Underrated Gems: Dredd (2012)

 

        Three months ago, I had an ambitious idea of doing three movies a week. That culminated with 37 reviews of classic, foreign, and recent films. I never thought it would be feasible but, I did it. To wrap up my retrospective of summer movies, I decided to look at a supremely underrated superhero film Dredd. Created for the magazine 2000 A.D. in the United Kingdom by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Judge Dredd is a law enforcement officer for Mega-City One. As a Street Judge, he has the authority to arrest, convict, sentence, and kill criminals. Dredd from 2012 defines all those features. 

1. Not Your Standard Comic Book Film

        This wasn’t Judge Dredd’s first film. Back in the 90s, Sylvester Stallone starred as the character. Although he did his best with the material, he couldn’t save the film from being a turd. And just by seeing the images here and seeing him in Stallone’s film is that the cardinal sin that he made was taking off his helmet. This time, Karl Urban portrays the perfect Judge. He never reveals his face and has a permanent scowl that gives Batman a run for his loads of money. 

        He’s not alone in this film. A rookie shadows him named Cassandra Anderson, who is a mutant with psychic abilities. As they investigate a triple homicide in the massive 200 floor apartment building Peach Trees. An infamous gang leader “Ma-Ma” locks down the entire complex and orders her gang to find and kill Dredd. It’s about as basic as you can get in terms of what our two protagonists have going for them. Although the great thing is that the side story ties in with their predicament. 

        As Dredd gives Anderson the assessment, we get to see her character for who she is. When confronted with a gang member, she hesitates since she has the old-fashioned way to administer justice. I think my favorite scene of her is when both her and Dredd enter a civilian's apartment to hide from the gang. She has a vision that the gang member she killed was the tenant's husband. Anderson doesn't tell her as she and her mentor try to survive. 

        As Dredd is assigned to give an evaluation to Anderson if she is worthy of being a Judge. What works is that the action between the two coincide if she is good enough to be good as Dredd. Let’s hold off on the action. While the film is unique, I think it has the same structure as the foreign action film The Raid. With a cop and a rookie attempting to stop a drug gang in a tall building. Dredd is different due in large part with having the action show just how efficient Dredd is as a Judge. Okay, now we can talk about the action. 

2. Bloody Good Action

        What can I say about it? Oh lordy, it’s good for a blast ‘em up kind of movie. Since it’s rated R, it doesn’t hold back with the excessive violence. Some might think it’s a bit much. I say that it represents who Judge Dredd is and who he is supposed to be. Now, I’ll admit that I haven’t picked up or read a story of the famous authority figure, but everything is immediately set up with who he is and what he represents. 

        Anderson is a representation of us when we see her in the beginning. Dredd tells her the code of the Judge within the city. Mostly, the criminal is subject to life in prison or death. Inside the complex is where the entire action takes place. All the Judges including Dredd has a special gun where he can alternate with different bullet types and stun features. With the even fancy feature of having that gun explode if someone else pulls the trigger. 

        The main problem with any sub-standard action film is that while the action is at least tolerable, the main characters is the Achilles heel. Mostly since with the action to be good, there needs to be proper tension to at least make us care for the characters. If that’s lacking, what you’re basically going to get is what amounts to watching a video game cutscene, cool to look at, but boring or just not caring. Dredd remedies that issue by having it be that while yes, Dredd is the supreme Judge. The context is he tests Anderson to see if she can be Judge material. 

        So not only does Dredd have to contend with gang members, but also rogue Judges. Four are sent by the gang leader to hunt and kill Dredd. Not only does it amp up the action, but we get to see just how different Dredd is. From seeing the other Judges, Dredd represents who he is supposed to be and be one step above them. 

        Anderson is good too and as I mentioned earlier, she is a mutant. When the duo brings a prisoner, Dredd assigns her to use her abilities on him to extract any info. What I like is that we see the power and we think for a moment since she’s a rookie the prisoner will overpower her. The awesome part is that she gives him the illusion that he is in control. Slowly but surely be the next perfect Judge. 

3. Why Did it Bomb?

        When looking at how much it made in the box-office, it did not do well. It grossed four million dollars less than its budget. The main reason why it underperformed is that as Karl Urban points out, the studio barely marketed it. While there were commercials for the film. Not enough promotion to advertise the film may have doomed it. The good thing is that when it came out on home video, 750,000 copies were sold. Thus making it a cult classic among the Judge Dredd fans. 

4. Overall 

        Dredd is one of those underrated comic book gems that should be seen by both action and comic book film fans. Karl Urban does a great job with portraying the authority figure. And it’s a bloody good time. 

        Dredd gets a four out of five.  

Underrated Gems: The Rocketeer

 

        I honestly thought this one was one of the first heroes to pop up in the 1930s and I was wrong. Created by Dave Stevens in 1982, The Rocketeer is an homage of the classic heroes who appeared in the matinee serials in the 1930s and 50s. Cliff Secord is a pilot who comes across an experimental jetpack and flies to stop evil. It only made sense for the flying hero to get his film adaptation. While it’s an underrated superhero film from Disney, it deserves to have your attention. 

