State From The Top #7

     After a month of mediocrity, I want to review some quality films for once. With February coming close, I want to review some great romantic films. With Valentines Day being the day when I review When Harry Met Sally. The coming month is where I want to be experimental. Since Groundhog Day and the Super Bowl are happening, I'll be reviewing Bill Murray in Groundhog Day and Friday Night Lights. With the rest of the month being dedicated to the best romantic films. So with all that, here's the list for February. 

Groundhog Day 2/2/2021

Friday Night Lights 2/7/2021

The Big Sick 2/10/2021

When Harry Met Sally 2/14/2021

Underrated Gems: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 2/17/2021

10 Things I Hate About You 2/24/2021

Hitch 2/27/2021

Wonder Woman 1984 Review

        This is one of the most disappointing films to start the 2020s. Everything was riding on this film, since it has a difficult task to be a sequel to a surprise superhero hit. Director Patty Jenkins returns to direct and is given a co-writer credit alongside other writers who are male. What could possibly go wrong? That kind of question leads to Wonder Woman 1984 being one of the most disappointing film sequels ever. The obvious question to ask is “what happened?”, but the real question is “Did Wonder Woman try to rape a guy?” SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Everything

        Usually I start with the story, but this film is such a mess that I might as well just go over exactly what went wrong. For one thing, the film has Diana living in 1984 D.C., yearning for Steve Trevor. In the midst of that, Maxwell Lord played by Pedro Pascal, is a slimy businessman who is looking for the mythical wishing stone. They never establish if he’s aware of it or anything. There was reference that the FBI had tabs on the stone but it doesn’t go anywhere. 

        Kristen Wiig plays the other main bad guy Barbara Minerva. Let me just say, I never thought this film would have the cliché of the nerdy character being the bad guy. This happens and man, do they show just how adorkable Minerva is. Like she can’t walk on heels, has her briefcase drop papers, and the real kicker is that she’s jealous of Diana.  Now, there are examples of how to do it right, two examples, but the point is why did this film have a sharp drop in quality. 

        Did I mention that the film is 2 hours and 30 minutes? It’s that long, I feel that this film has two starts when we go back to Themyscira to see Diana compete in an overly elaborate Olympics challenge. Then we transition to a mall robbery where Diana saves the day. It was reported that Warner Bros. gave Jenkins the choice to pick one to open the film. She inevitably picked both of them. It only presents a new problem for the film universe. Before I said that the studio had no faith in the directors since they released a theatrical cut for the films Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. What’s interesting is that Patty Jenkins had total control of the film. It’s one thing to have final say on what ends up in theaters, but I feel that she needed more people to speak up what was good and not. 

2. Degeneration of Diana

        With all that, it’s no surprise that Diana does one of the most questionable things for any superhero to do. When she comes across the wishing stone, she unintentionally wishes for Steve Trevor to return. The way they go about it is different for a change. When Diana is invited by Lord to attend a gala, she is followed by a man who utters sentences that remind her of Steve. She turns to shoo him away, the person morphs into Steve Trevor. Soon Diana falls back in love with Trevor. 

        They walk the national mall and Steve is wondered by the advancement in airplanes. There are moments where they had him try on 80s clothing, reacting to subways and art, I know it’s supposed to be a callback when Diana was the fish out of water. To be clear, the only reason Diana had that montage was that 1910s London was mostly male dominated. Anyways, the most problematic part of the film occurs, Diana sleeps with Steve. What makes it even more weird is when Steve looks into the mirror, he sees the person he is inhabiting. There’s no other way to go about it, but when you have a feminist icon just stoop that low and imply rape someone, it’s such a shame. 

        What makes it worse is that its revealed that anyone who wishes on the stone incurs the monkey’s paw to go into effect. Meaning that Diana gets progressively weaker. When Steve tells Diana that her wish is draining her, she asks why she can’t have the things that anyone has. I feel its such a left field characterization on the hero since she’s supposed to be above that. More so when Trevor’s death was just 70 years ago in the film’s time. One would think she would get over it. 

3. Escapism

        I remember reading the various reviews on Rotten Tomatoes that the critics kept referring to the fact that the film has an escapist aspect about it. As I watched the film, Lord’s character constantly reminded me of the former president of the united states. Like it’s so obvious who exactly Pascal is supposed to be. Even the hairstyle was a dead giveaway. I know for a fact that 2020 the year was a massive event that no one could have foreseen what would happen. 

        But I just don’t understand the reason have a character who isn’t just like Donald Trump in the least bit. Jenkins could have used any antagonist to make a very shoddy commentary on the decade, but I feel that it was entirely the point. It’s one way to make it subtle, its another to make so deafening that I wanted to walk out of my own house in disgust. What confounds is that the film doesn’t really have any message to say, which I’ll get into right now. 

4. 1984

        Out of all the decades from World War 1 to now, why would Patty Jenkins pick 1984 specifically? My guess is that she wanted to highlight the problems the 80s have that is mostly glossed over in pop culture. She could’ve gotten through any avenue to try to give a spotlight. Out of all of them, why go for the easiest one such as greed and living ostentatiously? There is literally a film called Wall Street which is exactly about greed in the 80s.

        I feel that she wanted to make the heroine a timeless warrior that I think the film just falls in its face. Like the whole plot isn’t limited to the decade, it could’ve been told in any decade. The only lazy way to incorporate the stretch of time is through nuclear weapons. Is she not aware that we still have a nuclear arsenal as of right now? Another missed opportunity about the decade is the lack of songs. Just one was played during the gala in the Smithsonian. Like the whole period wasn’t utilized in the least bit.

        This should be at least the last time we romanticize or have any show or film take place in the 80s. I feel that the decade has worn out its welcome and we should progress to the next decade. Not that I have any ill will about the decade since I didn’t exist in that time, but the overall point is that the story itself wasn’t limited to the 80s. It was just a cheap marketing gimmick to copy what’s now becoming a cliché to have a film laden with pop culture take place in a significant decade. 

5. Golden Armor Conundrum

        Diana’s golden armor was in full display in advertisements and in the trailers. It looked good for the most part, thinking about it before seeing the film I thought that Diana would use it as a last resort to stop either Lord or Minerva. Well, when Lord and now Cheetah arrive at a military broadcast installation, Diana flies over there. Just before that, Diana revokes her wish to gain her power back, she leaps away, but realizes she can fly. Her putting on the suit made no sense whatsoever. 

        I can get that Cheetah was too overpowered and Diana had to use the golden armor as a silver bullet to stop her. In context, it doesn’t make sense and I’m so confused that the film probably had to go through a rewrite and there was a lapse in story. Hell, the armor gets torn about by Minerva since its suppose to withhold a horde of men. No, an overpowered woman rips out the wings in the armor and just makes the whole fight scene so head scratching. 

        One last tidbit is that Diana eventually defeats Cheetah through an electrocution. Mind you she does it when they are both in a body of water. What I can remember in science is that gold is a conductor of electricity. Oh my God, I’m complaining about a leap in logic in terms of a gaudy looking golden armor. This film couldn’t possibly end well right? Well, Patty Jenkins sure messed up.

6. Oh, Patty

        At last, we make to the best part in the film, the ending. As Maxwell broadcast his message throughout the planet to make everyone wish for what they want. Diana uses her lasso to compel Lord to stop people for wishing things they want, she tells him that everyone has to appreciate what they have, which is the truth. This part is the worst part in the film. It’s supposed to be a callback when Diana cheated her way in the tournament. She is stopped by General Antiope who tells her that she has to earn things honestly. 

        So how exactly does cheating lead to people who want things they can’t have. Additionally, why did Diana want to cheat her way in the tournament, what was the prize to be won? We don’t know and the whole messaging in the film just falls apart. I think the worst part is Diana telling people to appreciate what they have, what if the thing that people want is to have a dead relative back? I think it just makes Diana selfish since she’s a perfect warrior demigod. The more I think about it, the more I think Patty Jenkins might’ve gotten too confident with this film. 

        That isn’t to say that she is a one trick pony as a film director. She directed the excellent film Monster and directed a few television episodes. The main thing to highlight is that I think she needs more help to refine how to tell a story and give a meaningful message. Everything in this film feels discombobulated since there’s overlap and inconsistent point of view. Like is this a Wonder Woman film or a Diana Prince film? It’s okay to focus on her humanity, but when it comes to her being selfish, it just makes the character that unlikeable. 

