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4.06 a JUSTICE LEAGUE of our own

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Grab your batarang and 5-pronged trident, because, in this episode, ScreenFish Radio wraps the lasso of truth around JUSTICE LEAGUE, the culminating film of DC cinematic universe. Back from his vacation, Steve is joined by super friends Arnaldo Reyes and Pastor James Harleman (Cinemagogue) to decide if the film leaps tall buildings in a single bound… or falls face first in the kryptonite.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.06 Justice League

A very special thanks to Arnaldo and James for joining us!

Justice League: Finding Hope in the Darkness

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Justice League is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, but not because you get a DC team-up film. The anticipation comes because most people were wondering, “Will they finally get these characters right?” That, of course, was the big question going in–so much so that Rotten Tomatoes delayed their Tomatometer for the film because they claimed they wanted to debut a new show and get more in-depth. In reality, they received heat from the studios, complaining that they were ruining the box office numbers (umm, bad films do that–not a Tomatometer). The DCEU has only one good film in its four-film roster, and that one came out earlier this year. They hitched their wagon to Zach Snyder to create this universe; the problem has been that Snyder wanted to make it in his own vision and that doesn’t always work with established characters.

So, with all that said, is Justice League a good film? Well, it’s not bad, but it isn’t great. It is a generically okay film that is hurt by its short run time and average plot. Everything felt rushed and incomplete, so it was hard to actually believe that the team came together so flawlessly. Outside of an argument over an unethical (it really was if you think of it) decision, there was no real tension of strangers who are flawed coming together. However, when the film took its time to slow down (I will assume those were the Whedon reshoots), it gave us a glimpse of what a fleshed out story could give us. Action-wise, it’s nothing new we haven’t seen from Snyder. I do have some problems with the CGI and some other things that will be discussed in a future spoiler-filled podcast.

Ben Affleck is probably on his way out of playing Batman, but I will say that he is a good Bruce Wayne and an above average Batman. He moves slow for the Dark Knight, but then again, he’s portraying a much older and seasoned character, so that could be the reason. What he nails a little is the strategist Batman who is a reluctant leader. Even with a team, he thinks about himself as a solo act, all the while pushing team members to discover themselves.

Gal Gadot is the showstopper once again. Her Wonder Woman is most definitely a beacon of light. She’s the first character in the DCEU that was nailed perfectly first time through. In this film we see her grow as a heroine and see how great she really is. There is one complaint I have…but I won’t spoil it here.

Ezra Miller is the bright humor that the DCEU has been lacking. Besides the flaws in CGI (when they slow down, his running looks very abnormal at times) Flash was well done. If you grew up watching Justice League the Animated Series, Miller personifies this version of Flash.

Jason Mamoa as Aquaman was just meh. In an attempt to make Aquaman look cool and badass, he surprisingly came out very flat. I really didn’t think he meshed well and when he was off-screen, I didn’t miss him.

Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg was an interesting character. He and Flash were my two favorites (besides WW, of course), only because they showed the most growth. Even though mostly cybernetic, the human element in him shined and he grew to be the hero of the story.

Ciaran Hinds, as Steppenwolf, was your generic bad guy. Like almost all of Marvel’s villains, he is forgettable. We’ve actually seen him and his story arc before…in Guardians of the Galaxy baddy Ronan the Accuser. They are literally the same character bent on doing the same thing, albeit for different reasons.

As I said above, when Justice League slowed down and gave us meaningful moments, the theme of the film shined: basically, just get over it! It’s a bit harsh to say it like that, but it is a hard truth. We can’t avoid hurt and pain and loss in this world and in our lives. However, we can’t let those things control our present and future. In the midst of all the darkness, we have to search for that glimmer of light, grab it, and let our strength be renewed. Hope isn’t found in a person. It is an ever flowing river that can guide us to be better, do better, and love better. Love and Hope snuffs out darkness, and in the world we live in, Justice League does get that right.

Justice League is definitely better than the 40% rating the Tomatometer shows. I give it a 6/10. It could and should be epic, but it falls short in time, story, and villain but makes up for it in message and some of the characters.

