Green Lantern: First Flight (PG-13)

A mysterious spacecraft crashes on Earth bearing a mortally-wounded alien, whose final act is to pass on a very special ring to fighter pilot Hal Jordan (voiced by Christopher Meloni). To Jordan’s amazement, he discovers that the ring marks him as a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an ancient, intergalactic police force that was created by the Guardians of the Universe. Jordan soon meets some of his new comrades, including Sinestro (Victor Garber), a red-skinned Lantern with a mean streak and a secret agenda.

GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT is an entertaining superhero yarn that manages to combine both the necessary secret-origin tale with a surprisingly complex story. Hal Jordan, the newest Green Lantern and the first Earthman ever recruited to the Corps, is fun to watch as he quickly figures out how to use his ring and learns his way around the galaxy. A key part of the story is Jordan’s gradual realization that his new partner Sinestro is plotting to overthrow the Guardians and install himself as ruler of the universe.

Sinestro is what sets this film apart from the standard superhero flick. Yes, he seeks ultimate power, but his motivations are more nuanced than the average super-villain; he thinks the Guardians have gone soft, and the universe needs a firmer hand that only he can provide. But as Jordan observes, Sinestro’s budding megalomania manifests itself while on the job as a Lantern, when he is eager to abuse his authority to wring information from a reluctant witness or even torture a suspect. The unusually dark Sinestro makes the film richer and more mature, and but is too much for younger kids.