WonderCon 2011: ‘Green Lantern’ Preview Recap

If you went to WonderCon this year chances are you were at Warner Bros. “Green Lantern” panel at the Esplanade Ballroom of the Moscone Center. Why? Because new footage of the much anticipated DC Comics adaptation was aired and actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively all made panel presentations to the delight of the cheering crowd and nearly fainting women.

Around ten to fifteen minutes were shown at the panel which was a fantastic display of CGI and great imagination. Here’s a quick recap of what was shown. Consider this a SPOILER WARNING:

The clip began with a caption reading “Sector 2418. We see an unearthly space ship and learn that it is being piloted by the Green Lantern, Abin Sur. Out of no where, while he is communication with Sinestro, the ship is attacked from Parallax. A dust-like, yellow tendril monster that’s more terrifying than anything you could imagine. Abin Sur is badly wounded and barely escapes in an escape pod, setting it to find the nearest life-sustaining planet.

His ship violently crashes on Earth and is seen by Hal Jordan (Reynolds), who rushes to his aid. Jordan pulls him from the wreckage and tries to comfort him while avoiding touching his purple blood. With his final dying breathe, Abin Sur tells Jordan that he must take his ring, the lantern and recite the oath in order to power it.

We’re then taken to a scene where Jordan is back in his apartment trying to charge the ring. There’s a bit of humor as he realizes he doesn’t know the oath and tries to recite his own making it up as he goes and even throws in a little bit of the Pledge of Allegiance to the lantern. The lantern must have accepted it as it bursts into life and we see a close up of Jordan’s eyes slowly changing to emerald green.

Jordan is then rocketed into space completely terrified and at the mercy of the ring’s powers. The ring takes him to Oa, the home planet of the Green lantern Corps. He is thrilled with his new look and while strutting and striking a heroic pose he is greeted by Tomar-Re (Geoffrey Rush) who tells him that he doesn’t need to wear his mask in Oa and that he will be his first mentor.

It quickly cuts to a dark scene where Sinestro stands tall among his fellow Green Lanterns and makes a speech about the death of Abin Sur and how no one will be able to replace him. Cuts to Jordan who has no idea what’s going on and appears just happy to be there. The scene is very nicely done as we get to see all the other Lantern members. It ends with them shouting in unison “The Corps!” and blasting their light into the air and into space.

The clips end and we’re then shown with several quick cuts of the film/trailer with more Oa scenes, Hector Hammond, and the greatest scene of all… Jordan wielding a gun construct and going Rambo on someone. It was a bit cheesy, but seeing the construct brought an enormous cheer that shook the room from the WonderCon crowd.

Overall, the sneak peak was amazing. Reynolds was Reynolds and while the scenes were still a “work in progress” it all appeared very much completed and a vast improvement than what we were shown in the first trailer that came out last year. Jordan’s domino mask has been finalized and it looks fantastic, although chances are I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of it in throughout the film unless he’s in battle.