OK, first off, I must apologise for my long and completely unintended hiatus. I guess my blogging skills would put me high on the list for ADHD... well, at least the AD part. I had hoped to continue once I returned to UK in September, but my own remarkable laziness and a surplus of work at university kept me away from this blog.
Now, onto the topic of this post... as some of you (or none, given that nobody in his/her right mind would be reading this) may know, Ryan Reynolds appears to have been cast as Green Lantern Hal Jordan in a forthcoming film adaptation of the classic character's origins. This has raised a bit of an uproar among 'fans' on the internet, with most objecting to the choice of Reynolds, known for many roles in which he played a smart ass. Now, before I weigh in with my views on the issue, one close to my heart as a GL fan, I feel I should first clarify what I hope is going to be done with the character.
As I said, it's almost certainly an origin story, and will incorporate elements from his civilian life as a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft and feature Hal's first steps in the universal police force, the Green Lantern Corps, especially his training with the legendary Sinestro whom he will eventually expose to be a despotic tyrant on his home planet of Korugar. Perhaps it will be similar to the upcoming animated feature, Green Lantern: First Flight, which has been described as Training Day in space. All fine there. But what I really want the focus to be on is Hal's personality, which has been shown in the strangest ways over the years. When he was first created, we (the readers) were told he was a great lantern, arguably the greatest of them all. And people around him thought he was the coolest, with women gushing over him. But the actual character was written to act like an idiot, bumbling his way through accident-filled cases where he'd eventually succeed. The bumbling was even more pronounced in the Justice League of America series, where he'd inevitably get knocked out before any fight even began. With the eventual change of writers came a change in direction. With Green Arrow and Black Canary around him, we saw he had a soul. And his determination started showing through when he was facing tough odds. However, his incredible ability to have others gush over his personality was still a little lacking, although now definitely pointed in a more definite direction. This was carried forward by subsequent writers. Post-crisis, things finally started taking shape, with his impact on younger heroes quite clear. He was inspirational, and his remarkable self-assurance only added to his heroic persona. And, of course, wherever he went, he was extremely popular with the ladies, even if he had one true love (well, at least at a given time). Unfortunately, he also started becoming an asshole around this time. A development that eventually culminated in his becoming Parallax, arguably the most powerful villain conceived in the 90s by DC. Oddly enough, it was also in the run up to this that we finally saw the true might of Hal Jordan, and why he was considered the greatest GL, as all who opposed him, including his old friends and comrades, fell by the wayside. Eventually, Parallax sacrificed himself to reignite the failing sun, and in doing so died, with his soul subsequently taken up by the Spectre for a host. But that's not the focus of this post...
The next bit comes with Geoff Johns' run on Green Lantern, starting with the Rebirth miniseries and continuing to this day. Right since the start, which featured Hal's return to the life and the rebirth of the Corps, Johns did something few other writers had before- he actually gave a sense of character and personality showing why Hal had the impact he did on others, and did the same for the other Lanterns who were included. Sure, we often saw glimpses, but the full picture? Johns was the first. And that's also why most GL fans worship him. He didn't just bring Hal back to life after a series of horrendous editorial decisions- he also finally gave him life. With Geoff Johns, we finally see why Hal is revered by most of his fellow heroes.
He is, unlike what many writers previously showed, pretty damn cool. He's essentially a reckless cowboy, as opposed to Kyle Rayner's overgrown kid, with an ability to charm any woman he meets and he's more than happy to engage in playful banter around friends. But once he's got the uniform on and he's off on the job, he knows EXACTLY what he's focussing on! Sure, his recklessness may get him into the odd scrape, but he's no bumbling idiot, and he makes full use of that willpower, and finally makes the reader consider what it is about him that makes him such an inspirational hero, arguably the greatest of all lanterns. Even more impressive, we see his villains finally endowed with personality, and the relationships and interaction between characters finally seems real.
