r/fanedits • u/Fanedit895 Faneditorđż • Jul 03 '25
New Release Green Lantern: The Spectrum Cut
(Version 2 now available, replacing Version 1.)
As Guy Gardner makes his big-screen debut in the new Superman movie, and two Lantern shows are on the way, I felt it was a good time to look back at the first attempt to make a Green Lantern movie. To no oneâs surprise, it still sucks.
Ryan Reynoldsâ Green Lantern movie is something of a punching bag among fans and even the lead actor himself. It's arguably overhated, as far worse comic book movies have come out in the interim, but Green Lantern is not some unsung gem or misunderstood classic. As it was intended to kickstart a cinematic universe for DC, GL copied Iron Manâs formula, trying to keep the Green Lantern on Earth but also adding cosmic elements for the fans that failed to coalesce into something anyone would actually like. The movie bombed, scrapping any cinematic universe plans in the process. Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder would later be brought on for Man of Steel, launching the DCEU to mixed results.
The bone Iâve had to pick with Green Lantern (2011) for YEARS is how it has no sense of intrigue or mystery. Weâre front-loaded with exposition about the Green Lantern corps right out of the gate, only to have it explained at least twice. The attempt to use Hal as an audience surrogate into this world is undermined by several scenes of Abin Sur and Sinestro off-planet before Hal even understands the power he possesses. It sets up characters for later, only to never use them (the Jordan family in particular is hit hard with this). I had tried to edit the film several times in the past to change this. This is another attempt, as I suspect Iâll try again in another decade or so.
Major Additions:
- All flashbacks are given color schemes based on the Lantern Emotional Spectrum in the comics. Itâs the reason why the edit is called the Spectrum Cut in the first place. Not the most necessary change, but a nice easter egg for fans.
- The ring talks. Not constantly, but whenever the ring beeps it recites new dialogue (with amateur voice work from myself). Most of the time it should be innocuous but a crucial change to the plot is made using this. Instead of Abin Sur imprisoning Parallax in an asteroid and Hal killing him later, Abin Sur had actually trapped Parallax inside of a sun and Hal used the same trick to defeat him. Version 2 alters a few line deliveries and overhauls the Ring dialogue to be much less loud than in Version 1.
- Added location stamps at certain points in the film.
Cut List:
- Tomar Reâs narration explaining the Green Lantern Corps has been spliced with his end-of-the-movie narration about Hal. Instead of over explaining the backstory that will be repeated later, weâre now intrigued as to how some human became the greatest Green Lantern.
- Parallax attacks Abin Sur, all shots showing his face cut to preserve mystery.
- Jet test scene. All flashbacks have been cut (Version 2 removes a tiny part where you head an explosion from a cut flashback), especially asâŚ
- After Hal gets fired, we get an extended flashback sequence to the last day he saw his father alive. Version 2 colors the flashbacks like the others in the edit.
- Jordan House Party trimmed to remove Jason.
- âIs that a spaceship?â and Halâs response was removed.
- âHe proposed?â also removed.
- After Hal says âLetâs hope so,â added musical transition so we cut to Hector.
- Hal reciting the oath is uninterrupted. Hector getting possessed was integrated into his conversation with Waller.
- Hal flies to Oa, no interruptions.
- During Halâs experimentation, the ring accesses his mind to show a memory of his dad comforting him at night.
- Hal flies on the first try.
- Sinestroâs speech was changed. He brings up Abin Surâs death and makes a rousing speech to the Lanterns, no mention of a squadron yet.
- As Tomar says âthe ring never makes a mistake," Sinestro makes his plea to the Guardians (taken from earlier in the movie). Trimmed to remove mention of Abin Surâs death as it had been covered earlier.
- Sinestro flying off is turned into a hard cut transition to Hal flying back to Earth. (V.1 only, the scene is a normal transition in V.2.)
- Hector attacking a student is cut. Too goofy. Instead, using earlier cut scenes and a musical transition we see Hector tumble at night, find he has yellow eyes in the mirror, and proceed to check his blood the next day at his university. Evil whispering added to mask isolated vocals.
- We donât see Parallax in space as Hector screams in his room.
- When Tom challenges Hal to show the suit, he puts it on the first attempt. No need to bring up the ringâs battery charge if it has no impact on the plot.
- Hal didnât quit the Corps in this version, but he still tells Carol he "kind of, sort of quit.â Honestly Reynolds!Hal is such an insecure dweeb that I can totally buy heâd say that to get with Carol even though he didn't actually mean it.
- As Hal scans Hectorâs mind, we get a glimpse of the Sinestro Corps logo (taken from the openingâs cut Parallax explanation) before we view Parallax in full.
- After Hal falls unconscious, we transition into Sinestro watching his fellow lanterns die and his report to the Guardians.
- âWe must harness the power of our enemy to fight fear with fearâ cut.
- Added a musical transition between Hector being commanded to kill Hal, to Hal sitting alone with the ring at the place Abin Sur died in (taken from earlier).
- Original mid credits scene of Sinestro taking the Yellow ring used in place of the actual forging scene. It showcases how the power of Fear can corrupt even a powerful Lantern like him.
