spock) and he has a quiet authority and gravitas. It’s just a shame that his world is skimmed over in favour of the duller, earth-bound exploits (something which Thor managed to juggle much more successfully). Jordan’s time on Oa (the Lantern’s planet base) is mercifully short, and the training he receives by members Kilowog and Tomar-Re (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan and Geoffrey Rush, respectively) barely amounts to a couple of minutes of screen time. This is another big problem with the film. It really struggles to cover the two worlds which it has set up, and events and important plot points are skimmed over and given little time to unfold. There appears to be a large chuck of narrative missing in some cases, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the DVD included cut scenes which almost amounted to the same running time of the film.

Despite all of this, Green Lantern still remains just about watchable, largely due to Reynolds. Like Downey Jr. before him, he’s able to ground the film for an audience, and his main strengths are in dealing with and acknowledging the inherent ridiculousness of his situation. Heaven knows how much worse it may have been if they had cast someone who didn’t possess that lightness of touch the material needed. At one point, he even jokingly channels Christian Bales’ Batman growl in a humorous scene which riffs on the ridiculousness of a Superman-like ‘secret’ identity. The ring can conjure up a tangible representation of anything which the wearer creates in his mind, and this also makes for some entertaining and imaginative moments, particularly one where Jordan references an image of a children’s toy he’s seen earlier, and saves the day. If only the rest of the film was as much fun.

Not quite the mammoth disaster that some are labelling it, nevertheless, Green Lantern is a big disappointment and has to rely constantly on its star to make things work and compensate for a weak script and a director who is clearly ill at ease with CGI. Reynolds should use that magic ring of his to summon up a new agent who is capable of finding him a big-screen role (and potential franchise) worthy of his talents

**~~~ (2/5)

Here’s something a little different for a Thursday evening! We’ve intercepted this brand new audio from what seems to be another galaxy!

In the audio, we can hear Parallax coming at us from every angle in this rather nice 3d audio viral to promote Green Lantern. If you have headphones, make sure you wear them to experience this best.

Green Lantern is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison , Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.

It’s released in the UK 17th June.

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors 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 their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively ), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Check out the sites which have been used to promote the movie’s marketing campaign here and here.

Green Lantern – Binaural Audio by heyuguysblog

We’ve all seen the array of varying Green Lantern trailers released online, but we now have a never-before-seen clip with Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan gets put through his paces by Michael Clarke Duncan’s ‘Kilowog’; the drill sergeant of the Green Lantern core.

It’s interesting to see how the film’s heavily CGI’d scenes play out with Reynolds as the only human presence, with previous fears that it would lack a connection with the audience; but we’re pretty happy with what we’ve seen now.  Check out the clip to see Michael Clark Duncan discuss his role in the Green Lantern on Attack Of Show…we tried our honest best to not picture him as John Coffey (it was difficult).

The Green Lantern hits cinemas in the UK on the 17th June and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan and Tim Robbins.

Following the lead by Paramount and their new 3d trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Warner Bros. have now released a 3d trailer for their new movie, Green Lantern. The trailer here comes from Yahoo and is in 2d for viewing on standard computer screens but will air in 3d at capable cinemas.

Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.

It’s directed by Martin Campbell and is scheduled for release in the UK 17th June.

This new trailer gives a great insight into what the Green Lantern is all about and what we can expect for newbies who may not be familiar with the comic books (that would be me then!)

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors 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 their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

 

Warner Bros. have released another poster for Green Lantern which now must surely mean they have released more posters for an individual movie than any other studio ever! Seriously have a look at this link showing you all our Green Lantern coverage and you’ll see what I mean (and we haven’t posted all of them!). I have chosen to put this one up however and it’s rather nice and gives us a good look at Abin Sur played by Temuera Morrison.

Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.

It’s directed by Martin Campbell and is scheduled for release in the UK 17th June.

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors 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 their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Source: Facebook

Green Lantern seems to have done itself the world of good with its more recent publicity output, allaying fears that it was too light-hearted, too flimsy to compete with the summer’s other big comic book releases.

The recent trailer has succeeded in putting out of our minds the inherent silliness that seemed to be bedevilling the earlier clips and now we have a suitably serious and iconic banner for the film, showing the veritable army of ring-wielding heroes to be presented to us in all their CG-augmented glory, come June 17th.

I am happy to admit that I have changed my tune on this one. It had all looked a little ridiculous earlier in the year, but it now seems to be coming together nicely. I guess it goes to show that a studio hurrying to put out publicity material that is less than fully-formed can do more harm than good.

Enjoy the banner below, courtesy of Coming Soon and let us know in the comments whether you’re convert to Green Lantern or not.

Film and comic book fans – prepare for one of your “brightest days” of recent times. Footage for the Green Lantern has appeared on Entertainment Tonight.

Clocking in at a brief 30 seconds, there’s enough here to get  suitably excited about. Nice to see that the makers have retained Ryan Reynolds’ trademark humour (whose reactions here to the situation he’s found himself in are key in keeping the character grounded for an audience). The effects may look a little too CGI-y, but the makers obviously have many months yet to refine and amend.

The first full trailer is scheduled to appear before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (released in UK cinemas on 19th November) . Check out the footage below and let us know your thoughts.

Ryan Reynolds (Buried) is the current favourite to star opposite Denzel Washington in thriller Safe House according to Yahoo Movies.

The plot involves the sole survivor of  terrorist attack on a CIA safe house as attempts to transfer a dangerous prisoner (Washington) to a second safe house. The character’s efforts are hindered by violent forces who want both individuals dead.

If cast, Reynolds will have beaten fellow candidates Tom Hardy, Zac Efron, James McAvoy and Shia LaBeouf to the coveted role.

The project, which has Daniel Espinosa attached to direct a script by David Guggenheim, is housed at Universal and will join Reynolds’ list of upcoming projects which currently include Green Lantern, R.I.P.D and Deadpool.

We reported at the beginning of the year on some of Ryan Reynold’s thoughts about his upcoming X-Men spin-off, Deadpool. Since then, much of the Reynolds/superhero focus has been on his turn as The Green Lantern, however Deadpool seems to still be very much on the cards.

There were various reports last month that Robert Rodriguez, who produced Predators recently, has Machete coming out soon and is also working on Spy Kids 4, might direct Deadpool. However all that came out of those “reports” was the usual maelstrom of speculation and denial from fans, the director and 20th Century Fox.

After all that though, The LA Times are reporting here that we might have lift-off after all. Rodriguez and Fox are apparently “negotiating”, which could mean a lot or very little, although the discussions do seem to have moved on from casual chit-chat to a serious consideration of the precise points of any actual deal.

His appearance in Wolverine (at least in the earlier scenes) re-enforced what Reynolds initially showed in Blade: Trinity, namely that he can handle both the action and the comedy elements required for Deadpool, what we don’t yet know is whether he can manage more than just being witty and charismatic in inferior sequels with too many colons in their titles. The Green Lantern will give us something of an answer to that question in due course.

In the meantime, let’s hope Rodriguez can strike a deal with Fox. Rodriguez’s films are always greatly entertaining and he would seem to be a great fit for the action / comedy balance that will likely be required for a Deadpool spin-off.

Good news for fans of The Green Lantern in that THR have reported today that Tim Robbins has signed on to join the cast to play the ‘disapproving father’, Senator Hammond of the badie, Dr. Hector Hammond who is played by Peter Sarsgaard. Robbins joins the movie that has also already cast Ryan Reynolds in the lead role and it’s set for release Summer 2011.

Currently donning the tights for the Green Lantern movie, which is attracting a very interesting cast including Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard, Ryan Reynolds has another comic book turn coming up, and with Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick officially on scripting duties, Deadpool has the talent to make it a fun film.

MTV recently caught up with Reynolds at Sundance where his film Buried garnered some serious praise and a Lionsgate distribution deal into the bargain, and he talked a little on his collaboration with the writing team.

I talk to them every single day…It’s actually a really wonderful creative trifecta — we’re having a very good time.”"Tonally, they got it…They just [understood 'Deadpool'] right off the bat. They’re fans of the character and they were so excited. We couldn’t have done any better [than Reese and Wernick].

There’s a nice little video over at MTV and Reynolds’ own affinity for his character may mean his creative input will greatly affect the writing process, and while no other details on the production side have been confirmed there is hope that the X-Men spin off fares better critically than Wolverine, though the box office takings surprised a lot of people.

For a while there it was looking as if the rumours that Jackie Earle Haley was to be cast as Sinestro in Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern flick were going to be confirmed but today MTV reported that in conversation with Campbell during his Edge of Darkness press duties he confirmed who is actually is in talks to play the character. And it’s a great bit of casting.