7. Lack of Vision

        I think the main problem with these DC films is that there’s a lack of vision going forward. Now, Zack Snyder had a stylized vision, but it wasn’t very good to begin with. What plagued the movies was that the heroes weren’t acting like heroes and there wasn’t enough depth about them to actually care one iota about them. It was clear that Warner Bros. wanted to leapfrog ahead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As they were doing that, the MCU started to become a league of their own. The biggest thing going against the DCEU is that the whole slate is inconsistent. 

        How does one go from a half-assed philosophical Superman film to this? There wasn’t that much thought or any kind of hindsight or foresight to be used since, there was an expectation of how these heroes are supposed to act. When you have heroes act opposite of what people come to expect, regardless if they actually read the comic books, they just alienate the general public. I just find hilarious that as much as Zack Snyder wants to display Batman or Superman as damaged heroes, there are action figures. 

        The bottom line is this, the MCU approach worked since they were limited to using heroes no one had heard of before they became a part of the cultural zeitgeist. Now kids are alienated and robbed of getting a good Superman film. As far as the future of DC films will go, I really don’t care. It’s clear that Warner Bros. has no idea how to do these characters. It says something when a studio is sitting on a war chest of characters to use, they only rely on characters everyone knows. Never once going super obscure of adapting a hero in a unique way.

8. Overall

        After all that, Wonder Woman 1984 is the most disappointing film that I have seen. I wanted the film to be good since there was so much promise. Massive lapses in character choices and story doomed the film from being as comparable as the first one. I still believe in Patty Jenkins, but she needs more oversight in delivering her voice into film. I hope her third entry is good, although I have no expectation to see it. 

        Wonder Woman 1984 gets a two out of five. 

Birds of Prey Review

        We are nearing the recent entries of DC Films as of now. I had a bad feeling for Birds of Prey. Since it had the longest subtitle such as “and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”, I had a feeling that the movie might be a Deadpool-esque film. Not because of any notion that the film would be a failure with its cast. I guess because of the continuous bad runs of the films Warner Bros. was just putting out. Good sometimes, but the anxiousness of hoping it’s good but ultimately being let down. Finally seeing this one and well, here’s what I think. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        Harley is now narrating this film, she explains how she had a troubled childhood and meeting the Joker. Based on the subtitle, Joker and Harley Quinn break up. She tries to be independent but is roped into a predicament that involves Gotham City’s main mobster. Played by Ewan McGregor, Roman Sionis runs a club that Harley frequents at. He is after a priceless diamond that has encoded within it, financial data that can give him total control of the city. 

        In the midst of that Renee Montoya, played by Rosie Perez, knows that Roman is running a racket, but is mostly put down by her associates. In between the story, Harley cuts in and uses flashbacks to get the audience up to speed with the diamond. Such as showing who Dinah Lance is played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Helena Bertinelli played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Even before that, we see a pickpocket Cassandra Cain steal the diamond and bonding with Harley.

        As far as stories go, it got a bit annoying with the narration that Harley was giving throughout the film. Sometimes, it would be in an inopportune time and moments where we’re seeing what’s happening and her interjecting with what’s going on. I’ll elaborate more on her character. Just wanted to point out that I feel that she hijacks the movie when it’s called Birds of Prey. I feel that the studio didn’t want to name the movie after her and just slap on the title to be a potential hit. 

2. Harley Quinn

        Margot Robbie does a good job portraying the anti-hero. She can make her voice sound like the Brooklyn-esque accent that the character is known for. Although, with her carrying a movie, I don’t have that much investment for her. Sometimes she can be a bit grating and not really know how to properly break the fourth wall. You’ll know what I mean when I talk about a comparison. Just as a narrator who has to interject is annoying. Like, I know what’s happening I really don’t want your interjections to ruin a scene which can be viewed without any narration. 

        I feel as though director Cathy Yan was told to keep the aesthetic from David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. By having a trashy look that looks like you’re seeing a film through a glass of urine. I really don’t like Harley’s look and I find it backwards that for as much as she wants to be independent, she doesn’t do a good job. I get that she cuts her pigtails but why keep a shortened one and continue to go by Harley Quinn. You know, the name her boyfriend gave you to keep up with the clown schtick?

3. Pacing

        This is another thing that kept getting annoying was the pacing of the movie. I felt that the flashbacks would be brief and not derail the whole movie. No, they do exactly that. Why on Earth would you stop the film and rewind to a part that could’ve been shown without having to break that fourth wall? I completely understand that it’s Harley’s film or the Birds of Prey, but it’s mind numbing to know that the direction of the movie is so dysfunctional that I had to draw lines in my notes to signal where we stopped and where it connects. 

        Now, I don’t want to be a film doctor and offer suggestions on how to fix a film, but wouldn’t it be wise to cut down on the info instead of having to rewind and see another angle or keep the story concise that no one would be bothered by having to go back to be caught up with what’s going on? I feel that the whole film is just on autopilot in terms of investment since it’s chaotic like it’s main character and it’s really hard to be able to care with what’s going on. 

4. Whose Movie is This?

        I don’t have proof if Warner Bros. wanted the film to be a Harley Quinn movie or have her be shoved into a Birds of Prey movie but I will attest that it’s my theory. It’s odd that for most of the movie the focus is on Harley and gradually as the film goes on, we are introduced to the other female characters that make up the team. I think Dinah Lance should’ve spearheaded the movie since it’s called Birds of Prey. 

        You want to know the ironic part about this? During its time in the theaters, Warner Bros. chose to rename the film Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. So that people can see the film more instead of thinking that it’s a different DC film that happens to include Harley Quinn. Usually I would dunk on the studio for its ineptitude, but it’s on them for plastering Harley’s face in a film that’s suppose to be a team film. 

5. “Deadpool”

        As I watched this film further, I think it wants to be a Deadpool film. You got Harley Quinn talking to the audience, assemble a team, bond with a kid, and have an eccentric personality. Marvel’s character traits is peppered in this film. I feel as though Harley was given a chance to be like Marvel’s anti-hero by being a wildcard and getting a chance to star in her own film. I think Deadpool works is that he already has a following. When people lined up to see the films, everything that Ryan Reynolds did was exactly what the fans expected. 

        Here though, I feel the movie tries to be as comedic and have the certain fourth wall breaking moments that the Marvel film has. Except, you can’t inundate the film with constant narration and lazy fourth wall breaks. I feel the film would’ve worked if it just played it completely straight on Harley getting caught up in a situation and unintentionally setting up a team. Or just name a film Harley Quinn instead of an established team in the comics.  

6. Overall

        With the constant complaints that I have with this film, I really don’t hate it. It’s just okay that I’ll probably forget about it. I will not say that this was meant for me since I don’t believe that any film is exclusively for someone. It tried to have a strong independent message, but I think it failed at that. The biggest problem is that it tries to be its own thing but it ties itself with Suicide Squad. This is Cathy Yan’s second movie and it would’ve been great if she had the chance to direct a movie her way instead of just kowtowing to the studio. 

Birds of Prey gets a three out of five. 

Underrated Gems: Shazam!

 

        It’s becoming apparent that Warner Bros. is trying anything to make their DC films successful. When you compare the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this shared universe, there’s a level of consistency that is audience pleasing. Here, it’s anything they can sling in a wall to see if it sticks. With Shazam!, an unexpectedly great comic book film that is probably one of the best DC films of all time. Albeit, underrated due to how loaded 2019 was for comic book films. SPOILERS will appear in the film. 

1. Story

        At its core, it’s a superhero origin film, a pretty endearing one. We see Thaddeus Sivana riding with his Dad and brother. He plays with a magic 8-ball and is transported into the wizard Shazam’s throne. He offers him a chance to wield his power, but the 7 Deadly Sins tempt him and the wizard sees him as unworthy. Years later, played by Mark Strong, he figures out a way to enter Shazam’s realm, he steals the wizard’s staff and takes an object called the Eye of Sin and controls the Sins.

