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Justice League

7.15 Restoring the Universe in ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE

March 28, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

After Joss Whedon’s Justice League failed to catch on with audiences, those committed to seeing Zack Snyder’s original vision brought to completion began the most extensive fan campaign that Hollywood has ever seen. Featuring hashtags, billboards and even renting a plane, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut seemed like a passionate but empty pursuit. However, after four years and an additional $100M, Warner Bros. has finally released the Snyder Cut onto HBOMax. Clocking in at over four hours long, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has new effects, new characters and a more fully-developed script… but does that truly make it any better? This week, Victor Stiff (host of YouTube’s Dope Black Movies) and Dave Voigt (podcaster and founder of InTheSeats.ca) stop by to debate the value of the Snyderverse, the nature of heroism and the differences between Marvel and DC.

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

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.

7.15 Zack Snyder’s Justice LeagueDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, HBO Max, Podcast Tagged With: Batman, Ben Affleck, DC, DCEU, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Mamoa, Justice League, Ray Fisher, Superman, Wonder Woman, Zack Snyder, Zack Snyder's Justice League

The Fishing Hole: Aquaman, Spidey, and Justice League

December 19, 2018 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

Welcome to the Fishing Hole, the ScreenFish Staff’s daily roundup of late breaking cinema/TV/pop culture news.  Here’s what we’re talking about today . . .

Arnaldo R.: Soooo, I know we don’t put much stock in Rotten Tomatoes, but Bumblebee is 94%, Aquabro 68%, Poppins 77%.

Steve N.: I’m shocked that Poppins is so low considering the Top 10 lists it’s on.

Chris U.: Film criticism is about to take a turn. The disconnect between writer/audience is growing deeper with every release. Critics had us prepped for a horrifying experience w/Venom. $200 million U.S. So go figure.

Jacob S.: Venom was terrible. Just because people went to see it doesn’t mean it was any good. The critics were right.

Chris: Will Sony believe you? Or that $200 million they’re still counting? THAT’s the point.
(PS – Venom was GREAT!)

Arnaldo: I have not seen Venom…so can’t say on film itself.

Jacob: IMO it was so bad I couldn’t finish it. So, for perspective, what made it great for you? I reserve great for … much more than what I saw, so I’m curious.

Alan S: So are we really influencers?

Arnaldo: As for Sony, it depends what they internally thought it would make vs what it made.

Chris: We used to be [influencers]. Millennials are making up their own minds about such things.

Arnaldo: It’s kind of the Justice League viewpoint….did it make money…yes. should it based on characters and genre made more….also yes.

Jacob: Based on the amount of money that publicists are paying for even small options like us to go to film, talk to talent, and get review copy, the studios still think we are.

Chris: Justice League made over $200 million too.

Jacob: So will Aquaman.

Chris: But it’s recognized as a major disappointment when you consider the comps.

Arnaldo: But it should have way more is my point. And it made less than the studio hoped it would.

Jacob: I’m going to go see it, regardless of what critics say, and even though I think it looks terrible.

Chris: This was DC’s answer to Avengers. And in that regard, they took a FAT L

Jacob: But Venom – to this fanboy – couldn’t compete even though I like Hardy, because that was a story devoid of Spiderman … which is dumb.

Arnaldo: There aren’t that many villains that can carry a standalone film without their rival. Again, I haven’t seen Venom so just speaking hot air. LOL Once Venom is available to rent on Amazon I’ll watch it

Jacob: I’m reading Miles Morales comics because Spiderverse was so good. If I had gone from the movie to the comic and Morales was a white rich woman, I would’ve been frustrated.

Chris: Jacob just explained it.

Jacob: Works the same way being a fan of the comic and going to see a film that doesn’t actually carry its water.

Arnaldo: I’ve been a fan of Miles since he was released

Jacob: Sure, Harry Potter movies made a lot of money – but they’re not as good as the books

Chris: The stuff we are fans of we judge more harshly

Jacob: I had gotten to the point where I was over Spidey. Needed a new twist. Miles does that.

Arnaldo: (agrees)

Chris: About Aquadude

Jacob: Given that I follow sci-fi, comics, crime fiction, thriller fiction, tv, etc., everything that doesn’t measure up gets blasted. 🙂

Chris: He doesn’t come with high fanboy pressure to nail it

Arnaldo: I have plans to see Spidey, and an idea of an article after I see it, but I have to see it first or my article doesn’t work.

