People warned me I would feel like this but I never thought it would ever happen to me. For the first time ever I'm feeling the comic book tentpole saturation and I'm praying we are nearing the end of the public's fascination with costumed characters for the future's sake of the summer tentpole. Some of you will no doubt be screaming "WHAAAAT... no way" - others - "Finally, where have you been?". As a huge comic book fan who really started this website as a place to discuss the genre on film after the pitiful
Superman Returns, it pains me to say it but I've almost had enough. Tipping the scales for me is the trailer for
Green Lantern which proves that 99% of directors/screenwriters in Hollywood aren't able to grow with the genre which now feels stilted and stuck in first gear.
The Green Lantern origin story that we get a glimpse at here has the exact same beats as
Spider-Man had and achieved greater things with ten years ago. Every year it is feeling like 'oh here we go again' and I don't think audiences will stay around forever to see the same story told. The passing of the ring doesn't work, the lame attempt at 'great power comes responsibility' doesn't work, the comedy moments aren't funny and it feels like a weaker version of
Star Trek. WB are clearly going for the space opera thing but
Ryan Reynolds isn't as interesting as
Chris Pine, the score isn't as good or stirring as
Michael Giacchino's, the special effects sucks,
Martin Campbell can't hold a candle to the talents of
J.J. Abrams and the dialogue is unbelievably lame for a script that's had dozens of different writers. Did not one of them flag how bad the dialogue was? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyfeJsCFiJc
SEE IT IN HD HERE And so then I look at next year's comic book slate and the other three franchise starters all look problematic to me. Nobody expects much from
The Green Hornet - the two Marvel entries
Captain America and
Thor look worse with every new unveiling and now Lantern, which I was hearing was supposed to be the next coming of a Superman epic, looks like an under-budged, over-scoped television spectacular with an awkward comedy lead in Ryan Reynolds desperately trying to hold the whole thing together.
I'm willing to believe the special effects aren't finished yet and there's still some work to do but then why show your weaknesses, ever? And honestly if they worked on that concept they have for the Lantern suit till the end of time they still wouldn't make it look believable. You can't polish a turd and all that. As Hal Jordan says in this trailer - "no matter how bad things look there's something better to look forward to over the horizon". Let's remember
The Dark Knight Rises is coming the year after this, which incidentally opens June 17th, 2011.