Green Lantern: First Flight

Green Lantern, a human with superpowers thanks to the alien technology of an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, is one of the iconic superheroes of the DC Comics world. Yet apart from his presence in the animated Justice League series, Green Lantern hasn't broken out of the contemporary comic book universe like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or The Flash. A direct-to-DVD animated feature marking Green Lantern's debut starring role, First Flight chronicles the transformation of Hal Jordan (voiced by Law & Order: SVU star Christopher Meloni) from daredevil test pilot to keeper of the Green Lantern code after a dying member of the Corps crash lands on Earth and bestows his ring upon Hal. Although boasting adequate animation values, the simplistic script essentially overlays contemporary dialogue and attitude onto a juvenile comic book plot: namely, a conspiracy to overthrow the Guardians of the Universe, a wizened old ruling council overseeing the Corps. Suffice to say that it's no shock when Hal's trainer—a sneering, sadistic bad cop named Sinestro (voiced with appropriately sinister inflections by Victor Garber)—is revealed to be the ringleader. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include bonus featurettes, interviews, and animated shorts (including episodes of Justice League and a spoof with Daffy Duck). Bottom line: a solid extras package for an underwhelming film.] (S. Axmaker)