Green Lantern Emerald Knights

Plot

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Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is a direct-to-video animated superhero film that tells various stories featuring members of Green Lantern Corps, including Abin Sur, Laira, Kilowog, and Mogo It was released on June 7, 2011. While not a direct sequel to First Flight, the film uses the same character designs and includes a cameo by Ch'p, who had a speaking role in the previous film.

It is the eleventh film released under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner. It is also the second DC Animated Movie following Batman: Gotham Knight to feature an anthology format, though unlike Batman: Gotham Knight, it features a single, uniform animation and visual style and an overall linking story.

Two of the stories ("Mogo Doesn't Socialize" and "Abin Sur") were based on comic stories written by Alan Moore, who has a standing policy of not allowing his name to be used in the credits when his stories are adapted to other media. Although it uses the same name, it has no relation with the 1998 comic book Emerald Knights.

The sun of the Green Lantern homeworld, Oa, is becoming a gateway for Krona, an evil anti-matter alien tyrant that once sought to destroy all life. As precaution the Guardians of the Universe decide to evacuate Oa of all valuables, such as the Central Battery. While in line to charge their rings before the Battery is taken away, Green Lantern Corps rookie Arisia Rrab converses with Hal Jordan and expresses her self doubts as the newest Green Lantern. In response, Hal tells her the story of the first Green Lantern

The main thrust of the story deals with a much younger Hal having to come to grips with the new reality he's in; specifically, the fact that he's (at that time) one of the most reviled villains, and that his friend Ollie Queenis dead. The other heroes are also unnerved at seeing their comrade back in prime condition and without any of the taint of the villainy his future self did. Kyle, for his part, mixes feelings of awe - at being teamed with 'the greatest Green Lantern' - and self-pity, as he now feels that he's being pushed out of the limelight.

Hal winds up having some solo adventures in Kyle's time, including fighting Kalibak, another of Darkseid's sons, when Kalibak tries to challenge Hal to prove his own skill, and Vince Hardy, an old acquaintance who Hal knew during his fighter-pilot days. Hardy had fought against Hal for control of a fighter jet they were test-piloting, which Hardy intended to sell to arms dealers, but Hal fought him off and crashed the fighter jet, which resulted in him being discharged due to the need for a scapegoat for the lost plane, since Hardy had escaped during the fight.

Hardy now intends to send a plane to Seattle with a bomb supplied by The Eden Corps, a group of radical environmentalists who were responsible for Ollie's death. Teamed up with the current Green Arrow, Connor Hawke- although he is shocked to learn of Connor's connection to Oliver-, Hal first loses his ring to Hardy, but eventually gets it back and saves the day with Connor's help, Hal preventing the plane from crashing into a mountain before capturing Hardy. The two later visit Ollie's grave, reflecting on how they each feel like they have lost him twice, given the limited time Connor spent with him and the fact that Hal comes from a time before his friendship with Oliver was as close as it would become later.

The last two issues deal with Kyle vs. Hal vs. Hal. Parallax (before the events of Zero Hour #0), was jumping through space-time when he notices a disturbance and investigated. Sensing his past self in a time when he shouldn't have been there, Parallax intends to send Hal back to his proper time. Kyle fought against Parallax, but is unable to stop Parallax and Hal from squaring off against each other. After Parallax and Hal fight each other to a standstill- even travelling all the way back to Coast City mere seconds before it was destroyed as Parallax attempts to win Hal over-, Kyle intervenes yet again. Kyle explained that both men had to go back to their proper places in time - and what's more, they had to have no knowledge of these experiences. Hal refuses to go back if it meant that he would turn into Parallax, but Kyle explained that Hal had to go back- and Parallax had to go back, despite the fact that he would be defeated- because Parallax was needed to stop the Sun-Eater during The Final Night.

Acknowledging that he is proud have him carry on the Green Lantern tradition, Hal hugged Kyle, whispering to him "You'll know what to do with it", before all three joined forces: Parallax would be responsible for returning everyone to their proper place in time, Hal's ring would wipe his and Parallax's minds of these events, and Kyle's ring acted to boost their power. With both Hal and Parallax back in their proper time - Hal having defeated Sinestro on his own and Parallax revealing himself as the main villain behind Zero Hour - Kyle reflects on recent events with Jen, his girlfriend... before revealing that Hal gave Kyle a copy of his Green Lantern ring.

Alas, Emerald Knights seems to be a step or two below Gotham Knight, visually-speaking. But what the movie lacks in animation quality, it more than makes up for in terms of creative talent. The stories are written by Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi (both of whom are responsible for Green Lantern’s current creative clout in comics), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Eddie Berganza, Alan Burnett, Todd Casey, Michael Green, and Marc Guggenheim.

Additionally, Hal Jordan will be voiced by fan-favorite Nathan Fillion – before Uncharted, the internet wanted Fillion to play Hal Jordan in the live-action Green Lantern – Sinestro will be voiced by Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter series) – who’s basically the alternate universe version of Mark Strong, and just as talented – and rookie Green Lantern Arisia will be voiced by Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men). The rest of the cast includes Kelly Hu, Arnold Vosloo, Henry Rollins, and Roddy Piper (as in “Rowdy” Roddy Piper).

Interestingly, the Sinestro Corps pops up in the trailer for one brief moment, despite the fact that everything else in the trailer indicates Sinestro himself is still a Green Lantern. Is the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights version of Sinestro Corps not the ‘Sinestro‘ Corps? Is it instead the Krona Corps, or some variation thereof?

The DC Universe Animated Originals have, for my money, been far more miss than hit. And on the rare occasion that they do hit, I never really enjoy them enough to re-watch them. Having said that, Batman: Gotham Knight was an incredibly entertaining experience for me, and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights has some fantastic writing talent going for it.

High-quality animation or no, you better believe I’ll be watching this movie when it hits DVD on June 17th, the same day the live-action Green Lantern hits theaters.

Main Cast

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Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern

Elisabeth Moss as Arisia Rrab

Jason Isaacs as Sinestro

Kelly Hu as Laira

Roddy Piper as Bolphunga

Arnold Vosloo as Abin Sur

Tony Amendola as Kentor, Appa Ali Apsa (uncredited)

Steven Blum as Kloba Vud, Palaqua (uncredited), Ranakar (uncredited), G'Hu (uncredited), Additional Voices

Grey DeLisle as Ree'Yu, Ardakian Trawl (uncredited), Boodikka (uncredited)

Michael Jackson as Ganthet