Green Lantern Leaves Me A Little Blue

I chose Green Eye as today's "fractal cookie" mainly because it's green (duh!) and because it reminds me a bit of the "Green Lantern Ring.  (Again--duh!)  So--sit back and enjoy the review (unless, of course, you have other plans).
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To be completely honest I was looking forward to seeing Green Lantern more than any other movie this summer.  Why?  He's always been one of my favorite characters and I enjoy Ryan Reynolds as an actor.  Sadly, big expectations often lead to big disappointment and this movie was no different.  It wasn't that the movie was BAD--it was just so un-GOOD!
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I can forgive a plot that doesn't take me anywhere particularly new (especially with a summer blockbuster) but I do wish my plot to take me somewhere in a timely fashion.  Green Lantern has a lot of exposition that needs to be put out for those not familiar with the character.  The story is pretty enough to watch but it acts as a wet blanket that suffocates a lot of the movie.  When we finally meet Hal Jordan (Reynolds) we find him to be a self-doubting, generally unlovable schlub that makes it hard to care about.  When the inevitable transformation from "zero to hero" the process isn't all that exciting or particularly believable.
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Reynolds tries hard but isn't given a lot to work with here.  There's not much chemistry between him and his co-star Blake Lively (as Carol Ferris).  We're told that Carol and Hal are B.F.F. (formerly with benefits) but it's hard to see what she might find attractive about the guy.  Eventually her character morphs from spitfire to Damsel in Distress/Mooney Romantic and that doesn't work either.
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Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond goes from lovesick nerd to super villain and makes it work.  Mark Strong as Sinestro chews the scenery as only a British Actor can but there's not much of a character arc for him.  Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clark Duncan lend their voices to Green Lanterns Tomar Re and Killowog while Tim Robbins has the small but thankless role as Senator Hammond.  Tom Kalamaku (a central character in the GL mythos) gets little play here.  There were literally hundreds of Green Lanterns in various scenes but I didn't recognize any of them.  Too bad for me.
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The movie looks good: Oa is suitably alien and spectacular to look at and what battle scenes there are fun to watch.  (Too bad there isn't more to see.)  The computer-animated Green Lantern costumes look great on everybody but there just isn't enough to balance the general lethargy that affects most of the film.  All in all, there isn't a lot that will compel anyone to rush out and see the movie and certainly nothing that requires you to come back for a second viewing.  The finish of the movie set up a sequel but, based on the Box Office (and the way this movie is sinking like a stone) I doubt we'll be seeing another live-action movie any time soon.  For those wishing to see a Green Lantern movie check out one of the animated offerings available--those pretty good.
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FINAL GRADE: C