Mark Strong has impressed in every role he’s appeared in, and the one-two commercial punch of Sherlock Holmes and Kick-Ass will serve him very well in the future. Apparently in talks to oppose Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan, Strong’s gallery of villains is growing with every movie and soon he will have the monopoly on taking cliched bad guys and elevating them to effective antagonists. His Lord Blackwood was a far more sinister opponent than the Sherlock Holmes script gave him any right to be.

Campbell said to MTV:

“In fact, we’re in negotiations with Mark Strong to play Sinestro.”

“He’s not only a wonderful actor, but he looks like Sinestro,” he added. “If you look up old pictures of Sinestro, he’s very like him. The Jackie Earle Haley thing, somebody told me about it this morning; I had never heard it before in my life.”

Anything that means we’ll means we’ll see more of Strong on screen is a good thing, and if Peter Sarsgaard joins Strong then Green Lantern is going to be one to watch.

One of our readers, James, sent us this brilliant article entitled, ‘What Makes a Good Superhero Film?’ and in the current climate of directors being pulled left right and centre on some of the biggest superhero movie + films like Kick-Ass coming out, there was no better time to post it.We want this post to be interactive so please tell us your thoughts in the comments below and if you completely disagree with James, feel free to say so but back it up with why.

So, to find out the answer to the question, read on……

With the news of yet another superhero re-boot (Spider-Man) and following on from the recent successes of The Dark Knight in particular, as well as Iron Man, it seemed an appropriate time to discuss superhero films in a little more detail. Indeed, with the Green Lantern film in production, Iron Man 2 to come this year and the prospect of more comic-book based films from Marvel building up to the Avengers in 2012, with the possibility of new Batman and Superman films in the next three or four years, this is as good as it has ever been for comic-book fans.

There have been a lot of comic book films since the first major one – Richard Donner’s brilliant “Super-Man The Movie” appropriately enough, given he was the first superhero and the term was inspired by him. Indeed Christopher Nolan, the man behind the success of the last two Batman films, said when he began making “Batman Begins” that one of his biggest inspirations was Donner’s masterpiece with the Man of Steel, specifically in how it approached the character. And I would say that ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Superman’ are the best two superhero films ever made (tell us yours in the comments below).

So what does make a great superhero film? Here’s a few suggestions with examples, both good and bad….

1. Stick to the heart of the character(s)

This is such a simple and obvious idea, yet sometimes people forget it. The secret of success for the recent Batman films and the original Superman was that they tapped into the heart of the character. They didn’t mess with the basics, and they didn’t try to be clever with the character. Batman has always been a dark, brooding, ruthless character, tormented and driven by his past and his demons, fighting against all the odds. Superman at his heart was always a character who represented an ideal, who inspired hope, who stood for certain values, who set the example. A man who did the right thing. Even with Spider-Man, they stuck to the essence of the character, Peter Parker, and his relationship with Mary Jane Watson, which is the essence of the character. It works.

2. Don’t overload the film with villains

Batman and Robin – arguably the worst superhero film ever – had about three or four villains. Spider-Man 3 – a big disappointment after the first two – had three villains. Superman IV – one of the worst superhero films – had two or three villains. Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Superman The Movie, as well as the first two Spider-Man films and Iron Man, had one major villain.

Notice the pattern?

Stick to one major villain instead of two or three, it makes a massive difference. Otherwise you have to explain the origins and history of more than one character, which takes time and can make the film rushed and cluttered. Spider-Man 3 was the best example of how this can happen. Its a big temptation, because some studios think more villains = bigger box office draw, which is not true at all. Keep it to one.

3. Give the superhero human problems, make them authentic

Superheroes may be invincible – especially Superman – but in their own personal relationships and lives – work, money, women for example, personal sacrifices they make which we don’t have to make, they face some of the same problems we do. I think people worry too much about making superheroes ‘dark’ when they should just be making them real, and authentic. Give them problems that superpowers can’t solve.

In Spider-Man, Peter Parker is constantly having to sacrifice a happy life with Mary Jane, success, his studies, his best friend and a stable job in order to be Spider-Man. In Superman, Clark Kent is in love with Lois. He is conflicted from doing the right thing (not turning the earth back and interfering with history), or following his heart and disobeying his real father. In the recent Batman films Bruce Wayne has always been conflicted by his deep desire to have a happy life with his true love and his commitment and obligation to protect Gotham and avenge his parents. Not only that but he doesn’t have any powers, and has gone through the grief and pain of losing his parents, which means we can relate to him a little more.

