i thought this was a very well done animated movie.it's the origin story of how Hal Jordan became a Green Lantern.i have no idea how close it is to the original comic book origin.but i do knew,i loved the story.i thought it flowed very well,with a good mixture of action and drama.i thought the voice acting was terrific.plus,they seemed to have a good script to work with.i found the dialogue to be really good,as well.none of the usual cheese we tend to see in many animated or even live action movies.i think this particular animated film is as good as any of the recent spate of releases by both Marvel and DC,and it's certainly as entertaining.for me,Green Lantern:First Flight is an 8/10
54 Reviews
Finally Got to Know Green Lantern Better
3xHCCH10 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I grew up with DC Comics (more than Marvel) so I am more familiar with the core members of the Justice League than other animated heroes. I was always most interested in the powers of the Green Lantern, but sad to say, I am not really familiar with how he came to be.
I am very happy to have seen this movie and finally get the introduction to Green Lantern that I needed all these years. I am also glad that they chose to feature the Green Lantern I knew, Hal Jordan. (My kids are only familiar with the Jon Stewart incarnation of the recent Justice League Unlimited cartoon show. So I had to tell them some back story when we watched this together.) This is a great animated movie for adults. The story is very interesting. It is also the introduction to Sinestro and the Green Lantern Corp, as well as the Guardians. The animation is top-notch. The voice talents were well done by some well-known actors. Very much recommended for DC Comics fans.
Parental guidance is advised for young kids because of some gory images like characters being impaled or even beheaded! There were also some unexpected swear words scattered here and there.
I am very happy to have seen this movie and finally get the introduction to Green Lantern that I needed all these years. I am also glad that they chose to feature the Green Lantern I knew, Hal Jordan. (My kids are only familiar with the Jon Stewart incarnation of the recent Justice League Unlimited cartoon show. So I had to tell them some back story when we watched this together.) This is a great animated movie for adults. The story is very interesting. It is also the introduction to Sinestro and the Green Lantern Corp, as well as the Guardians. The animation is top-notch. The voice talents were well done by some well-known actors. Very much recommended for DC Comics fans.
Parental guidance is advised for young kids because of some gory images like characters being impaled or even beheaded! There were also some unexpected swear words scattered here and there.
a very fine intro for the unfamiliar, and a possibly welcome treat for the fans
Quinoa19841 August 2009
Green Lantern is part of a group of superheroes in comics that I'm only familiar with on the periphery, either from seeing some parts of Justice League or hearing here and there about his powers, the ring, the whole fleet of Green Lanterns, the color codes and space battles, etc. It's safe to say then than, for the novice crowd, First Flight is an ideal choice to watch. It has all of the fast pace and (mostly) terrific animation that one's come to expect from the Warner brothers animation with collaboration from DC Comics. This comes now after a few other new animated straight-to-video movies: Superman Doomsday, Justice League New Frontier and Wonder Woman (the last one not yet seen by me). And it's safe to say that Green Lantern can claim its rank with those other examples, nestled most likely in quality and entertainment between Superman and Justice League.
It basically plops us into his origin story, or at least a solid re-telling of it. We get the story of Hal Jordan, who was a test pilot until he came across a dying alien with a green ring on his finger which he entrusted to Jordan. From then on, he's the Green Lantern, but not the only one: he's met on Earth by Sinestro, a red-skinned arrogant jerk, and a few other alien Green Lantern folk, who take him along into space to meet with the council that guides the Lanterns in their adventures. In this case, they have to find the "Yellow element", which is like a yellow machine that is the one weakness of the Green Lanterns: this color is the one thing that can block their power, and in the wrong hands it can wrought devastation on the whole universe. And, meanwhile, Sinestro maneuvers behind the scenes...
Oh, it's not exactly the 'easiest' sort of story and world, so to speak, to enter into on a first viewing with only limited experience to Jordan and the Lantern corp. But once one is acclimated to everything, the animators and filmmakers take it from there and make it a rollicking science fiction action story, with touches of the space opera (sometimes blatantly, like with the rip-off of the Cantina scene from Star Wars when Hal and Sinestro go to interrogate someone). While some of the supporting characters are quite stock-like (i.e. Madsen's honorable pig character), and the usage of CGI, especially during the back-story exposition on the Yellow Element, is sub-par, it's mostly compelling thanks to Jordan being a heroic hero and Sinestro being a complex enough villain in the story. In fact, Sinestro was what made this far better than I initially expected, as a character who is on the side of good, but has his very questionable methods - and then crosses that line where he can never go back from.
I imagine that for the die-hard fans of Lantern from the comics, who perhaps aside from the die-hard fans of WB/DC animation, this might not be anything too new storywise, but the best thing about it is it doesn't need to be. This is the first time we've seen any kind of direct-to-video, or just perhaps any, actual feature film version of the Lantern story (until the Martin Campbell film comes out anyway), and as an origin story it does what it needs to. It sets up its universe (again, so to speak), delivers us interesting characters (more or less), and is jam-packed with intense action and some very particular and amazing scenes of animation. Another Bruce Timm produced effort worth watching, if not an immediate must-see unless one is itching to learn more about one of DC's most popular characters (after, you know, Batman and Superman and maybe Wonder Woman too).
It basically plops us into his origin story, or at least a solid re-telling of it. We get the story of Hal Jordan, who was a test pilot until he came across a dying alien with a green ring on his finger which he entrusted to Jordan. From then on, he's the Green Lantern, but not the only one: he's met on Earth by Sinestro, a red-skinned arrogant jerk, and a few other alien Green Lantern folk, who take him along into space to meet with the council that guides the Lanterns in their adventures. In this case, they have to find the "Yellow element", which is like a yellow machine that is the one weakness of the Green Lanterns: this color is the one thing that can block their power, and in the wrong hands it can wrought devastation on the whole universe. And, meanwhile, Sinestro maneuvers behind the scenes...
Oh, it's not exactly the 'easiest' sort of story and world, so to speak, to enter into on a first viewing with only limited experience to Jordan and the Lantern corp. But once one is acclimated to everything, the animators and filmmakers take it from there and make it a rollicking science fiction action story, with touches of the space opera (sometimes blatantly, like with the rip-off of the Cantina scene from Star Wars when Hal and Sinestro go to interrogate someone). While some of the supporting characters are quite stock-like (i.e. Madsen's honorable pig character), and the usage of CGI, especially during the back-story exposition on the Yellow Element, is sub-par, it's mostly compelling thanks to Jordan being a heroic hero and Sinestro being a complex enough villain in the story. In fact, Sinestro was what made this far better than I initially expected, as a character who is on the side of good, but has his very questionable methods - and then crosses that line where he can never go back from.
I imagine that for the die-hard fans of Lantern from the comics, who perhaps aside from the die-hard fans of WB/DC animation, this might not be anything too new storywise, but the best thing about it is it doesn't need to be. This is the first time we've seen any kind of direct-to-video, or just perhaps any, actual feature film version of the Lantern story (until the Martin Campbell film comes out anyway), and as an origin story it does what it needs to. It sets up its universe (again, so to speak), delivers us interesting characters (more or less), and is jam-packed with intense action and some very particular and amazing scenes of animation. Another Bruce Timm produced effort worth watching, if not an immediate must-see unless one is itching to learn more about one of DC's most popular characters (after, you know, Batman and Superman and maybe Wonder Woman too).
