• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Film
  • DVD
  • Editorial
  • About ScreenFish

ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • News
  • OtherFish
  • Podcast
  • Give

The Flash

The Flash: Saviours, Sacrifice and the Speed Force

March 2, 2021 by ScreenFish Staff Leave a Comment

By Seun Olowo-Ake

Like many shows, The Flash hadn’t completed its season before production shut down because of the pandemic. This means that us Flash fans were left without closure to the Mirror Master storyline of Season 6 and had to wait a whole 10 months before the Scarlet Speedster graced our screens again. So, to tide myself over, I resorted to re-watching old episodes.

Even though I would identify as a binge watcher, I had never actually binge-watched The Flash before. Watching all the episodes so close together like that made some character traits more obvious to me. For instance, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) is not afraid to call his friends out, Iris (Candice Patton) is always ready for combat and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin)–the Flash himself–has a saviour complex.

There are a few examples of this throughout the show. In every episode, it seems like Barry says some version of “I’m not fast enough to stop them”/ “this is all my fault”/ “I should have been there”/ “I can’t save them”. He also has to be told repeatedly by his friends that, “you are not God, Barry”. However, it’s the first half of Season 6 that really puts his complex on display.

The season opens with the Crisis where it was foretold that “the Flash must die”, which looms over Team Flash’s heads. At first, they think they can stop it from changing their lives, but after Barry pulls a Doctor Strange and sees billions of possible futures, he develops the conviction himself that he must die to save everyone. He spends a portion of the show trying to prepare his friends for a world without the Flash, training them so they can be heroes without his leadership and picking out who should lead the team when he’s gone. In this season particularly, I find that the show positions Barry almost as a Jesus-figure. He becomes a ‘paragon of love’ who is willing to sacrifice himself to save all of humanity.

My favourite episode of the season (and possibly of the entire show) is episode 7 “The Last Temptation of Barry Allen Pt. 1”. It plays with the choice between good and evil and, as the name implies, Barry is presented with the possibilities that his life holds if he chooses evil in an “all this could be yours if you bow down to me” type of situation. Aside from Grant’s phenomenal acting, the reason I love it is that we finally see that our hero has a dent in his armour. Still, even though he’s argued with his friends and family about the reasons for his conviction and has been preparing his team for his demise, Barry outrightly says to the Speed Force here that, “I don’t want to die.”

The Speed Force is a sentient, infinite source of energy that I like to think about as the speedsters’ God. It chose Barry to be the Flash and he only maintains his speed because of his connection to it (as of right now) and it frequently tells him of the sacrifices he must make as a hero. It even has laws that he must abide by, with repercussions for breaking them. The Speed Force shows up in this episode to help our hero make the right decision and Barry speaks to it about the trajectory of his life as a hero and as a man.

Since we’ve known him, Barry has developed close friendships with his co-workers (the aforementioned Team Flash), married the girl that he has had a crush on for over a decade, and even met his daughter from the future. He loves his life. So, even though he has always willingly adhered to the laws of the Speed Force and accepted its consequences when he broke them, Barry snaps when it states that it is just here to guide him on the path he has chosen. “A lightning bolt shot down from the sky and struck me!,” he cries out. “I didn’t choose this; this was done to me! … Why do I always have to suffer for you?”

I low-key relate to that resentment, feeling like I have to be strong for everyone–my family, my friends, even God–and then sitting in my bed going ‘I can’t do this’/’Can I just have a minute?’. Maybe you feel that way too as a parent, a guardian, a sibling, or a friend. It’s hard not to try to be strong when you have people who are depending on you. I mean the lives of millions of people rest on Barry’s shoulders! Yet, in this episode, he finally sees something his friends have been trying to teach him. Something we must all learn at some point in our lives:

We weren’t made to carry our burdens alone.

No matter how good or smart we are, we’re all flawed people who need help from our own Team Flash and from our Infinite Source.

The Flash returns on the CW on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, SmallFish Tagged With: Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, CW, DCEU, Grant Gustin, The Flash

Real World SciFi: 1on1 with Robbie Amell (CODE 8)

December 11, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Code 8 transports the viewer to an alternate reality where superpowers are a reality amongst the people yet are considered potentially dangerous to others and have been outlawed by the government. When Conner (Robbie Amell) discovers that his mother is tragically ill, he turns to a group of criminals, led by Garrett (Stephen Amell) in order to help him get the funding he needs to pay for her medical bills. However, as Connor falls deeper into the underworld, he must decide whether or not his mother’s health is worth losing his soul. Having been involved in the project from the very beginning, star Robbie Amell admits that the film developed out of his interest in working with his close family and friends.