        Meanwhile, Billy Batson played by Asher Angel, is a runaway foster kid attempting to find his mother. The flashbacks involve him and his mother in a carnival. He loses his mom when a mugger steals his carnival prize. He is caught up by the police and is told by the adoption counselor that there is a family waiting for him. Billy is adopted by the Vasquez’, and joins an assortment of adopted siblings. 

        He bonds with Freddy played by Jack Dylan Grazer and defends him from the standard school bullies. Bullies chase him through the subway and Batson gets in the train. He is then teleported to Shazam’s throne. Being hesitant, the wizard chooses him to be the next heir to his power. Most of the film involves Billy figuring out his powers while coming to blows to Sivana as he wants the power of Shazam.

        Out of all the DC films including Wonder Woman, this is hands down one of the best superhero films that I have seen. It’s completely different from what preceded it which isn’t saying much since the whole slate of films are inconsistent. It brings levity that isn’t forced and has an unorthodox way to show a new hero. 

2. Billy Batson

        This hero is the main highlight in the film. For those who don’t know Shazam, he yells that phrase and becomes a grownup version of himself with superpowers. Played by Zachery Levi, he has the same child-like innocence that young Billy has as a teenager. Besides Diana Prince, Billy is a shining example of depth. He acts selfishly but its justified since he wants to find his mother. 

        When he lives with his new family, he wants no part of it since we can assume that he lived with a bad family. I really liked that as the film goes on, he feels comfortable with the siblings like Darla, Freddy, and Mary. When he’s Shazam, it’s like Asher Angel grown up but it’s in Zachary Levi’s body. He and Freddy goof off and record Billy’s powers to put on YouTube. Eventually, Billy starts to show off his powers and Freddy scolds him for being selfish. 

        There’s a favorite moment that involves Billy and his mother. I will talk about that scene since I think it’s the best scene in the DC Films Universe. Other than that, his antics matches the tone of the film which is part kids film, part superhero film. It’s a unique approach since I think it’s a kid version of Deadpool as he grapples with being a hero. 

3. Embrace the Weird

        Other than Billy, the best moment is just the weirdness that the film has when referencing the old comics Shazam is based on. While the 7 Deadly Sins are a reworking of the 7 Enemies of Man when the hero made his first appearance, they more so show that they were in Shazam’s throne. This is a movie that is probably made for the diehard fan, however small they are. I think the one moment I was not expecting is one of Shazam’s enemies making a cameo. A tiny caterpillar called Mister Mind making his appearance with a voice box is just icing in the weird factor. 

4. The Best Moment in The Shared Universe

        With all that, the best moment in the film and in the cinematic universe of DC Films is when Billy finally meeting his mom. When Batson returns to the Vasquez house, the kids comfort him after he was lectured by the parents. His adopted brothers Pedro and Eugene managed to find his actual mother and Billy goes to find her. 

        He meets his mother and tries to hug her. It’s gut wrenching when she tells him no. We finally understand that Billy got lost intentionally since his mother wasn’t good enough for him. Billy sucks it up and doesn’t show emotion. In terms of a hero’s journey, the method of the character arc that a hero goes through, Billy nails it. He was finding what he wanted but realized his real family was the one that loved him. 

        He leaves and gets a call from Freddy that Sivana has them hostage. Billy is on the roof and shouts the phrase to rescue his brothers and sisters. I must stress, this is the best moment in this series. Yes, the No Man’s Land in Wonder Woman is good, but here the emotional investment works since Billy finally becomes a hero, since he was hesitant on being one. 

5. A Christmas Movie

        I might as well make this segment brief but, I can say, yes, it is a Christmas film. I mean there’s snow and a moment where Billy fights Sivana in a mall and there’s the mall Santa Claus who runs away from the fight. I think it’s intentional since, as I mentioned in my Christmas films review, most of the films themes is about family. It’s apparent that in the film, it’s exactly the case. Billy rejects his new family to find his mom. Sivana hates his Dad and brother and has them killed by the Sins. Making Thaddeus become if Billy shuns his new family completely. 

6. The Odd Backstory of “Captain Marvel” and “Shazam!”

        So, in 2019 Captain Marvel and Shazam! came out two months apart, little did people know that these heroes share a very weird history together. Back in the 1940s, Shazam was called Captain Marvel by the publisher Fawcett Comics. Many consider him a Superman ripoff, since he has a cape and can fly. In the 1950s, National Publications who published Superman sued Fawcett Comics for ripping off Superman, even though there were inferior heroes that copied the Man of Steel. 

        Eventually, Fawcett stopped publishing Captain Marvel stories due to a court ruling favoring National Publications. Fast forward to the 1960s, Marvel Comics was becoming a hot commodity in superhero stories. They decided to publish their version of Captain Marvel and trademarking that name since it was no longer in use. DC Comics bought the characters of Fawcett Comics including the original Captain Marvel. Since they couldn’t use that name, they refer to the character as Shazam in his books.

7. How is it Underrated?

        Given with the overall direction of the DC films, being scattershot where if you were to have a marathon, the tone of the films are just scattered beyond belief. It only made 300 million in the box office, which isn’t entirely bad. Considering it got sandwiched by two Marvel films that grossed 3 billion dollars in total, is such a crime that Warner Bros. didn’t marketed well enough. 

        I think the comedic nature of it when the film universe started as a half-baked philosophical superhero film trying to be deep. What is astonishing is that there is no leader to guide the direction of the DC Films universe. Now, I can understand that Shazam is a hard sell since he’s an obscure character that had a few tv appearances back in the 70s, but it’s damning that Marvel Studios can market a team that has a raccoon and a tree and make it into its own franchise.

8. Overall 

        Hands down, this is a great film regardless if it’s a comic book film. It has some endearing aspects that a family can actually enjoy it and a general audience can admire about it. I was not expecting it to be good but, it’s something to have the bar completely on the ground since this film series is an utter dumpster fire. 

Shazam! gets a four out of five. 

Aquaman Review

 

        Growing up, anytime I would see Aquaman on either Justice League or Superman: The Animated Series on Cartoon Network, I feel that there was an attempt to make him cool. It all stemmed from the classic show Super Friends, its animation made the hero more of a joke due in part of the tame sea animals he would command. Like summoning a giant sea turtle or the goofy looking seahorse he would ride with his partner Aqualad. Or just that, as a punchline in fandom he was useless in a land fight. It became apparent that now he would finally get his proper debut, instead of playing second fiddle with other heroes. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. A Bloated Story

        After the events of Justice League, we follow Arthur Curry played by Jason Mamoa, living in Maine with his father played by Tameura Morrison. He narrates in the beginning that his mother had escaped from a marriage and his father rescued her. They got busy and years later, Atlantean guards arrive to bring her back to Atlantis. She promises to his Dad that she’ll return. We sporadically get moments when Arthur was young such as when he figures out he can control the sea animals. 

        With that, he saves a hijacked Russian submarine that is being boarded by pirates lead by David Kane, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Arthur boards and stops the pirates, before killing Kane’s Dad, prompting him to have vengeance on Aquaman. After that, Mera played by Amber Heard tells Arthur that he needs to go back to Atlantis to take the throne. I was confused as to why she changed her accent from a faux-British to an American one. Anyways, she suspects that his brother Orm played by Patrick Wilson, wants to unite the other kingdoms to invade the surface. 

        One would think it would be just that, taking the throne from a family member, but no there’s more. Mera takes Arthur to meet the kingdom vizier Vulko played by Willem Dafoe, he tells them about a special trident Arthur needs to rule the kingdom. We then transition to how Atlantis got sunk. I find it hilarious that Arthur tells him that he knows the story, and Vulko just tells it regardless. 

        Eventually, Orm finds his brother and Arthur wants to fight to get the throne. It goes predictably south and Arthur and Mera escape. So that’s three things going on: Pirate wanting revenge, getting the throne, and obtaining the trident. Oh, but I forgot another thing, Orm wants to usurp power from the other kingdoms to invade the surface world. When you have four different things going on, it’s kinda hard to care since you’re transitioning from one place to another. You actually forget that the pirate is still there. 

2. Arthur Curry

        I was iffy on Mamoa being the title hero. When Zack Snyder uploaded the first picture of what he’ll look like, he reminded me of Rob Zombie the musician. With the dirty hair with blonde tips with armor that doesn’t at all look busy. With a trident instead of the usual three fork one. Not that I had doubts about him as an actor, since I didn’t get to see him in Game of Thrones, but he’s usually in action films. 