Always a treat from the animation studio
JoeB1316 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I've said it before, I'll say it again. The people who put together Warner Brothers animated DC universe movies have a lot more on the ball than the people who spend millions of dollars putting together the live action films.
Fans already know the story... A dying aliens finds test pilot Hal Jordan (the second of five Green Lanterns) and bestows upon him the ring of the Green Lantern. He is teamed with Sinestro, a Green Lantern with ambitions of his own. Sinestro makes a deal with the Weaponers of Qwad to develop a Yellow Power Ring that gives him the ability to beat the Lantern Corps.
Okay, that's the basics, but this movie really elevates an old story into an art form. Christopher Meloni of Law and Order Fame does a respectable job as the voice of Jordan. The action scenes are quite intense for an animated film (almost being on par with Anime) and I'm almost inclined to say too intense for small children, but what do I know.
Fans already know the story... A dying aliens finds test pilot Hal Jordan (the second of five Green Lanterns) and bestows upon him the ring of the Green Lantern. He is teamed with Sinestro, a Green Lantern with ambitions of his own. Sinestro makes a deal with the Weaponers of Qwad to develop a Yellow Power Ring that gives him the ability to beat the Lantern Corps.
Okay, that's the basics, but this movie really elevates an old story into an art form. Christopher Meloni of Law and Order Fame does a respectable job as the voice of Jordan. The action scenes are quite intense for an animated film (almost being on par with Anime) and I'm almost inclined to say too intense for small children, but what do I know.
Great animated effort.
patriciogl1020 October 2019
A pleasant introduction to one of DC Comics most beloved heroes, an origin story well adapted and finely crafted in terms of its animation. I find most DC films from its animated universe to be of top-quality, and this effort is no less. Perhaps it doesn't fully share the spectacularity of Justice League films or the grandeur of Superman, or the somberness of Batman, but it feels rather cosmic in its nature, it takes on an astronomical dimension obviously due to Green Lantern's stories mostly taking place in outer space. To me is utterly satisfying when a hero and their stories develop an atmosphere of their own, and are able to produce a sense of warming familiarity when you are watching.
Make sure you watch this, if you don't know the first thing about Hal Jordan's Green Lantern, definitely check this movie out, and even if you do you'll realize what a fine origin story WB has in store for fans.
Make sure you watch this, if you don't know the first thing about Hal Jordan's Green Lantern, definitely check this movie out, and even if you do you'll realize what a fine origin story WB has in store for fans.
The closes thing we'll ever get to a great Green Lantern film
walkingwithprimeval5 June 2020
Let me just say right up front that I've never read a single comic book in my entire life (I just couldn't get into them as a kid), so that's why I'm very thankful for the existence of film adaptations based upon these superheroes' backstories and mythos. The first time I'd ever heard of the Green Lantern character was in 2011, back when the whole fiasco of Ryan Reynolds' critical and commercial failure was released onto the big-screen (only a couple of years after this animated film originally came out). Say whatever you want about it by all means (personally, I didn't think it was as awful as everyone makes it out to be), but that financial bomb helped expose many people (such as myself) to the fictional world and expansive lore of the Green Lanterns (so in a way, I suppose not all box-office flops are completely worthless).
Under the surface of things, Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) is really a more in-depth character study about Thaal Sinestro - a tired and bitterly broken-down veteran member of The Corps who finally goes rogue when his faith in the Guardians' justice system has been pushed to its limits and ultimately, his own rigid beliefs in achieving total peace and order in the universe are skewed far beyond repair. It's refreshing to have a superhero film that takes the time to properly establish its antagonist's motivations, even if the character himself is a bit underdeveloped in certain areas (I still say Thanos in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War is the number one best supervillain out there, which was all thanks to The Russo Brothers meticulously fleshing him out to the point where you could then start to understand the reasoning for his extremist attitude). That being said, even thought it feels a lot more small-scale than it actually is, the film still manages to provide the same amount of action spectacle as any MCU movie would.
Hal Jordan still retains his archetypal character traits (from what I've heard about the actual comics, that is) of having a cocky and brash personality, while also maintaining the likeable and heroic qualities of his otherworldly superhero persona as a smooth-talking, and sometimes smart-mouthed, inexperienced rookie cop on his first terrifying assignment. And by the way, no offence to Christopher Meloni's voice acting, but I actually think I prefer Nathan Fillion voicing the eponymous character (his vocal performance in Emerald Knights just fits the role a lot more).
For a direct-to-DVD animated movie, I thought the action sequences were very well choreographed by the talented team of animation artists. The fight scenes in traditional hand-drawn animation tends to look awkward, in a stiff and jerky kind of way (a little rough around the edges, is all I'm saying), and although that's usually the case for most of them, I'm happy to say the animators were experienced enough at knowing how to pull it off in a way that made the lengthy battles appear to have fluent and swift movements when it came to the characters' actions (I mean after all, this is the same team who also worked on the animated Wonder Woman film). The only other good 2D cartoons, which are primarily action-oriented, that I know of are the original Ben 10 series and the 2003 revitalisation of TMNT.
To sum things up; not even a $200 million big-scale "blockbuster" could compare to this action-packed, yet somehow humble, cartoon feature. This was everything that the expensive live-action movie should've been in order to impress casual audiences worldwide and start a whole new ongoing film franchise (but sadly, that never came to pass).
Under the surface of things, Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) is really a more in-depth character study about Thaal Sinestro - a tired and bitterly broken-down veteran member of The Corps who finally goes rogue when his faith in the Guardians' justice system has been pushed to its limits and ultimately, his own rigid beliefs in achieving total peace and order in the universe are skewed far beyond repair. It's refreshing to have a superhero film that takes the time to properly establish its antagonist's motivations, even if the character himself is a bit underdeveloped in certain areas (I still say Thanos in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War is the number one best supervillain out there, which was all thanks to The Russo Brothers meticulously fleshing him out to the point where you could then start to understand the reasoning for his extremist attitude). That being said, even thought it feels a lot more small-scale than it actually is, the film still manages to provide the same amount of action spectacle as any MCU movie would.
Hal Jordan still retains his archetypal character traits (from what I've heard about the actual comics, that is) of having a cocky and brash personality, while also maintaining the likeable and heroic qualities of his otherworldly superhero persona as a smooth-talking, and sometimes smart-mouthed, inexperienced rookie cop on his first terrifying assignment. And by the way, no offence to Christopher Meloni's voice acting, but I actually think I prefer Nathan Fillion voicing the eponymous character (his vocal performance in Emerald Knights just fits the role a lot more).
For a direct-to-DVD animated movie, I thought the action sequences were very well choreographed by the talented team of animation artists. The fight scenes in traditional hand-drawn animation tends to look awkward, in a stiff and jerky kind of way (a little rough around the edges, is all I'm saying), and although that's usually the case for most of them, I'm happy to say the animators were experienced enough at knowing how to pull it off in a way that made the lengthy battles appear to have fluent and swift movements when it came to the characters' actions (I mean after all, this is the same team who also worked on the animated Wonder Woman film). The only other good 2D cartoons, which are primarily action-oriented, that I know of are the original Ben 10 series and the 2003 revitalisation of TMNT.
To sum things up; not even a $200 million big-scale "blockbuster" could compare to this action-packed, yet somehow humble, cartoon feature. This was everything that the expensive live-action movie should've been in order to impress casual audiences worldwide and start a whole new ongoing film franchise (but sadly, that never came to pass).