Jacob: The world didn’t need another white action figure, so I get Momoa. But they’re going to have to nail it or the underwater stuff is going to look like it was shot by us with a GoPro.

Chris: I think it’ll be fine.

Jacob: At this point, DC can’t settle for “fine”

Chris: They already have. Aquaman and WW is all they’re rolling with

Arnaldo: Aquaman has fanboys believe it or not

Chris: Supes is getting course corrected

Arnaldo: Aquabro I’m not sure of

Chris: Batty is getting course corrected. Justice League 2 is off the table for now

Jacob: I own a fair share of Aquaman comics

Arnaldo: They have to blow the Fanboys away for him to accepted, which is sad

Chris: They’re folded on the current JL path

Jacob: I was a swimmer through college… appreciate the swimming aspect

Chris: Back on their “see what sticks” hustle . . . Gal and Momoa are the only things sticking

Jacob: Momoa has carried a bunch of stuff Chris will never see . . . so they’re willing to take a risk.

Chris: Jacob . . . You know they fired Cavil from Supes, right?

Jacob: Fine with me

Arnaldo: WB is throwing darts hoping to hit bullseye or at least get close.

Chris: I know Momoa, dude.

Jacob: I didn’t mind him as much as Affleck. I meant he has all those Netflix shows

Arnaldo: You don’t green light that many different joker movies if you had an actual clue

Jacob: Small screen < big screen

Chris: Case closed. Thanks, Arnaldo. Multiple Joker movies . . . Birds of Prey BEFORE Suicide Squad sequel . . . “Throw it at the wall all over again”

Jacob: #noclue

Chris: Whatever sticks graduates to JL 2.0. Whatever doesn’t will get axed like Affleck and Cavil.

Arnaldo: I’m as tired of the Marvel comparison as the DC Fanboys are but…Marvel made a talking raccoon work. DC couldn’t make Batman and Superman work.

Chris: Because they planned for it 6 years before we saw it. Feige wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t convinced it would work. Key word: PLANNING. What, again, IS the DC plan?

Arnaldo: Who knows. Same can be asked about Sony. Are they going to stick to Spidey villains without Spidey?

Chris: 1. Pray Aquaude eeks out $250 mil
2. Hope R-rated Birds Of Prey works
3. Keep Flash on hold while we wait for JK Rowling to finish the last 2 chapters of Fantastic Beasts
4. Hope they can eke out another $100 million or so off Shazam
Did I miss anything?

Jacob: If Venom had been R-rated, I might’ve bought in.

Chris: As far as Sony, I think they’re waiting for Endgame to play out first. If Disney doesn’t lock in Spidey for another team up, he’ll be a free agent to appear in their flicks.

Jacob: Most of the Netflix Marvel stuff is better than the DC feature

Chris: It was. Reshoots. Sony chickened out at the thought of an R rated movie connected to Spidey and ordered reshoots to tone Venom down. But everyone knows, including the lying director, that R was the original plan.

Jacob: Homecoming was darker than Venom.

Arnaldo: Sony knows what Marvel’s plans are for Spidey. They don’t sign that deal without being allowed to know some small details.

Chris: Hmmmmm

Arnaldo: AKA Marvel keeps him and Sony doesn’t

Chris: That’s breaking the law. Sony owns the rights which is why Venom is here. To keep the rights spinning. If Sony abandons Spideyverse movies for a certain period of time, rights roll back. That’s why we have the Silver and Black plan. The Mobius plan.

Arnaldo: You misunderstood. I’m not talking who owns the rights. I’m saying that Sony while still holding some/most of the rights basically conceded live action Spidey to Marvel.

Chris: Not the rights. I explained it years ago.

Arnaldo: They allow Marvel to use Spidey, aka they gave the keys to the car away while still holding the title. Sony is race car owner basically. Marvel is the driver. Sony has no plans to get behind the wheel as long as Marvel continues to kill it at the box office. Sony is happy to sit back and count the money.

Chris: So why make Venom, Mobius, Into The Spiderverse if they can just sit back and eat off of Marvel?

Arnaldo: Because they want their cake and eat it too, and Marvel has no plans with those characters.

Chris: All I’m saying . . . Don’t be shocked at Tom Holland cameos after Endgame.

Arnaldo: Yet his next Solo film is after Endgame…😏 If you mean in Morbius and Venom type of films….maybe but I highly doubt it. Feige isn’t going to let Sony control part of the MCU. Sony already set it up with Miles.