Teen Titans -The Judas Contract: A Betrayal in More than One Way

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I am a big proponent of Warner Bros Entertainment animated DC films. They do a way better job in storytelling and screenplay than any of the latest live-action films. The downside really is that as animated films, they aren’t all for the entire family. For instance, the Batman films are darker and bloodier and shouldn’t be watched by young children regardless of whether or not they are Batman fans. I am always cautious when it comes to these films and ask parents to be the same; animation does not mean kid friendly and this movie falls into that category in many ways.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract brings to the screen one of the most revered Teen Titans stories from 1984 that includes Wonder Girl, Cyborg, Changeling (Beast Boy), Starfire, Raven, and Nightwing. (This was when Dick Grayson, the first Robin, took on the name of Nightwing). For the film, the Titans are made up of Starfire as the leader, Blue Beetle, Raven, Beast Boy, Robin (Damian Wayne), Terra and, helping them out, is Nightwing. One of the Titans biggest adversaries, Deathstroke, takes a contract to deliver them dead or alive. One of the Titans is a double agent, having infiltrated and collecting data on them for Deathstroke for over a year. When they finally strike, all the Titans are taken except for Nightwing as he must race against time to save them before they meet their ultimate end.

One thing the movie does well is teach us that even when we feel that life has dealt us a bad hand, there are opportunities to come out of it. Love has a way of breaking through the toughest of exteriors and pasts and brokenness to reveal diamonds amidst the rubble. And no greater love is there than laying one’s life for their brother or sister. In the end, love always wins and the film showed this very well.

I wish it was all good though.

When it comes to the slate of animated films released by DC, this one isn’t the worst but it isn’t the best. On one end, it’s nice to let the Titans have their own movie without any Justice League member (specifically Batman) in it. And although it is based on the original story, it does have its liberties in changing things which in a sense brings about DC’s “Judas” ways to some of the characters…namely Starfire. This seems to be an ongoing issue that DC has had for years yet continue to push and that is the dumbing down of female characters to nothing more than a sex object. In this film, as much as the character is trying to show that she’s a great leader while the team looks more to Nightwing (who is the former leader) she’s left being marginalized as Nightwing’s girlfriend and sex toy (many innuendos throughout the film). They had an opportunity to really make her stand out as a leader and give her a major role but in the end, she’s nothing more than Nightwing’s girl.

The other issue I have is with Terra. This one is very bothersome and made my stomach churn. I understand in the original story what she was to Deathstroke, but in that story, she was written and drawn more of a young college age girl compared to here, an obvious young teenager. However, her loyalty to Deathstroke was based out of sexual needs and a promise of being lovers and together forever (something he had no intentions of). Her story of being used by him could have been flipped around, seeing him as more of a mentor who saved her life instead of the man who saved her life and now she wants to be lovers with. Another example of DC not caring much about their female characters (I had the same issue with The Killing Joke where they unnecessarily made Batgirl sleep with Batman in a story where the worst thing happens to her already).

DC has made strides in this department, but I think they still have a long way to go in certain aspects. As a father of a young girl, I strive to point her to female characters that aren’t marginalized and are not simply sex objects because I want her to grow up knowing she is much more than that and that anyone that says otherwise isn’t worth her attention. There was an opportunity missed here to showcase a female leader that was confident and trusted by those she leads; however, this was not the case.

Saving DC (and it’s Extended Universe)

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Before we get started, let me assure you… I already know what you’re going to say.

Over the last year, there has been plenty of articles written about the DC Entertainment Universe (DCEU) helmed by Warner Bros., but I want to take a different approach. Instead of merely looking at what is wrong and highlighting it, I want to offer my take on a solution.

Numbers can be deceiving and, frankly, that is the number one problem with Warner Bros. While their films have seen massive worldwide ticket sales, does that really mean they’ve been a success? Their films have made so much from name recognition alone but fall short in quality, especially considering their competition. For instance, while Batman v Superman made a good chunk of change at the global box office, comparing it to a film like Deadpool shows that it missed expectations exponentially. Even though the film featured arguably the two most iconic superheroes ever for the first time ever in the same film (not to mention the first live action film version of Wonder Woman), and the film should have grossed well over 1 billion worldwide yet it fell far short. The success of a character like Deadpool should never compare to a film featuring Batman and Superman, but it shows you the difference between mere name recognition and a quality script that carries all the best elements of the character. (In fact, Suicide Squad suffered similar problems, by offering a film that made money from name recognition but not from the quality of the film itself.

