Cartoons, especially super hero ones, have been a part of the American culture for a long time. Many have been passed onto further generations through movie and television adaptations. The Green Lantern is a popular TV show geared towards entertaining young kids under 12. Watching it at an older age than that, I was not very impressed by the dialogue or plot, but the animation stood out. We watched the first two episodes, which revolved around the Green Lantern from Earth, Hal Jordan, who comes to know about an issue of Green Lantern killings in the frontier region. He goes into space, seeking the dying Green Lanterns to protect them from harm. He finds out that they are being persecuted by a group called the Red Lanterns, who want to kill as many Green Lanterns as possible to destroy the powers of the guardians/council, who destroyed their home earlier. With multiple chases and fights, the two episodes are a tale of duty, sympathy, and betrayal.
First of all, the episodes have a very slow pace and have confusing, abrupt transitions. The predictable plot does not help the fact that the viewers have to bear through a long 20 minutes each to cover a small sequence. The transitions fail to be smooth, and the viewers do not know what order each set of events occurs in. There also seem to be multiple climaxes because the episodes keep appearing to be over and then they are back again. Instead of having one point of high suspense and action like a good series would, these episodes have multiple high-action scenes, making the actual climax boring and tedious.
"Green Lanterns risk their lives to save the lives of others...We fight them, we stop them. However long it takes, we fight them. We stop them." These are the words Hal speaks to A.I. as he convinces her to start the ultra-warp and the ones he says once they have rescued the Green Lantern in the frontier. These and other cheesy lines engulf the story, making us cringe every time. Clearly it is a show for younger kids. The classic saving the day theme is evident in this story as well. As unlikely as it is, the heroes somehow arrive at each location to hinder the dangers.
There are some positive traits of this show, though. The characters are definitely well-developed, possessing good and bad sides. For example, the main protagonist, Hal, is a selfless and kind man, but he is also very self-confident and cocky. He thinks that he is invincible and that it is his duty to always save the day. However, that is also a positive trait because his selflessness and determination are the factors that he uses to help others. The villains although much more ruthless and cruel than a classic children's series, do show some positive traits. One of them has a wavering allegiance towards the end as he is conveniently convinced to let the others go.
Overall, the first two episodes of The Green Lantern failed to impress me and need a lot of improvement as far as pace, plot, and dialogue. For younger children who live off of cheesy-lined shows, this will be a treat with its action-packed, supposedly handsome protagonist. However, for those of us who cannot stand this kind of entertainment, The Green Lantern is not the best choice.
Rating: 1.5/5
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