Reynolds ambivalent about future as Green Lantern

[madmarva]

Here's some quotes from Ryan Reynolds about reprising his role as Green Lantern from Empire as reported by Hitfix.com


"If you're going to do comic book movies in that vein, you really have to get them right," Reynolds told Empire. . "I believe that Joss Whedon is the guy that just nails it and Christopher Nolan obviously nails it. So if they were gonna do it like that, it would be an interesting thing to do."

"It's just that... working on 'Green Lantern,' I saw how difficult it is to make that concept palatable, and how confused it all can be when you don't really know exactly where you're going with it or you don't really know how to access that world properly - that world comic book fans have been accessing for decades and falling in love with."

"So at this point I have very little interest in joining that kind of world," he concluded. "But, you know, a great script and a good director can always turn that around."

Considering GL was supposed to be big and it floundered from a patchwork script and a director who was not right for the material, a very reasonable response.

This is the perfect opportunity to recast the part or even use a different GL in the JL movie if it gets off the ground.

[enyawd72]

I think the biggest problem with Green Lantern is the "Corps".

I think a stand alone adventure restricted to Hal alone would have made a bigger impact. There were just too many other Green Lanterns in the movie...it's like making a movie with a hundred Supermans...when there's that many of them, one is no longer special. Your main character has to be special.

[Operation:Mego]

Too bad, I actually thought it was one of DC's best films. Waaay better than some of their movies released.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I think the biggest problem with Green Lantern is the "Corps".

I think a stand alone adventure restricted to Hal alone would have made a bigger impact. There were just too many other Green Lanterns in the movie...it's like making a movie with a hundred Supermans...when there's that many of them, one is no longer special. Your main character has to be special.

I humbly disagree. I think the idea of a corps of intergalactic spacemen is a solid one. Making Hal THE Green Lantern is essential though. See the GL toon. All the characters are well-developed and interesting, but the creators make Hal THE BEST GL.

I think the GL movie's major downfall was a script that took the best elements and pushed them over into a corner, while concentrating WAY too much time on an uninteresting, and frankly disgusting, earthbound villain. This also took focus off Jordan's character. The extended Blu-Ray cut actually gives us more insight into Hal's character, and his connection to Hammond, so the time spent on him isn't such a headscratcher.

Chris

[Random Axe]

Its weird this movie got some things so right (Sinestro, Kilowog,Oa) and others so freakin wrong (Robbins, Hammond, Paralax fart cloud). I'm indifferent on Reynolds. There was too much baggage casting him based on his prior film work. This was Van wilder with a power ring. This is why I always endorse unknowns for cb films. I think it allows for a more open interpretation of the character. Otherwise, more often than not, Batman gets Clooney'd.

[knight errant00]

I humbly disagree. I think the idea of a corps of intergalactic spacemen is a solid one. Making Hal THE Green Lantern is essential though. See the GL toon. All the characters are well-developed and interesting, but the creators make Hal THE BEST GL.
I think the GL movie's major downfall was a script that took the best elements and pushed them over into a corner, while concentrating WAY too much time on an uninteresting, and frankly disgusting, earthbound villain. This also took focus off Jordan's character. The extended Blu-Ray cut actually gives us more insight into Hal's character, and his connection to Hammond, so the time spent on him isn't such a headscratcher.
Chris

Same here. The corps is a great "setting" -- like making the character a cop or Army Ranger. It shouldn't take long to establish that for an audience. All the GL Corps studd was the best part of the movie. Do it like some of the recent animated GL prokects, and they could have had a really cool, unique movie.

[madmarva]

When Geoff Johns came on board Green Lantern as a co-producer and consultant, he squeezed a lot of the ideas he introduced to the comic series into the script, which originally was a loose adaption of Emerald Dawn. Merging the Parallax and Hector Hammond stuff with the pre-existing storyline did not come off smoothly. After Johns' additions Warner should have gotten the best script doctor available to further streamline the thing. I'm confident a lot of what Johns added was the coolest stuff in the movie, but a totally new script probably should have been developed rather than just adding stuff hear and there.

Might have worked as a comic book script or if director Martin Campbell had been more comfortable with the subject matter. Remember he was the guy who brought a semblance of realism back to the James Bond films, but he was working with one of the more fanciful properties that DC has. You can't really ground Green Lantern. The whole concept is about unleashing one's imagination or will power and vanquishing evil on a universal level. Grounding it neuters the whole idea.

And while I think there is some validity to the notion of the Corps as a police force, GL still has more in common with Star Wars as a concept than Hill Street Blues.

While Campbell is a fine director, he was out of his comfort zone with GL and it showed throughout the uneven film. The editing was also sloppy.

I can see why Reynolds isn't ready to jump back in to a similar situation again. His performance was fine, but suffered from the film's erratic tone. Mark Strong as Sinestro is the lone aspect of the film that worked on every level for me.

I would say this opens the door to John Stewart in the JL movie, but since his head is on the chopping block at DC, who knows?

[PNGwynne]

I think the biggest problem with Green Lantern is the "Corps".

I think a stand alone adventure restricted to Hal alone would have made a bigger impact. There were just too many other Green Lanterns in the movie...it's like making a movie with a hundred Supermans...when there's that many of them, one is no longer special. Your main character has to be special.

I have to agree with this--and, I didn't dislike Reynolds per se. The very CGIy CGI put me off, though.

[sprytel]

I am amused by the posturing here. Subtle finger pointing at the script and the director. Making it sound like it was his choice to walk away from the franchise, in case DC takes another go at the character with a different actor. But if DC wants him back, then he can credit the script or the director being better this time around.

I don't know if it is fair to blame Reynolds, any more than it is fair to blame Routh. But just like Routh, I would bet money that the next time we see Green Lantern on the big screen, someone else will be playing him.

[boynightwing]

I would have left Hammond out. Useless character.

The Paralax fart cloud (as it was very aptly put) should have been saved for another movie. Maybe the third one. Set him up in the first and bring him in slowly.

Also Green Lanterns costume sucked the big one... how did they screw up such a nice simple costume? And did it need to be all CG? Lesson learned, no it didn't.

[Bruce Banner]

Reynolds was decent as Hal Jordan... okay, maybe not perfect casting, but certainly infinitely better than some of the terrible miscasting decisions we've endured in other superhero movies.
The Corps sequences were good; I'd have liked to have seen more stuff on Oa, and less of the Hammond subplot.

[thunderbolt]

The GL was bad all the way around, too much crammed in, some really bad casting with Hal and Carol, way too much CGI and really bad at that. Keep Mark Strong and chuck all the rest.

[jwyblejr]

I think Reynolds would have made a better Guy Gardner.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I would still love to see Sean William Scott as Guy Gardner...somewhere.

The guy who plays Diggle on Arrow would actually make a good John Stewart.

Chris

[kingdom warrior]

I love the GL corps it adds a dimension that there is an army ready to defend the universe and Hal is not the only one.....but what I really like is, if a Hollywood star gets too big and wants to ever hold up production of a GL movie... he can be replaced in a heartbeat by one of the million GL's in the universe....lol!.

Actually a GL corps TV show would be absolutely off the hook.....