        He’s okay with what the script gives him. I feel that he’s a conflicted person by being hesitant on returning to Atlantis. Although, the thing that doesn’t do it for me is just his overall morale as a person. In the beginning, he beats the pirate and kills his dad, as he rescues the Russian sailors, he lets the pirate and his father drown. I feel as though there isn’t enough depth to him other than him being jaded by being a half Atlantean and half Human. 

        The moment of levity too is mostly just crude jokes and situational moments where he reacts to how things are in Atlantis. For instance, he jokes about how everyone gets in and why there’s a bridge. Which makes sense, why in an underwater realm does there need to be a bridge? There’s never a moment where he has moments of regret or he’s just nervous, only scenes where he uses his machismo to make himself confident. 

3. James Wan

        This was an interesting hire, James Wan is influential in horror for directing the first Saw film and establishing a franchise with The Conjuring. His horror background isn’t anything new in comic book films. Sam Raimi is famous for his Evil Dead Trilogy which proved to be enough for him to start the Spider-Man Trilogy in the early 2000s.

        He adds his own flare and technique into this film and it definitely shows. There are moments where the camera pulls back to make the characters small and the location grand. It tends to get annoying when an action scene starts and the camera revolves in a 360-degree motion, at least have a chance to spice it up. He does, one thing that I think is something different is when the guards are chasing Mera in Sicily. Parts of it is done in one take, meaning the camera is still rolling unless another angle is shown. 

        I think the one thing where he doesn’t shine is just the story. The blame is mostly on the writers given that the films that Wan made a name for himself just told a concise story with little overlap of what’s going on. Another thing, that isn’t much of a detriment but just a missed opportunity is the little time we get to spend time in Atlantis. 

4. Under the Sea, briefly

        Back in 2018, Aquaman and Black Panther debuted new worlds that have been isolated from regular contact. Now I can talk about just how Wakanda was used better but Atlantis’ world is interesting due in part that it’s based on mythology. I wished that most of the movie took more time to establish how the dwellers live in the city. Vulko talks about the technology that was established before the city sunk.

        It was odd just how the civilians evolved to crab people, fish people, and the Trench. A swarm of angler looking Lovecraftian fish atrocities that have a hive mind. They really just breeze through how the civilians transformed or deformed into various aquatic creatures. The hilarious moment is when Arthur and Orm are about to fight. Above them a screen is shown displaying their stats. What redeems it is an octopus playing the bongos.

5. Big Dumb, You Know Where I’m Going with This

        A recurring thing that I keep noticing is the big battles that always happen with these DC films. Wonder Woman had a chance, but it derailed a great movie to a good movie. Same with this one. Orm declares war against the crab people with help from the Atlanteans and fish people. My God talk about busy with the crab people charging towards the soldiers, with an even bigger crab. 

        With the overlapping storylines and this happening, I could care less with what’s going on. Arthur arrives with the new trident and suit and commands the sea creatures to attack Orm’s forces. I think the reason why it doesn’t work in terms of being invested is just that it’s another take over the world plot. Arthur talks to Mera on why the humans aren’t worth saving, since he defends them by saying some are good. I think it would work by saying someone has to tell them to stop polluting but not with force. Even before that, when Orm created a tsunami, Arthur couldn’t care less. 

6. Overall

        After the Justice League debacle, this is an okay movie. I guess because the bar was literally on the ground, a lot of people enjoyed it. Just the second DC movie to gross a billion dollars in the box office, something that a team up film with Batman and Superman couldn’t muster more. Part of it why it just didn’t relate to me is just the tone being all over the place and really not caring about the overlapping story. Jason Mamoa should continue to be the hero, potentially give him more than just being a rugged hero. 

        Aquaman gets a three out of five. 

50th Review: Justice League (2017)

 

        I never thought back in June of last year that this film would be my 50th review. After sitting for 2 hours, I want that amount of time back to watch something better. Regardless, this is what I think of Justice League. 

        It was no surprise that the succeeding DC slate of films would culminate with the formation of the Justice League. This was five years after Marvel Studios’ The Avengers, it already had a huge hill to climb to be on par with that film. Unbeknownst to me was the multitude of drama that was going on behind the scenes. I will talk about that later, but to put it bluntly. This film is probably the epitome of why this shared universe idea for Warner Bros. is a complete dumpster fire. And they have no one to blame but themselves. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film starts with a phone video of a couple kids interviewing Superman. Already, it reminded me of Peter Parker’s introduction in Spider-Man: Homecoming. We then transition to Gotham City as Batman ropes in a robber to attract a parademon. Those aliens that was seen in the Knightmare sequence in Batman v Superman. It attacks the dark knight but it explodes as the caped crusader sees that it left a distinct mark. As the credits roll in, the world is sad that Superman is dead, depressing as it is, a homeless man has the sign “I Tried” by him. I’ll explain that since it’s part of the filming drama. 

        From there, Bruce and Diana go out and recruit Aquaman played by Jason Mamoa, Cyborg played by Ray Fisher, and The Flash played by Ezra Miller. The part with Bruce attempting to recruit Aquaman and Flash felt very repetitive. By having Bruce listing their abilities and saying that a threat is coming to Earth. Aquaman declines and Flash joins. I felt the Flash has Autism due in part that, he goes on tangents that is very Joss Whedon. Again, I might as well say that this is a very Frankenstein film. 

        Between that, the big bad called Steppenwolf is looking for three cubes called the Mother Boxes. So throughout the film, the Justice League is hastily assembled. As they grapple with how to resurrect Superman since Batman believes Clark is necessary to stop Steppenwolf with terraforming the planet to match his. It’s no surprise that this film is compared to The Avengers. Since it involves cubes, a horned villain, a group of heroes assembling, saving the day and going their separate ways. 

        Not to beat the bush, but the reason why this film isn’t good regardless of who filmed what, was the whole approach being rushed. How do you go from a Superman film, to a fight between Batman, a team of villains with no bearing of what’ll happen in the future of the franchise. Then a Wonder Woman film that was unexpectedly good. Which leads to a team up film where three heroes have yet to be properly introduced. The Marvel approach is ingenious since it introduced heroes no one even heard of and making them relatable and worth caring. 

2. Frankenstein’s Movie

        With anyone who follows behind the scenes drama in Hollywood, but not aware of this specific instance, deserves a documentary about the making of this movie. Zack Snyder was on contract to make this film since he made two stinkers prior to filming Justice League and possibly this one would be the winner. A death in the family happened and Warner Bros. brought in director Joss Whedon. Who ironically enough directed The Avengers and its sequel, was brought in for reshoots. 

        Watching the film, it’s clearly apparent who directed what. The footage that was seen in the first trailer cobbled with the reshot footage is apparent that anyone who closely pays attention can make it into a game. For instance, Bruce arrives in an Icelandic village to find Aquaman, he is on a horse that oversees the village. The longshot has a flurry of snow and when it zooms further there’s barely any snow. His hairline of all things is inconsistent when he interrogates Aquaman and Flash.

        I can nitpick the various parts of the film that was reshot again, but I have to acknowledge Henry Cavill’s moustache. As he was filming Mission Impossible: Fallout, he was called back for reshoots. He has a moustache in the film and Warner Bros. wanted it to be shaved off. The execs at Paramount were petty since they urged him to have his facial hair. When he appears in the film, his upper lip just looks weird. There is even a photo of him that shows him in the suit with the moustache. 

        The list is bountiful for the very many reasons why this film was a stinker in 2017. I find it ironic that the Marvel films that were tied to the Avengers and Logan separately, were highly successful and outgrossed Justice League in terms of box office. The ultimate question is, who’s to blame for the film’s failure. Since I believe that there is equal blame, I will go at it one by one. 

3. Is Joss Whedon To Blame?

        As of recently, Ray Fisher has accused the director of having a toxic work environment during the filming of Justice League. I won’t divulge in that but I will say that in the end, he is not to be blamed for the film’s misgivings. I will defend him by saying that he was given a task to reshoot a film that is Zack Snyder's film. It’s apparently clear that when viewing a Zack Snyder film and a Joss Whedon film back-to-back, the level of quality couldn’t be more defined..