Green Lantern, First Flight, Soars
MasterFantastic25 February 2017
A very solid effort from the writers and animators at DC. The origin of GL, Hal Jordan, is solidly told, if a little quickly and predictably. We have the dying alien, Abin Suhr, giving his ring to someone worthy, ace pilot Hal, a decent guy doing a hard job and trying to have fun with it.
And fun he has! Hal takes to the ring like a duckling takes to water, and soon he is flying high with the other Green Lanterns, getting into trouble on alien worlds, and saving the day.
The pluses of the movie are many. The animation is smooth, and green never looked so good. The voices are excellent. Christopher Meloni excels as Hal, and Victor Garber is suavely evil as Sinestro. All the other voice roles are handled well; in fact, there are no slackers in the bunch.
The music is also excellent, providing drama when necessary, being playful and light at others. As always, the alien worlds were depicted imaginatively. Watching this movie might have been somewhat predictable, but it was a fun ride all the way.
Its only drawback was that Hal took to his power ring too quickly. No practice, no failures in forming constructs...nada. A little exposition might have made the screenplay work better, but all the same, it was enjoyable, and the ending fight between Hal and Sinestro was superbly staged. A worthy addition to any fan's animated collection.
And fun he has! Hal takes to the ring like a duckling takes to water, and soon he is flying high with the other Green Lanterns, getting into trouble on alien worlds, and saving the day.
The pluses of the movie are many. The animation is smooth, and green never looked so good. The voices are excellent. Christopher Meloni excels as Hal, and Victor Garber is suavely evil as Sinestro. All the other voice roles are handled well; in fact, there are no slackers in the bunch.
The music is also excellent, providing drama when necessary, being playful and light at others. As always, the alien worlds were depicted imaginatively. Watching this movie might have been somewhat predictable, but it was a fun ride all the way.
Its only drawback was that Hal took to his power ring too quickly. No practice, no failures in forming constructs...nada. A little exposition might have made the screenplay work better, but all the same, it was enjoyable, and the ending fight between Hal and Sinestro was superbly staged. A worthy addition to any fan's animated collection.
Good but not great
neil-4766 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
As a major fan of Hal Jordan's Green Lantern since the mid 60s, it was good to finally see him arrive in his own feature (and this prior to the live action movie being green lighted - how appropriate!).
And I thoroughly enjoyed this take on his origin, feeding into his training and then a variant version of Sinestro's "turning to the dark side." But somehow it never quite seemed to achieve the full potential inherent in the character. Yes, it was good to see a fair proportion of the Corps on screen (and Michael Madsen's voice characterisation of Kilowog was exactly right), but perhaps the Guardians were highlighted at the Corps' expense. And Hal's earthside life was almost entirely irrelevant.
So it'll do, and it's much better than not having a GL movie at all, but I hope there will be another and it will realise more of the character's potential.
Incidentally, it wouldn't have taken much to trim the language and violence sufficiently to enable the movie to have been presented to a wider audience.
And I thoroughly enjoyed this take on his origin, feeding into his training and then a variant version of Sinestro's "turning to the dark side." But somehow it never quite seemed to achieve the full potential inherent in the character. Yes, it was good to see a fair proportion of the Corps on screen (and Michael Madsen's voice characterisation of Kilowog was exactly right), but perhaps the Guardians were highlighted at the Corps' expense. And Hal's earthside life was almost entirely irrelevant.
So it'll do, and it's much better than not having a GL movie at all, but I hope there will be another and it will realise more of the character's potential.
Incidentally, it wouldn't have taken much to trim the language and violence sufficiently to enable the movie to have been presented to a wider audience.
This is what the live-action film should have been...
brent_or6 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
After watching this, I find myself once again lamenting the 2011 live-action Green Lantern film. This animated film, FIRST FLIGHT, is far superior in storytelling and frankly, entertainment value as well. To me, this is one of the better of the Warner/DC animated features.
The thing is, from what I understand (not having read any of the comics) Green Lantern is a "space cop." What this film does right is that it focuses on those two things: being a cop...in space. The segment where Hal is out "on the beat" with Sinestro is a great, and other segments further work investigation and innocent/guilty questions into the plot line. Whereas the live-action film spent most of its duration on Earth, FIRST FLIGHT spends only about the first five minutes. Granted, a little more time could have helped to established who Hal is as a character beyond that he's a pilot. But that is forgivable, because time spent out elsewhere in the universe is much more exciting and makes more sense in the context of this telling of the origin-story.
I was very impressed by the writing for Sinestro character. What he says and does is genuinely thought-provoking. The voice acting was just fine; I didn't hardly find myself thinking about it, and that is the way it should be. Some of the CGI effects were pretty cheap looking, but for the most part the animation was clean and fluid.
Overall, FIRST FLIGHT was very entertaining, with an intelligent script, some plot twists and lots of action. The PG-13 rating is for some language and some fairly graphic animated violence. It strikes me as very strange that this direct-to-DVD production would be in almost every way superior to a huge-budget theatrical live-action film. Why couldn't they all be as good as FIRST FLIGHT? Sigh.
The thing is, from what I understand (not having read any of the comics) Green Lantern is a "space cop." What this film does right is that it focuses on those two things: being a cop...in space. The segment where Hal is out "on the beat" with Sinestro is a great, and other segments further work investigation and innocent/guilty questions into the plot line. Whereas the live-action film spent most of its duration on Earth, FIRST FLIGHT spends only about the first five minutes. Granted, a little more time could have helped to established who Hal is as a character beyond that he's a pilot. But that is forgivable, because time spent out elsewhere in the universe is much more exciting and makes more sense in the context of this telling of the origin-story.
I was very impressed by the writing for Sinestro character. What he says and does is genuinely thought-provoking. The voice acting was just fine; I didn't hardly find myself thinking about it, and that is the way it should be. Some of the CGI effects were pretty cheap looking, but for the most part the animation was clean and fluid.
Overall, FIRST FLIGHT was very entertaining, with an intelligent script, some plot twists and lots of action. The PG-13 rating is for some language and some fairly graphic animated violence. It strikes me as very strange that this direct-to-DVD production would be in almost every way superior to a huge-budget theatrical live-action film. Why couldn't they all be as good as FIRST FLIGHT? Sigh.
Weak origin for a fine origin story movie
educallejero23 August 2021
It just fails to really introduce us to Hal Jordan before he gets the powers, and after that, he's kind of a "Gary Stu" (male's version of Mary Sue) that in my opinion is a pretty weak character beyond some fine jokes here and there.
Yet, when the plot of the actual story takes off, it has great pace, good twists and particularly violent action (compared to other movies of the genre), that serves the (considerably serious) tone well.
The third act is more "typical", but the animation finds another gear (and the great use of color and good desings help) and the action is good enough to end the movie on a high point.
Yet, when the plot of the actual story takes off, it has great pace, good twists and particularly violent action (compared to other movies of the genre), that serves the (considerably serious) tone well.
The third act is more "typical", but the animation finds another gear (and the great use of color and good desings help) and the action is good enough to end the movie on a high point.