Chris: It’s coming.

Arnaldo: Different universes.

Chris: Miles is animated. This is live action. We will see how it all turns out. GO AQUADUDE!

Join the conversation!  Agree or disagree with our band of ScreenFishers?  Ready to challenge their POV?  Feel free to share in the comments!

Filed Under: Current Events, Fishing Hole, News Tagged With: Aquaman, Into the Spiderverse, Justice League, spiderman, Venom

4.06 a JUSTICE LEAGUE of our own

November 26, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4.06-Justice-League.mp3

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!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Aquaman, Batman, Ben Affleck, Cyborg, DC, DC Comics, DCEU, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Justice League, Steppenwolf, Superman, The Flash, Warner Bros., WB, Wonder Woman

Justice League: Finding Hope in the Darkness

November 17, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes 25 Comments

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.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, DC Comics, DCEU, Flash, Justice League, Superman, Wonder Woman

Justice League Trailer – Who is Alfred Talking To?

July 24, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes 2 Comments

On the heels of another Comic-Con come and gone, one of the biggest trailers revealed was the trailer for Justice League. Hoping to keep the momentum of Wonder Woman, the trailer showed a ton of action and, of course, our first look at the villain, Steppenwolf. Still, truth be told, all the action made it look like everything they’ve released before and yet another road down Batman v Superman (with an added humor of the Flash).

The first thing worth noting is thehope that Wonder Woman will continue to be front and center and not cast off to the side among the boys club. With the addition of Joss Whedon to finish the film, hopefully his touch of strong female characters will shines through in this film.

However, as I watched the trailer again, I couldn’t help but start pondering as to who Alfred is talking to at the end. The obvious person is the much anticipated return of Superman. It’s no secret that he plays a pivotal role in the last arc of the film.  But, if that’s the case, why hint in a secretive way? Does Whedon think we haven’t figured out that Superman will be in it, or maybe it is someone else?

Here’s my theory:

The secret character is Green Lantern (which one we won’t find out till then) and the reason to keep him secret is simple, they messed up with him the first time around. The question you may ask is why do I think it is?

  1. Whedon made sure to include the Lanterns in the narration of Steppenwolf. “No Lanterns, no Kryptonian” I don’t believe it is a simple easter egg to promote the Lantern Corps movie they will be working on. This was done with a purpose.
  2. One of the biggest mistakes Snyder did with BvS is that he failed to make Batman the great detective that we know he is. His lack of knowledge on Clark and Krypton (in the comics, Batman would have figured that out on his own) leads us to believe that it doesn’t make sense that Batman would know that Superman would come back. Now he could have done some work, but the fact that the only other dead Kryptonian they had as evidence needed to be resurrected into some monster would leave us to believe that there is nothing in what Lex discovered about Kryptonians (Batman’s source to kryptonite) would have yielded him the information to know that Superman wasn’t dead.
  3. We know that Batman discovered and did is research on the upcoming threat from Darkseid and Apokolips. In that research, it is safe to assume that he came across information about the Lanterns as strong opponents to Darkseid’s forces. In that research, he may have also discovered of a recent dead alien and kept in a government research facility with a lantern symbol. Through this, he could find a way to send a message to Oa and alert the Lanterns of the danger coming to Earth.
  4. Lastly, the early promotions for Justice League was “Unite the Seven” and we only see five in the trailer. We know Superman is for sure number six….so who’s number seven? The obvious choice is a Lantern.

Obviously, this is just a theory, but it is one to make you think. Hopefully, the reveal remains hidden until the actual film comes out.

Here’s the trailer again, give it a look and let us know if you agree, disagree or what theories you may have?

Filed Under: Editorial, Film, News Tagged With: Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League, Superman, Wonder Woman

Saving DC (and it’s Extended Universe)

February 23, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes 2 Comments

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.

Filed Under: Editorial, Film Tagged With: Batman, Ben Affleck, DC, DC Comics, DCEU, Deadpool, Joker, Justice League, Marvel, Matt Reeves, Suicide Squad, Superman, The Flash, Warner Bros.

Justice League vs Teen Titans: Raven Encounters Trigon in New Clip

April 6, 2016 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

In a new clip on the upcoming blu-ray/dvd release of the next DC Animated film, we see Teen Titan Raven encounter her father Trigon.