Now I know, there are some reading that actually like these films, and that’s fine. This isn’t an article to bash DC or even compare them to their more successful counterpart led by the House of Mouse. Rather, this is an article of a comic book fan who wants to see sustained success–and, based on all the recent news, sustained success seems like a farfetched idea at the moment. I won’t link articles because I take rumors with a grain of salt, but with the confirmation that Ben Affleck won’t direct a solo Batman film; the script being thrown out and redone; and even some rumors that Affleck is trying to find a way to no longer play Batman, the state of the DCEU remains a giant question mark.  (Though today’s news that Matt Reeves has confirmed his role as director is, finally, some good news related to the film…). In three months, we will find out if there’s some hope (and again, don’t let initial numbers deceive you) but it could also completely bury the DCEU for quite some time.

With all that being said, let’s offer up some solutions.

My first piece of advice for Warner Bros. is kind of an oxymoron when you first hear it. I want them to both emulate Marvel Studios and also stop emulating Marvel.

Let me explain.

When it comes to emulating, the WB must stop pretending like they don’t care what Marvel is doing.  (Let’s be serious… you do.)  So, emulate the planning process. So far, it seems like the list of DCEU films are based on reaction and “catching up” rather than coming across as piece of a clearly laid out plan. Through their use of their ‘Phase 1-3’ idea, Marvel Studios has come off as a company that had an overall story to tell, rather than just movie titles. This interlocking shared universe paid off and WB would be smart to copy that same formula. This means that you shouldn’t make a film that spends more time trying to set up another film then actually tell a good story on its own. By leaving the interlocking parts for the end credits where the main film can breathe on its own with a few easter eggs, the fans realize in the end credits that it is part of something greater. These are things that Marvel has made successful and definitely should be emulated.

Now to the stop emulating part…

One of the more consistent things we’ve heard about is the constant butting of heads idea that DCEU films aren’t good because tell less jokes than Marvel and aren’t as ‘light hearted’.

But that’s far from the truth.

DCEU films don’t need to be light hearted to be good. They don’t need to follow that Marvel formula. The Dark Knight remains arguably the greatest comic book film of all time, and that’s what DCEU should be leaning on. BvS didn’t fail (critically speaking) because there wasn’t enough humor. Suicide Squad wasn’t viewed as a mess because they didn’t get the humor right. Humor has nothing to do with it, and the execs at WB need to realize that. Suicide Squad should have been dark and stayed with the feel of a black ops film rather than interjecting a supernatural element that simply didn’t make sense in that particular world. It felt like two different stories were trying to be told. Instead, Warner Bros. needs to focus more on storytelling and not just the name recognition (that goes for both characters and the actors picked to play the characters). If you are a fan like me, you probably have watched many of the animated movies that have come out in recent years. When I compare those movies to the live action, it is night and day. Now, we can talk about the differences in filmmaking stylistically, but good storytelling is good storytelling. There are a plethora of stories and ideas to pull from directly from their own umbrella that can be adapted correctly. Whether its Justice League, or Batman, or Suicide Squad, they all have been done extremely well in a film feature on the animated side because they have the freedom to stay true to the characters and the DC formula. If the biggest criticism DCEU films have is story, why continue to revert back to the same screenwriters?

DC comics have always been different from Marvel. Sure, over the years, characters have been created to ‘copy’ one from the other side but, even then, the characters and personalities remain completely different. The DCEU should follow suit and get writers that work within other factions of the DC world in order to craft stories that stay true to the characters. The WB execs should, like FOX did with Deadpool, take a step back and give them the freedom to do it their way. I don’t think all the turmoil surrounding The Batman film, and the lost hope from majority of fans would be an issue if these things were to happen. At the end of the day, we all want to see the films succeed and want to see the DCEU have a sustained success. But please WB, stop trying to take shortcuts and thinking that the names alone is all you need. Make a plan and be willing to let the characters develop and grow while staying true to their nature. Have a freedom and liberty with the characters but respect their foundation and ultimately let them breathe. Think outside of the box and don’t pigeonhole yourself to the same writers or ideas and dare to cast unknowns or non-A-list actors for iconic roles.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how dark or light the film is.  If the story is well put together, it will ultimately–finally?–lead to a sustained success.