Good stuff from DC Universe!
chapsmack30 July 2009
Although I have seen Green Lantern being featured in the the few Justice League/DC comics that I have read, I never did know the hows and whys of the original character. This animated movie explains how he came to being without lingering too much on just the origin and continues with solid action throughout. The twists in the story were engrossing and the climax was spectacular and lived up to it's name. I was also riveted by the score, almost as chilling as how Dark Knight was. Some room was also made for wry humor although the content veered more towards PG-13 than PG. All in all I am very impressed by the movie which leaves me eagerly awaiting for the Martin Campbell one of 2011. 8/10.
Animated, tells the story of how the Earthling became a Green Lantern member.
TxMike9 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The new Green Lantern movie is out in theaters, and will soon be available on DVD. Although I read comic books growing up, I was totally unfamiliar with The Green Lantern. So I got this animated version from my public library, to gain some familiarity with the subject.
I have seen the trailers for the new movie, and from that glimpse I believe this animated version tells pretty much the same story, although it also appears the the villain has a different name.
Hal Jordan (voiced by Christopher Meloni) is your normal American hot-shot pilot, and we see him doing a check ride in a simulator. Suddenly the simulator is ripped out of its building and when |Hal gets out comes face-to-face with a strange-looking green alien. But he is not dangerous, he is on a mission, looking for the new member of The Green Lantern society, and the green lantern ring has chosen Hal.
Not all goes smoothly when Hal travels intergalactically to be evaluated by the tribunal. |They don't think a human (Earthling) has the discipline to be in The Green Lantern. Hal's main instructor is to be Sinestro (voiced by Victor Garber).
Pause to explain, The Green Lantern is not one individual, but is a society of thousands, each one has a particular section of the universe to protect. They wear the green ring which allows them to demonstrate and use a number of very handy super powers.
So anyway this is Hal's story, to become accepted as a Green Lantern member, and on the way to accomplishing that has to battle some evil forces that want to take over the universe for their own purposes.
I have seen the trailers for the new movie, and from that glimpse I believe this animated version tells pretty much the same story, although it also appears the the villain has a different name.
Hal Jordan (voiced by Christopher Meloni) is your normal American hot-shot pilot, and we see him doing a check ride in a simulator. Suddenly the simulator is ripped out of its building and when |Hal gets out comes face-to-face with a strange-looking green alien. But he is not dangerous, he is on a mission, looking for the new member of The Green Lantern society, and the green lantern ring has chosen Hal.
Not all goes smoothly when Hal travels intergalactically to be evaluated by the tribunal. |They don't think a human (Earthling) has the discipline to be in The Green Lantern. Hal's main instructor is to be Sinestro (voiced by Victor Garber).
Pause to explain, The Green Lantern is not one individual, but is a society of thousands, each one has a particular section of the universe to protect. They wear the green ring which allows them to demonstrate and use a number of very handy super powers.
So anyway this is Hal's story, to become accepted as a Green Lantern member, and on the way to accomplishing that has to battle some evil forces that want to take over the universe for their own purposes.
Entertaining enough
Movie_Rating_n_Ranking27 June 2023
Good origin animated movie, quite entertaining and with a more than decent villain. The level and type of animation is interesting, as it's far from what DC Animations normally offers in its movies. It has a good kinetic flow and the character design fits very well considering this is an animated space opera.
We could make a direct comparison between this animation and the Live Action Green Lantern movie from 2011. Leaving aside the bad CGI and the changes of antagonists, I think that the story that the animation offers is better. There's a better consistency, Sinestro is more complex and has a gradual evolution within the movie.
The animated movie has good pacing too, filling half of Act 2 and all of Act 3 with fast-paced action and revelations that make it all the more engaging. While the power levels are somewhat unbalanced, it's satisfying to see the outcome of First Flight, after all.
In its negative aspects, some characters are very underpowered, the humor doesn't quite work and the patterns of power become repetitive.
Recommended for those who follow the animated series of DC movies.
We could make a direct comparison between this animation and the Live Action Green Lantern movie from 2011. Leaving aside the bad CGI and the changes of antagonists, I think that the story that the animation offers is better. There's a better consistency, Sinestro is more complex and has a gradual evolution within the movie.
The animated movie has good pacing too, filling half of Act 2 and all of Act 3 with fast-paced action and revelations that make it all the more engaging. While the power levels are somewhat unbalanced, it's satisfying to see the outcome of First Flight, after all.
In its negative aspects, some characters are very underpowered, the humor doesn't quite work and the patterns of power become repetitive.
Recommended for those who follow the animated series of DC movies.
Green Lantern First Flight: Good, bad, somewhere in between, meh
Platypuschow7 January 2018
I've never been a huge fan of the Green Lantern, I think it's because I'm not a big "Space" and scifi guy and let's be honest Green Lantern is certainly DC's premier space traveller.
This is an origin story, I suppose. But the actual origin is basically compacted into 5 minutes, no....really.
It then immediatly moves onto his first mission which none too surprisingly involves longtime nemesis Sinestro and yadayadayada.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying in any way shape or form that First Flight is bad, it's just so incredibly paint by numbers and I needed something special to take my attention away from not being keen on Hal Jordan.
Yes, no doubt this is considerably better than the live action movie which I'm still in denial about but this really is one for fans and perhaps fans only.
The Good:
The chair shot made me laugh
Great voice cast
The Bad:
Highly rushed origin story
Highly generic
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Super heroes in space simply don't work for me *Ahem* Except Guardian Of The Galaxy
The blue men group are ancients? This explains so much
This is an origin story, I suppose. But the actual origin is basically compacted into 5 minutes, no....really.
It then immediatly moves onto his first mission which none too surprisingly involves longtime nemesis Sinestro and yadayadayada.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying in any way shape or form that First Flight is bad, it's just so incredibly paint by numbers and I needed something special to take my attention away from not being keen on Hal Jordan.
Yes, no doubt this is considerably better than the live action movie which I'm still in denial about but this really is one for fans and perhaps fans only.
The Good:
The chair shot made me laugh
Great voice cast
The Bad:
Highly rushed origin story
Highly generic
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Super heroes in space simply don't work for me *Ahem* Except Guardian Of The Galaxy
The blue men group are ancients? This explains so much
Walt Disney Animations - nuff said
siderite21 July 2009
What did you expect from this? Animation that is decent, but nothing spectacular, lots of pretty colors and funny faces, everyday guy with large manly jaw becoming galactic marshal rookie, rookie fighting evil, rookie defeating evil. I knew what was going to happen, who was the bad guy and how good will prevail from the first 10 minutes, yet it still was fun :) Sneaky sobs!
Bottom line: it's a cartoon for kids. Nobody sings, thank you very much, but there isn't much humour in it either. A simple plot which explains the birth of the Green Lantern superhero. To their defense, I doubt they could have squeezed much in it anyway, as the plot was packed with action from beginning to start.
Bottom line: it's a cartoon for kids. Nobody sings, thank you very much, but there isn't much humour in it either. A simple plot which explains the birth of the Green Lantern superhero. To their defense, I doubt they could have squeezed much in it anyway, as the plot was packed with action from beginning to start.
Solid little comic book animation despite jumping right into the action as if only fans will be watching
bob the moo13 March 2011
Test pilot Hal Jordan is in a simulator when he suddenly finds himself transported into the desert where he meets a dying alien, is presented with a green ring that gives him great power. It is not very long before others come with the same power and he learns that he is not unique but that the "ring" has chosen him to join an elite intergalactic police force (the Green Lantern Corps). He joins with the leader of the group to be trained but he finds that his natural style doesn't sit well beside the more cruel and fear-based method of police favoured by Sinestro.
