RETRACTION...

No, Rick James is still dead.

But according to Newsarama, actor Jack Black is not set to play Green Lantern.

Churn readers will recall my rather vocal rant when the news first appeared.

The EW article also talks about DC bringing their heroes down to Earth for the purposes of movies. One of the factors that made Marvel so popular back in the 60's was the fact that their heroes had so many human flaws. Spider-Man was mistrusted by the public, and Peter Parker was a science geek who always got picked on. The Fantastic Four argued and fought like any other family, the X-Men are feared and hated, etc.

DC's Heroes for the most part, are essentially perfect. Wonder Woman is a goddess, Superman is, well, Superman. Batman does live with the memory of his parent's death, in turn making Bruce Wayne the costume for his true identity, Batman. Depending on which version you use, Green Lantern can be the story of a man who has to grow into the role of hero, having been chosen almost at random.

The problem occurs when you forget that at the end of the day, it's a Superhero film. You can have all the character development and emotional resonance you want, if Superman doesn't blast Mongul with heat vision and punches him into orbit, I want a refund.

Case in point:Hulk.

Yes, the Hulk did some cool stuff, like throwing tanks and catching missles. But Ang Lee decides to prove that he's not just slumming, and decides to psychoanalyze these characters. I will grant that Hulk, with its use of comic-book style panels and editing looked closer to an actual comic that just about any other movie.

Take Care,

Mike G.