        I felt that he was a fall guy if the film didn’t do well. Since he was told that he had to rewrite specific scenes and to shoot them. The way the film looked doesn’t help, since it looks brighter than any of Snyder’s films preceding this one. More so on the dialogue which is filled with banter and comedic timing which is a staple of Whedon. Even before that, in the very first trailer that was debuted in San Diego Comic-Con, there were moments of comedic levity in Snyder’s earliest footage of the film. Like having those moments would save the shared universe from mediocrity. 

4. Is Warner Bros.- of course it is!

        It’s easy to bash the studio since it’s on them that they let this turd hit the screen. What most people don’t know is that they really had no choice but to make it very explicit to have a November release at that time. A lot was riding on this film to hit its release since many investors and shareholders would be paid plentiful regardless if the film did well or not financially. During that time, AT&T was about to buy Warner Bros. and they couldn’t risk wasting millions of dollars by cancelling or delaying the film. 

        Just those circumstances is such a schadenfreude of hilarity that it’s almost comedic to read on various Hollywood sites of just how this is just part of an even bigger story. With everything that happened, Warner trusted on Zack Snyder to present a shared universe to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At that point to now, the Marvel films are in a league of their own. With the release of Suicide Squad, the studio took the film away from director David Ayer to make the film comedic like Deadpool. The studio almost as a way to course correct shanghaies a movie so it can be like it’s contemporaries. 

5. The Future of the DC Shared Universe

        Going forward, the failure of Justice League appeared to make the films that follow it be mostly standalone features. Following this review, most of the films are just introductions to other characters albeit with the universe vision being just dropped in general. Although, still connected, if it really matters or worth caring. Warner Bros. even released the film Joker in 2019 as a love letter to Martin Scorsese, Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award but at the detriment of a promising film universe. Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe still hit its stride which culminated with the event film Avengers: Endgame baring the title of highest grossing film, beating James Cameron’s Avatar.

6. Overall

        With all that said, there’s a director’s cut coming some time this year. After the film’s theatrical release, many fans wanted Warner Bros. to release Zack Snyder's cut, their cries were answered. With this one, I can’t help but reiterate what I have been saying when I reviewed Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. If they believed in the director, why not release their cuts into the theaters, instead of having the studio cut which alienated the general audience. I wonder if I should end this endeavor of reviewing the DC films, but I’ll forge on.

        Justice League, for the first time ever, gets one star. 

Wonder Woman Review

 

        I had low expectations for Wonder Woman. Not that I wanted it to fail but given with what came before it’s not entirely surprising. People aren’t aware that most comic book films that had a female lead didn’t do so well in the box office. Or with being liked at all. Some point to Supergirl, Catwoman, and Elektra as examples of how that sub-genre can’t work. Director Patty Jenkins managed to make Diana Prince the hero that Warner Bros. needed to help turn the tide with their reeling shared universe. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        We see Diana walking into Paris’ Louvre museum, trailing her is the Wayne Industries employee giving her the photograph that was shown back in Batman v Superman. She looks at the photo and we transition to her island called Themyscira. As a youth, she looks at the Amazon warriors training in a field. Diana tells her mother Queen Hippolyta played by Connie Nielsen, who doesn’t want her to be a warrior. When the Queen puts Diana to sleep, she reads her the story of how the Amazons came to be. 

        The Gods had created humans, Zeus’ brother Ares got jealous of them. He influenced the humans to fight amongst each other. Zeus created the Amazons to help the humans and the main God banished Ares from Olympus. Diana thinks Ares is still around and must be stopped. Years pass, and Diana has been training with the generals, a mishap occurs during the training, and she runs away. She sees an airplane going down and rescues the pilot. 

        Steve Trevor played by Chris Pine, meets Diana and asks where he is. Tailing him are Germans who invade the island, prompting the Amazons to attack. Few warriors are hit and one of the generals Antiope died on the princess’ arms. The Amazons question Steve with the Lasso of Truth, making him say that a war is raging far away, and he’s been assigned as a spy to investigate a new weapon being developed. From there, they both sneak out of the island. Steve is attempting to get back to his superiors and Diana trying to stop Ares. 

        I feel it’s a refreshing take on the hero to tackle World War 1. Since she was created during the forties and having her fight Nazis would lead to comparisons of another patriotic hero. Her entire back story in the comic books have been altered so many times, so I’ll say the film is taking some liberties. I’ll elaborate more and especially the last act. 

2. Wonder Woman

        Gal Gadot does a good job of playing Wonder Woman. I feel that with her Israeli accent, they had to hire other actress that had similar accents to make the island lively. This is probably the first time in a DC film to have a character be well rounded. Seriously, Superman and Batman have no character in their films preceding this one. Young Diana is focused on being a warrior so much so that she mimicked the fighting moves. 

        I think her defining trait that she has is her being stubbornly naïve. Now, that’s not a slight against her. She is so focused on stopping Ares that when she is with Steve Trevor, she thinks that General Ludendorff played by Danny Huston is Ares. She makes a compromise with Trevor to have him join her to kill the German general. 

        Since this film is a fish out of water type, there had to be moments where Diana is completely weirded out by human customs. Such as when she and Trevor are looking at clothes for Diana to wear. She questions if women go into battle with Victorian dresses. To which Steve finally picking the right ensemble for Diana to wear which makes her look like Clark Kent, especially with the glasses. None of it feels forced and genuine since she has no clue what humans are like.

        The signature moment that represents the film is when she and Steve Trevor’s small partnership enter into No Man’s Land. Steve tells her that no one has entered into the warzone. Diana enters the battlefield and manages to dodge every bullet from the Germans. This scene has been spotlighted by many female fans, some crying in this moment. Walking bravely and holding her ground when a gatling gun is hitting her shield. I think it works since the context is that she manages to help Trevor’s crew to beat out the Germans and advance to an occupied village. 

3. Steve Trevor

        He is the perfect example of the straight man the audience comes to expect with this film. Him and Diana have a good dynamic and the moments where they are together are the best moments in the film. The best moment is him attempting to get her to understand basic human customs of the times. Especially the moment where he compromises with Diana to help her. 

        The camaraderie between them ultimately leads to romance. It’s to be expected since, of course Diana would fall in love with him and one of the consistent aspects of the comics. His best moment is him telling her that when she killed the general, that the German soldiers were still following orders. He tells her that humans are just complex that Ares couldn’t have any part. I felt for this one moment that it would be a different step with other superhero films. Having to do away with the big dumb action final act that has hampered this film series. 

4. The Final Act

        With all that being said, this is possibly the worst thing in the film. After Steve’s speech to stop the new German weapon, Diana sees one of the British generals from earlier, Sir Patrick appears in the base. He tells her that she was dumb to think Ludendorff was Ares. The big twist is that Sir Patrick is Ares. I’ll say this, I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting that he would be Ares, but the way they had it was him being an apparition. 

        Alas, he was the one that influenced the German scientist Dr. Poison, that’s just a codename (but hey you got to reference the comic book), to give her the idea to create the weapon. From there, we get another dumb fight. Now, it wasn’t Patty Jenkins decision to have this fight in the film. She said that Warner Bros. made her put in this scene in the film. I never understood why this scene is needed since everything that Steve said in his speech to Diana, and his teams plan to take out the weapon felt appropriate with everything leading up to that point. 

5. Overall

        Aside from the frustrating final act, this is one of the best comic book films that I have seen. 2017 was loaded with them such as Logan, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor Ragnarok to name a few, since most of them are from Marvel characters. This one belongs in the top 10, it must’ve been a tall order to try to tell a story of an Amazonian warrior. I felt that changing the war was something new to the mythos and it paid off. Unfortunately, the follow up is one of the many follow ups in this failed film series. 

        Wonder Woman gets a four out of five. 

Suicide Squad Review

 

        Back in 2015, Warner Bros. announced that they were doing a Suicide Squad film. They released a trailer that was shown to the attendants at the San Diego Comic-Con. I was intrigued, it had a dark vibe to it which piqued my interest. As time passed though, the marketing changed with each subsequent trailer. The emphasis was more on the comedy and the banter between the group. The film was released in 2016 and just like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice it was torn asunder by critics. So far, Warner was going 0 for 3 with their shared universe. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film takes place after the events of Batman v Superman, Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller, who convinces her military associates that she has an assortment of villains in her disposal to combat threats that are Superman level. From there, we get a very haphazard introductions to the villains of Task Force X. We start with Deadshot played by Will Smith, he’s an expert marksman. Then we shift to Harley Quinn, a fan favorite of the Batman comic series played by Margot Robbie. 

