Not At All Cartoony
One of the best adaptations of Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern to the silver screen. The animation is crisp and interesting and this is what Green Lantern should have been doing in the live action film; flying in space, using planets as billiard balls/make-shift weapons, and everything else.
What I particularly liked about this one is unlike the live action piece of crap, this animated feature actually had a storyline in it that was fairly compelling. This isn't so much as an origin story but showing the Green Lantern Corps and the rise of Hal Jordan and the fall of Sinestro. It's a story of two cops; the older, cynical, and corrupt veteran and the younger, idealistic, brash but talented rookie. What's interesting is that they actually make Sinestro an interesting and complex villain. In his own way, he's trying to make the universe a better place.
His little rant to Hal was chilling to me: "Let me tell you, friend. The only way to operate out here is by fear. They hit, I hit harder. They attack, I annihilate. I am the one constant, unassailable force against their chaos and you made them forget that. You think I enjoy this? Look at the universe the Guardians have created. We have the greatest power in the cosmos and what have they made us? Garbage collectors! We pick up the trash. A thief here, a killer there. Scum, dirt, filth! There's no end to it, but there could be. It's my dream that one day all of this rot will be wiped away. A new order will prevail, one that will end the chaos but it won't be built by the faint of heart. You got soft on me back there, Earth boy, and that I WILL not tolerate."
It's a mentality that you wonder if some veteran cops don't begin to adopt in the real world. It's so terrifying because it touches a real nerve. Safety over freedom, security over justice. Committing atrocities and believing that the ends justify the means. Fear overcoming Will.
The voice actors are excellent in this; one of my favorites was Michael Masden (Kilowog) and Christopher Meloni (Hal Jordan) was great in his role as well. But Victor Garber (Sinestro) was the best of the lot. I could actually feel his anger, his humor, and his personality throughout the film. The other actors did very well, but I thought that his performance was definitely a cut above.
DC is in fine form as far as the animation goes with realistic character designs that aren't the bulky broadchested over-developed bodybuilder musculature of Bruce Timm's era and they move well and extremely fluidly. I thought that the various alien designs were similarly well done and the sets are interesting as well. The Green Lantern ring effects and constructs were also pleasing to the eye with the ability to change their shapes fluidly and lacking the annoying semi-transparency that the live action movie had.
Unlike most of the animated films, this one didn't seem that they sacrificed too much or compacted the storyline; but were determined to tell the story to the best of their ability and it shows in the quality of First Flight.
It's a great film and story, well worth watching. Some of the scenes were a bit graphic such as one alien getting sucked out into space through a tiny hole in the hull of the spaceship, but it's just part of what makes this entire film feel real and not at all cartoony.
RATING: 4 and 1/2 STARS!!!!