“My cousin [Stephen Amell, Arrow] and I knew we wanted to work together on something,” he begins. “[I was also trying to work with] one of my best friends, Jeff Chan, who directed the movie, and his writing partner, Chris Pare. So, they came up with a concept and we shot the short film just as a proof of concept and hope to make a little bit of money on Indiegogo. It blew up. We front paged on Reddit and then the campaign blew up to way bigger than we [could have] ever imagined. Then, $2.5 million later and 27, 000 backers later, we were able to make a much bigger movie than we had thought possible.” 

While it’s becoming increasingly more common for online campaigns to help projects get off the ground, the sheer amount of support that Code 8 received from fans was nothing short of remarkable. Though they had high hopes, Amell also notes that they were nervous about reaching out the public in order to help their film come to life.

“It was scary,” he recalls. “You put yourself out there and you invest money into a short film and you just hope people will be into it. Luckily, they were. We always planned on just using it as kind of a launch pad to work with Canada, Telefilm and tax credits [but] we were really able to do that on a much larger level because of the success of the Indiegogo campaign.”

Featuring a cast of both newcomers and veterans, Code 8 is filled with engaging performances from its cast. While the increased budget may have allowed for better special effects and sequences, Amell also understands and appreciates the importance of having quality actors that offer great performances in order to bring the film to life. 

“We got really lucky with our cast,” Amell beams. “Greg Bryk was fantastic. Kary Matchett was so good as my mom. Laysla [De Oliviera] is a friend of ours that just came in… We got so lucky. Peter Outerbridge did us a favor because, it was down to him and Greg Bryk for the Sutcliffe roll [but] we leaned more towards the disheveled kind of ‘losing it’ version of the character with Greg. When Peter came in, we asked him if he would still come on in the smaller role in the hopes that if we do a sequel, the next step [would be] that he could be involved. He was gracious enough to be a part of it.“

Of course, one of the key draws to the film for Robbie was the opportunity to work more extensively with his cousin, Stephen Amell. Best known for his role as Oliver Queen in CW’s Arrow series, Stephen has shared a brief amount of screen time with his younger cousin before. However, in the development of Code 8, both Amells finally had the opportunity to truly work together for the first time.

Says Amell, “We had a little team-up fight on The Flash but we didn’t say anything to each other. So, it was great to spend six weeks creating our own movie, being our own boss and kind of molding and finding these scenes. The only reason we were able to do that was because this movie was made by friends and family and the Indiegogo backers and Telefilm. It’s a very unique way to be able to create a project. We had a blast. We got to see how the other one works in their process and feed off each other. It was great.” 

Given his experience in the genre over the course of his career, Amell believes that the science fiction atmosphere continues to draw him in due to its opportunity to both entertain and challenge at the same time.

“I think it gives you an entertaining way to tell interesting stories,” he explains. “For instance, our movie is a crime drama about how far [my character will] go to save his mom. The nice thing is you get the sci-fi package to kind of make it a little more entertaining and hit a broader audience. Sometimes, if you’re making a character drama, it’s tough to really make it marketable. So, for us, we felt that the grounded sci-fi genre was our wheel house. We knew it well and were fans of it. So, we wanted to try and make something with a little more substance but above all else we wanted to entertain.” 

With this in mind, the film’s grounded tone and gritty feel allow for it feel both futuristic and contemporary at the same time. For Amell, maintaining this balance was essential because their goal for the film was to offer something different from more typical science fiction films at the box office.

“Part of it was that everyone has seen the big citywide fight scenes,” Amell argues. “It’s not to say I don’t enjoy those. I go see every big Marvel and DC movie but we knew that that wasn’t the story we wanted to tell. We wanted to tell this grounded character-driven crime thriller. (We used Heat as an example.) We wanted it to feel relatable and it wasn’t ever going to take place in a world of right and wrong or black and white. It was always going to be these gray areas that I think exist more in real life. People make decisions and other people don’t always agree with them. So, we wanted to tell this real story and we thought it would be more relatable. At its core, I feel like everyone can relate to doing the wrong things for the right reasons when you’re trying to save a loved one… Above all else, he just wants to make her happy, make her proud and take care of her, even if it means losing her.“

Despite existing in a world where superhuman abilities are a reality, Code 8 grapples with larger real-world problems such as racial profiling and poverty issues. While Amell feels that the film isn’t directly trying to make a particular social commentary, they did allow themselves to ground the story within a world of marginalization and oppression.

