Green Lantern 3D

Green Lantern takes place in a universe as vast as it is mysterious, where an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds). (Gary Reber)

Both the theatrical version (01:54:01) and the extended version (02:03:39) in 2D only are available. Special features on Disc Two (SD) include the Maximum Movie Mode with picture-in-picture Bonus View pods, focus points, the featurettes The Universe According To Green Lantern (HD 20:12) and Ryan Reynolds Becomes The Green Lantern (HD 08:48), four deleted scenes (HD 07:16), the "Justice League @1 Digital Comic" promotion (HD 09:13), a preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series (HD 06:32), BD-Live functionality, and a digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p MVC 3-D picture is a conversion from 2D to 3D performed by Prime Focus, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc., Legend 3D, Stereoscopic FX, Trixter Film Gmbh, Identity FX, and I.E. Effects. While a conversion, the decision to add 3D in post-production was planned, and the result is a 3-D experience that is more consistent throughout the entire film. To view optimally, the environment should be dark, preferably black, and displayed or projected on a device capable of excellent native contrast performance, as the imagery and story setting is dark. The contrast between the darkness of space and bright glow of the Green Lanterns or the yellow of Parallax is impressive in 3D, as is the sense of the vastness of space. As a conversion, the result is quite effective, with the 3D always within the comfort zone of viewing. Thus, the 3D is completely natural and immersive in a completely non-distracting sense. Still, with such dark cinematography, nuanced detail tends to be veiled and shadow delineation is vague. Overall, the action plays at the screen plane, or close to it, with generally impressive positive parallax depth perception. Negative parallax shots are virtually non-existent, resulting in no out-of-screen, in-your-face 3-D effects. Unfortunately, while the imagery does support such, it does not materialize and, thereby, somewhat diminishes the spectacle of the more thrilling moments. The CGI imagery, however, is terrific looking in 3D, particularly the space scenes and the alien Oa landscapes, and even the earthbound imagery projects a sense of natural depth. Characters and objects move forward out of the background, moving in and out of the foreground and background, providing a realistic sense of depth and perspective and defining their placement within the scene. Had the Earth-bound scenes been shot in native 3D, the potential result would have taken advantage of a more natural depth perception, rather than the more flatter result. This should not be taken as a total negative because there are instances in which the 3-D effect is actually quite good and effective in those scenes. While not as vibrant as the 2-D version, the 3-D version never succumbs to a less-than-preferred viewing experience. And the picture never displays any crosstalk ghosting artifacts. The color remains naturally hued with deep, heavy blacks and decent resolution at times. Fleshtones are inconsistently hued. Problematic in both versions is the fact that the the imagery, even when cast in supposedly daylight, lacks an expected brightness, crispness, and clarity. Also problematic is a pervasive muddiness that impacts some of the imagery. Thus, the picture quality aspects are variable, resulting in an uneven presentation. As for the 3D, conversions are far from perfect, but the technology is improving and thus the potential for doing an admirable job in the world of post-converted movies. Green Lantern is another positive step toward perfection, with a conversion that is among the best thus far, especially considering the dark nature of the cinematography. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is a loud assault. At times the combination of atmospherics, sound effects, and music are SPL intense and sound distorted. The action scenes are often intense, with full-on SPL dynamics such as explosions, jets, engine screams, falling buildings, burning debris, and much more. This is punctuated with intense .1 LFE energy down to the sub-25 Hz frequencies. The more quieter moments are far more effective and impressive, with atmospherics, sound effects, and music well balanced and discernible. All the while dialogue must penetrate and stay intelligible, which it manages to do, but not always with convincing integration spatially. The music score is dynamic, with a wide and deep soundstage that extends to the surrounds. The surrounds themselves are fully active and often just as energized, with SPL intensity as the front channels. While often loud and complexly composited, the sound is holosonic® in its immersive, enveloping qualities. Still, there is an edginess to the sonic quality that disappoints but is alleviated somewhat with Re-EQ engaged. Overall, this is a very loud soundtrack that boasts a lot of sonic energy that makes for an engaging experience. (Gary Reber)