{"id":2094692,"date":"2026-08-14T16:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2094692"},"modified":"2026-08-14T16:00:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:00:22","slug":"lanterns-review-buddy-cop-drama-is-worlds-away-from-ryan-reynolds-comic-book-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2094692","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Lanterns\u2019 review: buddy-cop drama is worlds away from Ryan Reynolds\u2019 comic book disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aaron-pierre-kyle-chandler-lanterns.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aaron-pierre-kyle-chandler-lanterns-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Lanterns\" title=\"aaron-pierre-kyle-chandler-lanterns\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler in &#8216;Lanterns&#8217;. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><span>TV Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">\u2018Lanterns\u2019 review: buddy-cop drama is worlds away from Ryan Reynolds\u2019 comic book disaster<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Kyle Chander and Aaron Pierre star in a more practical take on the intergalactic peacekeepers<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_review_overall tdi_79 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_79\">\n<table class=\"td-review td-fix-index\">\n<tr class=\"td-review-footer rate_stars\">\n<td class=\"td-review-score\">\n<div class=\"td-review-overall\">\n<div class=\"td-review-final-score\">4<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Matt Maytum<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T17:00:22+01:00\">14th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">T<\/strong>he 2011 <i>Green Lantern <\/i>film starring Ryan Reynolds was so bad, it became the butt of every superhero joke going. In <i>Deadpool 2<\/i>, the Merc With A Mouth even put a bullet in Reynolds\u2019 head after he read the script. The Lanterns are clearly a difficult superhero to do justice in live-action: magic rings, extravagant powers, expansive sci-fi lore. So it\u2019s all the more impressive that this HBO miniseries \u2013 which is part of the rebooted DC Universe, overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran \u2013 finds a confident and grounded tone for the potentially silly material.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018Supergirl\u2019 review: Milly Alcock is exceptional in this bubbly, watchable hero flick<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Lanterns<\/i> skews older than the DCU\u2019s recent output, with swearing, sex, violence and heavyweight themes ruling it out for kids who might know the character from<i> The Lego Batman Movie<\/i>. The eight-episode series comes from creators Chris Mundy (<i>True Detective<\/i>), Damon Lindelof (<i>Watchmen<\/i>) and author Tom King, with Mundy serving as showrunner. Together, they\u2019ve created a show that\u2019s somehow in keeping with the essentials of the wider DCU, while still working as a gripping, grown-up piece of telly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>At the centre are two of the long-running comic\u2019s most significant Lanterns: Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). For the uninitiated; the Green Lantern Corps are intergalactic law-enforcement officers, each responsible for a different segment of the galaxy. Jordan\u2019s the older, seasoned maverick overseeing Earth with the help of a power ring that grants him superpowers including flight and the ability to manifest objects from green energy. The strictly disciplined Stewart is being trained up as Jordan\u2019s replacement but is frustrated by his mentor\u2019s unstructured approach and gut-instinct decision-making. Both actors are terrific, Chandler\u2019s crumpled charisma working nicely against Pierre\u2019s steely intensity, and their odd-couple clash goes beyond surface-level banter.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lanterns | Official Trailer | HBO Max\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g7edb5A_O-A?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>The show\u2019s time-hopping structure \u2013 laid out in the first episode, but gaining further intrigue as the season progresses \u2013 is sophisticated. The plot doesn\u2019t follow an obvious formula after it begins with Jordan and Stewart investigating an incident at a football match in Rushville, Nebraska. Here they meet Kelly Macdonald\u2019s sheriff, who\u2019ll play a crucial role going forward. Unlike many modern superhero shows, <i>Lanterns <\/i>actually feels like a deliberate TV series rather than a movie idea that\u2019s been spread thinly over eight episodes.<\/p>\n<p>In a concession to going small screen, there are occasional VFX punches pulled, such as aliens largely taking human form and the Lanterns\u2019 powers not being overused. Despite some action-heavy sequences, it\u2019s far from <i>Superman<\/i> levels of carnage, though credit to the creators for finding inventive ways around this. The ring needs to be charged, which helps build stakes for characters who might otherwise be too powerful to play around in the crime genre. There\u2019s also a <i>Blade Runner\u2013<\/i>esque paranoia to the way certain mysteries are parcelled out.<\/p>\n<p><i>Lanterns<\/i> does a neat job of balancing superheroics with the more down-to-earth drama, and doesn\u2019t shy away from heavyweight themes. Race, difficult upbringings and contemporary political parallels are explored in a show that\u2019s about as far away from the Ryan Reynolds movie as you can imagine. We\u2019ll have to wait for the finale to air to know if it sticks the landing (the first seven of eight episodes were available for critics at the time of review), but on the evidence so far, this is the strongest showing from the new DCU yet.