“The many outweigh the few,” Amell clarifies. “So, even though there are [people with] powers, they’re only 4% [of the population] and, of those 4%, the powers range from class one to five. Ones and twos aren’t very dangerous but you’ve got a militarized police force [and] a marginalization of people with powers. We weren’t trying to preach anything but we always wanted to draw from inspiration from real life and things that are going on around the world.” 

Having said this, it begs the question of whether the film is purely a standalone venture or if the intent is there to continue the story. Asked if he hopes for a Code 9, Amell remains hopeful but knows that it depends entirely on the audience response to this film.

“We hope so. We’re definitely not done telling our story but we’ll see how it goes.” 

For full audio of our interview with Robbie Amell, click here.

Code 8 rolls into theatres across the US and VOD on December 13th, 2019.

Filed Under: Film, VOD Tagged With: Arrow, Greg Bryk, Indiegogo, Kary Matchett, Robbie Amell, SciFi, Stephen Amell, The Flash, Toronto

Code 8: With Great Power…

December 6, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Code 8 transports the viewer to an alternate reality where superpowers are a reality amongst the people yet are considered potentially dangerous to others and have been outlawed by the government. When Conner (Robbie Amell) discovers that his mother is tragically ill, he turns to a group of criminals, led by Garrett (Stephen Amell, Arrow) in order to help him get the funding he needs to pay for her medical bills. However, as Connor falls deeper into the underworld, he must decide whether or not his mother’s health is worth losing his soul.

Written by Chris Pare and directed by Jeff Chan, Code 8 is a uniquely grounded approach to the sci-fi fantasy genre. Based on the short film of the same name, the film’s tone feels authentic to modern culture, despite its use of superhuman abilities and patrolling robots. Developed as a result of a successful crowdfunding initiative, there’s an energy and life to Code 8 that prove it’s a labour of love from all of those involved. While most of the cast remains engaged with the material, it’s stars Robbie and Stephen Amell that are clearly having the most fun working together for the first time. (While both actors did appear together in an episode of Arrow several years ago, their characters did not in fact converse with one another.) As criminal partners looking for the big score, the two cousins have solid chemistry together and work well with one another onscreen.

Despite its sci-fi atmosphere, Code 8 speaks to a number of real-world issues, including cultural and racial prejudice, the need for proper health care and the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Most importantly, however, the film speaks to the relationship between power and the value of others. For example, viewed as potential criminals by the police, those with abilities are forced into the margins to survive. As a result of increased profiling, those with superhuman skills have become viewed as the ‘other’ and are feared by the general public. In response to this oppression, Garrett invites Connor to lean into his true power and ‘stop running from who he is’. While this offers Connor the chance to accept himself more fully, it also places him at a crossroads where he must decide whether or not he’s going to use his abilities to help others or hurt those who stand against him. While he may possess the power to take anything he wants, he also must decide whether his personal goals are more important than the needs of those around him. As a result, Connor begins to see that the value of human life extends more deeply than his own desires, no matter how noble they may appear to be.

With a gritty tone and a fun premise, Code 8 has the power to entertain any sci-fi enthusiast. Featuring mostly solid performances by its cast, the film is a window into the lives of the oppressed through the lens of superhuman abilities. As a result, despite its sci-fi atmosphere, Code 8 proves to be relevant to our modern world as well.

To hear audio of our interview with star Robbie Amell, click here.

Code 8 opens across Canada on December 7th and arrives on VOD on December 13th, 2019.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Arrow, Chris Pare, Code 8, Jeff Chan, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, The Flash

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

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.

Comic-Con International

July 21, 2016 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

comic-con-2016It used to be that when you mentioned Comic-Con, it was only referencing San Diego. However, in the past decade, pop culture has evolved and, with so many “comic-con’s”, one has to be more specific.

Comic-Con International is THE Comic-Con.

There isn’t any that actually comes close to the massive convention that takes over San Diego, CA every year. As the gaming industry and Hollywood have jumped on board, the Con has developed and now focuses on more than just comics making it a behomoth of a convention. In fact, Comic-Con International has grown so large that the San Diego Convention Center can no longer contain it, spilling into the streets and nearby hotels in downtown San Diego (even the San Diego Public Library has panels this year!).

Since we all know how big it’s become, let’s get to what we can expect this year. Due to personal reasons, I can’t make it to the event this time (my nice Walking Dead press badge is sitting on my kitchen table), but I am more than happy to share what I know and what to expect each day.

Outside of Twitter and Facebook, you can follow live from Comic-Con from the likes of ScreenJunkies Central (YouTube), Marvel.com/sdcc2016, twitch.tv/skybound, and comic-conhq.com. Some will be comics related, others movies and shows, and some breaking news as they come.

