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Here's a look at this week's big new release... "Green Lantern."

Green Lantern
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong
Synopsis: We live in an era of superhero films. This modern era, hopefully, is nearing an end. With most of the major superheroes having already been featured in several films (or in the case of Batman, Superman, the X-Men, and Spiderman having had multiple film franchises built around them), studios are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Hence, "Green Lantern," a confusing, esoteric superhero film with affable actors that completely misses finding compelling ground. I read online, in a scathing review, that Green Lantern's enemy in his movie isn't a super villain, but rather clarity. I think that's certainly a valid criticism. This film doesn't really know what it wants to be. Reynolds has a gift for comedy and quips. He tries to bring some of that to this role, but there just isn’t a good place for it. Sarsgaard is a talented performer as well, but his character is too flat and cartoonish to be menacing. Even decent actors in cameo and supporting roles — like Angela Basset and Tim Robbins — seem a little lost with this film. Part of the problem stems from the strange source material. Though densely layered back story can help in establishing a comic book, it becomes difficult to translate into a summer action film. Especially a back story as complex as the one for “Green Lantern.” As a result, large chunks of the film feel like they serve merely as exposition for the world and the internal struggle of the characters. Part of this is a result of the flaws in the story construct. This isn’t a straightforward superhero story. Hal Jordan doesn’t have magical powers and face a traditional super villain. Instead, his powers are drawn from the force of will, and he’s facing an enemy whose powers are drawn from fear. So it’s an ideological battle between fear and will played out in comic book style. While that appeals somewhat from an intellectual standpoint, the way it’s put together in this film doesn’t quite work. The effects, performances, and story are flat, leaving a forgettable film. It’s not poorly made; it’s just not compelling. In every way, “Green Lantern” is simply average.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, June 24 — "Cars 2," "Bad Teacher," "A Better Life"
Wednesday, June 29 — "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Friday, July 1 — "Larry Crowne," "Monte Carlo"
Friday, July 8 — "Zookeeper," "Horrible Bosses"
Friday, July 15 — "Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," "Winnie The Pooh"
July 22 — "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Friends With Benefits"
July 29 — "Cowboys and Aliens," "Crazy, Stupid Love," "The Smurfs"


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