Green Lantern: First Flight – Blu Ray

The Film:

DC Comics have long been pimping their Big Three, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, all of which have had numerous cartoons, films, and TV shows through their existence. The live action films seem, for whatever reason, lope-sided in favor of them, sans Wonder Woman. It’s about time another character emerges from the shadows, and in the brightest day, in the darkest night, finally we see the Green Lantern’s light.

Having been one of the original characters from DC’s inception in the 1940s, his character didn’t become famous until Showcase #22 (1959), when the character reemerged in what is now known as the Silver Age of comics. Hal Jordan, the ring, the Corps, the famous saying, everything clicked for this character. DC has always had a fascination with characters dealing with intergalactic issues, but the Green Lantern is by far the better of these. Yes, Superman isn’t that interesting. While the character has been popular enough to sustain the times, he has always been a back-up character in various media like in Superfriends and The All-New Superfriends Hour. When Bruce Timm and his team moved from Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League, the character became more prominent in stories but was the later Green Lantern, Jon Stewart.

So after all these years, Hal Jordan is ready to take over and show why this character of the Green Lantern is as good as DC’s Big Three, with a (finally!) feature film in the making, and now in Green Lantern: First Flight. The film stars off with a quick prologue on how Abin Sur crash lands on Earth to find Hal Jordan, the next chosen Green Lantern. From here, Hal is whisked away into a crime drama and treachery, with him learning about the Guardians and the Corps. Of course, this isn’t all that interesting without a “big bad” and we have Sinestro as that.

On paper, this flick is amazing. But in reality, it’s a mixed bag. On the positive side, it’s a feature film of GL. We get to see the Green Lantern Corps, which is by far the coolest aspect of the story, and the animation is of the typical high quality WB animation is known for with the DC heroes. The pacing is quick, even for the 77 minute running time, nothing drags, and it’s pretty much action packed. With its need to be an action-fest, the biggest flaw comes out, however. Hal Jordan is the weakest character in the film. He lacked any development. He quickly understands the ring, the powers, and can even out-smart veteran Green Lanterns. It’s really hard to buy, and if the thinking was, they developed the character plenty in Justice League, then that was a mistake. Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart are two different characters, although they’re both Lanterns.

Sinestro is far more developed than Hal. His quest for power, his motivations, and his ideal that he is the good guy, makes him the film’s centerpiece. The end finale with Sinestro fighting the Green Lantern Corps is pretty stunning. The movie breezes by, it’s still fun, but with some focus on how Hal learns to make things with the ring, develop his journey from a cocky pilot to a intergalactic hero, would have made all the difference. Sadly, it feels like a side-step for DC/WB animation, and it’s unfortunate since this is the Green Lantern’s first solo outing. But it does whet your appetite for the live action film…

The Blu Ray:

Audio/Video: High definition is made for animation, cell or computer. The lines and colors are vivid, bold, and gorgeously rendered. It’s a fine transfer, helped by the film’s color palette. As good as the constant rear activity and the dialogue are, the bass is weak. Even in the climatic battle, there is a lack of a punch from the sub. More or less, it’s a solid Blu Ray presentation.

Behind the Story with Geoff Johns: The writer of Green Lantern: Rebirth discusses the origins and popularity of the character. It’s in standard video and is short, but a nice primer course.

I am the Ring: In SD, this is a great piece featuring plenty of interviews from various artists and writers from DC on the Green Lantern. They talk more about the character, in themes and symbols used throughout the comics. Watch this piece, above anything else.

Blackest Night: This previews the current work that Geoff Johns is working on for the Green Lantern. Eh, mostly for comic readers.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: This is a long preview of the next film in DC/WB PG-13 line of animated films. I think it looks amazing.

DC Animation Projects Preview: Extended previews for previous films: Wonder Woman, Justice League: New Frontiers, and Batman: Gotham Knight.

Duck Dodgers in the Green Loontern: This is an episode from the Duck Dodgers series featuring the Green Lantern. Pretty funny.

Bruce Timm’s Top Picks: Timm picks five episodes from the Justice League series that are Green Lantern centric. Remember this is the Jon Stewart GL. All great, great episodes, by the way.

Sinestro and Guardians are two pieces on the characters, and a Digital Copy round out the extras.

Conclusion: It’s a flawed but fun film. After the previous DC/WB animated films, one expected more to Green Lantern: First Flight. It’s still worth a peek. The Blu Ray is all around pretty solid, even if the extras don’t really pertain to the film, at least on one disc you have a lot of GL for your buck.

The Film: Rating:

The Blu Ray: Rating: