Trailers for Lanterns have drawn mixed reactions from fans in recent months, but could the DC Studios TV series end up being one of the year's biggest surprises?
Critics have started weighing in ahead of Sunday's premiere on HBO, and the series is already "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 91% (based on 32 verdicts). That's miles ahead of the 25% awarded to Green Lantern in 2011.
In terms of the DCU, Lanterns comes in below Creature Commandos (95%) and Peacemaker Season 2 (94%), but above Superman (83%) and Supergirl (52%). Many critics have yet to receive more than just the pilot, so this score will likely evolve in the coming weeks. However, it's unlikely to slip too far below its current spot.
As for the reviews, they're largely very positive. There are some complaints—tonally, it seems this dark and gritty take on Green Lantern wasn't for everyone—but those are largely drowned out by praise for Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre.
"Even in its uneven moments, the stars shine," writes The Hollywood Reporter, with Rolling Stone adding, "Yes, things still do get blowed up real good, and real green! They just tend to do so on terra firma, with far more human stakes than usual."
Empire, meanwhile, concludes, "The grounded and gritty approach pays dividends for Lanterns, which gives the DCU a much-needed win." Over to GamesRader+ (formerly Total Film), it's said, "Lanterns is a captivating murder mystery that prides itself on relentless pacing and masterful character work from Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart to ensure DC's superhero rivals will turn green with envy."
"The series is fresh enough in its details and execution, and strong enough in its writing, and so well performed, that it feels quite original," adds The Los Angeles Times, with Vulture noting, "Kyle Chandler’s having a rip-roaring time as sardonic Hal Jordan, and until John Stewart is allowed to loosen up a bit, he carries the series on his shoulders."
The New York Times' "Rotten" review says, "Lanterns is almost entirely about the dark night of the superhero’s soul," while the San Francisco Chronicle was similarly unimpressed. "There must be a happy medium between Ryan Reynolds wearing a CGI onesie and Kyle Chandler dropping f-bombs every other word, and taking something seriously doesn’t require pretending it isn’t fantastical," the site states.
Newsday concurs. "At turns sour and embittered, other times bemused, "Lanterns" simply refuses to have much fun," the outlet explains, though RogerEbert.com counters, "[It] is a success, incredibly watchable even through its flaws, and nearly heroic in its hits."
So, it's not exactly a 1:1 adaptation of the comics, but strong performances from its leads and a compelling murder mystery seemingly elevate Lanterns above similar superhero fare. Whether the series will find an audience beyond comic book fans remains to be seen, but work has already started on the yet-to-be-greenlit Season 2.
Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Alongside Kyle Chander and Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the cast.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO on August 16.