        We get more introductions to such characters like Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, and the only normal person in the group Rick Flag. So, with them at Waller’s control, they are assigned to rescue a high-level target in Midway City. We find out that one of the characters that is around Waller, June Moone played by Cara Delevingne is possessed by a demonic witch called the Enchantress. She breaks free and contacts her brother who is stuck in an artifact. As typical with any one note comic book villain, she and her brother want to conquer the world. That’s it. 

        This is probably one of the worst stories that I have followed in any comic book film. It’s derivative for one thing since the villain is so one note. The characters are just stand ins, Will Smith and Margot Robbie are the only good parts in the film. El Diablo actually goes through a character arc but is killed in the end.

        Now, with every villain introduced to combat a Superman-esque threat, these are the villains to stop that? We're told that the squad is mostly comprised of meta-humans, think gifted people with powers. Although, one is a good marksman, one's insane, another is good with a boomerang. Only two characters have powers that affect them physically. I have to stress that this probably wasn't thought out clearer. I’m being way too nice, let me describe how exactly director David Ayer messed up big time. 

2. Wasted Opportunity

        It’s quite clear that this film is trying to be Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy. When the movie starts at the Belle Reve penitentiary, the soundtrack kicks in. It’s just sporadic and doesn’t tie itself to one character. With the film I just mentioned, it’s used smartly with the main character since it represents Star-Lord’s connection with his mother and where he is from. 

        Here though, it’s anything that can match the characters, because it’s “cool”. There’s no context with the songs since it’s plastered there. The most egregious example is the song “Spirit in the Sky” used when the Squad goes in the city. Out of all the songs out there, it had to be that one. Even “Bohemian Rhapsody” is butchered since it was used in one of the trailers and I thought it would appear in the film. The song appears but is cut off in the end. 

        Another example is the overall plot. Like I said, the Squad is set up to stop the Enchantress from taking over the world. As lame as the story sounds, the Joker is wasted as well. Played by Jared Leto, he does absolutely nothing and contributes squat to the overall plot. I thought that the Squad was assigned to stop him, making Harley Quinn question her loyalty. No, it’s the former and I can’t believe that director David Ayer had just 9 weeks to write the script.

        One last thing was just how big the actual Squad was. Again, to use Guardians of the Galaxy, that team was just five members. The main focus was on Star-Lord since he is the only human for us to focus on. The Suicide Squad has 9 members. Now, it would’ve worked if the team was divided so we can have equal attention for everyone. The overall focus was inconsistent, I thought it was mostly Deadshot’s movie. Then it focused on Harley Quinn. For all intents and purposes, Rick Flag might’ve been the one to humanize everyone, be the straight man for the audience. 

        It was clear that the overall approach was rushed. Now, the concept could work, but given the overall passivity the characters face and not given enough moments to care about. The biggest sin that I mentioned is that we’re told what the members do. Especially with member Katana played by Karen Fukuhara, she joins the Squad as they’re about to take off. Rick Flagg explains who she is and her gimmick. The whole moment is the laziest way to introduce a character, even worse is when Diana Prince is looking at surveillance footage at the future Justice League members in Batman v Superman. 

3. Editing

        Out of all the complaints that I have seen when reading the reviews or viewing them on YouTube, the editing is the real sticking point to many critics. A lot of the general audience won’t notice, but what happened is the overall neon moments that pop up in the beginning. More so when the characters get a “Baseball Card” stat shots describing who they are. I think it was embarrassing that Warner Bros. would hire an actual trailer editing house to work on the cut that shown in theaters. It is contradictory of the director route they are doing with their films. Which leads to my next point. 

4. Director Vision

        I can appreciate Warner Bros. going a different route than Marvel Studios by having their directors show their talents on adapting the DC superhero characters. The reason why Marvel has a string of successes is that the directors have to follow a strict outline of how their movies have to follow the Marvel formula. There can’t be any compromises since it might mess up the inevitable team ups or contradict the previous films. 

        It became apparent that Warner Bros. is staying true to the director’s vision, but at a price by releasing a studio cut to theaters. Then when it comes time to release the film on Blu-Ray, they advertise a “definitive” cut to a film that should’ve been released in theaters. The practice for one thing is shady and pretty disgusting since it’s apparent that the vision Warner is going for is for nothing since they’re hypocrites looking for profit.  

5. Overall

        This is without a doubt a bad comic book film. I mean it, this is bad. I often think about if the Suicide Squad will ever show up in any team up film in the future. I know for a fact that director James Gunn is doing a quasi-remake-sequel with the team called The Suicide Squad. The actors are the only saving grace but the roster is too cluttered to care for any of them. For as much as they’re the bad guys, them stating and rephrasing that assessment can get annoying. 

        Suicide Squad gets a 2 out of 5.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

 

For as long as the characters Batman and Superman have appeared in their respective comic books, they never met in any movie. Now, there are comic books where they star in, animated appearances where they show up or make a guest appearance. I remember watching the Will Smith film I Am Legend when a poster of a hypothetical Batman and Superman film popped up as a visual gag. More so when screenwriter David Goyer is quoted to say that the idea of a film is “where you go when you admit to yourself that you've exhausted all possibilities”. Zack Snyder found a way to have these characters appear, albeit sloppily. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        So the film starts during the fight between Superman and General Zod in Metropolis, this time we follow Bruce Wayne’s perspective. Before that, we witness the iconic and now tired death of the Wayne’s. We see the death in a Zack Snyder way such as seeing how the pearl necklace shatters from Martha Wayne’s neck. Speaking of, remember that name. Bruce Wayne played this time by Ben Affleck, zips through the city easily avoiding the debris crashing down and calling his employers to evacuate. The building is where Zod unleashes his laser beams on Superman and killing the Wayne employees. 

        Bruce runs to the debris and into the smoke covered damage. It’s kinda offensive that he isn’t covered in dust or coughing, since well if you read about the fight in my Man of Steel review, you would know. He helps an injured employee Wally and sees from the sky Superman and triggering his motive to stop him. 2 years pass, Lois Lane goes to an African country to do an interview, it goes south. Superman triumphantly saves her by ramming through the warlord general into the wall. 

        The overall story is a bit all over the place after that moment. Since it’s a versus movie, Clark Kent decides to investigate into Batman’s branding of criminals in Gotham City. Whilst Bruce Wayne is attempting to retrieve Kryptonite to kill Superman. It would be simple if it was just that but there’s more. Lois Lane uncovers an unknown bullet during the failed African interview which she visits the Colonel from the last film. 

        Meanwhile, we meet Lex Luthor and he is possibly the worst part of the film. Jesse Eisenberg is not a bad actor by any means. He was fantastic playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. I thought he would be a cold and calculating businessman who wants to rub out Superman. Here, he reminds me of Daffy Duck with his verbal ticks, he was like a Looney Tune come to life. His motive to kill Superman borders on having daddy issues and not having God to stop the paternal abuse. 

        It’s kind of obvious that when the topic of Superman killing African terrorists with a gun is moot since why would he need any weapon. Also, having Lex Luthor be the one to stir the pot between the heroes was a dead giveaway since it’s in his character to do that. Anyone could’ve seen that without reading a comic book or watching an animated show. I felt that for the most part it didn’t work since this interpretation of Batman is old. I’ll explain why this dynamic didn’t work.

2. "The Dark Knight Returns"

        Any person who loves Batman stories know that this film takes its inspiration of the classic Frank Miller story, The Dark Knight Returns. It involves an old Bruce Wayne donning the suit to stop crime in Gotham City. Additionally, fighting Superman with a power suit. That story works due in large part that both characters knew each other. Bruce thinks Superman is a poster boy for the government while the man of tomorrow thinks Bruce Wayne has gone above the law to instill a sense of unwarranted justice in Gotham. The story is a classic and a must read, but I feel that Zack Snyder just combed through it and focused on the fight without the needed context. 