Podcast: SUICIDE SQUAD(Goals)

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This week on the show, Steve assembles his own band of misfits by inviting comic aficionado Arnaldo Reyes and Greg Banik to do battle with the SUICIDE SQUAD! Are Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the rest really the ‘worst heroes ever’?  Is the film worth the 27% on Rotten Tomatoes?  All this and more, on ScreenFish.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

2.23 Suicide Squad

 

Suicide Squad: The Characters Who Make It Happen

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It’s the golden age of comic book movies, thanks largely in part to Marvel Studios.

With WB finally starting a cinematic universe and after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fell short of expectations, there were many questions and concerns going into Suicide Squad . With a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, the early reviews  have sentenced the film to death, but is it really that bad?

Let’s answer that question right away, the film does not deserve that rating. Does it have flaws? Sure, but not enough to warrant a rating that bad. You can definitely see where David Ayer’s vision was interrupted by the studio but, overall, the film is actually very good. You can check out my thoughts on the actual film and it’s redemption story on our YouTube page.

For this segment, I want to highlight the characters that really made the film great. There are some that were forgetful (Captain Boomerang), some who were cheesy (Killer Croc), but, in a film like this, you need to the stars to stand out and Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis did exactly that.

SOME SPOILERS

Deadshot (Will Smith)

deadshotDeadshot is clearly the unofficial leader of this ragtag group. Forced to do what they don’t want to do, he has the one thing no one else has — the determination to stay alive in hopes of seeing his daughter again. As bad as he is, Deadshot seems to do all the wrong things for the right reasons. Will Smith does a good job portraying this character where you genuinely see his heart throughout the film, even though what he does is wrong. While he only looks out for either himself or his little girl, this mission brings out more from him. You really see him evolve from not just a deadly hitman rotting away in a jail to a leader amongst thieves. He stands out and really shoulders the burden of not just staying alive, but keeping those around him alive. (And can I just say…the scene where he takes the lead on top of a car, fires off round after round and takes out Enchantress’ creepy army was downright amazing.)

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)

harleyThe true star of the film. I had many reservations going into the film regarding this character but she nailed it. She captured the sillyness, craziness, and deadliness of Harley Quinn. Every scene she was in she stood out above the rest, giving you the right moments of laughter when needed. You get enough of her background and her love for th e Joker yet you are left wanting more. (For what it’s worth, that is a great thing to have.) Harley Quinn has become such a popular character since she first appeared on Batman: The Animated Series and, for her first time in a live action role, Robbie really nailed the part. She brings crazy to a new level, yet you see that deep inside there is a soul searching for love in all the wrong places.  To be able to balance that in a character is an amazing feat.

 

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)

wallerCould there have been any greater person for this role?

Not a chance.

One can argue that Amanda Waller is the real villain of this movie. She neither a hero nor someone you want to cross. In the comics, Waller is ruthless with absolutely no heart. She only cares about doing her job and it doesn’t matter who gets in her way as long as the job is done. Viola Davis nails this role, showing us just how bad and evil Waller can be, even if she is on the good team. (For instance, this was evident when she shoots and kills FBI agents that were serving under her watch just because they never had the clearance to be part of the operation of Task Force X/Suicide Squad.) Who in their right mind would come up with the idea of putting nano-chip bombs in peoples heads in order for them to do what you want them to do? Not only that, these are lunatics! Waller has no friends and only sees others as leverage. For a woman who carried a heart for most of the film, it is the one thing she is lacking and why she is so dangerous. (It makes me wonder if maybe it isn’t the Squad that should be locked away.)

Overall I believe this film had enough value to warrant it a ‘screen it’ tag. There are flaws and some forgettable moments but where the film shines is in it’s characters and these really make it worth the watch.

Batman: The Killing Joke

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1000565438BRDFLTO_f68be9fBatman is arguably a top two superhero of all time. Where you place him in that top two is up to you, but you will be hard pressed to find two superheroes above him in terms of popularity and longevity. Of course, while Batman lands in the top level of superheroes, his most deviant nemesis ranks right up there in popularity among villains. Outside of Darth Vader, is there any villain more popular than the Joker?