And that is why I want Geoff Johns' work and character development to play a part in this movie. Show the full picture of a great hero with more personality than he's given credit for, not some dull, lifeless idiot and failure who seems, somewhat inexplicably, to be adored by all around. And that finally brings me to the comments on the character selection. Basically, fans wanted someone like Nathan Fillion. But we all (mostly) admit that it would have worked 5 years ago, and now it just wouldn't be right. Same goes for Hugh Jackman, who I kinda pictured as being capable when he was younger and not pictured as Wolverine. He had the charm to woo ladies and inspire guys, could do reckless and fearless, but when it came down to the job, his characters always have the focus and determination. But he's not right anymore...
Which brings us to the 3 people who went for the screen test. Justin Timberlake (shudder...), Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds. Now, Justin Timberlake I won't even consider. His acting has been surprisingly good in some movies, but he just isn't right by any stretch of the imagination. Now, Bradley Cooper vs Ryan Reynolds. Let's look at the traits of Hal Jordan:
- Charm galore and the ability to woo ladies while having the lads love having you around- Check for both of them.
- Looks- Bradley is closer in appearance to Hal apart from the eyes, while Ryan Reynolds isn't that much further off the mark (but he does have the brown eyes). Minor advantage to Cooper, but it barely matters with this difference.
- Reckless cowboy- Ryan's been doing it for ages with minor variations, and Bradley Cooper did have one helluva wild ride in The Hangover. They can both manage.
- Fearlessness- For the Man Without Fear, it is important the actor looks like he can shrug off an otherwise terrifying thing and forge ahead with the vaguest hint of indifference. This is where I have doubts about Bradley Cooper. His roles thus far have involved him reacting in some way or the other to such situations, and we barely see him merely shrugging something off. Sure, this is generally the script's direction, but is there a reason for his forging ahead with the potential panic than without? Ryan Reynolds can do the nonchalance bit slightly better, I feel. But who knows- with a proper opportunity, Bradley could tone that bit down enough...
- Interaction with others- This is one of those controversial bits. First, Bradley- he'll manage fine, with a good balance of characteristics as outlined in the next few lines. And now onto the main figure in question: Ryan Reynolds. A large number of fans on the internet have objected to Ryan Reynolds 'cos they feel he has too much personality for such a role, and he can't do anything other than being the smart ass in a movie. Now, there are a few things I must point out. One, there's more to Ryan Reynolds than being the guy with a running mouth and lots of one liners. Anyone who has watched movies like The Nines, Smokin' Aces and Fireflies In The Garden can testify to the fact that he can play it straight when required, and do it very well at that. If the scriptwriters for GL give him a proper balance between humorous interactions around his friends such as Tom 'Pieface' Kalmaku and his somewhat more focussed attitude when on the job as a Lantern, I am certain he can do the job. Secondly, all those who claim he has too much personality are clearly in the 1960s camp that believes Hal Jordan is a boring, bumbling idiot who has no interesting features to his character and was only labelled as great and cool by some fluke. He may not be an overgrown kid like Kyle Rayner (who has since been forced to mature due to far too many deaths among those close to him), but Hal certainly has personality, and around his friends he certainly gives as good as he gets when it comes to verbal sparring. Verdict: Cooper and Reynolds could both do this, even if certain segments of comic fans believe Hal should be incapable of witty banter and sparkling conversation with his friends. And believe me, it is shocking just how many such 'fans' there are on the internet (if people seriously believe he should be incapable of having a personality, why do they even want his character as the Lantern in question?).
Do I consider Ryan Reynolds the ideal Hal Jordan? Probably not. Do I consider him the best of the options available? Maybe, maybe not- even I can't say. Do I think he can do a great job? Absolutely. He's got the ability, and he can manage the other aspects. He's got the passion of a comic geek, and will strive to do this character the way it should be done and the way the writers and director want it to be done. In the end, I feel it comes down to what balance they strike between the charismatic Hal Jordan and the serious space cop Green Lantern. And now that they seem to have settled on Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, I think the time for personal preferences is past, and now I just want to see if he will do the role as well as I think he can, and on his abilities. Not the roles everyone knows him for, or even about what they expect from him without having seen him in more than 4 roles, but for what he can do in this role. And that is quite a lot, and quite well. So, here's hoping he justifies that selection, and that the character he portrays is as it should be portrayed... to Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern Hal Jordan!
