Amazon.com: Green Lantern (2011): Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong: Amazon Instant Video

Green Lantern (2011)

Protectors of peace and justice, the Green Lantern Corp must rely on their newest and only human recruit, Hal Jordan, to save the Earth from a new enemy called Parallax.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Release year: 2011
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Synopsis: Protectors of peace and justice, the Green Lantern Corp must rely on their newest and only human recruit, Hal Jordan, to save the Earth from a new enemy called Parallax.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively

Supporting actors: Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins

Directed by: Martin Campbell

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes

Captions and Subtitles: Details

Release year: 2011

Studio: Warner Bros.

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action

ASIN: B005LJITS0

Rights & Requirements

Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period. Details

Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details

Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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188 of 227 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Daddy Issues July 1, 2011

By Michael J. Tresca VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Green Lantern has received quite a bit of flak from reviewers for not being mainstream enough to relate to modern audiences. And that's a shame, because if Green Lantern is guilty of anything, it's of being a SUPERHERO movie.

Back before all these directors started streamlining films, revising backstories, and taking out Spider-Man's technologically-advanced web shooters, comic books were a glorious hodge-podge of the near possible, the impossible, and the just plain fantastic. Because superhero settings include every superhero and villain imaginable, they have to accommodate magic, aliens, superscience, and alternate dimensions in one heady mix. This makes for a very rich comic book series that can be intimidating for new audiences - which is precisely why movie directors cut out so much.

But you can't cut all the crazy out of Green Lantern and still stay true to the comics. And so, with tons of exposition, Green Lantern rabbit-punches viewers with world-shattering fact after mind-altering fact in the first five minutes: aliens exist, there's a giant yellow monster imprisoned in a planet, ancient humanoids predating humanity have been guarding the universe with green willpower, and there's a dizzying variety of highly advanced technical races from across the galaxy. Green Lantern makes Superman's backstory look quaint. His name doesn't help either - Emerald Flashlight has to say an oath that activates a ring that's charged by a lantern that's powered by a planet that's actually the embodiment of all sentient beings' will. No wonder critics got confused.

)o()o()o( "I pledge allegiance to a lantern, given to me by a dying purple alien." - Hal Jordan )o()o()o(

Director Martin Campbell knows all this.... He makes fun of the ridiculous circumstances in which Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds and his fab abs) finds himself, ranging from a dogfight with two robot jets to a dogfight with a giant soul-eating monster. Part of what makes Green Lantern so entertaining is that it embraces its pulpy roots: there's the childhood sweetheart (smoking hot Blake Lively as Carol Ferris who just happens to be a successful businesswoman and fighter pilot), the nebbishly awkward villain (Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond), and tough-as-nails "red Spock" Sinestro (Mark Strong). The real villain of the piece, Parallax, sounds like a 1980s video game effect - oh wait, it is! This is not a movie to be taken too seriously.

)o()o()o( "It's not a magic ring--it's a ring powered by advanced technology!" - Hal Jordan )o()o()o(

And yet, Green Lantern is no movie trifle. The challenge with a superhero who has powers like Green Lantern is that the possibilities are literally endless - the rings are powered by the hero's will, which means he can technically imagine anything. This also means that an abusive hero might imagine black holes and solve all of his problems that way. Green Lantern cleverly constrains these god-like powers by imposing plot-related restrictions on Hal's creativity. When all Hal can come up with to stop a helicopter from crashing into partying guests is a Matchbox car in a ramp, it's because he played with one in his nephew's room the day before. When he's trying to use the sun's gravitational pull as a weapon, it's because he used the Earth's gravitational pull as a weapon against the two jets earlier and because his tutor Kilowog points out that gravity is a...uh, harsh mistress. Hal Jordan might always manifest boring weapons straight out of a first-person shooter, but that's because he's harboring a lot of guilt over his military daddy's death.

)o()o()o( "You thought I wouldn't recognize you just because I can't see your cheekbones?" - Carol Ferris )o()o()o(

Speaking of daddy issues, Green Lantern is one giant ball of forest-colored father/son conflict: Hal and his military pilot father, Hammond and his successful senator father, dead Abin Sur and grieving Sinestro, Abin Sur and the newly created Green Lantern, Parallax and his newly adopted avatar Hammond...it's clear the Green Lantern writers were looking for some emotional hook, and that hook was spelled out D-A-D. Green Lantern tries very hard to be deep.

Unfortunately, Green Lantern can be pretty shallow at times. Parallax, remember, is an ancient being predating much of humanity's evolution, but he falls for the oldest trick in the book. We're supposed to believe that Parallax really, really, REALLY hates Abin Sur and everything associated with him. After he kills Abin Sur, you have to ask why Parallax wants to go after just Hal Jordan when he could be eating so many other Green Lanterns for breakfast.

When Green Lantern goes big, it's glorious, but when it pulls in tight, the plot turns an earth-shattering battle between god-like beings into a schoolyard shoving match. But really, that's pretty normal from superhero comics. It's just that today's movie superhero fans expect a guy in a cloak that's just like you and me without any of the world-spanning baggage.

Green Lantern's guilty of being true to Green Lantern, spandex, mask, ring and all. For those who find it implausible, maybe a superhero powered by a jade-colored light source isn't for them. Read more ›

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204 of 256 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie July 30, 2011

By The Swanmeister

Format:DVD

I dont understand why people hated this movie so much. I have been a huge green lantern fan since i was 7 so ive been waiting for this movie for 13 years. The visual effects were great. The story (even though innacurate to the comics) was good. Ryan Reynolds played a near perfect Hal Jordan. The only problem was Hal was kinda whiny in parts in the movie which he never was in the comics. Blake Lively played Carol perfectly. The only problem I had witht he movie was the fact it wasnt long enough. The movie was only 1 hour 40 minutes. To fit in more character development and more story it should have been atleast a 2 hour movie. Didnt get enough development on the other lanterns, and the only ones you meet are Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re. Even then you didnt get much of them. They need to make a sequel and go more in depth on more characters........the scene during the credits set up the sequel beautifully. Overall I loved this movie I sat in aww with goosebumps the whole movie (maybe because ive been waiting for this for years), but it was a really good movie. People complain because it wasnt realistic and goofy.......Has a superhero movie ever been realistic or not goofy in some way thats why we read and watch superhero movies to believe in something unrealistic.

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60 of 74 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Movie Despite the Bad Reviews August 28, 2011

By W. Burke

Format:DVD

I'll admit up front that I wasn't that familiar with the Green Lantern character before this movie. In fact, if I hadn't have talked to a friend who was a fan of the comics, everything I knew would have been from watching the old "Justice League" cartoons on Saturday mornings -- the ones in which Green Lantern was just another random face in the crowd. At least he wasn't the Wonder Twins, but Aquaman got more love than Green Lantern on that show. Thankfully, my friend explained why Green Lantern is so cool. I mean, having the power to create anything you can imagine... that's pretty awesome stuff. Obviously, the more imaginative the person, the better, and that was my main concern going in to this movie -- that the things the writers came up with for Green Lantern to create wouldn't be that creative. But I think they actually did a pretty good job in that department. Of course you have to keep in mind that he has to come up with these things on the spot, without a lot of time to sit around and think about it. The movie does have its flaws. There are a few scenes that feel cliche and it could have used a bit more action and a longer end fight, etc., but I still found it to be a fun, inspiring movie overall. I loved the "courage overcoming fear" storyline. As it turned out, it was the best time I had at the movies all summer.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie!!!! October 16, 2011

By Jeffrey Davison

Format:Blu-ray

I've seen all the Super hero movies as of late, and this movie is stronger than most of them across the board.
I haven't enjoyed a super hero movie like this since rhe first Ironman movie. This movie develops the charscters so much better than films like Twighlight for example....
You have a reason to care about the people in this movie.
It's an origin story begging for a sequal. This is a great kids movie as well.

-JD

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31 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Overcome Fear and see the Extended Cut October 23, 2011

By Admiralu VINE™ VOICE

Format:Blu-ray

I am one of the few who really enjoyed Green Lantern. I saw it five times in theaters and couldn't wait for the Blu-ray release. Ryan Reynolds makes a perfect Hal Jordan, heroic, funny and real. Having watched the making of features, it is amazing what the actors did with little or no tangible sets or images to work with. Director Martin Campbell let the actors ad lib many of their lines and I loved how it turned out. Ryan's reactions to flying and the alien situations were real. I don't believe he got enough credit. I also loved Blake Lively as Carol Ferris. She was a strong willed, intelligent women with strong business sense and a fighter pilot to boot. Her character was one of the strongest I have seen in the genre. She wasn't just eye candy, but a partner to Hal. I do love the fact that she knew who Hal was even with the mask on. I have the Extended Cut of this film and if you haven't seen it, the missing footage really makes the difference in this film. The theatrical version doesn't do a great job of explaining the triangle between Hal, Carol and Hector. The additional footage helps to explain this much better. The most compelling scene that was also left out of the theater version is an extended version of the scene where Hal talks to Jason about how much he loves flying. The additional scene has Hal encouraging Jason to close his eyes and relive the day he pitched a no-hitter. Hal closes his eyes as well and talks about how flying makes him feel and how to keep believing that something good is out there. This moment is where the ring actually chooses Hal, not the green glowing pick up outside. I think this really showed a bit more depth of the character and why he was chosen.... Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Cool!

not a big Green Lantern fan but it was entertaining. kids loved it so for that it gets 3 stars.

Published 18 hours ago by Jason

2.0 out of 5 stars Meh is the correct word

Just finished this the other day for the first time. Maybe I am spoiled with the likes of the avengers and the dark knight,iron man, etc. Read more

Published 21 hours ago by Jack Dorner