An odd choice, perhaps, but I had some time to kill and no access to a disc drive, so just grabbed something that looked interesting from Prime. I've always had a soft spot for the Lantern mythology, though I can't quite pinpoint why. Alien design interests aside, I've always felt the idea of individuals being uniquely in tune with specific emotions just a very different concept, which is pretty rare in superhero comics. I also remain a fan of the recent Green Lantern: The Animated Series and am still a little bitter about its sudden ending. Unfortunately, this animated outing is closer in spirit to the woeful 2011 film adaptation, although arguably still better than that particular screw up.
In terms of plot, there's nothing new here. Its the standard introduction to the Green Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan and everything associated: Abin Sur crash lands on earth, the ring chooses flight pilot extraordinaire Jordan who travels to Oa, meets the other Lanterns and ultimately wins their trust (and his ring) by foiling the uprising of the Yellow Lanterns/Sinestro. Frankly I don't even consider that plot synopsis a spoiler, given how incredibly "by the numbers" it unfolds. In and of itself, however, a retreading of an origin story is fine by me; what isn't is doing so without any real character development, background or world-building. All the usual players are here, but beyond introducing themselves and the occasional catchphrase (ya poozers!) there's very little character interaction. The whole concept of the Green Lanterns is covered in a couple of rapid cut sequences, which actually never even mention the emotion-is-power angle. The initial villain is literally never explained (a single line from Jordan about him being a warlord is all we get and how Jordan knows that is left unanswered) and even Sinestro feels very one-sided. There's no heroes story here, Jordan is the perfect boy scout right from the first outing, mastering his ring without question or training within seconds; nor is there a villainous downfall, with Sinestro very firmly evil without any redeeming traits at all. His first interactions appear sinister and mocking, he openly defies the council within minutes of us meeting them, and every time he interacts with any non-Lantern it is with contempt and frequent physical violence. Basically, everything is as simplistic as possible, which is a real shame.
All that said, as a fan, I did enjoy the movie. Ultimately, it hit the right beats, the final battle was well choreographed and they did just enough to validate the plot. However, I think anyone new to the series would struggle and probably find it quite dull and confusing, simultaneously. Luckily, I know this story and its characters pretty well, so I could fill in the gaps. The animation was consistent, although some characters (normally not the Lanterns) felt lacking in detail, as if they'd only been partially drawn. Again, nothing groundbreaking, good enough but not even as internally consistent as great TV adaptations like Young Justice or the Justice League: Unlimited runs. Overall I don't think I'd recommend First Flight and I doubt I'll be rushing back for a sequel, if one is even in the works.