 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Green Lantern
- Review Date: June 17, 2011
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Entertaining but superficial superhero thriller.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this big-screen take on the classic comic book superhero, starring Ryan Reynolds as a cocky test pilot who morphs into a superhero, offers lots of fast-paced, combat-filled action, much of it cartoonish in nature. And the movie's Parallax monster is pretty scary (especially for younger kids), but there's isn't much in the way of blood or gore -- though one scene does show a syringe going into a character's eye. The movie is humorous at some moments and intense during others; it superficially addresses heavy topics like death and childhood trauma. Expect infrequent swearing ("s--t," "a--hole," etc.), some drinking (mostly social, by adults), flirting, kissing, and a shot or two of characters in skimpy apparel (one after an implied one-night stand).
What's the story?
A beloved member of the Green Lantern corps of intergalactic police has died, felled by a monster known as the Parallax that feeds off fear. The glowing ring that empowers him also hunts for his successor; surprisingly, it chooses Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a headstrong, impulsive, irresponsible, but talented pilot who's still plagued by the death of his father (also a flyer) in a fiery crash. Hal's not sure he’s up for the job (though he's clearly tickled by the idea that he's a superhero). As former paramour/colleague Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) reminds him, he's more capable than he allows himself to be -- but can he face off with the Parallax, even if it means confronting a childhood friend (Peter Sarsgaard)?
Is it any good?
Buoyant, irreverent, and not entirely satisfying, GREEN LANTERN is, as superhero movies go, heavy on the artillery (special effects) and light on profundity. Is it really that difficult to create a superhero with complexity (Spider-Man and Iron Man excepted)? It's not for lack of material; Hal Jordan, after all, has plenty of childhood trauma to mine. Although the movie acknowledges his torment, it spends much more time painting him as a bad-boy-with-a-heart enlivened by a ring that allows him to perform super-cool tricks. (As Hammond, Saarsgard does a better job at three-dimensionality but is also plagued by too much theatricality.)
The movie admittedly engaging at first -- wouldn't you be agog, too, if you discovered you had the ability to create anything simply from willpower and thought? But the conceit gets old quickly. Characters that could easily have lent Hal gravitas -- his nephew, his brothers -- disappear without a trace. Any nod to his shades of gray are quickly erased. This isn’t to say that Reynolds fails; on the contrary, his easy charm appeals. But next time (if there is a next time), can his Jordan plumb more emotional depths?
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why Hal is reluctant to step into his role. What holds him back? Is this a typical reaction of would-be superheroes in other movies?
Do the movie's special effects minimize the violence? How does the impact of this kind of violence compare to more realistically violent scenes?
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Kid, 11 years old
June 18, 2011
AGE
Green Lantern
This movie was sort-of lame. There wasn't enough action, and too much storyline. It made the movie boring. I laughed in a few parts and some parts were cool, but overall it was lame. What action it had, was either frightening or intense. I did jump a few times. Hal has a relationship, and he wakes up with a woman. B**** is used once. At a party alcoholic beverages are served. All f the Reynolds movies since 'The Proposal' were lame. I advise to wait for a dollar theater or DVD to see this.
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AGE
possible issues your family might have with this movie
i thought it was really good...with the sexual material if u've seen iron man then it is a lot like that in the fact that in the beginning you see a couple practically naked in bed and it is implied that they have had sex...language isn't something that my family has a big deal with they use d**n a couple of times that i could remember...
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AGE
Good message, some scary images
This movie had a very good underlying message of having courage, not running away, and not giving in. It did have a few swear words that weren't necessary and someone flipping the bird (though some younger kids might not get it as he was putting on a ring). It also has adult innuendos between a guy and a girl as they are talking about their relationship. Parallax would very possibly be too frightening for younger kids. He is a giant tar-like nightmarish thing that has sharp teeth and a gaping, glowing mouth and eyes. He frequently sucks the souls out of beings, where it shows their glowing skeleton & energy being pulled from them, and then their body falls back dead and shriveled. A dead body from this is shown very clearly one time. Another villain becomes deformed and you see his skull crack and misshape under his skin as his head grows. There is a scene where someone gets burned to death but you only see the fire coming for him and it is very obvious what is going to happen. A man tries to attack and kill his father a few times, and attacks other people. There are a few flashbacks of death of family members. A syringe goes into a man's eye (it's fast and shown zoomed out, but might still be too scary for younger kids). The overall violence doesn't show much blood, but there are bursts of frightening images that parents need to be prepared for. It does have a positive ending and shows good overcoming evil by believing in yourself. Our kids really liked it.
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AGE
green lantern
pg13 for intense action violence and some language
this movie was good for kids under 12 because there is a ton of action and few uses of the gd word,a word and the d word but other than that its clean
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AGE
Good movie but confused with studio's decision with language
I found it disheartening that the writers had to use inappropriate words to convey an emotion/message (i.e. bull****, the "B" word, a*****e) in the film. Why? It was a good movie that conveyed points of human characteristics through an intriguing and captivating medium. No good reason for the language except to give it that PG-13 rating to make more money. With regards to violence in the film, there are some scary moments and punching, but in my opinion it is tame compared to some of the other PG-13 superhero movies. (I still will not let my younger son (12 yrs) see either of the Iron Man movies or the new Batman franchise for the violence that is depicted). Know the maturity levels of your children before allowing them to see it.
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Kid, 10 years old
June 23, 2011
AGE
great but violent !
it was really good but a little bit bloody and one scene you see a short glimpse of a aliens inside corpse little bit of language a couple of s**t,s . the best thing was that it was a roll model for facing your fears. so rate in t 4 stars
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AGE
Confusing
I saw this movie at camp a few days ago. I think this was one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. Most of the time, I was confused about what was going on. In fact, I fell asleep for about 30 minutes of the movie! I hated when they put the needles into people as I am freaked about needles. The main "bad" character kinda creeped me out.
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AGE
awesome
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
Good, but Violent
I saw the movie and thought it was very good. A lot of violance and fighting scenes. The villian, Parallax can be scary for some kids. There were positive messages in the movie such as overcoming fear. Overall a good movie.
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AGE
Good for 12+
Movie Outline: Green Lantern
•Recommended Age: 12+
•Sexual Content:
One scene of passionate kissing.
Some sexual innuendo, but you have to be paying attention to notice some of it.
Hal discusses (not explicitly) how he has sex with a lot of women, wherever he finds them.
•Violence:
Sci-fi violence is consistent, but mostly through the use of the ring and it's power, as well as Paralex (enemy) using his powers.
One character uses his power, so another is forced to shove a needle into his eye. Not too graphic, but disturbing.
One scene depicts Hal getting beat up by three other men.
•Profanity:
Some uses of h*ll,
Some uses of d*mn,
2 or 3 uses of "son of a b*tch",
One possible use of sh*t,
Other minor swearing
•Consumerism:
None.
•Positive Messages:
Definitely; bravery and courage, as well as willpower, hope, and determination, are all emphasized throughout the movie
•Smoking/Drugs/Alcohol:
Some brief drinking and smoking at parties and bars.
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| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Martin Campbell |
| Cast: | Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Ryan Reynolds |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 105 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 17, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | October 14, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action |
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