4. Get the right director and a big budget, not one or the other

Richard Donner, Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan all had several things in common. They all clearly had a vision for the franchise and where they wanted to take it, they all understood the heart of the character(s) and didn’t mess with it, in the main had a real love for the character(s) and were all in themselves excellent directors.

Many of the worst superhero films have suffered from a lack of investment, which has led to poor special effects and corner cutting. Superman IV suffered from this most clearly. Either they’ve had big budgets and bad directors or vice versa, or sometimes neither. Its vital to have both to make it work, especially post-Avatar.

5. Get a good script

This can’t be underestimated. The story needs to be strong, it needs to be powerful, it needs to be character driven and to tap into the heart the character and bring conflict into it, with one strong villain. All the best superhero films have this at their heart.

6. Get the casting right – in both heroes, girlfriends and villains

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando & Gene Hackman in Superman. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man, and Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Heath Ledger in the Batman films – and indeed, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in X-Men. All superb actors born for their roles. All hugely successful films. It makes a big difference.

7. Reboot when necessary, and keep it relevant

Spider-Man is getting a reboot when, in my opinion he doesn’t need it. Batman needed a reboot and got it from Christopher Nolan and we hear Superman is getting a reboot – which he needed all along. ‘Superman Returns’ was a good film but it appeared to be about a Superman from the 80′s, not a Superman for the 21st century. It was a wasted opportunity. You need to keep the characters and their worlds relevant, to sometimes take away or change elements of their world to keep them fresh. As long as you don’t take the heart of the character.

8. Comic book films don’t equal kiddie films

A large proportion of comic book fans are adults, the characters are adults, and its set in a real world today. The films need to appeal to young people in one sense, but also be grounded enough in reality to appeal to adults. The Batman films, the early Spider-Man films and Superman all did this brilliantly. This, I fear, may be one of the failings of the next set of Spider-Man films.

9. Keep it real

Already been hinted at, but very important. Don’t set the films in some fantasy version of the world which isn’t authentic or believable, but in the real world where people face real issues and which has real problems. The trick is to take these fantastical characters, and make them real people in a real world. This applies to the costumes too, although with some, like Spider-Man and Superman, this would mess with the heart of the character, whereas with X-Men it clearly doesn’t. But adapt and change little things, make it real and keep the heart.

10. Get a ‘Kick-Ass’ soundtrack

Superman, the Christopher Nolan Batman films and the Spider-Man films all had excellent soundtracks, memorable and recognizable (especially Superman), which define their character. It may seem a small thing, but its important.

11. They aren’t comedies

One of the problems with Batman and Robin and Superman III especially, with the poor casting of Richard Prior (who is a great comedian) is that there was too much comedy, too much cheese. Obviously there needs to be room for irony and in-jokes, especially with characters like Superman and Spider-Man who are a little ‘lighter’ than Batman, but they can’t be made as comedy films trying to be deliberately funny and not taking the characters seriously. They need to be taken seriously. The first Superman got a great balance between being serious, but also having a small tongue in cheek in jokes in character. The balance has to be right.

12. Don’t rush it

If it takes a while to get the right combination, then wait. Its better to wait and get it right, than rush it and get it wrong. Don’t rush out a sequel to cash in or meet a date, take your time to get it right. All the best superhero films have taken their time and have reaped the benefits.

13. Don’t break any of these rules

You need to remember all these factors when it comes to making your film, and shouldn’t sacrifice or ignore any of them.

With comic book movies taking up a lot of our time recently, it’s nice to report that some excellent casting has made one of the forthcoming adaptations a little more interesting.

Ryan Reynolds is DC’s Green Lantern, and after the potential ruffling of feathers that casting Gossip Girl Blake Lively prompted, the news from THR that director Martin Campbell has signed up Peter Sarsgaard as a villain elevates the anticipation of this movie hugely.

Sarsgaard, who impressed greatly in An Education will play Dr. Hector Hammond who, according to the source, is the

…pathologist son of a senator who is seen as a disappointment in his father’s eyes. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor.

So, imagine the devious menace of Sarsgaard playing opposite Reynolds’ Hal Jordan, wrapped up in a frantic, explosive pace director Campbell is capable of and you’ve got a superhero movie that is looking better and better at every turn.

The first question a lot of us had when THR reported that Warner Bros had cast Carol Ferris, the female lead in Martin Campbell’s forthcoming adaptation of Green Lantern, was ‘Who is Blake Lively?’

