who were the alien astronauts in the beginning.
Random Aliens who crash landed on the Planet Ryut (pronouned Riot). In the comics that is the homeworld of Atrocitus and was destroyed by the Manhunters (the precursors of the Green Lantern Corps), the fact that Parallax was there was just so fanboys could freak out at Ryut and the fact that Red Lanterns may one day materialize on film.
Abin Sur was in a ship, do GL use ships in the comics even though they can fly.
That is canon. Abin Sur on a ship that is. In the Silver Age, the Modern Age and even in Secret Origins (modern age) origins, Abin always crashes. The reasonings are always different. Originally he is injured so he needs a ship to escape because his ring is keeping him alive as he is looking for a successor. In Emerald Dawn he was using it because his fear had grown so strong it was shorting out his ring especially in dealing with Legion (who the film was originally going to use). In Secret Origins, he was in fear of what he found out about the Blackest Night prophecy that in transporting Atrocitus he needed the ship to keep everything together. He allowed fear to overcome him from what he knew and that no one believed him that it left him open to be killed on Earth's atmosphere.
The ring is only as powerful as their will. If a GL thinks, "There is no way I can carry a thousand people from point A to B" then they won't be able to.
As Irish added though, in the film he was to evacuate an entire planet which is why he was on the ship originally when he was attacked by Parallax looking for revenge for Abin Sur imprisoning him to begin with. A lot of folks forget that in the opening monologue it is mentioned that one GL Abin Sur, took care of Parallax by himself originally.
I'll tell you, my wife and I must have the worst tastes in world or our ability to just enjoy and have fun must be off the charts because we both enjoyed GL.
Most people I know who allowed themselves to enjoy it did. A lot of non-comic fans I know did. A lot of people get hung up on the details though which stops their fun and the first film definitely didn't have a lack of details that didn't work. It also had a lot that did.
Its a question for the The Mike who came out from day 1 and declared Tron 3 dead because the box office for Legacy sucked and now despite the box office eating it for Green Lantern is overly optimistic. I'm curious about what he thinks is so different.
the The Mike,
Nothing is different. The thing that changed my thinking on it is simple, it's Tron: Legacy. Disney came out said, despite box office failure, it kicked ass in merchandising and home sales. They came out and said that they put a lot behind it to create a franchise. They had faith in the franchise and were moving with a Tron 3.
Green Lantern is in the exact same boat as Tron: Legacy was. It is loved by a core group of fans, panned by critics, divided amongst the general public, harpooned by the box office totals and still sequeled.
Now, it should be noted that Tron: Legacy although "sequeled" has had no movement on that front at all. Green Lantern could face that same fact. Warners just came out and said they'll be a sequel but nothing can be trusted until we see principal filming beginning.