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>\u2018Lanterns\u2019 premieres August 16 on HBO MAX, NOW and Sky Atlantic in the UK<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>DC Universe<\/li>\n<li>Lanterns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Supergirl\u2019 makes less than \u2018Morbius\u2019 at box office in opening weekend<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Does \u2018Supergirl\u2019 have a post-credits scene?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film Reviews<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Supergirl\u2019 review: Milly Alcock is exceptional in this bubbly, watchable hero flick<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n 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sequel<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">T<\/strong>he 2011 <i>Green Lantern <\/i>film starring Ryan Reynolds was so bad, it became the butt of every superhero joke going. In <i>Deadpool 2<\/i>, the Merc With A Mouth even put a bullet in Reynolds\u2019 head after he read the script. The Lanterns are clearly a difficult superhero to do justice in live-action: magic rings, extravagant powers, expansive sci-fi lore. So it\u2019s all the more impressive that this HBO miniseries \u2013 which is part of the rebooted DC Universe, overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran \u2013 finds a confident and grounded tone for the potentially silly material.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018Supergirl\u2019 review: Milly Alcock is exceptional in this bubbly, watchable hero flick<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Lanterns<\/i> skews older than the DCU\u2019s recent output, with swearing, sex, violence and heavyweight themes ruling it out for kids who might know the character from<i> The Lego Batman Movie<\/i>. The eight-episode series comes from creators Chris Mundy (<i>True Detective<\/i>), Damon Lindelof (<i>Watchmen<\/i>) and author Tom King, with Mundy serving as showrunner. Together, they\u2019ve created a show that\u2019s somehow in keeping with the essentials of the wider DCU, while still working as a gripping, grown-up piece of telly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>At the centre are two of the long-running comic\u2019s most significant Lanterns: Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). For the uninitiated; the Green Lantern Corps are intergalactic law-enforcement officers, each responsible for a different segment of the galaxy. Jordan\u2019s the older, seasoned maverick overseeing Earth with the help of a power ring that grants him superpowers including flight and the ability to manifest objects from green energy. The strictly disciplined Stewart is being trained up as Jordan\u2019s replacement but is frustrated by his mentor\u2019s unstructured approach and gut-instinct decision-making. Both actors are terrific, Chandler\u2019s crumpled charisma working nicely against Pierre\u2019s steely intensity, and their odd-couple clash goes beyond surface-level banter.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lanterns | Official Trailer | HBO Max\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g7edb5A_O-A?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>The show\u2019s time-hopping structure \u2013 laid out in the first episode, but gaining further intrigue as the season progresses \u2013 is sophisticated. The plot doesn\u2019t follow an obvious formula after it begins with Jordan and Stewart investigating an incident at a football match in Rushville, Nebraska. Here they meet Kelly Macdonald\u2019s sheriff, who\u2019ll play a crucial role going forward. Unlike many modern superhero shows, <i>Lanterns <\/i>actually feels like a deliberate TV series rather than a movie idea that\u2019s been spread thinly over eight episodes.<\/p>\n<p>In a concession to going small screen, there are occasional VFX punches pulled, such as aliens largely taking human form and the Lanterns\u2019 powers not being overused. Despite some action-heavy sequences, it\u2019s far from <i>Superman<\/i> levels of carnage, though credit to the creators for finding inventive ways around this. The ring needs to be charged, which helps build stakes for characters who might otherwise be too powerful to play around in the crime genre. There\u2019s also a <i>Blade Runner\u2013<\/i>esque paranoia to the way certain mysteries are parcelled out.<\/p>\n<p><i>Lanterns<\/i> does a neat job of balancing superheroics with the more down-to-earth drama, and doesn\u2019t shy away from heavyweight themes. Race, difficult upbringings and contemporary political parallels are explored in a show that\u2019s about as far away from the Ryan Reynolds movie as you can imagine. We\u2019ll have to wait for the finale to air to know if it sticks the landing (the first seven of eight episodes were available for critics at the time of review), but on the evidence so far, this is the strongest showing from the new DCU yet.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>\u2018Lanterns\u2019 premieres August 16 on HBO MAX, NOW and Sky Atlantic in the UK<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/tv-reviews\/lanterns-review-kyle-chandler-aaron-pierre-james-gunn-dc-3962440&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aaron-pierre-kyle-chandler-lanterns.jpg&#8221;] Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler in &#8216;Lanterns&#8217;. CREDIT: HBO ReviewsTV Reviews \u2018Lanterns\u2019 review: buddy-cop drama is worlds away from Ryan Reynolds\u2019 comic book disaster Kyle Chander and Aaron Pierre star in a more practical take on the intergalactic peacekeepers 4 By Matt Maytum 14th August 2026 The 2011 Green Lantern film starring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2094692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2094692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094692\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2094692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2094692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2094692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}