        The same thing that happened in the story was the television pundits giving their opinion on the heroes, respectively. I interpreted it as a parody due to the over-the-top nature of the commentary that was given. In the film, they are treating it as though how a Superman can exist among humans. Escapism is dead in this movie, since they use real news networks that have pundits’ debate and ask philosophical questions about if an alien with a blue suit and red cape can live with us. 

        Now, there is a way to have this type of film if it was historical and to put these television moments into perspective. When they are in a Batman and Superman film that tries to take itself seriously even though they dress pretty ridiculously is going to fall on deaf ears. It got annoying since they were asking questions that really had no effect to the actual film. 

        One last thing is that in the comic Bruce was already retired, he was a recluse and only reluctantly came back when a young girl decided to help him by being a new Robin. In the film, this is our first exposure to Affleck’s Batman. Having any sort of rivalry is way too early since the beef is just based on a stubborn hunch. I thought we would get a new Batman, but one who’s already aged doesn’t make sense in the least bit. 

3. Knightmare

        This part is the worse thing in the film. After retrieving some files at Lex Luthor’s charity gala, Bruce decodes and apparently his computer takes a long while to load them. He naps, I think, the film just fades to black and it becomes a Zack Snyder fantasy. Batman is wearing a duster and, there’s a reason as to why he looks intimidating at night. It’s pretty dumb having the mask and duster be the ensemble. 

        Apparently, Batman has a militia that carries a kryptonite weapon. He is betrayed and there’s like soldiers that are wearing robes but remove them and they look like Nazis with Superman’s “S” patch on their shoulders. Joe Shuster and Jerry Seigel must be rolling in their graves. So, Batman uses a gun. Now, anyone who knows him knows that he doesn’t use guns, ever. He uses it and honestly, I like that it pays tribute to the character’s early run, but it comes out of nowhere with this film. 

        Also, alien creatures start descending called parademons. You would have no clue to what exactly they are but you’re welcome. They come from the planet Apokolips, and it’s just fan service at this point. Batman gets knocked out and is taken hostage. His dream version of Superman appears and zaps the other hostages next to him. Superman says Lois was his everything and kills Bruce. 

        Confounding me, is then The Flash appears and gives a vague warning to Bruce. What does it have to do with the film? Absolutely nothing since it’s supposed to be a tease for more movies. This whole scene just summarizes Zack Snyder as a director. The only good thing he can do is make and choreograph a fantasy realm, but does it make sense in the film? No, the film just stops to highlight this segment and to show how cool everything is. He must’ve wanted to do a Mad Max film but this is the only comparable thing he was allowed to do.

4. Wonder Woman Doesn’t Do Squat

        Wonder Woman makes her debut in film with this overcooked movie. She graces the cover for some reason in the ultimate edition, which is the one I’m reviewing. Played by Gal Gadot, she contributes absolutely nothing to the film. The real reason as to why she’s in the film is that she’s trying to get back a photo from Lex Luthor. Diana Prince is just there in the film, she only meets Bruce Wayne to talk about what was in Lex Luthor’s file. 

5. The Title Fight, is Disappointing

        After sitting through two hours of mind numbing debates about the hypotheticals of Superman, the overall depressed nature of the hero, and Batman killing Luthor’s henchman to get the kryptonite. We finally make it to the final fight, the one moment that has been teased in trailers and tv commercials. And it’s the most disappointing fight that lasts just 10 minutes. I hate to compare it with the comic book, but everything worked its way to the fight.

        It’s one sided as hell and I can understand what the fight location is suppose to symbolize. None of it matters since Batman uses a sink to hit Superman on the head. You would think they would meet more times throughout the film, considering it’s a three hour “epic”. No, they meet once in their civilian disguise and twice in their costumes. There isn’t much to be said since it’s completely lopsided and the final moment is the most meme worthy sight that it’s the epitome of the film.

6. Martha 

        Remember that scene where the Wayne’s were killed for the someteenth time? Here is where we come back to that. As Batman prepares to kill Superman, he says that Luthor’s men are about to kill Martha. Then we flash back to the moment where his parents die and Bruce shouting at Superman as to why he said that name. Lois appears and says that Martha is Clark’s mother. 

        This scene has been made fun of, defended, analyzed to death. To me, it’s so stupid. Having the entire fight that was supposed to be epic in scale and to have it just end abruptly like that is such an idiotic way to end a disappointing fight. Clark’s mother’s name could’ve been anything and Batman would still stab him with the kryptonite spear. Now, I can understand that it’s supposed to be Bruce gaining his humanity and seeing Clark as an equal. Just the shouting and Lois appearing make it so astoundingly silly that, this is something that no director’s cut can ever fix. 

7. Death of Superman

        Just like Man of Steel we have to have a big dumb final fight. In between the movie, Lex uses Zod’s corpse to sneak into a downed kryptonian ship. He uses the alien’s corpse to create a monstrosity he calls Doomsday. Superman fights him but is easily overpowered due to him being able to resist any damage and grow spikes in various parts of the body. 

        Batman has the creature chase him and have it follow the hero to an abandon part of Gotham. I always found it odd that him and the military announce that various sites in either the city or an island that is between Metropolis and Gotham are abandoned. Anyways, Doomsday shoots down the batplane and is about to kill the caped crusader. Wonder Woman blocks the blast and music that doesn’t fit the character kicks in. Superman arrives and the three heroes fight the monster.

        Well, Batman just looks on since he only has a limited amount of weapons to stun the creature. After a couple of minutes of explosions and Wonder Woman smiling in the midst of combat, Superman tells Lois that he must kill the monster with the spear. He flies through and stabs the creature, it in turn stabs Clark. Killing the creature, Superman dies triumphantly. This moment, doesn’t work at all. This is Superman’s SECOND appearance in this film series. Killing him is ballsy, but really he had no depth at all. I didn’t feel anything when he died. For it to really be effective, have that be in film four or in a Justice League movie. Or you know, don’t kill him because it’s an easy out disguised as an edgy move. Heroes come back but to make it effective, have him go out with a bang, not with a whimper. 

8. Director’s Cut

        I said earlier that I’m reviewing the director’s cut. Having a director’s cut be the superior version of the film shouldn’t be a marketable thing to have. My idea of a director’s cut is for it to be a complimentary thing for a good film. Either include additional scenes that weren’t included due to time constraints or something for the fans to indulge themselves with the film.

This one had a version that was released in theaters and was eviscerated by critics. I feel that Warner Bros. did this since they still had a contract with Zack Snyder. They want to commit to his vision, or lack thereof, and put out an “Ultimate Edition” that was supposed to flesh out everything that the theatrical cut was missing in terms of scenes. Watching the “better” version, it’s like putting a band-aid in an open wound. 

        Pacing is what killed this cut and frankly this kind of thing would continue with the next film Suicide Squad. I feel it’s very shady in terms of making the general audiences buy the preferred version instead of sticking to their guns and release this somewhat but not really ambitious cut. I can understand that it’s a money thing but, when you’re investing everything on one director to compete with Marvel, why wouldn’t you release a three hour epic about two pop culture icons going toe-to-toe?

9. Overall

        The film was a waste to watch. Having a grievance with director Zack Snyder contribute to my problem with his vision with the DC superheroes. It’s just not thought out and he makes it as a think piece that demands respect or be looked at as art. The film isn’t art, it’s a commercial to sell more movies and action figures to the kids. That’s simply what it is, a piece of fluff that takes itself too seriously that it’s laughable to any film or comic book connoisseur. 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gets a two out of five. 

Man of Steel Review

 

        I was excited for this film back in 2013. The only Zack Snyder film that I saw was his film adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300. For the most part it is a visual eye candy with intense action. Everything else is mostly not thought out much. It was concerning as to why he would helm a new Superman film. Overall, I was hooked when I saw the trailer and Christopher Nolan being attached to it. What could go wrong? I watched this one with my Dad at the AMC theater in San Antonio, I was excited for the most part. When the credits hit, I wasn’t a happy camper throughout the day. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        Since this is another interpretation of the Superman mythos, we begin in Krypton. We actually see Kal-El being born. In fact, they state that his birth was the first natural one in Krypton. We then transition to his Dad Jor-El played by Russell Crowe, pleading to a political counsel that the planet will explode, and everyone has to evacuate. As the council scoff at his proposal, General Zod played by Michael Shannon, barges in and attempts a coup. 

