Two things have always bothered me about The Green Lantern, first I can’t help but feel sorry for Hal Jordan.  If ever there was a guy who had a reason to be pissed about affirmative action it’s the protector of sector 2814.  Really, is there anything other than the fact that they need a token female in the “big three” that keeps Hal Jordan on the B-list?  I don’t think so, and Warner Brother’s Animated release Green Lantern: First Flight really just adds to the strength of the argument that Hal Jordan should be ranked a little higher on the super hero top ten list.

The second thing that bugs the hell out of me is Sinestro.  How is it that the people in charge of protecting the fucking universe couldn’t figure out that the skinny guy with the evil little mustache named Sinestro was sinister?  I mean him turning out to be a bad guy was more like a heel turn in wrestling than than it was revealing the true identity of Keyser Soze.  I’ve always found that a little insulting…anyway I gues it is what it is and I’ll just have to learn to live with it.  On to Green Lantern: First Flight.

If you’re a fan Warner Brother’s Animation DC Cartoons I’m sure you’ve been waiting for the release of Green Lantern:First Flight with eager anticipation.  The series has been great so far; the Superman and Wonder Woman movies were both terrific, Justice League: New Frontier was absolutely stellar, and even Batman: Gotham Knight, the movie I enjoyed the least in the series was well worth watching.  So being a bit of a Hal Jordan mark, when Green Lantern:First Flight was announced as the next animated flick to hit DVD players I was pretty excited for the impending release.  With an awesome voice cast, a top notch animation studio in charge of the production, and tons of great Hal Jordan/Green Lantern Corps stories to draw from there’s no doubt that everything was in place for this to be the next awesome entry into this already impressive series.

The first thing worth mentioning is that Green Lantern: First Flight isn’t really the Green Lantern origin story.  In fact Hal Jordan becoming a member of the Green Lantern Corps is really over before the ten minute mark.  This is the story of Jordan’s first adventure with the corps.  Carol Ferris, and the rest of Hal’s life on earth before Abin Sur’s green power ring chose him to be the protector of sector 2814 are for the most part left out.  First Flight is almost as much about the Green Lantern Corps. and Sinestro’s betrayal of them as it is about Hal Jordan’s rise within the corps.  Personally I think having a broader focus is a good move.  I’ve always felt that most people who aren’t hardcore comic fans don’t really understand the full scope of the Green Lantern.  You have to be a pretty hardcore comic reader to know that Hal Jordan probably has more in common with Obi Wan Kenobi than he does with Superman.  Green Lantern: First Flight really does a great job of helping casual superhero fans understand the real magnitude of what the Green Lantern Corps is all about.

I don’t want to get to far into the story, if you’re a comic fan for the most part you pretty much know it.  If you’re not a fan of the cartoon books, I won’t ruin it too much for you.  In a nut shell it’s the story of how Hal Jordan is chosen as the first Earthling to become a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force started by the guardians, the oldest lifeforms in the universe, to keep space safe.  After Abin Sur the guardian of Sector 2814 (that’s where earth is) is killed in the line of duty his ring chooses Hal Jordan of earth to take his place.  Unfortunately the ring hasn’t got the final say on the deal.  That’s up to The Guardians who are pretty adamant that Earthlings aren’t ready to join the ranks of their little space cowboy club.  Enter Sinestro…the bravest and most respected of the lanterns.  He sees something special in Jordan and agrees to personally train him.  The guardians agree and Hal and Sinestro are off to keep the universe safe; well at least one of them is.

Like I said if you’re a fan you know what happens, if you’re not I won’t ruin how it plays out for you any more than I already have.  For the comicly educated though, there are some pretty bold departures from the traditional story and I think that you’ll like them.  The yellow power ring and battery make an appearance, and you even get to see the Sinestro Corps costume.  It’s different from DC’s continuity, but I think you’ll be ok with the changes.

DC does it right in the voice acting department too.  Christopher Meloni and Victor Garber have some chemistry as Hal Jordan and Sinestro, they both voice their characters well and help make DC’s space epic believable on an interpersonal level.  Unfortunately we only get to hear Battlestar Galactica mega babe Tricia Helfer as Boodikka, but she definately breathes life into another grossly under rated DC character.  I was a little worried about Michael Madsen as the voice of Kilowog.  I know he’s a great actor, and Kilowog is a pretty simple character, my fear though was that all I would hear while he was talking was Mr. Blonde singing Steeler’s Wheels.  “Rings to the left of me…poozers to the right…here I am…stuck in the middle with you…”  Sorry about that, I’m done subjecting you to my vocal stylings…for this review at least. At any rate the strong ties to Mr. Blonde are not a concern really, Madsen does a great job as Kilowog, I hope they consider him for the live action movie.

Finally I think it’s important to mention the Blu-Ray extras. There are a series of very well done interviews with Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, and Dan Didio about the Green Lantern Corps, and Hal Jordan, there’s a Blackest Night preview with those same three guys, and there’s a full episode of Duck Dodgers that features Daffy Duck in with Hal Jordan’s ring fighting along side the corps. Those three things alone make it worth the extra cash in my books.

So all things considered I think no matter what kind of fan you are you’ll enjoy Green Lantern:First Flight.  The story is epic in scope and the details are just as strong.  The animation is well done, it’s not groundbreaking but it’s certainly passable.  It will shock you a little as some of the scenes and language are a pretty strong for a G rated cartoon.  The voice acting is on par with what you’d expect. If you have a Blu-ray player there’s an awesome interview with GL super writer Geoff Johns that is worth the extra cash too. Overall I think this is an animated movie that anybody who likes superheroes will enjoy a great deal.  So go pick up Green Lantern: First Flight.