Whether you are attending Comic-Con, or following from afar, here is what you can keep an eye out for this weekend when it comes to movies and TV.

Thursday:

luke-cageExpect news and chatter from CBS Tevlevision presentation early in the day. However, even with Dreamworks presenting on the first day, I expect most of the news and conversation will be from Netflix/Marvel Luke Cage series. That panel is near the end of the day, so expect news, descriptions of footage and how the series can stack up next to Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

Friday:

Marvel’s Agents of Shield will be on hand discussing what happened in Season 3 and also what to expect in Season 4 (perhaps a fiery skull faced motorcycle rider?)

As great as that news might be, the big guns of TV will take center stage on Friday as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones will be the talk of Hall H.

Also, Friday evening is the world premiere of WB/DC Animated Batman: The Killing Joke that sees the return of Mark Hamill as The Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Tara Strong as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. This title remains a very popular comic book that many fans have been clamoring for, and one of the few Joker origin stories that many refer back to. Batman: The Killing Joke will also have a one-time theatrical debut on Monday July 25 or, if you don’t have tickets, you can also wait until it comes out on digital or Blu-ray.

Saturday:

wwssAs the biggest day of the event. If you are in San Diego, this has to be the one day where you looked at the schedule and channeled your inner Luke Skywalker “NOOOOOOOOOO”. For TV shows, the day features: Once Upon a Time; Supergirl; Flash; Arrow; Vampire Diaries; Grimm; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. That is one heck of a lineup all in Ballroom 20. So expect announcements and confirmations all throughout the day. One thing I’m looking out for with these, are the rumors true that Batwoman and Oracle will be debuting on season 2 of Supergirl? We shall see!

Well, the TV shows are just the appetizer. Saturday is the big Hall H day as well. Warner Bros. will start the day off with a monstrous 3 hour slot that includes Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Lego Batman, King Arthur and Kong: Skull Island. One film that’s surprisingly missing though is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. One would think that bringing back the world of Harry Potter would be a no brainer, but the film does not appear on their schedule. Either way, Wonder Bros. is sure to have the talk of the day.

Star Trek, which had their premiere Wednesday evening, has the unfortunate task of following Warner Bros. After them, it’s a 30th anniversay panel of Aliens, and one of the most recent popular additions is Entertainment Weekly’s Women who Kick Ass.

strange-1However, the final big presentation of the day belongs to Marvel Studios. We are for certain that Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be shown. Fans can also expect something from Thor: Ragnarok, as well as possible details on Black Panther film and of course, Spiderman: Homecoming. Marvel never dissappoints, so stay tuned Saturday night as I’m sure social media will be on a frenzy over what happened at the Marvel Studios presentation.

Sunday:

This is the “Get the last deals before you leave” day… but contrary to popular belief, there are still panels.

Hungover from his Marvel Studios Dr. Strange panel the night before, Benedict Cumberbatch will be on hand for Sherlock, followed by Supernatural. And well, actually, that’s it, so maybe Sunday is deals day!

Well, there you have it, what to expect this weekend. Follow ScreenFish on Facebook as we will try to share any breaking news we hear.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News, Television Tagged With: Arrow, Black Panther, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2016, Dr. Strange, Marvel, San Diego, Supergirl, The Flash, Thor, Warner Bros., Wonder Woman

Batman v Superman – Dawn of Justice: This Film Has Daddy Issues

March 23, 2016 by Jacob Sahms 4 Comments

bvs3

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been hyped as the battle between the alien, godlike Superman and the human vigilante Batman. Chronologically, it serves as the second film in writer/director Zack Snyder’s reboot of Superman’s film history, which attempted to erase the Superman-has-a-kid mistake that was Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns. But while Dawn of Justice failed to deliver an epic, theater-rattling battle royale between the two, it served up more than its fair share of superhero noir and metaphysical questions about the world we live in.

Opening with the impact of Superman’s (Henry Cavill) battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon) that proved to be the climax of Man of Steel, the film reminded us (in IMAX 2D and Dolby surround) of the terrible implications of two humanoid aliens ripping each other apart. While we’re left shaking our heads at the unSuperman-like neck break that saved the tourist family, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) struggles to free a Wayne Enterprise employee (Scoot McNairy) from the debris and stares angrily at the Superman floating in the heavens. Of course, Wayne has already donned the cowl of the Dark Knight, but his methodology (and paranoia about Superman’s intentions) create an ideological rift about which Superman remains naive for another eighteen months.

