'Green Lantern' - Script Review

Based on the script by Robert Smigel (June 2006)



Summary:

It's a comedy! - and it's funny, witty! The script doesn't take it or the comics too serious and just plays with the idea of normal dude getting superpowers. But like most comedies it fails to connect emotionally, mostly because of the slacker protagonist.

What's it about:

A slacker gets the power of the Green Ring and uses this to get the women and impress the crowds. But in the end, he has to rise up and defend Earth, just not against the enemy you expected.

Plot Summary:

When Abin Sur crashes on Earth, his Green Lantern Ring chooses Jud Plato to be the worthy successor. Jud, early 30s, is working a crappy job and living in a crappy apartment with his cat. After the realisation of his enormous powers, Jud tries the whole 'Superhero'-thing, with the help of his comic-adept sidekick Seth, but mostly tries to find ways to impress Corinne (like pushing a window washer just to save him subsquently). The Green Lantern Corps finds Jud's attidue lacking and takes him in for training. Kilowog trains the young human to be a real Green Lantern, while the Tsch-Tchkii (an alien ant race) make progress on Earth. But the real villain is revealed to be Sinestro, another Green Lantern, who wants to subdue Earth to his perfect world order. Finally, with the help of the Green Lantern Corps, Jud can defeat Sinestro and stop the Tsch-Tchkii threat.

Project:

"Back in 2006, Warner Bros was considering casting Jack Black as the lead in a “Green Lantern” film, which was planned as a comedy written by Robert Smigel ('SNL'). The idea was eventually scrapped and Ryan Reynolds was brought on for a more serious take. The comedic version would have had Black playing a slovenly, big box furniture store employee named Jud Plato, instead of test pilot Hal Jordan." (Source: mypdfscripts.com) According to Jack Black, the box office failure of Catwoman lead to the cancellation of this project (Source: snakerati.com).

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! - Movie Category: Comic Superhero

(1) a power the hero is imbued with - Green Ring: Check!

(2) a "Nemesis", an equally powerful bad guy - Sinestro: Check!

(3) a "curse" or Achilles heel - Jud's own laziness and ignorance: Check!

(4) The mascot or sidekick -  the Comic worshipper Seth. Check!

As always: the comment section below works without registration, just choose "Comment as Anonymous" - I am looking forward to your comments.
And if you like my blog be sure to become my follower - Thanks!

- Tristan 

ZergNet