Although Green Lantern: Beware My Power falls flat as an origin story for John Stewart, it’s still a decent addition to DC’s Tomorrowverse thanks to its fun action, slick animation, and fast-paced story.
Overall Score: 7/10
Image: DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
With the release of Green Lantern: Beware My Power, we are now five films deep into DC’s new shared animated movie universe: the Tomorrowverse. Now, for me, the Tomorrowverse films have so far been somewhat inconsistent in terms of quality. Superman: Man of Tomorrow, I think, is flawed and mediocre at best, Justice Society: World War II is great, and the two-part Batman: The Long Halloween is a masterpiece.
See? Pretty inconsistent. And keeping with that pattern, Green Lantern: Beware My Power falls somewhere in between the first two movies. It’s neither great nor bad. It’s just good.
Since we’re on the topic of good, let me quickly start with the positives. First of all, Beware My Power has lots of stunning animation, with the character designs specifically being big standouts. Furthermore, the score and sound effects are great and both really add to the overall viewing experience (keeping in line with the high standard set by the previous installments in the Tomorrowverse). Moreover, the movie features relatively strong and fun action sequences. And lastly, it’s nice to see both Hawkgirl and Adam Strange being featured as prominent supporting characters.
Unfortunately, while it does have its strengths, Beware My Power also suffers from plenty of issues. For instance, the plot is way too complex — or rather, far too overstuffed — for its own good. It tries to be a Green Lantern film, a Justice League film, and an origin story for John Stewart all at once. In other words, it tries to do too much, and in doing so it fails to fully develop any one thing, forcing it to cut corners in the process.
Aside from this, there are several other problems with the film. The first thing that comes to mind is the dialogue. Certain lines sound iffy and sometimes the actors’ delivery is just plain odd. Also, there are far too many things that occur randomly and conveniently in favor of moving the plot forward (e.g. John being chosen to become a Green Lantern without being given a reason as to why; John suddenly learning how to use his ring).
Another issue has to do with the film’s handling of its characters. A prime example of this is what is done with John Stewart. Instead of focusing on the development of his character, Beware My Power quickly introduces him, barely touches on his backstory, and fails to keep itself focused on him — essentially repeating the same mistakes made by Man of Tomorrow).
Green Arrow, at least for me, also doesn’t really work here. Inexplicably, he somehow knows his way around space and seems to have more than enough experience in dealing with it. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, it doesn’t make sense to me that of all the Justice League members to choose from, the writers would pick Oliver Queen. Okay, yes, I get it, he and the presumed dead Hal Jordan are good friends, but come on… Green Arrow in space? Really? Maybe it’s just me, but even after watching the movie I still find it hard to wrap my head around an idea like that.
Sadly, John and Oliver aren’t the only characters that viewers may find disappointing. Both Sinestro and Hal Jordan are done a huge disservice. The former is treated as a generic baddie instead of the great villain he really is, and the latter is just utterly butchered beyond salvation. Many will surely dislike what the filmmakers have chosen to do with both characters. The depiction of Hal, in particular, should prove to be polarizing, and it certainly doesn’t help that he’s voiced by Nolan North (who I think was poorly cast) because he sounds too much like his versions of Superman and Superboy from Young Justice.
Nevertheless, despite its flaws, I still found Green Lantern: Beware My Power to be a highly enjoyable film. And while its attempt to function as John Stewart’s origin story doesn’t work and it may not fare all that well in comparison to the previous animated Green Lantern movies, it still offers enough fun and great animation to at least be considered good. Plus, with the introduction of other often underutilized heroes like Hawkgirl and Adam Strange, I find that I’m rather eager to see what the Tomorrowverse has in store for the future.
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