Green Lantern (Martin Campbell) - 2011

I read the Green Lantern DC comic books (second generation - known as "Silver Age") when I was a teenager.  It was one of my favorites.  This movie tells the origin of GL on Earth but updates the story by 50 years.  Director Campbell also expanded the story to give Ryan Reynolds a somewhat flawed personality that was not as evident in the comic books.  The very tall and very old (in fact, immortal) Guardians of the Universe somehow forged 3,600 green rings that allow the wearers to convert will power into kinetic energy when properly charged.  When in superhero mode, Reynolds wears a small costume mask that did not fool two of his friends (Blake Lively and Taika Waititi).  Fortunately, Reynolds has few friends so the mask works on everyone else.  Although based on Earth, GL makes several trips through a worm hole to the planet Oa where all of the ring-bearers meet regularly to get their marching orders from the grumpy Guardians.  The special effects in the movie are excellent.  An important weakness of the green ring - it does not work on the color yellow - was omitted from this movie but the teaser at the end seems to indicate that this weakness will play a prominent part in the sequel.  [JAM 6/23/2011]