Movie Info
Movie Name: Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Genre(s): Animated/Comic Book/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): June 8, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
No evil shall escape my sight!
When Krona erupts from Oa’s sun, the Green Lantern Corps must summon their entire forces for battle the attacker. With fear of her first real battle, Arisia Rrab (voiced by Elisabeth Moss) gets guidance from Hal Jordan (voiced by Nathan Fillion). Hal and the other Lanterns tells Arisia of the Green Lanterns that came before her and the tales of the first Lantern Avra (voiced by Michell Whitfield), Kilowog (voiced by Henry Rollins), Laira (voiced by Kelly Hu), Mogo, and Abin Sur (voiced by Arnold Vosloo) as a way to encourage her.
Directed by Christopher Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, and Jay Oliva, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is kind of a follow-up to the other DC animated film Green Lantern: First Flight from 2009. Following DC Universe Animated All-Star Superman also in 2011 and was released on June 8, 2011 to tie-in to the Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds.
Green Lantern is one of my favorite DC characters and part of the reason is the supporting cast of the Green Lantern Corps. Here, you get Tales of the Green Lantern Corps and it not only takes older stories (like the story of Mogo), but it also presents newer stories (like that of Avra) and ties them all together with the battle of Krona as the basis.
This is still the young Arisia…not the older one that Hal slept with…ugh
The story looks good and has a great vocal cast. Nathan Fillion, Henry Rollins, Jason Isaacs (as Sinestro), Elisabeth Moss, Arnold Vosloo, Kelly Hu, and Roddy Piper among others to tell the stories. I know that not all of them might be top tier actors, but it is impressive for a straight-to-video animated film. The nice casting and animation shows that DC puts some care into something that could easily be dismissed.
The stories told are also fun. First Lantern is a new story telling the alleged origins of the Green Lanterns and how Alva became a hero because of being bookish and not a fighter. Kilowog’s origin story adapts The Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 (September 2009) which tells of his training as a Green Lantern. Laira’s story comes from The Green Lantern Corps #6 (September 1993) and presents her confrontation with her father. The story of Mogo was adapted from Alan Moore’s story from Green Lantern (2) #188 (May 1985). Abin Sur’s story tied in with Atrocitus’ first story in Green Lantern (4) #29. The whole encapsulating story essentially comes from Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #1-3 (May 1981-July 1981) with some modifications.
Come on you poozers!!! Watch the movie!
The story works and is one of the better DC movies. It really feels like a complete story although it is made up of mini-stories and it would be good to see a follow-up film. The Green Lantern series is starting in 2012 has a lot of opportunities for expanding the Green Lantern Corps characters. The Green Lantern Corps is an area that has almost infinite and I love that this movie focused on it instead of Hal Jordan. If you thought the big screen Green Lantern was a bit disappointing, you should maybe check this out…It will be interesting if any of the movies or series tackle The Blackest Night which is also referenced in this film. DC Universe Animated Original Movies followed up Green Lantern: Emerald Knights with Batman: Year One also released in 2011.
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