"In brightest day, in blackest night, no comic book movie shall escape my sight." This is the sacred oath that longtime comics fans all across the various sectors of the galaxy take at the beginning of each summer when anticipating all the new comic-based blockbusters that have been talked about for so long. Among this summer's new releases is Green Lantern, the big-screen adaptation of the classic DC comics character. The film follows hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan as he joins an interplanetary peacekeeping group and embarks, somewhat reluctantly, on a journey that forces him to become a hero. If you haven't seen Green Lantern yet and you're wondering what to expect, then read on.
Fans of the Green Lantern comics should be pleased with the film's treatment of the source material. Though the comics have showcased many Green Lanterns over the decades (and across the galaxies), the film focuses on Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern, and still one of the most popular ones to this day. Actor Ryan Reynolds successfully captures the essence of Hal's personality as it has often been portrayed in the comics--the cocky, reckless, bad boy exterior he maintains to the world at large, and the fears and insecurities that he secretly hides underneath.
Comics readers will also recognize other familiar names and faces from the comics, including Hal's on-and-off girlfriend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), the top-secret government scientist Amanda Waller (Angela Bassett), the villainous Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), the ancient Guardians of Oa, and other members of the Green Lantern Corps, such as Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan), Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush), and of course the morally ambiguous Sinestro (Mark Strong), who makes an important though unsurprising choice in a bonus scene during the credits. Naturally, the film also features the Green Lanterns' greatest enemy: Parallax (voiced by Clancy Brown), the monstrous alien entity made of yellow fear energy, who poses a major threat to the Lanterns' green energy of willpower.
The movie's plot draws some influence from Geoff Johns's comic book storyline Green Lantern: Secret Origin, following Hal Jordan as he first becomes a Green Lantern, establishing a rivalry with Hector Hammond, and portraying Sinestro as a veteran Green Lantern in the days before his descent into evil. It also incorporates Hal's first encounter with Parallax and his quest to overcome his fears in order to save Earth from the yellow entity's consuming power. With a wide cast of characters, stunning computerized visuals of alien landscapes, and plenty of intense action scenes that give Hal a chance to put his newfound powers to good use, Green Lantern is sure to entertain.
Some might wonder whether the Green Lantern film contains anything deeper than just a fun, entertaining, action-packed blockbuster. The answer is yes. While not explicitly religious or overly preachy, Green Lantern does contain some moral and spiritual undertones which can be applicable to Christians' lives.
Hal Jordan is supposed to be fearless. At least, that's the version of himself that he lets others see, and it's why he is chosen to be the next Green Lantern, because a Lantern must know no fear. But Hal isn't fearless. He remembers his pain at the death of his father years ago, and so he's afraid of getting too close to anyone or opening up to the people in his life because he doesn't want to risk getting hurt again. And while he may fly fighter planes into dangerous maneuvers without flinching an inch, he is afraid of the challenges that come with being a Green Lantern, and of evil alien monsters who can destroy entire planets (who wouldn't be afraid of that?). At one point, Hal reluctantly admits to his friends Carol and Thomas that he's not fearless, and they try to encourage him to overcome his fear. Hal's struggle mirrors that of the average Christian striving to meet a perfect standard which we all fall short of. As much as we like to pretend that we've got it all together, we all have issues to deal with, whether it be fear, anger, lust, pride, guilt, or something else. And as much as we wish we could be fearless or good enough on our own, we can't, which is why we need help in overcoming our flaws and doing the right thing. For Hal, that help comes in the form of the green energy of willpower and moral support from his friends; for Christians, it comes from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Hal eventually finds courage and resolves to take action despite his fears. He's just in time, too, because the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps seem to be at a loss as to how to defeat Parallax, the yellow entity of fear that threatens to destroy them all. The only solution they can come up with is to harness the power of fear for themselves and destroy Parallax with a taste of his own medicine. Sinestro, a senior Green Lantern officer, is prepared to lead the Lanterns down that dark path when Hal stops him and points out that embracing the power of fear will only corrupt them all. Instead, he bravely and selflessly goes out against Parralax alone, employing his courage and willpower to bring the villain to ruin. Rather than repaying evil for evil, or trying to defeat evil in his own strength, Hal follows the advice of Romans 12:21, which says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Green Lantern is a fun, fast-paced, action-packed movie that can be enjoyed by casual moviegoers and longtime comics fans alike. It portrays an epic battle between good and evil and one man's journey to becoming a hero by facing up to his fears and overcoming his inner demons. So the next time you're looking for a movie to go see, check out Green Lantern and try to see what lessons you can learn from it. And the next time you feel overwhelmed by fear or insecurity or whatever it is that keeps you from doing the right thing, remember that "God has not given us a spirit of fear" (II Timothy 1:7), and look to Him for strength to overcome.