        I feel that this moment in Krypton goes way too long. I get that we have to introduce the villain since it’s a trope in comic book films. Even though the point is that Krypton explodes and Kal-El is rocketed to Earth. In between that, Jor-El grabs hold of a special skull called the codex and has it beamed on to the baby’s body. I thought it was an explanation as to how he got his powers. Later it’s established that the codex is a registry to give newborns an assigned duty. Which explains why the father wants Kal-El to bring in new Kryptonians that have free will instead of having a predetermined existence. Bottom line, this part doesn't go anywhere.

        As the planet is destroyed and Zod and his cronies are jailed to the Phantom Zone, the baby makes it to Earth. We then transition to the Deadliest Catch, really, Clark is now grown up and working as a crab fisherman. I’ll explain how this method of flashback and forward doesn’t work later. I can go on about the bloated story since it’s supposed to be about Clark Kent. You know, the Man of Steel? Why is there focus on Lois Lane, mind you she does a lot but it feels too convenient that she’s everywhere in the film. Like why exactly does Zod want to do with Lois Lane? 

2. Superman

        One of the problems is the actual hero. Played by Henry Cavill, he looks like he leapt from the panels and onto the screen. He has the body and can have the charm and charisma like the character. The problem is that he doesn’t. We’re mostly told through his two Dads, which I’ll get into after this, that he is destined to do great things. As Jor-El states and quote "Be an ideal to strive towards". Like he is being told what to do. 

        I think there wasn’t a moment where he thought about anything than being completely lost in the film. This interpretation of the character has always been compared to Christopher Reeve’s interpretation in his Superman films. Reeve's take on the character has so much depth that no one needs any imagery that involves religious icons to emphasize anything. I won’t say Cavill's take is the worst since there may be a film in the future where he can shine and be Superman. Here, he’s just a handsome guy in a Superman suit.

        The biggest missed opportunity is to have Superman try to be the exact opposite of those around him. Like in the first Superman film, having him be a completely different character when he is either Clark or Superman . Now, I can understand not repeating things since it would be derivative. The best Superman stories has always been about him being able to show his humanity in the midst of a cynic world. Having him come to terms of the outside world but have the humble mentality of Smallville, Kansas would’ve been welcoming for the most part. Depth is not Zack Snyder's strong aspect.

3. Two Dads

        I think this is one of the only heroes to have two Dads, one from Earth and from another planet. They contribute to the overall problem with this interpretation of Superman. In the beginning and when he appears, Jor-El is the more idealistic father who wants his son to be the bright light in the end of the tunnel. Johnathon Kent played by Kevin Costner, chastises Clark for almost revealing his powers. The scene which this is brought up is when the school bus that Clark is in has a flat tire and crashes to a body of water. Clark escapes from the bus, but rescues all of the kids in the bus including his bully who was under the depths. 

        Clark then asks his Dad if he would’ve let the kids drown and Johnathon says maybe. That part rubbed me the wrong way since why would he say that? I think in one lazy way to do it, is that to say maybe but ask if it felt good to save people. It would’ve redeemed his character. Another thing is when Pa Kent shows Clark the rocket he was brought in. He explains that Kal might’ve been sent for a reason, but it doesn’t go further than that. 

        I feel that the overall vibe I got was that Jor-El is supposed to be the idealistic one spouting glowing sayings that feel like a beginners philosophy class, while Johnathon is the cynic one. Especially since Johnathon contradicts himself. Such as when the flashbacks establish that he needs help with the family farm and Clark rebukes him. Then later saying Clark has to decide who he wants to be. Like, was there a lapse in character when he said that or did the writer intentionally wanted Pa Kent to be gray about it?

        The way Johnathon died didn’t make sense. Again, I might as well say that Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie is the definitive film about the hero. Since in that one, Pa Kent’s death is supposed to symbolize and remind Clark that despite all his amazing powers, he can’t rescue anyone. In Man of Steel, both Johnathon and Kal argue while a literal tornado is forming in front of them. They get out of the truck but forgot about the dog. The Dad rescues the dog and Clark is ready to rescue him. Johnathon holds his hand to stop him and dies by the twister. 

        I feel that the theme of choice is such a half assed way to develop Superman since this theme is tossed out since he rescued some oil drillers in a rig that was on fire. Having shown that scene and the father’s death does a poor job to show the character his morals. Or lack thereof. Clark just feels like a passive character since he never has a moment where he commits to be a hero. Like, this isn't the right way to show a hero's growth at all. It's like he's hesitant on being a hero.

4. “Batman Begins” or How To Copy What Worked But Missing The Point

        I feel like not watching Batman Begins was the thing I never noticed while watching this one. I was so confused as to why the film switched between the present and the past of Clark’s life. It got annoying and broke the flow of the film. Zack Snyder must’ve watched Nolan’s take on Batman and completely missed the point of why Nolan chose to have a nonlinear beginning of the caped crusader. For one thing, it was to show how Bruce got his morals and how he was able to adapt in a foreign land which leads to him becoming Batman. To think that Snyder’s take of the the dark knight was to have him be raped in prison to establish a broken man. I’m not making that up, he said it. 

        Here, the film shows Clark growing up while his powers pop up and getting a lecture from his Earth Dad about hiding his abilities. I feel it’s very sloppy since like I said in the last part, it’s supposed to show us the idea of choice. With the rescue in the beginning and the school bus scene, Clark made it an inherent choice to rescue those in danger but have that squashed by his Dad to tell him to not do that. It doesn’t connect and makes the character frustrating to care about since it feels like he has to do it instead of just doing it. 

5. The Third Act

        Any who, this part is bereft with wanton destruction that is evocative of the September 11th attacks. General Zod has his ship split in two to change the planet’s mass to be like Krypton. His ship lands in Metropolis, while the other one lands in the other side of the planet. Both ships turn into a dubstep machine and increase the gravity around the vicinity, resulting in everything being squashed. The Army sends the fighter jets to shoot missiles to the craft, only to have the missiles be misdirected and hit the buildings in the city. Even the damn jets fly too close to Zod's ship and crash to the buildings, like really? Did Michael Bay have something to do with this?

        It’s so damn loud like so many things going on including Lois Lane joining the Colonel character to stop Zod’s planet changing plan. My favorite part is when she’s struggling to input a jump drive stick to Clark’s rocket, but it won’t go through. Only when the scientist character Abraham Erskine decides to slightly nudge the thing then the stick goes in and ready to explode. And one would think that’s how Zod would go down, by being sucked back to the Phantom Zone as he was before. 

        No, we have to have a final fight. It’s standard comic book stuff but the destruction and me not caring for Superman since there’s no stakes since no one is getting injured just keeps going. Christopher Nolan actually wanted the ending to have Zod be sent back to the Phantom Zone but Zack Snyder overruled him and we have a big dumb action scene. 

6. Neck Snap

        Back when it was released, there was numerous articles about this one moment in particular. As the final bout winds down, Superman is holding on to Zod, he almost lasers a nearby family. He tells the mad Kryptonian to stop, he says never. Clark, with all his might and strength snaps Zod’s neck. I read every comment to see what people thought about it. Some liked it, some hated it. For me, with this new interpretation of Superman, I feel it was an easy out since the plot worked its way to the situation. 

        The film didn’t have to go this route. It would’ve been refreshing to not have a big dumb fight but to valiantly save the day. I can imagine this is Zack Snyder’s way to have a “grown-up” version of the hero by giving him a no-win option. Thus resulting in this scene. I feel indifferent since this isn’t how Superman is supposed to be. I can be open to any interpretation of the hero but any route the character takes has to be justified and earned. 

7. Overall

        This is probably one of the most disappointing films I have seen. I was so thrilled to see this one since I want a Superman film that is comparable to what my parents grew up with in their youth. What I got instead is a shallow interpretation of a beloved icon that is riddled with loud explosions with little depth to care about. The ultimate sin is having Superman be compared to Jesus Christ. That shot in the scene where he asks a priest for advice instead of going to see Jor- El for advice about someone who is like him would’ve worked. Instead, shoving and showing not so subtle imagery that you could have text appear saying that Clark is the Lord. This made me not like Zack Snyder’s directing style, but it gets worse than that. He made a follow up film. 

        Man of Steel gets a two out of five.