AHC: Save "Green Lantern"

SirAshfordFanrico

It was one of the few Non-Superman/Batman movies from the DC Universe. It seemed to have the right minds behind it, and seemed to be TRYING to stay true to the source material.

But somehow... somewhere... things went wrong.

How could this have been averted?!?


*My Own Proposal*
-Maybe NOT have digital costumes for the Lanterns. Sure in theory it'd make sense (since the outfits were made by the rings), but it just gives a weird... look to the outfit. And if you're going that direction... MAKE THEM LOOK BETTER.

No Parallax. I don't know WHY they brought in Parallax. He's become a HUGE villain in the comics, and to have him be the first villain for the rookie Lantern to tackle (and defeat no less) is just... an odd choice. Bring in a decent threat (Legion like in the 80's origin reboot, or maybe the Manhunters like in the cartoon, or SOMETHING) but not a HUGE galaxy-shattering threat. Is gonna make anything that comes next look like a step down.

In a sharp change from the norm... they stuffed WAY too much source material stuff into this. There was just too much info, too much backstory. Would free up some more time to be devoted to the important things.

Like more stuff to do with the Green Lanterns (training of Hal, interaction with the aliens, etc), or at the very LEAST the relationship between Hal and Sinestro.

Having Sinestro go from dedicated Lantern to eventual enemy would've made up for the lack of a HUGE villain.
 

Coalition

Have the enemy be Atrocitus. Let there be a flashback when Sinestro tells Hal Jordan about Atrocitus, so we get the basics.

After that, have Sinestro impress upon Hal that engaging Atrocitus is dangerous, and to wait for backup. Hal replies that he doesn't have time, and fights Atrocitus anyway. He wins.

Sinestro later arrives, and explains the reason he told Hal to wait was because Atrocitus takes 2-3 Lanterns to defeat. Hal didn't know that, but fought anyway. Sinestro facepalms, Kilowogg chuckles, but they accept Hal as a Green Lantern.

As he is being led away, Atrocitus tells Sinestro about the fate of his home planet, and you see a bit of Yellow in Sinestro's ring, indicating the first stirrings of fear.

The key is to make it a story, not a graphics fest.
 

Kalvan

1. Cast someone other than Ryan Reynalds for Hal. Granted, Hal in the comics can be something of an immature asshole at times, but Reynalds played him at the level of a manchild.

2. Strech out Hal's training with the Guardians. It lasted way too short.

3. Emphacize Sinestro's mentorship with Hal. Killowog didn't become Hal's main trainer until after Sinetro put on the Yellow Ring. One idea I read was to have Sinestro come back with Hal to Earth, to continue Hal's training. There, he begins to explain what Guardians actually stand for and why all the rules are in place. While he comes across as something of a hardcase, it's only when he sees something terrible aliongside Hal that it sends him over the edge.

4. Don't recycle any of the elements from the Jack Black script. (Roller Coaster Race Cars, I'm looking at you!)

5. An earlier draft of the script would have used Legion rather than Parallax and Hector Hammond. I think that one would have worked that much better for an opening movie.
 
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thekingsguard

For the record, I love this new TL trend. As a film critic and AH fan, it's the best of both worlds :D

As for Green Lantern:

1) Make the movie about John Stewart, not Hal Jordon

Nothing against Hal, but Stewart would offer a number of advantages. An entire generation grew up with him being the face of the Green Lantern Corp, thanks to the DC Animated Universe. Second, lets not kid ourselves, there would be a huge market for what would be the first serious attempt to make a movie about a black Superhero. Top it off, he's a US Marine, so you could tie in the patriotism aspect that works so well for Spiderman and Transformers.

Right off to back, you have a black US Marine as the main charachter. That's the kind of stuff that gets people talking. Cast Anthony Mackee, and you have an actor who is leagues better than Ryan Reynolds, and who likely works for far less.

2) Save the big villains for later

As part of the story now that Stewart is the lead, not Jordan, you could have the villains be some D-list villian or even Taliban that got a hold of alien tech. Hell, there's your story! One part Iron Man, one part Battle Los Angeles! You can keep much of the OTL movie, only adapt it to chrachter (Stewart would likely own Oan boot camp), and end with a giant fight between Stewart/US Marine core and space pirates!

3) Market the movie better

Start the Green Lantern Animated series before the movie comes out. Promote the film better, and advertise it better.

4) Focus on the story, not just pretty graphics

Another reason I said to replace Jordan with Stewart is it opens options no comic book film has had the chance to explore. For example, PTSD - one huge charachter arc for Stewart in the comics was his long battle with watching some of his squadmates die, and how he over time, makes peace with it. His valor in battle is in part due to the face he feels a debt to them. It's the kind of depth no comic book film really has, Dark Knight be damned.

Hows that for starters?
 

Mike Stearns

Having all the DC movies exist in a shared universe would also be a good idea. That's one of the things that I really like about Marvel movies.
 

