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Green Lantern: First Flight

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Dark animated superhero yarn will entertain older viewers.

Themes in this movie include:   honesty

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Evil never wins, and though sometimes it seems like all is lost, teamwork, courage, and loyalty will always prevail.

  • Role models:

    The villain Sinestro comes across as something of a fascist, convinced that only he has the wisdom and power to rule the universe, but the courageous and loyal Green Lantern Corps refuses to yield to his dastardly scheme.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Plenty of animated action, all typical for a superhero series. What is not typical is the villain, Sinestro, who is willing to use force and intimidation when questioning people, tortures suspects, and even murders people who get in the way of his nefarious schemes. Though there’s little graphic blood or gore, some of the sequences showing his casual violence are a bit darker than the average comic book fare.

  • Language:

    Mild swearing, including “ass,” “bastard” and “hell.”

  • Consumerism:

    Green Lantern is a popular comic book character, and there’s plenty of merchandise available.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One scene takes place in an intergalactic bar, though it’s not exactly clear what the patrons are drinking. Sinestro also seems to be using a strong drug to question someone, forcing her to take much more than the average dose, causing her obvious pain.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Green Lantern: First Flight

Parents need to know that this animated film is a bit darker than most superhero cartoons. The villain, Sinestro, uses violence to intimidate people, tortures suspects, and isn’t above murdering his allies if they no longer fit into his plans. This casual brutality and menace makes him seem a shade more evil and more intense than most bad guys as he plots to rule the universe. There’s some minor swearing and even a scene that seems to involve an alien drug, so the film is probably a bit too much for younger viewers.

Read our full review by Will Wade

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about authority. The Green Lantern Corps report to the Guardians of the Universe, benevolent beings who try to maintain peace throughout the cosmos. The villain, Sinestro, believes they have gone soft, and that the only way to ensure harmony is for him to seize power. Do you think that an all-powerful ruler could be a good leader? Could this be an effective form of government, or do you think too much power would inevitably corrupt such a supreme leader?
  • Discuss animated violence. So many cartoons feature exaggerated fight scenes that destroy buildings but leave the participants unscratched. This film features torture, intimidation through violence, and even a cold-blooded murder. Do you think these scenes make the story more interesting, or less appealing to viewers? Does the violence make the movie comparable to a gritty live-action film? Does animation do justice to this style of violent storytelling?
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