Green Lantern: First Flight Blu-ray Review

"Green Lantern: First Flight" shines on Blu-ray with a 1.78:1 VC-1 encode that raises the bar for high-definition 2-D animation, outclassing its DC and Marvel counterparts in nearly every aspect. This video transfer dazzles with a kaleidoscope of vibrant, blinding colors and deep, inky blacks that maintain their integrity throughout, providing a visually stunning experience that's as smooth and slick as it is bold and beautiful. The greens, in particular, display a brilliance and depth that is unmatched, serving as the heart of this visual feast. Despite the transfer's overall clarity and vibrancy, a minimal presence of color banding is noted, yet it's so trivial that it hardly detracts from the viewing experience.

The technical prowess of this Blu-ray extends to its impeccable contrast and clean, bright whites, ensuring that every frame is maintained with absolute precision. While some background details may be lost due to the animation style's focus on larger, more dramatic imagery, scenes are still rendered with enough vibrancy and dimensionality to keep the foreground engaging. The animation lines are mostly smooth with occasional, barely noticeable pixilation. The presentation is largely free from artifacts, digital noise, edge enhancement, and other common video nuisances. This results in a rich tapestry of visuals that are a joy to behold, from the nuanced shades of planet surfaces and skies to the dynamic uniforms of the Green Lantern Corps.

Warner Bros. has crafted a Blu-ray presentation for "Green Lantern: First Flight" that is not only a visual spectacle but also a technical achievement. The slight softness in line detail compared to other DC animated releases contributes to a reduction in distracting aliasing issues, making for a cleaner overall look. Despite the simplicity in character designs apparent in long distance shots, this does not overshadow the technical transfer’s success in delivering a breathtaking high-definition experience. The stellar contrast, combined with a palette awash with vivid colors and supported by strong black levels, encapsulates the essence of Green Lantern's universe in an unprecedented manner.

The audio presentation of "Green Lantern: First Flight" on Blu-ray, featuring both a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, delivers a serviceable but not exemplary auditory experience. Dialogue clarity is consistently praised across the reviews, ensuring that every line, whether whispered or shouted amid the chaos of battle and destruction, is perfectly intelligible. This prioritization of vocal tracks over the cacophony of background noise underlines the importance of narrative and character interaction in the animated feature. However, this focus occasionally comes at the expense of dynamic range, especially in the low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, where explosions and other bass-heavy sounds are reported to sometimes lose their potency to maintain dialogue clarity.

The mix is predominantly front-heavy, with the majority of the audio action directed through the center and front channels. While this setup provides a wide stereo image and clear separation of musical scores and effects, it unfortunately restricts the immersive potential that a more aggressive surround mix could offer. Instances of rear channel engagement, such as debris scattering or the whoosh of rockets, are highlighted but seem too few and far between to create a consistently enveloping soundscape. The limited use of surround channels and varying bass response result in an audio experience that, while vibrant and alive, does not consistently convey the full dynamic impact one might expect from a cosmic superhero adventure.

Moreover, the disparity between the lossless TrueHD and the traditional DD 5.1 mix points towards an underlying inconsistency within the audio presentation itself. Despite its moments of audio brilliance — notably in its handling of Robert Kral's score and specific action sequences where the use of LFE adds depth — the overall impression suggests a missed opportunity to fully utilize the surround sound environment to elevate the epic scale and immersive quality anticipated from the Green Lantern saga.

The extra features of "Green Lantern: First Flight" on Blu-ray, though boasting an array of titles, evoke mixed feelings primarily due to their substantial focus on DC Universe animated project previews and a selection of older animated series episodes. Highlights include the engaging 23-minute mythos documentary "I Am the Ring," offering deep dives into the Green Lantern's themes and their ties to classic mythology, and "Behind the Story with Geoff Johns," where Johns shares insights into Hal Jordan's universe. However, the extras face criticism for their lack of an audio commentary and substantial making-of content, with "Sinestro" and "The Guardians of the Universe" featurettes feeling superficial. Additionally, the inclusion of already accessible content, such as Bruce Timm's top picks from the Justice League series, diminishes the exclusivity appeal. Despite these drawbacks, the extras deliver for fans interested in DC comics lore and Green Lantern's place within it, but they fall short of expectations set by previous DC releases.

