“In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might beware my power...Green Lantern’s Light!!” These are the words of the oath declared by the Green Lantern Corp, an army of intergalactic aliens dedicated to destroying evil and protecting the peace. These warriors each possess a green ring which allows them to fly and create anything they see in their mind. The ring is powered by the Will of every creature in the universe and is the most powerful energy source in the Universe. This is the underlying setup for the DC “Green Lantern” movie of summer 2011 starring Ryan Reynolds as daredevil pilot Hal Jordan.
Hal Jordan is a prideful, playful, and irresponsible fighter pilot who struggles with the nightmares of his past. His father was killed in the same line of work and Hal now suffers from fear. Fear of heights, fear of getting too close to people, fear of commitment, fear of death. But one day, he finds a mysterious glowing ring (well, actually the ring finds him) and is told by the rings original owner, a dying purple alien, that he was chosen to be the next soldier in the Green Lantern Corp, an intergalactic peace keeping corp dedicated to the destruction of evil. He must stop the threat of Paralax, a monstrous being that feeds on fear, before it consumes the Earth and the entire universe. He battles his own fears in order to triumph over the physical representation of fear that threatens the entire Universe.
The film “Green Lantern” is very enjoyable in and of itself. The script is witty and clever, though containing some light profanities and cuss words as well as some innapropriate talk. The acting is good and the action is impressive and the computer graphics are stunning. The characters are both believable as well as loveable (at least the ones you should love are). There are few elements that set “Green Lantern” apart from most super hero movies. For one thing, Hal Jordan is one of hundreds of super heroes just like him, only they are scattered throughout the Universe. Also, Hal’s girlfriend, Carol Ferris, knows pretty much from day one that Hal is the Green Lantern. When Hal first gets the green ring and goes to the distant planet Oa, the home of the Green Lantern Corps, he is regarded as weak and inferior because of his humanity. Hal begins to suspect that the ring made the wrong decision and wishes to get rid of his powers. Only through Carol confrontation of him does he come to realize that he has been running from responsibilities all of his life and is irresponsible and learn to stand up to his own fear.
Through a biblical lens, the movie portrayed strong elements of courage and the importance of overcoming our fears. Throughout the Bible, the angels of the Lord tell people “Do not fear” or “Do not be afraid.” In fact, phrases like “fear not”, “do not be afraid” and “do not fear” appear about 365 times in the Scriptures. It is clear that God wants us to hold on to faith and courage. The film mentions that the Universe was created by a group of immortal aliens who also created the Green Lantern Corp. This is contrary to the what the Bible teaches in that God created Universe in the course of seven days. There is a strong call towards taking responsibility and being mature. In 1 Corinthians 13:11, the apostle Paul writes, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
Green Lantern was a great action flick with some very strong biblical themes. All the same, caution should be taken as to children viewing due to the language and violence. In conclusion, besides some inapropriate content, the movie is a great summer blockbuster.
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