The article pointed to Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner as potential actresses to fill the role of Carole Ferris, who runs her father’s aerospace company and hires Hal Jordan – later to become the titular superhero, but 22 year-old Lively, who is best known for her Gossip Girl appearances, impressed the studio the most.

Lively is to be seen next in Ben Affleck’s bank heist movie The Town with Affleck himself and Jeremy Renner, so her star is clearly in the ascendant.

Next for the Lantern team is to cast Sinestro, and Freddy himself Jackie Earle Haley’s name is being thrown around, so I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.

Never in any serious doubt Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern adaptation, starring Mr. Scarlett Johnasson – Ryan Reynolds, was given the green light today, throwing yet another comic book movie into the ring.

This will be Warners and DC’s follow up to the Josh Brolin fronted Jonah Hex, due out sometime this year.

SuperheroHype broke the news today, reporting a post on visual effects supervisor Karen Goulekas’s blog which is neatly succinct:

Wow! Been a long time since I posted! But today is a day worth posting about!
Green Lantern got the official green light today! And not a second too soon – only 10 weeks out from shooting!
While it’s great news we are a go – now we have to actually get our prep done in 10 weeks!

Campbell’s edgy, dark thriller Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson, is out soon and this should prove a suitable tangent to Campbell’s career; it’s exciting to see directors such as Campbell and Kenneth Branagh joining Christopher Nolan in moving into the comic book movie, more proof perhaps of the growth of a genre to mainstream success.

While I know my comic books to a certain extent, The Green Lantern is a new one on me – will those in the know comfirm it’s worth waiting for?

The 33 year old star of The Proposal sat down for an interview today with MTV to discuss the past year of his life, including the two big budget superhero movies he has signed on to star in: The Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off Deadpool.

Speaking about The Green Lantern, which is the first of the two films to go into production, Reynolds said:

“I’ve known about “Green Lantern” my whole life, but I’ve never really followed it before. I fell in love with the character when I met with [director] Martin Campbell. When I sat down with him, I really got what it is that this guy is all about. When you have a guy like Martin Campbell, part of his charm is that he has ba–s of titanium, and the other part is that he’s slightly crazy, and you have to be to take on something with the scope of “Green Lantern.” He’s less of the director and more of a general. He just really knows strategies, he knows the intricacies, and his attention to detail! It’s infectious. I sat down with him, and I could not even believe what he was saying. When I went to the meeting, I was entirely cynical. I thought, “What the hell, I’ll see what they have to say,” and I left the room with a completely different perspective.”

When asked about the highlight of his big year, Ryan responded:

“I think, seeing the prototypes for the Green Lantern costumes was a huge moment. It was a moment when I was like, “This is happening, and it’s happening in the right way.” That’s a pretty cool, definitive moment for me.”

And regarding the proposed Deadpool spin-off:

“I’ve been in so many meetings lately about “Deadpool” and meeting all these writers. Everyone is always looking for that one line, “What is that character?” and for me it’s kind of like, “There’s a guy, and he’s in a highly militarized comedic fame spiral.” That’s not an easy thing to write — an entire screenplay, let alone a franchise.”

I’ve been somewhat of a Ryan Reynolds fan since watching him on TV over a decade ago in Two Guys and a Girl, and it was inevitable that his onscreen charisma would lead him to eventually become a star in cult comedies and Hollywood blockbusters. However, even as a fan who has seen his best comedic and dramatic performances and knows what he is capable of, I don’t like the idea of him being in two separate comic book films as the lead character, especially when those film will be released within a fairly short time-span of one another.

In my opinion, Reynolds playing The Green Lantern and Deadpool will be the equivalent of seeing Hugh Jackman playing Superman or Christian Bale playing Captain America. It just doesn’t work, regardless of whether the characters wear masks or not. To make matters even stranger, Reynolds has previously played Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity and has been the front-runner (no pun intended) to play the lead role in the big screen adaptation of The Flash, which Reynolds himself confirmed.

Many believe that the reason Reynolds has signed on to play two major comic book characters is simply studio rivalry. The rumor is that executives at Warner Bros. (DC’s parent company) wanted to cast him as The Green Lantern in order to tamper with 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool schedule. A strategic move from a studio perspective perhaps, but one that is sure to have fans up in arms when the films are released.

You can read the full interview with Ryan Reynolds over at MTV.