“Green Lantern” full of explosions and typical action movie clichés

It’s practically summer protocol to have one movie fill the role of action blockbuster. This year, that movie is “Green Lantern.” “Green Lantern”

Directed by: Martin Campbell

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Grade: C+

It’s practically summer protocol to have one movie fill the role of action blockbuster. This year, that movie is “Green Lantern.”

And that’s because it’s the typical summer movie, typical superhero flick, typical Ryan Reynolds character. The overwhelming average-ness of it all is a bit frustrating. There’s really no artistic interpretation; it’s a safe film. It hides behind the conventions of previous superhero movies, and therein lie its assets and pitfalls.

“Green Lantern” details the origin of the first human Green Lantern, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). It begins by explaining the Green Lantern Corps and its responsibilities in the universe, an introduction that is beneficial for those unfamiliar with the Green Lantern story arc. For those who are unfamiliar, the Green Lanterns are like a police force for outer space, using superpowered rings from an alien race.

The film then introduces some essential Green Lanterns and shows how Hal was “chosen by the ring” and trains to be the new Lantern for his sector. As to be expected, Hal is made fun of and underestimated by the other Lanterns, only to prove them wrong later by quickly becoming a hero. Yawn.

Hector Hammond, Hal’s childhood friend and villain-to-be, does present one surprising aspect of the picture. Instead of encountering the pure-evil villain we’d expect, viewers actually feel pity for him. Hector becomes “infected” with the evil force of fear, Parallax, while examining the dead body of the Lantern that gave Hal the ring, who was mortally injured by Parallax in space before he crash-landed on Earth.

Hector was a college professor specializing in alien life forms, a job that he loved and fully believed in, and that was his ultimate demise — much like the way the Green Goblin becomes evil in “Spiderman.” In this way, “Green Lantern” is asking the age-old science fiction question, “What is the effect of trusting science?” — but in an unbelievably clumsy way.

With the negatives exposed, the “typical summer film” aspects also make the movie mindlessly entertaining. There’s lots of explosions, the 3-D is well implemented and Reynolds is funny — like always. And girls, as you well know, he’s a beefcake, so there are plenty of opportunities to ogle.

The plot stays faithful to the comics— good for purists but bad for people who crave a fresh look at the Green Lantern. Reynolds is a good Hal, who was a self-confident test pilot in the comic and is so in the film as well.

But that’s a role that pops up a lot in comics. He could easily be Wally West/The Flash.  He’s already played Deadpool and is slated to play him again. They’re all wise-cracking and self-involved superheroes. So this character isn’t really a stretch for him.

“Green Lantern,” despite its downsides, fits the mold of the action- and hunk-filled summer flick.