As an orphan, 14-year old Billy Batson struggles to connect with foster families as he bounces from home to home, searching for his mother. When he suddenly receives the limitless power of Shazam, he finds a new calling as a superhero… but can a broken teenager handle this sort of responsibility? What makes him worthy of the challenge? This week, Derek Wong and Mira Ibrahim join us to talk about what sets Billy apart, the dangers of deadly sins and the meaning of power.
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Thanks Derek and Mira for joining us!
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.
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.
With all that being said, let’s offer up some solutions.
To 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.
We’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.
Ben 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.
Jesse 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.
With 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.