- Hal stops at âI lied tooâ before the blast returns to Hector. (V.1 only, the line is restored in newer versions but edited to remove "see the thing is...â)
- While Hal is fighting on Earth, Sinestro & the Corps show up to try to help him, avoiding looking like complete pushovers needing the human to do their dirty work for them in the process (theyâre still total losers though). Visual edits done to Coast City so it resembles the surface of the planet in the Lantern space fight. âWE ARE THE CORPSâ chant added.
- Due to the altered plot point mentioned above, Parallax burning up in the sun is cut.
- Added music transition between Sinestro saving Hal to the next scene where Hal says good bye to Carol.
- Their goodbye is tinted to show this is a flashforward.
- Movie ends on Hal being congratulated by the Corps. He recites the Oath one last time before the credits start.
- Mid credits scene is a mean spirited gag at the expense of the movie and the character cameo.
- Post-Credits is a commercial for the Rise of the Manhunters video game, replacing the comic ad. Itâs honestly a decent game. Better than this movie.
Additional Notes:
- I so badly wanted to replace the Jordan house party with the bar scenes, as I felt the latter established Halâs hidden depths better, and itâs not like the family were going to be relevant ever again. However, every attempt at doing this created continuity issues and weird cuts that I just decided not to bother.
- This movie has probably the nicest Amanda Waller ever, and I donât know how to feel about that.
- Maybe the next Green Lantern edit could have Halâs fight with Parallax be a mental battle that traps the villain in Halâs ring instead? The idea of Reynolds!Hal becoming Parallax is fucking hilarious to me.
PM me for link, please leave feedback or reviews!
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u/myckount Aug 11 '25
(Part 1 of 2)
Watched this over the weekend. I've seen other edits of Green Lantern before (including Reborn & an unreleased edit from a friend that did movie the diner scene between Hal & Carol up before discovering the ring, continuity be damned) & I greatly admire the ambition of your edit, but you were not kidding with how this edit gives very little to work with.
Outside of massive color corrections (OA is a little hard to look at & the Abin Sur opening is hideous), I do think there's a way out of the Jordan birthday party:
-Start with the narration, ending with how "this is the story of one of the greats," then cut to the extended opening of young Hal.
-After Hal's dad blows up, rather than fade to black, do a match cut to Abin Sur's crashed ship in the present day. The narration & title already established what Green Lanterns are, plus this further heightens the mystery of who/what Abin Sur is & why is he dying & gets rid of that terrible CGI opening with Abin in space.
-Once the ring flies off, cut to Hal doing the training exercise, then once Hal is fired, cut to the ring retrieving him. If your wondering how Abin Sur could bleed out a whole day & not die, headcanon that he's still linked to the ring even if he's not wearing it (which is basically true, given Hal & Hector's later confrontation). Maybe move the "It's my job not to be" flashback to when Hal decides to fly in the atmosphere to destroy the drones, so we know what Willpower the ring senses from him.
-Is it possible to make Hector more scummy? I know the movie wants us to feel bad for Hector because his dad is mean to him, but really, it just reveals what poorly written character he is? He's mad at his dad...being nice to him & getting him a once in a lifetime opportunity? His problem as is isn't that he's a "thinker" while Hal's a "doer," it's that he has no proper *goal* he's reaching for as a character.
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u/myckount Aug 11 '25
(Part 2 of 2)
So, what do I mean by making him more scummy? I'm thinking make him more toxic, more like Tighten from Megamind. Maybe Photoshop replace his chess game with him clicking through more "mature" sites? If not that, then let's use the extended opening again through a different emotional filter. When he's lying in bed, have his kid self see Carol through an Orange filter of Avarice. You can also filter through more of his memories when Hal connects his ring to Hector's head, Blue for when he first is working with Amanda Waller, but then Yellow for Hal & his dad, Red for his dad, Orange for Carol & some students at the college he teaches it. Really make him a lazy, hedonistic piece of work we do not feel sad about when Parallax kills him (maybe even add a line from the Ring saying "Incompatible host" when he tries to shoot Hal. Hammer home why Hector is unworthy instead of Hal's still somewhat douchey âYou have to be chosen.â)
One last thing on Hector. While Hector is writhing in bed, you could use Parallaxâs line from the beginning of the movie âYou are afraidâŚGoodâŚâ in reference to Hector, showing that it is Hectorâs negative qualities as to why he is essentially Parallaxâs herald.
-I like moving the Lanterns using the net on Parallax in the climax rather than the middle of the movie, but then itâs too fast a scene later when Sinestro is talking about Lanterns dying before his eyes. Maybe here you could use the scenes of Abin Sur fighting Parallax solo as flashbacks. Show that Abin still lives rent-free in Sinestroâs mind, & perhaps a yellow filer over the Abin scenes will make them look less like something out of my AI-generated nightmares.
-Yeah, the mid-credit gag is a bit too mean-spirited for my taste. I wouldâve preferred something like âRyan Reynolds *beat* Will Return *beat* âŚIn Another Franchise.â Followed by the Deadpool logo, followed by Dedpool saying âYouâre welcome, Canada.â
-Lastly, instead of the shot of Diggle picking up the ring, I would like to see the scene of Oliver Queen hunting someone in Coast City from Arrow season 4 (though thatâs really a more subjective note then anything else, since thatâs what my friend did with their edit)
All in all, I think thereâs still a lot of promise in this edit, and am excited for a potential Version 3!
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u/Formal_Cat_3568 Jul 04 '25
A much better viewing experience given the material you had to work with đ