Coming to the Green Lantern as a completely casual viewer with no knowledge of him I will say that this film didn't come over as quite abrupt to me because I was introduced into the creation of this character in about the first 30 seconds of the film! I guess this is a necessary evil since, unlike the forthcoming Hollywood film, many people picking up this animated film will already be at very least familiar with the character so backstory and development of the character might annoy them – and they are in the majority here so fair enough. That said, once it gets past this and the Green Lantern Corps are introduced, I did sort of forget that my initial feelings were that I had been thrown in at the deep end, because the plot became pretty simple, the characters pretty obvious and the action pretty engaging by virtue of keeping lots happening.
Although I came to it thinking it would be a kid's affair, it is actually pretty strong in terms of action and plot; OK it is still comic book material but I did like it and in a way not knowing the story actually helped me because I didn't already know what was happening. The motives of Sinestro were hardly a surprise (Hello? His name sounds like "sinister") but I was still reasonably engaged by it all. The animation worked well because it allowed me to accept all these little trolls and rings that make things of all shapes (Baseball bats! Fans!) because it was fantasy – I'd be interested to see how they pull this off in live action because I'm not sure if the story will be the same but the trailer looks so-so at best. The voice work is solid enough – reasonably big names but I wasn't really ever thinking "oh, who is that it's on the tip of my tongue", although Meloni, Garber, Madsen, Smith and others all do pretty good jobs.
I'm sure I'll see the live-action blockbuster at some point, but for this animated film I did rather enjoy it. It has a solid plot and although some of the powers of the Lanterns were daft, the animation and the pace of it all made it work pretty well. Solid little comic-book animation.
Coming to the Green Lantern as a completely casual viewer with no knowledge of him I will say that this film didn't come over as quite abrupt to me because I was introduced into the creation of this character in about the first 30 seconds of the film! I guess this is a necessary evil since, unlike the forthcoming Hollywood film, many people picking up this animated film will already be at very least familiar with the character so backstory and development of the character might annoy them – and they are in the majority here so fair enough. That said, once it gets past this and the Green Lantern Corps are introduced, I did sort of forget that my initial feelings were that I had been thrown in at the deep end, because the plot became pretty simple, the characters pretty obvious and the action pretty engaging by virtue of keeping lots happening.
Although I came to it thinking it would be a kid's affair, it is actually pretty strong in terms of action and plot; OK it is still comic book material but I did like it and in a way not knowing the story actually helped me because I didn't already know what was happening. The motives of Sinestro were hardly a surprise (Hello? His name sounds like "sinister") but I was still reasonably engaged by it all. The animation worked well because it allowed me to accept all these little trolls and rings that make things of all shapes (Baseball bats! Fans!) because it was fantasy – I'd be interested to see how they pull this off in live action because I'm not sure if the story will be the same but the trailer looks so-so at best. The voice work is solid enough – reasonably big names but I wasn't really ever thinking "oh, who is that it's on the tip of my tongue", although Meloni, Garber, Madsen, Smith and others all do pretty good jobs.
I'm sure I'll see the live-action blockbuster at some point, but for this animated film I did rather enjoy it. It has a solid plot and although some of the powers of the Lanterns were daft, the animation and the pace of it all made it work pretty well. Solid little comic-book animation.
In blandest day...In dullest night
alanrayford9 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I felt "Green Lantern: First Flight" had a lot of promise. The trailer looked and felt right, leaving me hopeful. Since blindly buying this film, however, many of my hopes have been dashed.
First off, the animation and character design was superb. Hal Jordan and company looked great. I liked how Sinestro's appearance was more grounded and less "gaze upon my forehead". Kilowog's design enabled him to look jovial and, in the next frame, highly menacing. Visually, the Guardians stood apart from each other (with different facial types, receding hair lines, etc). The rest of the Corp also had minor revisions to their design that further emphasized their extraterrestrial nature from past incarnations. But, when these characters moved, this is when it became how visually lush this production was. There are only two words that come to mind for describing it—fluid and seamless.
The action scenes were very well directed, gripping, and pulled no punches. They always said it in "Justice League", but this is the first time I've ever really seen anything to make me see the power ring as a devastating weapon. Kanjar Ro gets a greenish hole punched through his middle by Sinestro. Later, Sinestro uses the ring to briefly reanimate Ro by reconnecting his neural pathways. Boodikka and Kilowog get into a fight and proceed to tear up a rather spacious and sturdy environment. The scene culminates in a character dying in a very graphic and almost R-rated manner. Then there's the fight between Jordan and Sinestro. It starts off as a really cool, bi-color outer space dogfight. But, before long, devolves into a brutal, no holds barred slugfest. I could almost feel the pain coming off each landed blow. However, there's a problem with "GL: FF". And this would have to be Hal Jordan and, by extension, the script.
When we're introduced to the lead, he's in a flight simulator. Then it gets pulled from its housing and dragged miles through the air to a crashed spaceship. When Hal is faced with this and the alien Abin Sur, he doesn't even raise an eyebrow. Most people would probably freak out just a little bit. When Hal is charged with being a Green Lantern, he doesn't seem to really care. Even when he's faced with Kilowog, Tomar Re, and Boodikka, the weight of his predicament never seems to register with him. Then, of all things, without any training, Jordan is operating his ring at expert levels. The script should've handled this better and made the lead more human. But, beholden to a truncated time limit, it glossed over some highly needed plot points. However, it's not all the script's fault.
I was surprised with Christopher Meloni, who is a really solid actor. I've seen him on the big screen and in "SVU". Yet, in this, he fell kind of flat. The scene which really displayed this is when it was being decided if he would be a Green Lantern. The Guardians were just ripping on him "...and then there's the smell " Hal's defense of himself and the human race against these humorous and scathing charges just came off as halfhearted. Half of the time Meloni's delivery felt this way, like it was more of an afterthought. This really stuck out since every other actor, especially Garber and Madsen, brought their A-game—if they didn't, damned if I could tell.
In my review of "Wonder Woman", I said these films need a longer running time. Well most of what was wrong with "GL: FF" probably could've been fixed with another ten to fifteen minutes of length. This way Hal would've had the time to be appropriately unnerved by the vast and dangerous world he was abruptly pulled into. It wouldn't have hurt to see him spend a minute or two on Earth, trying to figure out how he was going to handle the immense responsibility dropped in his lap. We also could've seen him properly earn his skills in a training montage (clichéd, but effective). These changes would've enabled me to better empathize with his story. But as it stands, Hal was more of a cipher for the nobler aspects of humanity than an actual human. In short, he was not relatable.
"Green Lantern: First Flight" is just an okay film which should've been a great one. It looks beautiful. It has truly outstanding action. Sadly, it's dragged down into mediocrity by an extremely abridged story and a lackluster lead character. It's definitely one to rent first and, assuming you're not too disappointed, buy later.
On another note, to the producers (should one of them ever read this), it's time. These DTV films are pulling in some respectable cash, so more money should be poured into them. I'm not talking about doubling or tripling the budget, just a little bit more cash. This could increase the running time, enable more satisfying story lines, and help create the kind of production that makes the mainstream, which is normally dismissive of animation, finally take notice of your work. At any rate, I hope "Batman/Superman: Enemies of the State" is handled better than "GL: FF" was. And I really hope the DTV after that (Suicide Squad, Suicide Squad, Suicide Squad) finally sees a change for the better in how these films are structured.