Extras included in this disc:

• Behind The Story with Geoff Johns: Geoff Johns overviews the Lantern mythos and Hal Jordan's thematic legacy.
• I Am the Ring: A detailed exploration of Green Lantern's mythos and its cultural connections.
• Sinestro: A brief character profile of Sinestro's psychology and conflicts.
• The Guardians of the Universe: Insights into the history and philosophy of the Guardians.
• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies First Look: Preview of this anticipated crossover project.
• DC Animation Project Previews: Promos for Justice League: The New Frontier, Wonder Woman, and Batman: Gotham Knight.
• Blackest Night: Geoff Johns provides a sneak peek at the Blackest Night storyline.
• Duck Dodgers in The Green Loontern: A comedic episode featuring Daffy Duck as Green Lantern.
• Bruce Timm's Top Picks: A collection of Lantern-centric episodes from the Justice League series.
• Digital Copy of the Film: Includes a code for downloading a digital version of the movie.

"Green Lantern: First Flight" illuminates the DC Universe with an animation style that's both fluid and visually captivating, applying a manga influence to its character designs and providing action sequences that are as smooth as they are engaging. The audio-visual transfer on Blu-ray is exceptional, presenting the vibrant hues of the Green Lantern's world with clarity and depth, complemented by a robust audio track that accentuates the film’s dynamic score and sound effects. While the narrative briskly moves through Hal Jordan's transformation into Green Lantern, avoiding any dwell on his origins, it ambitiously dives into interstellar law enforcement themes, similar to "Training Day," showcasing a rookie's journey through moral ambiguities under the guidance of Sinestro, voiced compellingly by Victor Garber. This pacing allows for a dense exploration of the Green Lantern Corps and its ethos, albeit at the expense of deeper character development.

The performances behind these animated figures are noteworthy, with Christopher Meloni bringing an earnestness to Hal Jordan that anchors the movie’s emotional tone. However, the reliance on CG for certain elements disrupts the animation’s consistency, and some of the narrative choices—such as Jordan's rapid mastery of his ring powers—strain believability even within this fantastic setting. The plot navigates through cosmic betrayals and power struggles with an energy that keeps engagement high but occasionally feels overcrowded with characters and lore, which may alienate viewers new to the Green Lantern mythos.

Despite its breadth, "First Flight" maintains a sense of wonder and adventure that epitomizes the appeal of superhero narratives. While criticized for its simplistic approach to storytelling and some instances of tonal dissonance—especially concerning its more graphic content in contrast to its PG-13 rating—the film ultimately shines as a thrilling cosmic opera. It serves both as an homage to longtime fans of Hal Jordan and as a captivating introduction for newcomers, though its ambition sometimes eclipses its ability to deliver a more nuanced examination of its central characters and themes.

"Green Lantern: First Flight" delivers an action-packed narrative set in a vast, crime-infested universe. This direct-to-video release brings the story of Hal Jordan to vibrant life, combining engaging heroics with a memorable villain saga, anchoring its plot in a strong and cohesive storyline. However, it isn't without its shortcomings. The character development, particularly of Hal Jordan, feels somewhat neglected, resulting in a presentation that feels more like a stunning visual and action spectacle than a deep narrative exploration. Nevertheless, the Blu-ray edition somewhat compensates for these narrative missteps with its exceptional video quality. It presents a visual feast with vibrant colors and sharp details that will surely captivate both hardcore fans and newcomers to the Green Lantern lore. However, the audio track does not match up to the video's excellence, and the supplementary content leaves something to be desired, offering only a basic package that may disappoint those looking for an in-depth exploration of the Green Lantern universe.

Despite these blemishes, the Blu-ray release of "Green Lantern: First Flight" stands out for its sheer entertainment value and visual splendor. It's a testament to DC's animated division's ongoing effort to push boundaries and explore their universe in new and exciting ways. The shortcomings in character development and extras are noticeable but don't detract significantly from the overall experience. Fans of the Green Lantern, as well as those new to the series, will find much to admire here, especially considering the top-notch video transfer that makes this animated feature pop off the screen.

In conclusion, while "Green Lantern: First Flight" may not perfectly balance its storytelling aspects with its stunning animation and action sequences, it remains a notable entry in DC's animated achievements. The Blu-ray edition shines brightest with its video quality, albeit the audio leaves room for improvement and the collection of supplements could have been richer. Nonetheless, for enthusiasts of superhero animation and the Green Lantern saga, this release deserves consideration. It showcases DC's commitment to expanding their animated universe with visually impressive and engagingly paced stories that appeal to fans across the board.