Green Lantern finally gets a Movie

Variety and Newsarama report that we will finally be seing a movie based on my favourite comicbook series, Green Lantern.

It's about time, because really, Every major comicbook character like Spider-Man and Batman have had movies already, and even lesser characters such as Elektra and Catwoman. Even the Flash had a TV Series back in either the 80's or 90's (which I remember being done quite well... so, I'm quite happy it's happening.

I'm even happier its not the rumoured Jack Black comedy take on the series. Green Lantern has more in common with Star Wars or Star Trek than the Mask or School of Rock.

It's being written by a Greg Berlanti, who apparently pitched his concept for a Green Lantern movie series last year when the Jack Black fiasco was going down. Presumably he is intelligent enough to know that a GL movie would do far better if it stayed true to the comicbook series (merchandise wise, future sequels wise) than to have Jack Black do some sort of Comedy. Really, making Green Lantern a comedy.. insane! Comedies do not do the same business Sci-Fi type movies do. Space cops with future science rings that do anything they will them to? C'mon.

I'm only slightly apprehensive about what I read about this so far. It seems Hal Jordan comes across a dying alien who gives him his power ring.. now, not to be nitpicky, but the dying alien actually crash lands on earth and the ring searches for a replacement, gets confused, and choses Hal Jordan (as opposed to Guy Gardner) due to his proximity to the crash site. It really is an important little aspect of things as it allows for future movies with different Green Lanterns yet allows the story to progress.

So other than that, what touchpoints should there be in the movie?

Hal Jordan should go into space, we should see other Green Lanterns who could be CGI or whatever, we should hopefully see Kilowog, who is a great visual character, and perhaps Sinestro.

Hopefully Sinestro is the main villain here, or if he isn't, he could be a Green Lantern who turns bad and sides with whatever villain the movie has. Perhaps the Qwardians.

I would like to see a scene involving Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner. Just quick cuts say if theres an alien invasion or some sort of explosions, you have a school teacher saving some kids (Gardner), John Stewart perhaps in the army or something, doing something fearless, and maybe a little kid named Kyle drawing outside while his mother tells him to get inside. I'm sure someone could think of better ideas, but it'd be nice for us Green Lantern fans to at least quickly have our fears assuaged that we'll never see our favourite characters.

We need to see the Guardians in some form, either ephereally or in person, and Hal should get some sort of training with the ring and not have to stumble and figure it all out on his own.

Carol Ferris should be in it in some fashion as the love interest. Though Hal Jordan has gone through more women than Batman probably.

The ring isn't magic, its not midi-chlorians, its super-science created by an advanced race. thats important.

NOT everyone can be a Green Lantern. A Green Lantern has to possess great willpower and be free of fear.

It would be prudent to have the storyline reflect the current state of the world, like transformers included the army in its storyline, although not to the same extent, it shouldn't be an anti-war propoganda film, it should be escapist "shit gets blown up and this guy has the greatest weapon in the universe" deal.

It should be stand alone, but lay the seeds for future storylines. Also, go Big or Go Home. It's Green Lantern, the technology exists to make it great, I'm sure the more talented people at ILM and other places would beg to work on this if done right.

Now, I'm not 100% convinced it's going to be done right, but I'll give this Greg Berlanti credit for stopping the Jack Black thing, so he better not dissapoint me and give me a Spider-Man love story with Mary Jane thing. Thats fine for Peter Parker, who is a loveable dweeb, but Green Lantern, and this is EVERY Green Lantern, not just Hal Jordan, are not Peter Parker. They're Cops/Soldiers/Space Sherriffs. They're the least Super-Heroic type characters in the DC Universe. They use a weapon, they follow orders, its a JOB for them. A DUTY. Hopefully the movie reflects that.

DONT SCREW THIS UP GREG BERLANTI. The world has been waiting for something to replace the Star Wars and Star Treks and such of the world. This is it.

Canada's media publishes anything the CRIA asks them to

Over at Michael Geists website where he comments on Canadian technology related laws, is an article not only disproving, but obliterating the recent CRIA claims (by way of the MPAA and RIAA in the USA) that say Canadians are responsible for a majority of camera based movie piracy.

I want to add my own particular views to this. When the Trailer Park Boys movie came out, perhaps the number one Canadian movie this year (probably), I was watching to see how long a pirated version would come out, as the movie was not being released in the United States. I waited one week. Nothing. I waited two, nothing online except complaints from American fans that they couldn't wait to see the movie. Three weeks, people in the USA were talking about road trips they were forced to take into Canada. Four weeks, a fake torrent was online. Five weeks, it was a moot point. Eventually there was a bad cam release online somewhere that nobody would be able to watch, and really, who would want to ruin their viewing experience that way? The truly sad thing is, there was an audience for this movie in the United States, but no distributer would seem to think it viable and take it.

Why should Canadians even CARE about signing on to a digital rights law paid for by U.S lobyists when it limits creativity, makes it impossible to watch what you want on your HDMA big screen TV that you paid $1500 for, makes it impossible to plug your DVD player into your vcr to your TV (That's why it doesn't work, DRM, or digital rights management, they're afraid you're going to copy your DVD to VHS when its perfectly simple to make an exact copy on a DVD)

I voted Conservative in the last election, I voted for Joy Smith, my MP, who promised me at the time that she would not vote for an american style DMCA law that is allowing the rights of the average person to be trampled upon. Frankly, I think that the lawmakers should hire Michael Geist to look over any digital rights laws before passing them. I personally feel the current laws are enough, and nothing is to be gained from making Canadian's into criminals through the passage of store bought legislation. Truly I'm loathe to accept facts from any entity that has for years claimed no profit on their products yet is still in business. (Why do you think Movie Stars ask for their pay from the Gross rather than the Net) And if such a law looks close to passing without any due diligance done from government to make sure its a fair and righteous law and examined by third parties, then I will switch my allegiance to the Green party, who seem like the only uncorrupted party there is.

My biggest annoyance is with the Canadian Media who swallows this PR Bull hook line and sinker. Or are they simply doing what their corporate masters tell them to? I rarely see any fairness in these articles, they all seem to be that particular type of pre-written industry story. Journalists should be ashamed. Even the CBC has failed to reflect the opinion of the average Canadian on the issue. Then again, the average Canadian is conveniently in the dark as usual. And of course they are, they get their news from the media establishment.

Once again the Canadian Film and Television and Music industries fail at reality.