First off, the animation and character design was superb. Hal Jordan and company looked great. I liked how Sinestro's appearance was more grounded and less "gaze upon my forehead". Kilowog's design enabled him to look jovial and, in the next frame, highly menacing. Visually, the Guardians stood apart from each other (with different facial types, receding hair lines, etc). The rest of the Corp also had minor revisions to their design that further emphasized their extraterrestrial nature from past incarnations. But, when these characters moved, this is when it became how visually lush this production was. There are only two words that come to mind for describing it—fluid and seamless.
The action scenes were very well directed, gripping, and pulled no punches. They always said it in "Justice League", but this is the first time I've ever really seen anything to make me see the power ring as a devastating weapon. Kanjar Ro gets a greenish hole punched through his middle by Sinestro. Later, Sinestro uses the ring to briefly reanimate Ro by reconnecting his neural pathways. Boodikka and Kilowog get into a fight and proceed to tear up a rather spacious and sturdy environment. The scene culminates in a character dying in a very graphic and almost R-rated manner. Then there's the fight between Jordan and Sinestro. It starts off as a really cool, bi-color outer space dogfight. But, before long, devolves into a brutal, no holds barred slugfest. I could almost feel the pain coming off each landed blow. However, there's a problem with "GL: FF". And this would have to be Hal Jordan and, by extension, the script.
When we're introduced to the lead, he's in a flight simulator. Then it gets pulled from its housing and dragged miles through the air to a crashed spaceship. When Hal is faced with this and the alien Abin Sur, he doesn't even raise an eyebrow. Most people would probably freak out just a little bit. When Hal is charged with being a Green Lantern, he doesn't seem to really care. Even when he's faced with Kilowog, Tomar Re, and Boodikka, the weight of his predicament never seems to register with him. Then, of all things, without any training, Jordan is operating his ring at expert levels. The script should've handled this better and made the lead more human. But, beholden to a truncated time limit, it glossed over some highly needed plot points. However, it's not all the script's fault.
I was surprised with Christopher Meloni, who is a really solid actor. I've seen him on the big screen and in "SVU". Yet, in this, he fell kind of flat. The scene which really displayed this is when it was being decided if he would be a Green Lantern. The Guardians were just ripping on him "...and then there's the smell " Hal's defense of himself and the human race against these humorous and scathing charges just came off as halfhearted. Half of the time Meloni's delivery felt this way, like it was more of an afterthought. This really stuck out since every other actor, especially Garber and Madsen, brought their A-game—if they didn't, damned if I could tell.
In my review of "Wonder Woman", I said these films need a longer running time. Well most of what was wrong with "GL: FF" probably could've been fixed with another ten to fifteen minutes of length. This way Hal would've had the time to be appropriately unnerved by the vast and dangerous world he was abruptly pulled into. It wouldn't have hurt to see him spend a minute or two on Earth, trying to figure out how he was going to handle the immense responsibility dropped in his lap. We also could've seen him properly earn his skills in a training montage (clichéd, but effective). These changes would've enabled me to better empathize with his story. But as it stands, Hal was more of a cipher for the nobler aspects of humanity than an actual human. In short, he was not relatable.
"Green Lantern: First Flight" is just an okay film which should've been a great one. It looks beautiful. It has truly outstanding action. Sadly, it's dragged down into mediocrity by an extremely abridged story and a lackluster lead character. It's definitely one to rent first and, assuming you're not too disappointed, buy later.
On another note, to the producers (should one of them ever read this), it's time. These DTV films are pulling in some respectable cash, so more money should be poured into them. I'm not talking about doubling or tripling the budget, just a little bit more cash. This could increase the running time, enable more satisfying story lines, and help create the kind of production that makes the mainstream, which is normally dismissive of animation, finally take notice of your work. At any rate, I hope "Batman/Superman: Enemies of the State" is handled better than "GL: FF" was. And I really hope the DTV after that (Suicide Squad, Suicide Squad, Suicide Squad) finally sees a change for the better in how these films are structured.
Decent superhero animation
Rectangular_businessman20 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I have to say that, before watching this movie for the first time (Aproximately two years ago) all my knowledge about Green Lantern was from the two "Justice League" animated series.
I'm not sure how faithful is this movie to the comic books, but I think that it was a decent origin story, which was entertaining to watch, even if at moments the plot felt a bit rushed. I also liked the character development and the voice acting.
The animation from this movie was pretty well done, with a very good design of characters and sceneries. The music, without being extraordinary, fit perfectly with the overall mood of the story.
Of all the direct-to-DVD DC animated films that I've seen so far, this was one of the most enjoyable to watch.
I'm not sure how faithful is this movie to the comic books, but I think that it was a decent origin story, which was entertaining to watch, even if at moments the plot felt a bit rushed. I also liked the character development and the voice acting.
The animation from this movie was pretty well done, with a very good design of characters and sceneries. The music, without being extraordinary, fit perfectly with the overall mood of the story.
Of all the direct-to-DVD DC animated films that I've seen so far, this was one of the most enjoyable to watch.
Existence proof of the value of animation
cashbacher4 September 2020
Technology has advanced to the point where actors can be completely integrated into electronically generated special effects to the point where it appears that the superheroes are really super. Many blockbuster movies have been created based on comic book characters coming to life. However, this movie is a demonstration that there is still a role for animation when it is done right. This one is done right.
The story is about the interstellar Green Lantern corps and how one member crash lands on Earth. The power ring seeks out a worthy replacement and daring test pilot Hal Jordan is selected. Once the ring is on his finger, he is transformed into a Green Lantern and he is summoned to appear before the Guardians to argue for his inclusion in the corps.
There is some significant resistance to his presence as well as a cancer within the corps. Green Lantern's longtime prime adversary in the comics was the renegade Green Lantern known as Sinestro. In this story, Sinestro is a member of the Green Lantern corps, but is actively plotting against the Guardians. Hal Jordan becomes his apprentice, not knowing what Sinestro's real motives are.
This is a great action feature, the animation, writing and delivery of the audio are all first rate. The viewer is injected into the storyline to the point where they truly care about the consequences. Hal emerges as a bulwark against the overthrow of the Guardians and comes face-to-face with a very powerful Sinestro.
One of the simplest determiners of the quality of a movie is that when it ends, you look forward to a potential sequel. That is the case here.
It's passable
KineticSeoul12 February 2015
Fans of the Green Lantern, is probably going to really like this movie. Sure the development may fall short in some areas. But it does a fine job of carrying on the essence of the Green Lantern. It does a good job of showing the origin story of the Green Lantern and where he comes from and how he got the ring. I think the 2011 live action Green Lantern was probably saving certain plots from this animated movie for the sequel. Cause the story is good enough for a Green Lantern movie to make it worth a watch. Sure I can see certain areas where the movie could have been better, such as more on the growth and depth of Hal Jordan. Maybe a less generic and predictable direction may have also really worked for this movie without messing up Hal's origin. But it doesn't lose focus on the primary goal of the story. So in that regards, it's a fairly satisfying movie. Not great, but satisfying and I think they did what they could with the budget and time they had. I think some movies shouldn't be made if they don't have the resources to make a good one, but I think this one is worth the pass.