Meanwhile, LexCorp head, Alexander Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) provides the straw that stirs the drink. He’s the one pushing in the background for these two to finally do battle, having already scouted out the secrets behind Wayne and Superman’s Clark Kent. While comic geeks like me have watched various incarnations of Superman drag out the Kent/Lois Lane (Amy Adams) romance, Snyder’s version already sets her up as reporter extraordinaire (“I’m not a woman, I’m a reporter”), Clark’s girlfriend, and Superman’s damsel in distress.

bvs2I’ve read the reviews and heard the critics of the film – “too much Snyder action,” “too few plot points developed.” I’ll ask incredulously, as someone who has been critical of Snyder’s film (300 –overrated; Man of Steel– anachronistic to the canon), what in the world are they talking about?  While I came expecting to see two hours of the extensive two-and-a-half-hour run time devoted to skull crunching, nose-mashing action, I found myself pleasantly delighted by the new version of Batman’s back story in development (although I hated his bulky suit) and the hints, peeks, and foreshadowing directed at Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) and a host of other heroes and villains.

The story of the new triumvirate, spun here as Superman, Batman, and Lex (sorry, Gal, it wasn’t equal billing for Wonder Woman), was soaked in theological underpinnings – and struggle. This in itself confronts another critic complaint about the film – “it’s not funny enough.” Let’s be clear, neither Batman (with apologies to the hokey Adam West) or Superman (how many witty one-liners can you find in Donner’s films or the works of Siegel and Shuster) have much “funny” to them, in fact, you can go count up the examples… I’ll wait. While Marvel has a handle on the mostly upbeat superhero motif, DC aims here for something different.

bvspainting

Instead of the hip quips from the smarmy mouth of Tony Stark AKA Robert Downey Jr., Snyder focuses on “showing us” versus “telling us.” Yes, there’s a voiceover from Wayne about what the destruction of the world looks like – and Lex’s fascination with a painting that was passed down from his father (above, background). He goes on and on about how mankind has long thought that evil came from below (hell) but he has recognized that evil comes from above (heavens) in his own twisted take on theology.

But Lex also introduces the problem of evil, the discussion of theodicy. Lex believes that a god cannot be both all powerful and good, because he believes power corrupts (John Dalberg-Acton, for you history scholars). This highlights Lex’s own Machiavellian beliefs, his own maniacal talents, and quite a bit of transference on what Superman (and Batman) are like. [More on that later.]

It’s enough that Batman’s vigilanteism and Superman’s straightforward “farm boy” ideals are at odds, but to have Lex manipulate them closer toward confrontation, that shows the grayscale world that we live in. Is Batman wrong to brand the criminals he catches with the bat? Is Superman right in his worldwide ‘justice is served’ decision-making? Does the government have a right to police either or both (hello, Captain America: Civil War)? Ironically, all three of these men believe they’re doing what’s right, even while their ideology separates them… or draws them together.

Thankfully, the film makes us believe that there are more questions than answers left, setting up more to come – and plenty of discussion. So, with that, I will close this first portion of my review. Simply put, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is deeper than the casual fans will expect from a comic book-inspired film. It’s done with more of a Mad Max: Fury Road vibe, with a focus on visuals over words, and filled with enough hints to keep the serious fan engaged.

bvsalfred

This Film Has Daddy Issues (Minor Spoilers)

Bruce intones about putting our thoughts and beliefs on something else, and yet, he’s really highlighting how each of the focal three men has daddy issues. Bruce Wayne, who watches his parents die at the hands of Joe Chill, believes the world is about the good and the evil but that people are primarily evil; he thinks that the evil must be destroyed through fear and violence. Clark, who watches his father (Kevin Costner) die heroically, believes the world is good and that it is his responsibility to use his power to fight for good and model it for others. Lex, whose father abused him and gave him the misguided view of reality, sees power as the only way to get what he wants – regardless of the cost to others in life or otherwise.

While Clark still “talks” to his father, in a Snyder variation on the Kryptonite crystals that allow him to speak to Jor-El, Bruce has only the nightmares that provide a look back at his parents’ murderous end — and a strange, apocalyptic future. Lex, well, Lex, doesn’t even have the mental ability to string a paragraph’s worth of sentences together because he gets lost in his own head. He doesn’t know another way than to capture, control, or destroy.

When it comes to the issues of the men and their fathers, I found both Alfred (Jeremy Irons) and Perry White (Lawrence Fishburne) to be underplayed. While in some instances, these two provide moral influences for our two heroes, they are sadly underused. Instead, the balance of the moral integrity and spiritual understanding comes from the women in Clark’s life. Honestly, I walked out of the theater seeing Amy Adams as the spiritual linchpin of the film, reminding Clark of why he was Superman – and urging him to realize that is purpose was ‘divine.’ [On the other hand, Diane Lane’s Martha Kent plays the mother Mary, urging Clark to make the decision that is best for him, stretching the difference between the human and the divine even further.]

