Story
Green Lantern opens with a narrator telling us about a race of immortal ancients called the Guardians. The Guardians created an army of intergalactic superheroes known as the Green Lanterns, whose role is to keep the peace and protect the universe against evil. Each Green Lantern has a ring that gives its wearer superpowers and the ability to materialise anything that imagination can create. We also hear about an ancient evil called Parallax, which uses fear as its source of power. Parallax has escaped its imprisonment and is out to destroy the universe. The Green Lanterns might not be enough to stop it.
The Guardians send their greatest warrior Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison) to confront Parallax. Abin Sur is mortally wounded and crashes his ship on Earth. Before dying, Abin Sur passes his ring on to Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), an arrogant, self-centred playboy who works as a test pilot. The ring transports Hal to the Green Lantern’s home world, where he’s trained as a Green Lantern by Sinestro (Mark Strong), head of the Green Lantern corp. Hal fails to meet Sinestro’s standards. He thinks he’s a failure and goes back to Earth.
Then Parallax threatens Earth. With the help of his close friend, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), Hal is forced to re-evaluate himself and take action.
Themes
Alien powers; superheroes
Violence
Green Lantern contains intense comic book-style violence. There’s not much blood and gore, but there is some brutality and torture. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has occasional low-level sexual references and innuendo. For example:
- A woman talks about a man disappointing women sexually.
- In a sexual innuendo, a man talks about having sex with a woman for the first time by referring to ‘flying planes together’. A woman tells him that he’d fly with anyone who’d get into a plane with him.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some infrequent alcohol drinking, but it doesn’t show any drunkenness. For example, characters drink beer and champagne socially.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has occasional partial nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- A man and woman lie in bed. The man’s head rests on the woman’s bare shoulders. The man leaps out of bed wearing underpants.
- A woman wears a low-cut evening dress.
- A woman and man kiss.
Product placement
Apple and LG are displayed or used in this movie. Merchandise associated with the movie, such as Green Lantern figurines, is also being marketed to children.
Coarse language
This movie contains some low-level coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Green Lantern is a science fiction superhero adventure based on the Green Lantern comic books. The movie is full of fast-paced action and special effects and is likely to appeal to adolescent children. But it’s worth noting that the movie does have several scenes likely to scare children and younger teenagers.
The main message from this movie is that we all have the ability to overcome fear. Admitting that you’re afraid is the first step.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include courage, self-sacrifice and empathy.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about issues such as the real-life consequences of some of the behaviour shown in the movie. For example, Hal sometimes acts in thoughtless, reckless and self-destructive ways, which endangers both life and property. But the movie doesn’t show what would happen to people in real life if they acted that way.