6.8/10
6.8/10
An awesome take on Green Lantern's origin
ja_kitty_713 January 2017
This movie has me loving this DC Comics super-hero Green Lantern. I like to say that seven characters had been given the title of "Green Lantern." Of course, the ring of the first Lantern Alan Scott was fashioned by him, and its power came a magic lantern he had found. By 1959, the character became the sci-fi superhero comic fans know today - Hal Jordan, a pilot who was given a green ring from a dying alien, who is part of an intergalactic police force the Green Lantern Corps. Now Hal is the first human to be a member of the corps.
I have watched this film on Netflix and I found it an awesome take on that origin story. This movie has great animation, excellent casting, thrilling sci-fi action and a shocking surprise. I thought Victor Garber voiced a convincing Sinestro. Overall I love this film from beginning to end. And I also love the live-action Green Lantern movie too.
I have watched this film on Netflix and I found it an awesome take on that origin story. This movie has great animation, excellent casting, thrilling sci-fi action and a shocking surprise. I thought Victor Garber voiced a convincing Sinestro. Overall I love this film from beginning to end. And I also love the live-action Green Lantern movie too.
Suffered From Not Enough Deceit Dialogs And Story
maxskyfan-929 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Plot
A dying Alien gives Hal Jordan (Christopher Meloni) a powerful ring. A short time later the alien's friends visit Hal and ask about their friend. They introduce themselves to Hal and tell them that they need him to come with them back to the home world of their base of operations. When they get to this home world it is make known by the leaders of the league that they don't believe Hal would be a good fit, but Sinestro (Victor Garber), a respected member for the group, vouches for Hal and tells the leaders that he will evaluate him on his next mission. It is soon shown that Sinestro cannot be trusted and is working against the leadership of the league. Now it is a question if it is too late to stop him before the League of the Green Lanterns is wiped out for good.
Character Development
There is a little growth shown in the protagonist and other characters, but Hal becomes a Green Lantern quite easily and without much soul searching or wonder. I have seen more excitement on a kid that just got the training wheels taken off his bike. And with Sinestro it was plainly obvious that this was the bad guy. The only way they could made it any clearer would be to have this antagonist wear a danger sign around his neck, but even if this was the case the other characters were so dim they still would not have notice anything out of order.
Acting
Level good acting. Mostly impressive voice work. There could have been some great moments if the writing lead way to that type of acting.
Overview
I think this movie suffered from not enough deceit dialogs and story. The talking only seemed to take you from place to place in a perfunctory manner. I did not sense and depth or beauty in it. Then the drama was just too one side with the Hal and Sinestro. How is it possible with all those immortal guardians that not one can see pass Sinestro's lies and be unaware of his hatred? The writer could have played with both sides and had done some juggling instead of giving the keys the kingdom to the antagonist, but no they give Sinestro an inside man and decided to help instead of throwing in a monkey wrench to foul up Sinestro's works, which would have make things more interesting.
A dying Alien gives Hal Jordan (Christopher Meloni) a powerful ring. A short time later the alien's friends visit Hal and ask about their friend. They introduce themselves to Hal and tell them that they need him to come with them back to the home world of their base of operations. When they get to this home world it is make known by the leaders of the league that they don't believe Hal would be a good fit, but Sinestro (Victor Garber), a respected member for the group, vouches for Hal and tells the leaders that he will evaluate him on his next mission. It is soon shown that Sinestro cannot be trusted and is working against the leadership of the league. Now it is a question if it is too late to stop him before the League of the Green Lanterns is wiped out for good.
Character Development
There is a little growth shown in the protagonist and other characters, but Hal becomes a Green Lantern quite easily and without much soul searching or wonder. I have seen more excitement on a kid that just got the training wheels taken off his bike. And with Sinestro it was plainly obvious that this was the bad guy. The only way they could made it any clearer would be to have this antagonist wear a danger sign around his neck, but even if this was the case the other characters were so dim they still would not have notice anything out of order.
Acting
Level good acting. Mostly impressive voice work. There could have been some great moments if the writing lead way to that type of acting.
Overview
I think this movie suffered from not enough deceit dialogs and story. The talking only seemed to take you from place to place in a perfunctory manner. I did not sense and depth or beauty in it. Then the drama was just too one side with the Hal and Sinestro. How is it possible with all those immortal guardians that not one can see pass Sinestro's lies and be unaware of his hatred? The writer could have played with both sides and had done some juggling instead of giving the keys the kingdom to the antagonist, but no they give Sinestro an inside man and decided to help instead of throwing in a monkey wrench to foul up Sinestro's works, which would have make things more interesting.
"First Flight" soars to new heights
xamtaro28 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Green Lanter: First Flight is the latest(as of writing this) direct to video animated feature from Warner Bros based on DC comics characters. It presents a re-telling of the origin of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, his recruitment into the Green Lantern Corp and subsequent first mission. Along the way he meets a variety of unique characters including Sinestro, a senior Green Lantern enforcer with a hidden agenda.
For an origin story, this movie comes across as very rushed. How Hal Jordan got the Green Lantern ring is over and done with in the first 5 minutes. By the next 5 minutes he is already in full control of his powers and being brought before the Green Lantern council of guardians and on his way to becoming a full fledged member.
This show tries to cram too much into too short a time. The effects of this cramming were not as jarring as with the previous direct to DVD animated features like Superman Doomsday. But for Green Lantern: First Flight, its story can easily span 6 standard TV episodes (20 minutes each, totaling at 120 minutes of material). More time could have been devoted to letting the suspense and intrigue play out so that the whole "cop drama in space" feel can be fully appreciated.
As the main character in his own origin movie, Hal Jordan is possibly the most under-developed character in the whole show. The only thing that sets him apart from the rest is his creativity with the power ring(and mind you, the things he makes with that ring are really cool and adds a little humor here and there.) Other than that, there is never any sense of Hal's story as a journey from "zero to hero". Sinestro on the other hand is given a refreshing take as a villain. His motives no longer come across as just purely "Bad guy" motives. He honestly wants the universe to change for the better, even if he has to take over the reins of power. Sounds like some of the antagonists from Gundam or something, but a very well developed character overall; his motives leading very logically into his actions. Side characters like Kilowog and the Guardians are so much more interesting than Hal Jordan, punctuated by top notch acting all the way that lends to the believability and realism of the show.
Aside from a less than interesting main character and a short running time, Green Lanter First Flight still manages to be highly entertaining. After the first 15 minutes or so, The story starts to shares a number of elements similar to "The Recruit". New guy gets recruited into a law enforcement organization, though there are those that do not quite trust him. What was thought to be a run-of-the-mill mission soon turns out to be something a lot deeper, encompassing betrayal and hostile takeover. Accompanying the action is an intense musical score that is quite different in feel from the other superhero animated features. This one uses an interesting mix of traditional instruments and electronic synthetic sounds to create a very unique theme for Green Lantern.
What would stand out most of all is the gorgeous animation. The same high frame rate is applied here again, as with previous DC animated features. Characters movements are very fluid and with some scenes looking as smooth as real life footage. The level of detail in the art has also been taken up a notch since "Wonder Woman". One or two of the fight scenes could have been staged a little better though. The director is good at what she does, except fight scenes. The final duel between Hal Jordan and Sinestro for example. What could have been a galaxy spanning duel of epic proportions with each combatant utilizing every trick in the book, turned into a simple fist fight in space.
