Jeff Wamester (director)
(studio)
15 (certificate)
87 (length)
25 July 2022 (released)
20 July 2022
Unusual it may be but it wouldn’t do the viewer any harm to watch the excellent featurette on this disc before the film. ‘Green Lantern: The Power and the Glory’ presents a detailed history of John Stewart from his conception, development to being an inspiration to the African/American community through the character's blue colour background.
As to the film this is an origin story with an Oa’n guardian crashing on earth with a ring that attaches itself to John Stewart (Aldis Hodge) a marine and war veteran, who though traumatised still has a sense of good and bad.
Not understanding the significance of the ring, he manages to get himself on the Justice League Earth Watchtower. A fight with Martian Manhunter (Ike Amadi), Vixen (Keesha Sharp) and Green Arrow (Jimi Simpson) ensues. At once suspicious of Stewart, the fact that he has the ring suggests that something has happened to the much respected Hal Jordan. And so begins a sector and planet hopping quest with Green Arrow that sees Stewart understand the power of the ring and the responsibilities of a Green Lantern.
Along the way he’s caught up in a war between Rann and Thanagar – personalised by Adam Strange (Brian Bloom) and Hawkgirl (Jamie Gray Hyder) respectively. And dragged into dirty politics, murder and an encounter with ultra-villain Sinestro (Rick D. Wasserman), and the truth behind the appearance of the ring.
This is a surprisingly violent and grim entry in the DC Animated Universe with characters brutalised by events and war though dealing with them in different ways from a script by John Semper and Ernie Altbacker. Heavy stuff at times, though not overwhelming and director Jeff Wamester maintains a good pace and proportion between the action and self-analysis. It appears fragmented at times by the number of expositional cutaways used to tell the backstory of the various strands. Again, not a major issue just becomes jarring as the film progresses.
The animation is on par with what one would expect from DC animation these days. But the strength here is the voice work of the cast. Hodge is excellent as the initially confused Stewart, and Simpson as a smart, borderline smarmy Green Arrow. There are some minor issues as mentioned earlier nevertheless this is a fine addition to the DC animated Universe.
Aside from the documentary there are two episodes from Justice League (2001), Darkest Night Parts 1 and 2, and trailers.
Green Lantern: Beware My Power will be available on DVD & Blu-ray from 25 July and Digital Download from 26 July.