1. Cliff Secord

        This is director Joe Johnston’s second film, following Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I’ll talk about him later in the review. We see Cliff Secord as a stunt pilot, as he's flying, he gets involved in a car chase shootout between the FBI and some gangsters. His plane gets clipped and crash lands. One of the mobsters has in possession an experimental jet pack and hides it in the hangar where Cliff uses. As Secord and his assistant Peevy realize what they found, they begin to test it. 

        One of my favorite parts in any superhero film is the moments where we see the protagonist test out their power. Or in this case, play with the jetpack. It’s like everyone’s dream to fly one. Cliff wants to use the tool to make money for the coming air show. While his assistant tells him that he must return the pack so that he can avoid being arrested. Cliff is stubborn but has that ambition to be the best and he usually goes against whatever his friend says. 

        Meanwhile, the FBI is working with aircraft industrialist Howard Hughes since he tells them that someone else has investigated his plans of the jetpack. Another tidbit is that mob is in cahoots with an actor from Hollywood. Neville Sinclair is one slime bucket; he is an action star for his film, while also attempting to get Hughes's project. 

        So yeah, the jetpack is the MacGuffin that drives the entire plot. You may have heard this term, but if you haven’t it means that the jetpack is the thing that people want and what has the plot rolling. When Cliff becomes The Rocketeer, he certainly evokes that early look of a hero. With the jacket he wears resembles what Shazam used to wear. One thing is that when he turns on the pack, there’s a button on his hand, perhaps it was something Ant-Man had borrowed?

Additionally, his helmet also looks something of the time. That style that the helmet evokes is called art-deco. What that is was an art style that was popular back in the early 20th century. It was a style that prided itself on exuberance and technological advancement. If that didn’t help explain what I just wrote, just look at the poster. 

        One last thing that I keep noticing is that Cliff uses a piece of gum to help him when he first flies his plane and when he straps on the jetpack. Looking it up further, pilots had a superstition of chewing on a specific gum “Beemans”. With Cliff, he uses it as a duct tape on the fin of his plane and for plugging up a leak on the jetpack. I think of it as a tribute, unless you’re really into aviation. 

2. Before the War

        The film takes place during the 30s, and we’re made aware of the Nazis. People forget that they tried to establish themselves as a new age of Germany. There’s even a plot point that has them launch a zeppelin traveling east to west of the United States. So, it’s technically wrong when people classify the film as a war film since Americans didn’t have any dislike for the Nazis before the war. 

        Also, one thing that was interesting was also the gangsters and the FBI working together. When it’s revealed just who Sinclair works for, both sides help each other. I love how the main gangster says that even though he makes little money, he’s still American. There’s a shot where Paul Savino’s character and the head Agent look at each other for a moment and keep shooting the bad guys. It was funny since I was not expecting that at all. If the film was given to someone less talented, it would've been a brief Untouchables moment.

3. Why Did It Bomb?

        While it did get good reviews when it came out, it didn’t make enough financially to be considered a profit. It made just 6.7 million dollars above its budget and that was just its domestic gross. What was apparent was the entire marketing approach to the film. When Disney greenlit the project, they intended it to be a trilogy and something to be toyetic. Which means to be marketable to children. Making matters worse was that it opened alongside the film City Slickers and a loaded summer release of that year.   

        Also, I think their marketing idea with Art-Deco was something that didn't really click with audiences. When thinking that it was marketed to kids, not one child could really care less that it has a distinct art style. 

4. Legacy

        As time moved past, there is a following that developed with the film. Fans have been desperate for a new film because the original intent was that Disney wanted to make a trilogy. Moreover, it was announced that Disney was making another film but only for its streaming service Disney Plus. There also exists a tv show of the same name for young children on Disney Junior that has Billy Campbell reprise his role but as a grandfather to the main protagonist. 

        The film may have been a reason as to why Marvel Studios producer Kevin Fiege brought in Joe Johnson to do Captain America’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both his second film and Captain America: The First Avenger have a very distinct style that is supposed to represent the time period that its supposed to take place. I feel that those two movies could bring in another sub-genre in superhero films, the period superhero films. 

5. Overall

        This is an enjoyable and humble film. It’s like an Indiana Jones movie but with a jet pack. The great thing is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and I honestly enjoyed that it evokes a wacky sense of adventure that was happening with adventure films of the past. 

        The Rocketeer gets a four out of five. 

Persepolis Review

        When it comes to comic books, people usually think of superheroes or a group gifted with powers. Very few are based on modern life such as Ghost World. Persepolis is probably one of the best comic book films that I have seen, without the capes. It is based on author Marjane Satrapi who was around during and after the Iranian Revolution. This film offers a unique perspective during a turbulent time when the only thing we know of the event is when Americans were hostages. 

