Thanks for checking out our Green Lantern: Emerald Knights DVD Review
Genre: Animated Action Adventure
Directed by: Chris Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva
Staring: Jason Isaacs, Nathan Fillion and Kelly Hu
Released: DVD June 7th, 2011
THE GENERAL IDEA
The story is told during a crysis that threatens the Lantern home planet itself and Hal is relating many of these vingettes while his trainee Laira is being thrown into battle without training. She doesn’t have the experience of this Lantern Lore, so her comrades enlighten her with stories and experiences they were told during their training.
THE GOOD
The individual stories are excelently told against the backdrop of a massive threat long thought gone from the Universe. And each of the stories has its tale to tell giving insight into just who and what the Green Lantern Corp represents.
The action is great, and most of the stories are worth their tales, but the best of them is one of Abin Sur (the Lantern who’s demise brings us Hal Jordan’s story) and Sinestro, still a Green Lantern. There is some good action dealing with an escaped terrorist, but it is not the action that makes this segment great. There is a great exchange between Abin Sur and Sinestro that deals with Sinestro’s views on destiny, which foreshadow his forming of the Yellow Lanterns. Great storytelling in this part.
The icing on the cake is the voice acting. But none better than Nathan Fillion. He embodies Hal Jordan so well that it solidifies that they should have chosen him to play Jordan in the live action film. He has a cocky edge that is made sharper with experience as a Green Lantern. I would much rather have seen him in the movie than Ryan Reynolds.
THE BAD
The only individual story I didn’t really care for was Bolphunga the Unrelenting. It wasn’t a particularily good story, however the character of Bolphunga was voiced by Roddy Piper – so there was a silver lining. It just wasn’t all that entertaining.
The ending is anticlimactic. I won’t spoil the details, but inbetween each of the segments the threat of this Antimatter creature intent on destroying the Lantern Homeworld is being built up as something that could very well be the end of millions of years of Green Lantern existance. And it is overturned in a somewhat simple act. Granted it’s a big act, but simple in its concept and seems to undermine the severity of the threat more than an exaughst port on a planet killing space station.
OVERALL
Great storytelling, great action and a well balanced view of the Green Lantern lore. A lot of fun to watch.
For those unfamiliar with Green Lantern, this would be an excellent view to prepare yourself for any of the lore and history of the character before going to see the movie, however this is not connected directly to the movie so its hardly a requirement. It just would give you a feel for it.
I give Green Lantern: Emerald Knights an 8 out of 10
We found the individual stories action packed but uninteresting. You are right, the Krona connecting story was weak.
We would have preferred a dedicated story, especially after Green Lantern First Flight.
The Bolphunga story that they did was a direct adaptation of Mogo doesn’t socialize and sadly it was very underwhelming considering how brilliant the source material was.
I just wonder why can’t the live-action Green Lantern movie be something like this direct-to-DVD animated movie or the other GL flick “First Flight”? The Ryan Reynolds superhero movie disappointed me on so many levels .
I agree wholeheartedly, Rodney. While I LOVE comic books, and their animated and movie adaptations, this one fell flat. I think even diehard fans will consider this one a “rent”. It’s a shame too, because there’s plenty of GL material from which a fantastic animation can be made. And the movie started with a really strong, compelling opening scene, which I won’t spoil here, but never rose to that level of excitement again.
Personally, I watch animations (comic book and anime) for those 2 or 3 signature scenes which have me on the edge of my seat. A number of scenes come to mind:
– Superman: Apocalypse: standoff between Batman vs. Darkseid at the end
– Superman: Apocalypse: Superman/girl vs. Darseid at the Kent farm (could have been a bit more suspenseful though)
– Hulk vs. Thor: when Thor finally commits to fighting the Hulk on the outskirts of Asgaard
– Planet Hulk: The opening scene on the spaceship setting up Hulk’s exile is awesome!
– Crisis on Two Earths: Every scene with Batman, especially his scenes at the end with “Alter Flash” and “Alter Batman”
– Bleach: Final fight between Ichigo and Ulquiorra
– Ghost in the Shell: the opening scenes where Motoko is introduced
Sounds to me that you don’t agree entirely. I rated this DVD release quite favorably.
I only found it flat during that segment (but was still amused that Roddy Piper was the voice)
Just curious, Rodney have you read Alan Moore’s short story Mogo doesn’t Socialize?
Sadly I have not but I shall remedy that very soon.