Character designs in Green Lantern are not as angular as previous DC style designs. The men characters are more realistically proportioned, no longer overly muscle bound, and The Women characters bear a very feminine "European anime" look like in Totally Spies and Martin Mystery. The alien characters here are also something new for DC animation. They actually LOOK ALIEN, and not like humans wearing makeup and prosthetics like in the Justice league animated series. Most of the designs are really original though one or 2 look like they were ripped off from Ben 10.
A word of warning though. This film EARNS its PG13 rating. A little swearing in the dialog, some innuendo here and there and lots of violence. There are a couple of scenes that some people may find disturbing like a guy getting sucked out into space through a tiny hole for example. Definitely not for kids(and kids wont appreciate the complex story anyway).
Green Lantern: First flight is really a gem. A pity it was so short though, which seriously affected some character development and pacing issues. DC's DTV animated features have been improving with each installment. I just hope the next improvement they can make is to allow a longer running time.
For an origin story, this movie comes across as very rushed. How Hal Jordan got the Green Lantern ring is over and done with in the first 5 minutes. By the next 5 minutes he is already in full control of his powers and being brought before the Green Lantern council of guardians and on his way to becoming a full fledged member.
This show tries to cram too much into too short a time. The effects of this cramming were not as jarring as with the previous direct to DVD animated features like Superman Doomsday. But for Green Lantern: First Flight, its story can easily span 6 standard TV episodes (20 minutes each, totaling at 120 minutes of material). More time could have been devoted to letting the suspense and intrigue play out so that the whole "cop drama in space" feel can be fully appreciated.
As the main character in his own origin movie, Hal Jordan is possibly the most under-developed character in the whole show. The only thing that sets him apart from the rest is his creativity with the power ring(and mind you, the things he makes with that ring are really cool and adds a little humor here and there.) Other than that, there is never any sense of Hal's story as a journey from "zero to hero". Sinestro on the other hand is given a refreshing take as a villain. His motives no longer come across as just purely "Bad guy" motives. He honestly wants the universe to change for the better, even if he has to take over the reins of power. Sounds like some of the antagonists from Gundam or something, but a very well developed character overall; his motives leading very logically into his actions. Side characters like Kilowog and the Guardians are so much more interesting than Hal Jordan, punctuated by top notch acting all the way that lends to the believability and realism of the show.
Aside from a less than interesting main character and a short running time, Green Lanter First Flight still manages to be highly entertaining. After the first 15 minutes or so, The story starts to shares a number of elements similar to "The Recruit". New guy gets recruited into a law enforcement organization, though there are those that do not quite trust him. What was thought to be a run-of-the-mill mission soon turns out to be something a lot deeper, encompassing betrayal and hostile takeover. Accompanying the action is an intense musical score that is quite different in feel from the other superhero animated features. This one uses an interesting mix of traditional instruments and electronic synthetic sounds to create a very unique theme for Green Lantern.
What would stand out most of all is the gorgeous animation. The same high frame rate is applied here again, as with previous DC animated features. Characters movements are very fluid and with some scenes looking as smooth as real life footage. The level of detail in the art has also been taken up a notch since "Wonder Woman". One or two of the fight scenes could have been staged a little better though. The director is good at what she does, except fight scenes. The final duel between Hal Jordan and Sinestro for example. What could have been a galaxy spanning duel of epic proportions with each combatant utilizing every trick in the book, turned into a simple fist fight in space.
Character designs in Green Lantern are not as angular as previous DC style designs. The men characters are more realistically proportioned, no longer overly muscle bound, and The Women characters bear a very feminine "European anime" look like in Totally Spies and Martin Mystery. The alien characters here are also something new for DC animation. They actually LOOK ALIEN, and not like humans wearing makeup and prosthetics like in the Justice league animated series. Most of the designs are really original though one or 2 look like they were ripped off from Ben 10.
A word of warning though. This film EARNS its PG13 rating. A little swearing in the dialog, some innuendo here and there and lots of violence. There are a couple of scenes that some people may find disturbing like a guy getting sucked out into space through a tiny hole for example. Definitely not for kids(and kids wont appreciate the complex story anyway).
Green Lantern: First flight is really a gem. A pity it was so short though, which seriously affected some character development and pacing issues. DC's DTV animated features have been improving with each installment. I just hope the next improvement they can make is to allow a longer running time.
First Flight is the Definition of Mediocre
panagiotis199325 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My Reaction / Review (reviewing while watching): Ok the movie starts with Hal getting the ring and powers, no time to lose, right to the point... interesting. This is not much of an origin story though. Hal gets the ring and that's it. I would like if we had some scenes where Hal is learning the basic things about his new power, the ring and how to use it. I like how the council thought the worst about the human race, I don't blame them. I like that Sinestro is Hal's teacher, I wonder if he will turn evil in this movie because I didn't read the plot. I really hope he will turn evil because I wanna see this epic fight. It's obvious right from the start that Sinestro is not a good guy, he is abusing his power. I've seen 30 minutes and the movie focuses too much on Sinestro, I mean I know he is the main villain but this is a movie about Hal and all I see is Sinestro so far, I I hope this will change soon.
Sinestro works for the enemy, now that's him being undercover which is a really cool concept. 40 minutes and it's not really that exciting. The only thing interesting about the plot would probably be Sinestro's story. Hal isn't as cool as I expected. Most of the lanterns have zero character development including Hal. The only character that seems to have some decent development is Sinestro. There are still 40 minutes left, I hope it will get better. Sinestro framed Hal for murder and they took his ring, now that's cool. Watching Sinestro putting the yellow ring on his finger was really satisfying. Damn Sinestro murdered like a dozen lanterns like it was nothing, that's brutal. The fight between Sinestro and Hal Jordan was a bit underwhelming like the rest of the movie. I feel like we didn't get to know Hal, at least not as much as i wanted.
This movie really lacks development for the characters which makes it impossible to connect with them. This is a mediocre movie in every way, I expected more. My rating is 6.2/10.
Sinestro works for the enemy, now that's him being undercover which is a really cool concept. 40 minutes and it's not really that exciting. The only thing interesting about the plot would probably be Sinestro's story. Hal isn't as cool as I expected. Most of the lanterns have zero character development including Hal. The only character that seems to have some decent development is Sinestro. There are still 40 minutes left, I hope it will get better. Sinestro framed Hal for murder and they took his ring, now that's cool. Watching Sinestro putting the yellow ring on his finger was really satisfying. Damn Sinestro murdered like a dozen lanterns like it was nothing, that's brutal. The fight between Sinestro and Hal Jordan was a bit underwhelming like the rest of the movie. I feel like we didn't get to know Hal, at least not as much as i wanted.
This movie really lacks development for the characters which makes it impossible to connect with them. This is a mediocre movie in every way, I expected more. My rating is 6.2/10.
a fairly solid, if not particularly satisfying, origin tale
movieman_kev28 August 2009
Telling the origin of Hal Jorden the Green Lantern (with some tweaks here and there), the Green Lantern Corps and Hal's arch-enemy Sinistro, this animated movie, while not as good as the previous Wonder Woman animated film, is still able to keep one's interest due to the pretty good amount of action in the film. While it's far from perfect it still did it's job, a primer to drive up interest for the upcoming live movie, well enough. Furthermore, the voice acting was good for the most part with some minor exceptions and it was well story-boarded. The animation,however, was a bit inconsistent.
My Grade: C+
My Grade: C+
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