Green Lantern

Let me start with the most important part of this blog post: I hate, and have always hated, Green Lantern.

I hate that the DC comic book superhero has A-List swagger when he's a C-List character. I hate that God-awful oath he chants as he charges his ring. I hate the premise that he's a space cop responsible for an huge section of the galaxy, but spends most of his time in Coast City fighting the Tattooed Man. I hate that the Lantern ring -- supposed to be the most powerful weapon in the universe -- is used by Jordan mostly to conjure up over-stuffed boxing gloves and cages for trapping foes.

The comic book Green Lantern has always been held back by the limited imaginations of various artists and writers. And, I'm afraid, the movie suffers from the same lackluster inspiration.

The special effects in Green Lantern are clearly the best part of this flick. Flying sequences are the best I've seen, the trips into space are visually stunning, and the lantern-made gimmicks look and sound real. Ryan Reynolds looks and acts like Hal Jordan. The other GLs -- some really unusual life-forms -- are well done.

But the flick lacks substance. Trying too hard to tell multiple stories, the film never really seems to go into depth with one particular story line. One minute Hal Jordan is experiencing an existential dilemma, the next he's overcome it and can be found lecturing the immortal Guardians of the Universe.

Green Lantern fits in nicely as part of a team. Perhaps as one part of the Justice League this character can be compelling. As the lead in his own movie, however, Green Lantern just doesn't work.

And I knew it wouldn't.