What we see in the tug-of-war over Superman is the same thing that Snyder would say about his art: art and the individual are their own, but we (the audience/media/society) try to make them in our image. It’s not unlike the way that Jesus was received by the masses, as a “messiah” who would overthrow Rome, or as any culture making idols to represent a higher power. Ultimately, Superman is who he is with no apology – even at a price.

bvsww

If you didn’t know Wonder Woman was in the film, than you apparently didn’t watch the trailer or see any promotional information. As a huge fan of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman, I doubted Gal Gadot’s ability to pull of her role. The Israeli actress pulled off her position with gravitas – and subtle humor and sexuality that made the scenes ripple with electricity and promise for what will come.

And now, for the third act…

The Making of Legends (Major Spoilers & Easter Eggs)

bvsjoker

First, there’s the death of Robin, or at least the absence of the character in the older, more established Bruce Wayne/Batman’s state as played by Affleck. While there has been some buzz about the gravestone of Richard Grayson in the background of the cemetery scene, we know that Dick Grayson AKA (first) Robin AKA Nightwing would not have been a contemporary of Martha and Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s parents. So the relationship would have been different than that of dead circus performers and their adoptive son. [Snyder’s toying with the known canon includes changing the theater marquee backlighting the Waynes’ murder from The Mark of Zorro to Excalibur… for no apparent reason.] Instead, the suit in the Batcave covered by Joker’s graffiti would refer to the second Robin, Jason Todd. But is the continuity of Suicide Squad going to allow us a prequel with Jared Leto’s Joker versus Affleck’s Batman, given Affleck’s one-liner about having faced jokers in suits before?

bvsdoomsday

Lex’s mashup of Zod and Doomsday is … creative. In much the same way that Marvel is using Bucky’s Winter Soldier as the precipitation for Civil War instead of some rogue C-level superheroes as in the comics, Snyder allows Lex to create Doomsday out of Zod’s DNA in a Lazarus pool-esque ‘resurrection.’ This allows for the entrance of other … resurrections… but also makes for a singular sacrifice of Superman that echoes Iron Man’s in Avengers and Superman’s… everywhere. This also sets up the ending that no casual fan will see coming — ripped straight from Dan Jurgens’ 1982 storyline where the impossibly powerful, godlike Superman actually dies.

While Man of Steel (and even Superman Returns) seemed intent on ripping the Christ-like imagery out of the modern day Superman, from making him kill Zod to portraying him (unfairly) as an absentee father, Dawn of Justice shows his sacrificial love, with a twist. Instead of dying for the world, Superman tells Lois that she’s his world, making his salvation act one that is personal, not communal. It’s heroic, but it’s not ‘for everyone.’ Somehow, Lex has caused Superman to re-see the world in a more jaded, cynical way, even as Superman’s act opens up Batman/Bruce Wayne to see the need for heroes.

In the end, Superman’s death is portrayed a la pietà, as Batman hands down the broken body of Jesus, er, Superman to the arms of Mary AKA Lois. Wonder Woman looks on, forming a sort of holy trinity of sorts, with a cross superimposed in the background. In the same scene where the monolithic statue of Superman, celebrated for defeating Zod, is destroyed, Superman is himself destroyed in the shadow of a cross. How’s that for establishing some metaphorical crossover?

bvslast

Speaking of crossovers… rather than adapting Batman as the devious and conniving creator of the superhero files (see Mark Waid’s JLA: Tower of Babel story arc), Snyder’s major plot point has Prince stealing a file that Batman will later decrypt. This reveals the first footage of would-be Justice Leaguers like Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller), prepping us for 2017 – and a fight with … Darkseid?

With the foreboding dreams, the flying winged minions, and the imprinted symbol in the remains of Gotham, we don’t even need Lex to cackle, “He’s coming!” We know he is, like we know winter is coming, or like Bruce has that itch in his gut that warns him heroes are needed, or that … again, Marvel will beat DC to the punch by unveiling Marvel’s Darkseid doppleganger, Apocalypse, in May.

The truth is, while Marvel has the X-men to battle graphic evil, they leave the witty, sometimes benign villains to the Avengers. Thankfully, while Darkseid believes himself to be god, Dawn of Justice leaves us reveling in the fact that heroes live sacrificially and inspire others. Better yet, this Holy Week, we realize that the truly holy can’t be held down, that no grave can hold them.

