Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Green Lantern: Beware My Power 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Heir Jordan.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 1, 2022

The ever-evolving legacy of DC's Green Lantern is nothing if not a reflection of America's changing times since 1940, with the character's mantel being passed or shared between a multitude of races during the past eight decades. (That notion of "races" includes not just cultural boundaries between humans on Earth, but creatures from far-away galaxies as well.) Yet few candidates were as welcome as John Stewart, a black Detroit architect later retconned to be a U.S. Marine, who stood as a rare example of diversity in a genre which was, at the time, not known for it. He's the primary Green Lantern at the heart of Warner Bros.' new feature-length animated film Beware My Power, a well-meaning but somewhat uneven tale that tries to balance Stewart's newfound identity with a complex intergalactic war.

Things start off well enough from a narrative standpoint, as war-weary veteran Stewart (Aldis Hodge, taking over for Phil LaMarr) struggles to cope with the violent flashbacks that haunt his everyday life. Fate steps in one night when an alien spacecraft crash-lands a few hundred feet from his humble home -- strangely, no one else bothers to investigate despite it the presence of police sirens in the distance -- and the ship's only occupant, a guardian of the planet Oa, leaves a green ring with him just before dying. Against his wishes, the ring whisks John to Justice League Watchtower where Green Arrow (Jimmi Simpson), Martian Manhunter (Ike Amandi), and Vixen (Keesha Sharp) are skeptical of his worthiness. After learning John's ring was the same one worn by legendary Green Lantern Hal Jordan, John and Green Arrow must travel to Oa where they find themselves in the middle of a war that also involves the Thanagarian people. Also along for the ride is fierce warrior Hawkgirl (Jamie Gray Hyder) and at least one character previously thought to be dead... but don't get your hopes up too high, because the rest of the story is kind of a mess.

What began as a somewhat generic but still decently entertaining tale of an ordinary man's sudden turn of fate quickly balloons into a story in which he's routinely overshadowed by more interesting characters and increasingly questionable twists. The end result is nothing if not at least crisply paced, with our growing band of heroes hopping from one distant place to another while meeting no shortage of colorful opponents. But yep, this is another case where a DCAU character is outshined by the supporting cast, and it's not hard to see why: John's got little more emotional depth than a veteran suffering from PTSD, and his newfound powers amount to more or less mashing the "attack" button in a fighting game. John Stewart makes almost no impact in a story he supposedly stars in, and when he does step to the forefront it feels kind of forced. Even so, Beware My Power is enjoyable on the surface and, while I'd imagine that long-time fans of characters like Hal Jordan and Sinestro won't like certain parts of the story, it's at least light entertainment for those newer to the GL universe and features simple but reliably attractive visual design for a direct-to-video film.

There are more deserving DCAU films yet to receive a 4K release, but it's good to see that Warner Bros. is still giving fans the option: as evidenced by this combo pack (which is also available as a Blu-ray only edition), better encoding and HDR enhancement make a difference, animated film or not. And though the extras are slimmer than most DCAU releases of this type, they at least provide a little added value to help offset the full-budget price tag.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Those familiar with Warner Bros.' may previous DCAU 4K editions should know what to expect here: an overall more polished and precise version of the Blu-ray's capable presentation. This is not exactly demanding source material that sees a major uptick in fine detail, but subtle to startling jumps across the board in other categories make it worth the extra cash for videophiles: deeper black levels, brighter whites, more stable saturation, virtually no banding or other digital artifacts (thanks to more than twice the disc space and more efficient HEVC compression), and of course the inarguable boost of HDR10 color enhancement. Beware My Power is indeed intensely colorful at times, from the flames of a wrecked ship to otherworldly locations, vivid costume designs, supernatural powers, and even holographic displays. HDR almost always makes a greater first impression in this area and provides the already attractively simple visual design to more anchored heights of visual interest. All told, it's another solid presentation that isn't always night-and-day better, but certainly an appreciated upgrade for, at the time of this release, only a few bucks more.

NOTE: These 1920x1080 screenshots were sourced from the included Blu-ray disc and obviously do not represent the 4K's superior 2160p transfer. For my thoughts on that disc, please read my separate Blu-ray review.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not surprisingly, this intergalactic adventure features a decent amount of big-screen spectacle for a direct-to-video production, from spacecraft fly-bys to intense action scenes, the low hum of engines, and quick bursts of dueling superpowers. Dialogue is typically anchored right up front in the center channel, occasionally popping into the left, right, and surround channels in more cavernous or crowded locations, with the original score providing a light blanket that occasionally envelops the listener while rarely overpowering the on-screen action. Discrete effects are usually reserved for weaponry, atmospheric touches such as far-off explosions and weather-related events, and other distant background noises. So while Beware My Power doesn't necessarily carve out new sonic territory or take many stylish detours, this capable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix certainly carries a torch that feels right at move in the DCAU cinematic universe. Multiple dubs are included in lossless Dolby Digital 5.1 and, though obviously more compressed (read: less dynamic) in direct comparison, are at least encoded at a higher bitrate than most of this type.

Optional subtitles (including English SDH) are offered during the main feature and all extras.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with a matching slipcover and a Digital Copy redemption slip. Bonus features are somewhat slim but worth watching and can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• John Stewart: The Power and the Glory (31:02) - The lone new extra, this featurette covers the history and cultural impact of the first black Green Lantern. Panels of comic book artwork and clips from various DC shows and other media are shared here, as are lots of comments from industry veterans such as writer/artist Dave Gibbons, artist Joe Staton, writer Geoff Johns, screenwriter John Semper, DC honcho Jim Lee, comic creator David F. Walker, writer Christopher Priest, voice actors Phil LaMarr and Aldis Hodge, and others.

• Justice League Animated Shorts - Two early episodes from the short-lived but warmly remembered animated series' first season (available on Blu-ray from Warner Bros.) that originally aired in November 2001 in two parts; appropriately enough, both star Green Lantern John Stewart and Green Arrow in a galactic adventure.

• "In Blackest Night, Part 1" (21:39)
• "In Blackest Night, Part 2" (22:30)

• Preview of "The Death of Superman" (7:04) - A behind-the-scenes featurette promoting the then-upcoming 2018 animated film which is recycled from an earlier DCAU disc. In short, a crummy commercial.

• Preview of "Batman: Bad Blood" (11:45) - Ditto, except it's for this film.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

DC's latest animated effort, Green Lantern: Beware My Power, has good intentions for a potentially worthy character, but a relatively thin story and seemingly random characters/events eventually flatten out what begins as a promising story of newfound superpowers. Luckily the film's attractive visual design and mostly brisk pace make up for some of its shortcomings, affording new and established franchise fans at least a decently entertaining surface-level adventure. Warner Bros.' welcome 4K/Blu-ray combo pack ups the ante of the stand-alone Blu-ray with an expectedly pleasing 4K transfer that strengthens its visuals in all the expected areas. This may not be the most essential DCAU disc in recent memory, but those looking to buy should consider this combo pack of Beware My Power the one to get.