The demonic forces of Trigon infiltrate the minds and bodies of the Justice League, turning the veteran super heroes against their youthful counterparts in the all-new DC Universe Original Movie, Justice League vs. Teen Titans.

“Justice League vs. Teen Titans” is now available on Digital HD, and will arrive on Blu-ray Deluxe Edition, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on April 12, 2016.

Filed Under: DVD, News Tagged With: Justice League, Justice League vs Teen Titans, Teen Titans

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice: More Wonder Woman, Please

March 25, 2016 by Arnaldo Reyes 2 Comments

batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-logoTo say that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was one of the most anticipated films of the year would be a slight understatement. It may very well have been the most anticipated films of the year, but it was also the one with the biggest question marks. Batman and Superman are arguably the most iconic superheroes in our time. Their history spans seventy-five years of heroics. These are two iconic heroes that are polar opposites but who have withstood the test of time over and over again. They have had many adventures together, both in comics and other mediums. However, the one thing they have never shared is a live-action film together.

I remember sitting in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con; Man of Steel had recently came out and for all intensive purposes was a huge success for Warner Bros. Director Zach Snyder surprised the crowd by showing up to give his gratitude and with it, a teaser image to the sequel, the Batman over the Superman logo. The hall erupted with cheers: Batman and Superman in the same film! It was every fanboy’s and fangirl’s dreams come true. As time has passed though, those dreams at times felt like nightmares. The film was pushed back a year and the casting was controversial (Remember ‘Batfleck’?) Add in all these DC superheroes that were slated to be in the film, and it began to sound like a big mess. [Let’s not forget either that the title of the film really didn’t spike any excitement.] Still, whether they either hated or loved the trailers, the fans were going to come out to see this film because the names carry so much power.

So here we are, the time has finally arrived. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the kickoff to a DC Cinematic Universe. I had very low expectations going into the film, but I will say that I thought the film was not bad. However, it wasn’t great either. The film is filled with great CGI and action sequences. The fights were on the large scale as one would expect. My issue with the film is that it was poorly edited. The first part of the film seemed like each act was cut and pasted in. It was a jumbled mess that wasn’t helped by a story with so many subplots that were going nowhere that, at times, it felt boring. There were several dream sequences in the film that were well-intentioned but really did nothing to advance the story. Those sequences would have been better left out of the film, allowing more time for some much needed character development.

The second half of the film picked up and finally started to show some life to it. Overall, parts of the film felt so rushed with a lack of character development that many times you found yourself trying to piece together the missing holes rather than paying attention to the film. That is not to say that there weren’t some great parts in the film. Snyder took some risks that paid off and some that didn’t. There are moments in the film that leave you spellbound in how great and pure they were. Snyder does a great job in feeding the nostalgia of longtime DC fans in between trying to piece together different subplots that are supposed to intertwine. In the end, the cons outweigh the pros, but not by much. But let’s dig a little deeper into some of the characters.

*Warning, some of this may be spoilery*

loisandclarkWe’ve already seen Henry Cavill and Amy Adams in their respective roles. They carry themselves the same way as before, this time as a couple. The film tries to bring about their love story, but is too busy giving us other plots that it really never takes off and by the time it really blossoms, the film is over. However, I want to delve into the other three main characters of the film, Batman, Lex Luthor and Wonder Woman.

bvsjokerBen Affleck, with all my fear that he would repeat his Daredevil act, was not a bad Bruce Wayne or Batman. He was an older and more angry Batman, but he handled the cowl better than expected. As a Batman fan, I do have to complain about the character on film. Batman has two rules: no guns and no killing.

I mean, this film has a clear easter egg seen in the trailers that shows hints at when Joker killed Jason Todd (Robin). Batman here has no issues with killing: from dragging a car with his Batmobile and clearly killing the occupants, not to mention the ones he threw the car into, to his daring rescue where he kills several bad guys. This isn’t what Batman does. Sure, he’s a lunatic that would beat someone to near death, but he would never cross that line. And his branding of criminals, what was that about? These two aspects should turn any Batman fan off, at least for me it did. Subtract those aspects and Ben Affleck did a passable job as Batman.

bvspaintingJesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor was nothing short of annoying. This was probably the most puzzling rendition of a Lex Luthor I have ever seen. The stories attempt to make everything in the film somehow connect, and all lead back to a plan set forth by Lex Luthor himself, was again out done by bad editing and frankly bad storytelling.

