* * * * (Fans)

* * 1/2 (Others)

(Comic Book Hero)

Vince Petronio is a big fan of the early 1960's comic book series, "Green Lantern". He tells me that the movie sticks strictly to the characters and storyline created originally in 1940...and he loved the movie Not being familiar with Green Lantern, we were often lost and overwhelmed with the backstory and the huge set of characters. We also quickly tired of all the antics of Hal Jordan, as played by Ryan Reynolds We've learned that dark movies-and Green Lantern is very dark-don't translate well in 3D, so we saw it in 2D. Jordan is an irresponsible test pilot who crashes his plane and then discovers an alien ship with a dying creature who passes along a green ring and power lantern to him, endowing him to be the protector of his sector of the universe, or earth.

There are a host of characters, both from earth and from the alien's threatened planet, recognizable by fans, but hard to keep track of by others. Lots of action, special effects, a love affair, constant battles, and flying through space all keep “Green Lantern" moving for over two hours.

It's all about overcoming your fear and finding the courage to battle the bad guys. The movie gets a bit out of control, as Jordan finds his inner energy and saves the universe.

And the door is left open for more Rated PG-13, with lots of comic book violence.