I saw Green Lantern today. I wasn't expecting a lot. I was hoping to at least crack a smile at a few scenes, maybe get my money's worth, but that didn't happen. I kept thinking about the first Superman movies when watching Green Lantern. Back in the pre-computer generated days, you put a man on some wires, and with some spit, polish and an incredible movie score you could believe a man could fly.

While watching Green Lantern I could see why certain actors were chosen for their roles. Just to use an obscure example, Angela Bassett payed Amanda Waller. For those not up on DC comics lore, think of her as DC's answer to Nick Fury, who is now black and played by Samuel Jackson. I didn't think she could pull off the role because CCH Pounder did the voice for her so well in the animated Justice League Unlimited and Pounder has the physical look of the character. I must say Bassett was able to channel the character very well, even getting something close to the Pounder voice. The ultimate failure of the character, and for the whole film as well, was that the words given for her character to say made no sense, the situation she was put into made no sense.

Green Lantern, for one glaring point, brought up concepts then dropped them like discarded tissues. Amanda Waller comments that the dead alien they find, Abin Sur, should be kept hidden and not talked about to the public. Hector Hammond, the person she tells this to, makes a comment that the confirmation of alien life might make people wonder about their faith, their spot in the universe. Soon after making this comment, as event occurs where the our hero, Hal Jordan, makes his first appearance as the Green Lantern. The film makes a point in showing someone using a smartphone to take a picture of a man engulfed in green flying into the sky. That would seem to take the cat out of the bag as far as secrecy since I don't know of anyone who can fly under the power of green energy.

All that occurs from the encounter is frantic news reports treating it like a sighting of Lady Gaga, impressive but not all unusual.

That was a nagging issue with this film, where things that should have been wondrous and exotic became tedious and trite. Hal shows his friend his new powers, but doesn't get it right the first time because he forgot to recharge. The said friend comments the hero gets the girl and we have to go through a painful re-enactment of Can You Read My Mind. Who would have thought Margo Kidder singing that song while in the clouds would look so inspired when compared to the homage given in this film.

One reviewer talked about all the people with daddy issues in this movie and my goodness, the reviewer didn't dig deep enough into the concept. EVER, and I mean every major character in this film has daddy issues; someone who has been that person in their lives they tried to impress. Even Parallax and Sinestro can be said to be trying to get the attention of the daddy figures represented at the Guardians of OA.

I seriously could go on for pages talking about problems I had with this film, from the casting of Ryan Reynolds, which now seems like a big mistake, to the just above Smallville special effects to the cheapness in look of this supposedly 200 million dollar picture.

If I had a choice between this Green Lantern and the animated origin story First Light from 2009, I would take the animated series. It made more sense than this mess.