Christ figures rise.

bvsdarkseid

 

Filed Under: Current Events, Editorial, Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Alfred, Aquaman, Batman, Ben Affleck, Christ, Cyborg, Darkseid, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Jeremy Irons, Lex Luthor, Ray Fisher, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Zack Snyder

Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series On Blu-ray – Heroes United!

November 24, 2015 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

justiceleaguemainFrom the Warner Archive Collection, Justice League Unlimited bursts onto televisions everywhere in this fantastic, high definition version. For the first time, the entire series is now available on Blu-ray, featuring the episodes from July 2004 to May 2006 in the series that immediately succeeded Justice League. With more heroes, more villains, and more team-ups, this is stellar DC entertainment for old and new fans of every age!

Originally, the Justice League was ‘simply’ the seven best known heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl) but after the results of the previous season of Justice League, the JL expands to include lesser known (or at least, under appreciated) heroes like Green Arrow, Black Canary, Hawk & Dove, Booster Gold, The Question, Jonah Hex, and others. It also means that these stories can use galactic enemies of the league like Mongul, Ares, or Darkseid, as well as more individualized characters like Solomon Grundy or Gorilla Grodd.

justiceleagueunlimitedAstute pop culture fans will recognize dozens of voices who coast through the show. Of course, at the core are still essential voices like Kevin Conroy as Batman, George Newbern as Superman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Michael Rosenbaum as Flash, and Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern. But isn’t it fun to hear from Mark Hamill, Neil Patrick Harris, J.K. Simmons, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Robert Englund, Fred Savage, Ioan Gruffudd, or Rob Zombie as a hero – 0r a villain?

While it’s great fun to watch an animated series featuring your favorite superhero (various Batman cartoons, Green Lantern, or Superman ones come to mind), the purpose here allows for a much wider spectrum of stories featuring science, space, magic, and more. But it also raises more questions about how the League – I almost said, Society, but that would be another thing entirely – relate to each other.

We would like to believe that all good guys (and gals) get along, right? But it doesn’t actually work that way. We don’t actually necessarily enjoy every other ‘good’ person’s company – we don’t actually necessarily like everyone else who goes to our church. The thing is, the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t about ‘liking’ everyone else, but it’s about loving everyone as best you can, about loving them as if they were yourself. While the Justice League Unlimited team doesn’t always get along, they do realize how important it is to work together on their common vision – ending evil and tyranny everywhere!

While the bulk of the content is these decade-old episodes (with their seriousness, their silliness, their cartoonish animation), fans may also enjoy other features like the creator commentary on “This Little Piggy” or “The Return,” made by well-known artists, Paul Dini and J.M. DeMatteis. Given that the series was taken in a different direction between the end of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the series special features include “And Justice For All” about using the same characters in a different way. One of the two major story arcs, Project Cadmus, gets the superstar treatment as well, with the insights from Hamill and others in “Cadmus Exposed.” Various writers, producers, and directors also share their thoughts on the wrap-up of the series in “Justice League Chronicles.”

Again, the beauty of Justice League Unlimited is seeing your favorite, well-worn characters in a new way (as kids in “Kids Stuff” – based on JLA: World without Grownups and Young Justice: Sins of Youth) and meeting new ones for the first time. No matter what combination you experience, there are moments of humor and adventure that will leave you cheering – in this case, you could watch all day!

Filed Under: DVD, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Batman, Black Canary, Fred Savage, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, J.K. Simmons, J'onn J'Onzz, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Zombie, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman

On The Screen Vol. 5 (September 29)

September 29, 2015 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

SmallScreen

The new television series is upon us, but that doesn’t mean you’re caught up on all of your favorite shows. In this week’s ‘TV guide,’ we highlight several shows that may be up your alley, from the dramatic (Jane the Virgin) to the exciting (The Flash), with several options in between.
jane the virgin

Jane the Virgin The Complete First Season – Seriously, They Went There?

Jane Gloriana Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez) is a young, devout Latina artificially inseminated… by accident. While pregnancy before marriage was hardly her chosen path, Jane’s problems become even more complicated by the identity of her child’s father. One might say that the young woman’s family situation was already tough enough with her mother, XO (Andrea Navedo), watching over her, and Grandma Alba (Ivonne Coll), providing guidance.

It’s Alba who first instills the sensitivity to Jane’s virginity: in a flashback to set things in motion, we see Jane forced to hold a white flower and to crumple it, with the reminder that she can’t uncrumple the flower. Ironically, it seems that the two things work together and against each other: I’m of the opinion that waiting for marriage is the best option, but for those who haven’t followed that, where’s the grace? Is pregnancy really Jane’s fault? Of course not! The law and grace have to be balanced, right?