Lex is a character that has a God complex that is challenged with Superman. His goal is to never be inferior to anyone on the planet (or the universe for that matter). He is a psychopath that is smart, cunning, ruthless, and best of all, the biggest conman in comics. For all the evil he is, he carries himself to the general public as this great businessman and philanthropist. Eisenberg brings in the main story of being the puppetmaster in the quest to have Batman or Superman eliminate the other for him, but he does a horrible job in depicting the character.

He delivers a performance of a crazy Lex that is both campy and annoying. He was more Jim Carrey’s Riddler (that bad) than Lex Luthor. With all that said, what Eisenberg did capture is how far Lex is willing to go to make someone superior become inferior to him. From threatening to kill a loved one of Superman, to the creation of Doomsday to destroy Superman, the well thought out plan is everything Luthor would do, without the other annoying stuff.

Wonder WomanWith all my reservations on the casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, she was actually the best part of the film. In every scene she was in (not enough, which was a shame), she stole the movie away from the main characters. Whenever she was on screen she had this presence that represented the soul and essence of Diana Prince. Finally Wonder Woman hits the big screen – but it’s in a film where she’s nothing more than a vehicle used for the purpose of telling us there is a bigger universe. Still, she is the one shining light in the film that was great. And all that was before she even donned her iconic outfit.

When she does finally appear in battle gear, it is quite a performance. You believed that she was a powerful warrior as she takes on a monster that was wiping the floor with Superman. My favorite part was when she did get hit pretty hard, she turns and gives a smirk as if saying “finally, a monster worthy of a fight”. In this new DC Cinematic Universe, I can now say that there is no film I look forward to more than Wonder Woman.

With a character like Superman, one would expect a heavy dose of theological parallels. He is always viewed as a Christlike figure. This film is heavy in it on so many different levels. Lex Luthor quotes scriptures to fit his psychotic needs and is fueled by his attempt at disproving that God can be both all good and all powerful. He went out to prove that Superman cannot be that, and in some ways he did. But Superman is not God, and that is why he isn’t without his flaws.

Both Superman and Batman show us that even as heroes, they are filled with flaws. They also can reach a point of losing faith and hope, and need to be reminded of the greater purpose. The enemy plots and schemes against us constantly, and his greatest achievement is when he can bring down the person that seems to have it all together. But it’s not about the fall, but more about the rise. This film showed us the fall of heroes. It is funny that it is released Easter weekend because it plays heavily on that parallel of our savior having those who loved Him turn on Him. Those who would be friends become enemies. And in the end, our savior could have walked away and let us die to our own sins, but He gave it all and sacrificed Himself for everyone.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a film that you should love if you loved Man of Steel. It is not a bad film, but it is a film with many flaws. If I were to rate it, I’d say overall it is a 6 out of 10; just slightly above average. Snyder and Warner Bros. had a real opportunity here to do something great and iconic, and unfortunately they missed. I think they took too many risks and tried to fit several different comic book stories into one film, that it just didn’t quite work as well as one would hope.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Batman, Batman v Superman, Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Lex Luthor, Superman, Wonder Woman

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash

March 3, 2016 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

cosmic clash

In the latest direct-to-DVD Lego DC film, the Justice League battles Brainaic’s evil plan to miniaturize and catalogue Earth (and all other societies). Thanks to the brave efforts of superheroes (some of which you’ve never heard of before), kids and adults will delight as his plot is thwarted. Just don’t be surprised if someone from the obvious name department plays a major role in the outcome. (<cough>Batman <cough>)

Simply put, this funny mashup of Legos and DC superheroes continues to prove that DC can do funny on the small screen (even if Marvel has cashed in at the box office). Whether it’s solely because The LEGO Movie blew the doors off or not, these films based on Lego versions of the superheroes are definitely hits in my house.

And I’m not just talking about my kids.

The amazing thing is that Lego continues to re-establish what combinations work–and in a G-rated world allow for violence and world domination–in a way that expands the imagination of the possible. Isn’t that what Lego is all about?

It helps that these straight-to-video films are both funny and true to the superhero canon. (In fact, I’ve seen some of this particular storyline play out in the comics before.) For fans who’ve never read up on Brainiac, this may be new. For my household, Brainaic was definitely a villain worth cheering against.

Grab this one off the shelf – and then go see if you can build the world that they’ve depicted!

Filed Under: DVD, Film Tagged With: Batman, Justice League, League of Superheroes, Lego

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