Ace Venom

As a Green Lantern fan and a general DC fan, the big problems with this film were:

1) Too many cooks in the kitchen.
-a) Fix the story.
-b) More hands off attitude from Warner Bros.
2) Editing.
3) Casting.

This movie should have been great, but it wasn't. Green Lantern has been one of the best DC series since Geoff Johns took over. It should have been a shot in the arm to Warner Bros., but they found a way to screw it up.
 

krinsbez

Kalvan said:
1. Cast someone other than Ryan Gosling for Hal. Granted, Hal in the comics can be something of an immature asshole at times, but Gosling played him at the level of a manchild.
Click to expand...
Ryan Gosling did not play Hal.

Ryan Reynolds did.
 

Kermode

Mike Stearns said:
Having all the DC movies exist in a shared universe would also be a good idea. That's one of the things that I really like about Marvel movies.
Click to expand...
This would be a good place to start it, actually... maybe a post-credits scene that relates to Man of Steel?
 

Jcoggins

1. I agree with John Stewert as the lantern. Hal's okay, but diversity and patriotism are huge draws
2. Save the corps. Have GL fight an earth based villain, then a lantern shows up at the end to explain things hinted earlier in greater detail
3. Physical costumes accented with special effects, kinda like TRON
 

Badshah

Here is the biggest problem with Green Lantern. Get Marc Guggenheim off script duties and give the job to either David Goyer, or Geoff Johns, preferably both.
 

Nietzsche

Banned
thekingsguard said:
For the record, I love this new TL trend. As a film critic and AH fan, it's the best of both worlds :D

As for Green Lantern:

1) Make the movie about John Stewart, not Hal Jordon

Nothing against Hal, but Stewart would offer a number of advantages. An entire generation grew up with him being the face of the Green Lantern Corp, thanks to the DC Animated Universe. Second, lets not kid ourselves, there would be a huge market for what would be the first serious attempt to make a movie about a black Superhero. Top it off, he's a US Marine, so you could tie in the patriotism aspect that works so well for Spiderman and Transformers.

Right off to back, you have a black US Marine as the main charachter. That's the kind of stuff that gets people talking. Cast Anthony Mackee, and you have an actor who is leagues better than Ryan Reynolds, and who likely works for far less.
Click to expand...
YES. Hal Jordan is the worst possible choice they could've made. He's so damned boring.
 

thekingsguard

Jcoggins said:
1. I agree with John Stewert as the lantern. Hal's okay, but diversity and patriotism are huge draws
2. Save the corps. Have GL fight an earth based villain, then a lantern shows up at the end to explain things hinted earlier in greater detail
3. Physical costumes accented with special effects, kinda like TRON
Click to expand...

Nietzsche said:
YES. Hal Jordan is the worst possible choice they could've made. He's so damned boring.
Click to expand...

We must get to work on a screenplay at once!

trollhole said:
He is not that bad. In hindsight he fits the movie hero role well....and a hotshot fighter pilot is boring????:p
Click to expand...

Compared to a badass black Marine, absolutely.
 

Jcoggins

Ace Venom said:
The sales for Green Lantern improved tremendously when Hal Jordan was revived. Green Lantern fans don't agree with you. :p
Click to expand...
that's because the old fans came back, and the new fans stayed.

i do think hal can be written well, GLTAS proves that
 

Mike Stearns

conchobhar said:
This would be a good place to start it, actually... maybe a post-credits scene that relates to Man of Steel?
Click to expand...

Well, it gives the sense of a larger universe and a sense of coherence. Well, I think that you would start with Superman, since he is easily the best known character in all of comics bar none. You can quibble over individual characters, but if I were doing it, it would look basically like this:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash

Leads to

Justice League

Leads to

Superman 2, Batman 2, Wonder Woman 2, Green Lantern 2, The Flash 2

Leads to

Justice League 2

Leads to

Superman 3, Batman 3, Wonder Woman 3, Green Lantern 3, The Flash 3

Leads to

Justice League 3

The result is a series of intersecting comic book sagas that together build a coherent universe much like what Marvel has done with the build-up to Avengers. Warner Bros owns the rights to the entire DC canon. I am surprised that they have never tried to do something like this.
 

thekingsguard

Mike Stearns said:
Well, it gives the sense of a larger universe and a sense of coherence. Well, I think that you would start with Superman, since he is easily the best known character in all of comics bar none. You can quibble over individual characters, but if I were doing it, it would look basically like this:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash

Leads to

Justice League

Leads to

Superman 2, Batman 2, Wonder Woman 2, Green Lantern 2, The Flash 2

Leads to

Justice League 2

Leads to

Superman 3, Batman 3, Wonder Woman 3, Green Lantern 3, The Flash 3

Leads to

Justice League 3

The result is a series of intersecting comic book sagas that together build a coherent universe much like what Marvel has done with the build-up to Avengers. Warner Bros owns the rights to the entire DC canon. I am surprised that they have never tried to do something like this.
Click to expand...

What, no Aquaman movie?

That is one thing, why does Aquaman never get any credit!
 
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