Fans have long petitioned for the most acclaimed and controversial Batman stories ever to get the animated treatment. Marvel may have a strong grip in leading live-action, but no one does animated comic book films (or shows) like WB/DC. It’s funny, because when I mention Darth Vader, the connection between Star Wars and the Joker actually falls in place in that for many fans, the definitive Joker voice is that of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Batman the Animated Series is a staple in any fans life. Fans have been wanting Hamill to reprise his role, but his one desire was The Killing Joke. And after so many years, fans finally get, and so does Hamill, what they wished for.

If you’ve never read the story, I will warn you that there are spoilers that follow, so read the story first or watch the film. If you’ve read the story, there is an added piece that I will not spoil.

The Killing Joke is one of the few origin type stories for the Joker. We see flashbacks of what led him to become who he is. Is this really his history? It is hard to really know. To the Joker, it might be, or it might not be. He’s such a complex and disturbed individual, that his origin in my opinion is better off left a mystery. However, in Killing Joke, his story would make one actually feel somewhat sorry for him. A husband trying to do all he can for his pregnant wife but just can’t seem to make ends meet. Most of us husbands have been there. And then he has that one bad day, that day where his world is changed forever. He makes a decision to turn to crime as a means to get paid. It was supposed to be one time, and he would have enough money to give his wife all she ever wants and needs. Then the news about the accident came. What is the point now, he has nothing. But he’s forced to take the job anyway, and his first encounter with Batman leaves him a pool of toxic chemicals and thus, the Joker is born.

So that’s his origin within the story, but the story deals with the modern day as well. Joker has broken out of Arkham again. And this time, it is different. He’s not on a mission to cause major chaos, he’s out to prove a point. He visits the home of Commissioner Gordon, and the biggest controversy in the history of Batgirl happens. After shooting Barbara Gordon in the stomach point blank, rendering her paralyzed, his men kidnap the Commissioner. However, Joker stays behind, with his camera, and undresses her and rapes her. In the comic, this was always open ended with the possibility that he made it seem like he did, but the film leaves no doubt when Harvey tells Batman.

If you’ve read the book, you know what the rest of the story entails. I’m going to highlight two things in this film that really stood out. First was the addition of a Batgirl narration and story before the actual story. There are some controversial things that happens, and although the screen writer and director feel that they helped make Batgirl stronger, I definitely disagree. I feel as if what was presented degraded the character. She may have come out of everything stronger, but we all know she did that anyway without this added element. I won’t spoil it, but what happened left me with an upset stomach. To me, it didn’t match the characters.

With that out of the way, we can see where it ties in to the backend of the story. But this story was the Joker’s attempt to prove that one bad day can make a normal person crazy, just like it did to him. Joker thought he broke Gordon. He humiliated him, and on top of that, showed him what he did to his daughter. Any dad would go crazy, I know I would. I’d want to kill him for it. But when Batman arrived and got Gordon out, pursuing the Joker was Gordon’s idea. But he told Batman to do it by the book. Joker thought he broke him, but he didn’t. The resolve was strong and it shows us that one bad day shouldn’t take away who we have made ourselves to be. Evil is strong, sin is strong and at times it will knock us into a deep pit and attempt to break us to the point of no return. The Devil tried that with Job, but his faith and resolve allowed him to come out unbroken and stronger. The Joker was so sure of himself that anyone can be broken until he was confronted with the one man that cannot.

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Batman is a great hero, but I wonder sometimes if he’s the hero we really want to model. He’s gone to that dark bottom, and it has changed him. He’s a flawed hero who has been broken many times and in this film he comes to a realization that the song and dance with the Joker will eventually come to an end. We all have to choose how long we want to dance with sin. Batman could lock the Joker up, but he knows he’ll get out again. We sometimes try to suppress the evil and think we can keep it in check. We ask ourselves maybe we can reconcile it, but it’s too late for that. So we have to come to the point of complete separation. We have to kill the evil so that good can prevail. Batman had more than just the ongoing song and dance, or the humiliation of Gordon. What happened to Batgirl confirmed to Batman what he needed to do, and he did it.

Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the few comic book adaptations that is spot on straight from the book. Although I don’t like what was done with the Batgirl arc of the story, the actual Killing Joke story is strong, disturbing, and shows us that we have a choice to either let evil prevail or look at it straight on and tell it “that was your best shot, but I’m still not broken”

You can purchase the film July 26 on digital HD or on Blu-Ray August 2.