Special features include Jane the Virgin: Immaculate Creation and Getting to Know the Cast of Jane the Virgin.

 

izombie

iZombie The Complete First Season – Not Quite Dead

Rob Thomas is the man (not the Matchbox Twenty lead singer but the creator of such excellent entertainment as Veronica Mars). With his latest television creation, he has taken the work of Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, and transformed the comic books into live-action drama. Thirteen episodes follow medical resident-turned-zombie Liv Moore (Rose McIver) – ‘Liv’ like live – as she is forced to eat the brains of cadavers to satisfy her hunger for human flesh… and learns the way in which the people died.

While several shows have found some kind of ‘precognitive’ character working with the police, this is most like John Layman’s Chew, and definitely takes zombieism to a crazy, new level. What is most interesting though is it asks us to consider what makes us human and why our humanity matters. Sure, you can come for the zombies or crime solving, but you’ll stay for the Thomasian banter.

Special features include the 2014 Comic-Con Panel and deleted scenes. It’s only thirteen episodes so you can catch up before the second season is too far along!

 

the flash

The Flash The Complete First Season – Racing To Correct The Past

While the 1990s television of The Flash was cheesy, it was ahead of its time for superheroes on television. Now, superheroes are everywhere – at the cineplex, on the small screen, in animation, everywhere. Geoff Berlanti and Andrew Kriesberg have nailed the formula with Arrow but they aimed for a little lighter with this one. This version starts with Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, the forensic scientist whose biochemistry is changed by an accident at S.T.A.R. Labs. Iris West (Candice Patton) also attaches the new mythos to the old stories, but Berlanti, Kriesberg, and Geoff Johns aren’t afraid to shake things up a little.

This is the superhero show that seems most capable of being family friendly (some of them are so dark) but they still provide a depth of character development and action to keep the adults engaged. It could be the comedy, or the romance, but this one has a feel that ties us into ‘old school’ superhero mythos, where good guys were good and bad guys were bad.

Special features include a look behind the story in “The Trickster Returns!” and several aspects of Flash himself. Fans of the show will enjoy a look at how it all came together – in a show that builds on the mythos of Arrow with Firestorm and others as well.

 

thecode

The Code Season 1 – Whoever Controls The Politics Controls Your Freedom (October 5)

Lucy Lawless (Battlestar Galactica, Xena: Princess Warrior), stars in this award-winning thriller from Australia. When two teenagers go joyriding in the outback, they set in motion a series of events that lead internet journalist Ned Banks (Dan Spielman, The Secret Life of Us) and his hacker brother, Jesse (Ashley Zukerman, Rush), to become targets of powerful forces. Fighting for their lives as they have them, the two brothers will have to work together to unpack the layers of the conspiracy and succeed against all odds. Sometimes, these Acorn Media releases surprise – this could be one you should check out in between your latest network television show.

 

legostarwars

LEGO Star Wars The New Yoda Chronicles – Can We Ever Get Enough?

In the latest four adventures from the Star Wars LEGO universe, Yoda takes center stage as he searches for the Holocrons – the last few secrets of the Jedi that are needed to complete Luke’s training. But Darth Vader is also out to find them, and the race is on! You’ll also get a shot at Jek-14, a “Force-sensitive” clone, that our kids know but we might have to be reintroduced to. This is perfect for fans wanting to tide themselves over until The Force Awakens or those wanting to introduce the young ones to the universe. The disc includes “Escape From The Jedi Temple,” “Race For The Holocrons,” “Raid On Coruscant,” and “Clash Of The Skywalkers” (with an alternate ending option).

Filed Under: DVD, Reviews, SmallFish, Television Tagged With: Arrow, iZombie, Jane the Virgin, Star Wars, The Code, The Flash, The New Yoda Chronicles

Primary Sidebar

THE SF NEWS

Get a special look, just for you.

sf podcast

Hot Off the Press

  • SF Radio 8.29 Reboots and Reputations in CHIP ‘N DALE RESCUE RANGERS
  • New Trailer for THIRTEEN LIVES gets Underground
  • GIVEAWAY! Advance Screening of PAWS OF FURY!
  • Rise: Another Disney Slam Dunk
  • The Long Rider: The Long Journey Inward
Find tickets and showtimes on Fandango.

where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

Footer

ScreenFish Articles

SF Radio 8.29 Reboots and Reputations in CHIP ‘N DALE RESCUE RANGERS

New Trailer for THIRTEEN LIVES gets Underground

  • About ScreenFish
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 · ScreenFish.net · Built by Aaron Lee

Posting....
 

Loading Comments...