Cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a guy who, in his own mind, has no fear.  Being a flyboy requires bravery and a strong sense of will, and when a dying alien (Lantern member Abin Sur) crashes to Earth and offers him an all-powerful ring, Hal becomes a member of the Green Lantern Corps.  It’s a powerful set-up for a comic book film: an above-average Joe holds a ring which can create anything that he invents in his mind.  To successfully use the ring, Hal must truly believe in its power, and in turn, believe in his own heroic abilities.  When world beating monster Parallax invades Earth to kill the newest Green Lantern (and of course, destroy our planet), it’s up to Hal to save our very existence.

With a great ring (and an iconic DC Comics character) comes great responsibility.  Although Martin Campbell is a more than capable choice as director (GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro, Edge of Darkness), he’s crafts an uninspired, by-the-numbers, and ultimately, forgettable popcorn film.  Reynolds, a scene-stealer as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, does an able enough job of trying to fit into the skin of Hal Jordan, but unfortunately, it’s just not a perfect fit.  Hal Jordan is an emotionally torn individual who, with his green ring, has the weight of the universe on his shoulders.  The story never digs deep into Hal’s fragile psyche, and his love for his childhood friend (and fellow pilot) Carol Ferris (Blake Lively)  just doesn’t work (Reynolds and Lively have zero chemistry).

If special effects or watching 3D films is your bag, then Green Lantern comes off as passable enough entertainment.  A portion of the film takes place in the CGI created world of Oa, home of the Green Lantern Corps.  During his travels to Oa, Hal is trained to fight by Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush) and Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan), and he also meets his future nemesis Sinestro (Mark Strong), the current leader of the Corps.  Sinestro believes Hal doesn’t have the stones to be a Lantern, and it doesn’t help that Abin Sur was Sinestro’s closest colleague.  Hal and Sinestro also clash on how to battle Parallax, which leads our hero to forge his own path during the story’s final act.

Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan) also stars as Hector Hammond, a community college professor who grew up under the shadow of his politician dad (Tim Robbins).  Having a lifelong crush on Carol and envious of Hal’s manliness, Hector is a loner who, after being infected by Parallax, lets his angst out in a very destructive manner.  Watching Hector battle his own demons mark the few compelling moments in Green Lantern, a CGI reliant picture that starts with a promising hero’s journey, but fails to deliver.  Mired in an abundance of special effects and elaborate production design, Green Lantern may be a feast for the eyes, but its very soul is trapped somewhere in Oa.

Green Lantern opens nationwide Friday.

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posted by Greg Srisavasdi