1. Coming of Age Story

        As I mentioned earlier, Persepolis is based on the author’s life growing during the Iranian Revolution and her growing up as an outsider in Vienna. This is the rare instance where the author is the co-director in the adaptation. Anyways, we see Marjane waiting for a flight in an airport while we flashback to her youth. She’s a feisty girl who is heavily influenced by Western culture by mimicking Bruce Lee. 

        Her parents are supportive for the ousting of the then leader of Iran. When they returned from a protest, Marjane wakes up and chants the death of the leader. She is taught by her uncle on the situation the country is going through. It also helps that what he teaches the girl, we also learn since there’s people who are not aware of how Iran changed from a democracy to a theocratic one. 

        Ultimately, the country transitioned in power and the family is proud of the leader’s ouster. One thing that makes Marjane unique is that she thinks she is a prophet. Which helps explains to us that she is religious and talks to God. Those moments expose us to who she is as a person. For instance, when the family get word of a relative being imprisoned, Marjane and her friends decide to pick on the kid whose father is a guard for the leader. She is eventually told that doing some form of unwarranted justice is wrong. 

        As things get worse, due to Iraq invading Iran, Marjane’s parents send her to Vienna. For her to live securely and is mentioned to us that she learned how to talk French in school. This film works as a two-part story like in the graphic novel. For one, the first part is really seeing the Revolution through Iranian eyes. The second is when we see Satrapi in an alien environment. As she lives in a hostel, she meets a group of punk rock friends who are interested in anarchy and find her intriguing. Due in part that she saw an uprising, not much her as a person. 

        The big thing in the film is identity. She never really liked being an Iranian and gravitated to listening to Rock music or anything that’s not part of her culture. We see how she ditches it and embraces who she wants to be but is told that to never forget her roots from her grandmother. Marjane the character is the person who is a minority but wants to be accepted. Her intentions are good, but it’s the way of going about it is what makes her interesting. 

        One thing I do like is that she speaks out on the ideas of being a woman in an Islamic world. There are moments when she is with her mother and sees the police question her mother’s wearing of the hijab. She sees that and questions their authority and really advocate for equity at a place where that’s inherently taboo. The best moment is when her college has a council formed, she stands up and really gives the councilmen every reason why her attire restrains her from doing art in art class and points out the double standard amongst men and women.

 

2. Animation

        This is one of the few instances where the animated film mirrors the style of the medium its based on. Most of it is black and white, but it is dynamic with how it does those stylized segments of using black. The only other instance of a graphic novel adaptation was in Sin City since that was also in black and white but had hints of color for different characters. Here, it’s intentional by showing the situation be as it is where there is no gray area for compromise. 

3. Price of Freedom

        Another thing I noticed is that the family wants the change of leadership in the country. It’s mentioned that the Shah abused his power to make himself more opulent in lifestyle, while the civilians lived in poverty. Marjane’s parents didn’t want the change socially, they just wanted him gone and someone else to take charge. 

        It feels like irony when the next leader, the Ayatollah comes and the whole country changes socially. All the progress that they wanted was for nothing. Since women are treated like second class citizens, even Marjane when she returns from Vienna sees the double standard placed on her. Now, I will say that the film isn’t anti-Islamic, there are good people in that religion that don’t need to be grouped to some extremist ideas. 

        The overall point is that when she is informed of the situation and to have it basically be a part of the alienation she receives in Vienna, shows us that she has to embrace who she is and to have integrity in herself. It's good that the character has depth and to really grapple with just how wrong everything is in her eyes. Like not having parties, drinking, or listening to Western music such as Rock.

4. Why Persepolis?

        Doing some more research, I learned that Persepolis was once a grand city in the area. It was then conquered by Alexander the Great. Throughout the centuries, the area has undergone numerous changes, but still having the same Persian influence. With what happened, it could be a warning that any country who veers to a more socially constrictive idea could become another Persepolis. The film isn't attempting to be preachy, but more so on standing up and calling out something that deserves it.

5. Overall

        This is a great animated comic book film. It shows one side of a conflict and how that changed a young woman. The film humanizes the event, and more films should offer different perspective instead of showing a biased one. 

        Persepolis gets a four out of five. 

 

Underrated Gems: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

        This is one of those films where I actually shut it off when I was watching it on Netflix. The following day, I relented and sat through the film. It was very enjoyable, and I remember that when the film was released, a tie-in video game was on consoles for a limited time. When I did the background info on the film, I was surprised that it bombed badly in 2010. It made sense when rewatching the film that it’s very niche. Not your typical comic book film since it embeds itself with video game stuff and quirky humor. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Not your typical comic book film

        I watched this film after being exposed to Edgar Wright films. He already made a name for himself when he directed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz before releasing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Most of his filming techniques is everywhere in the film. This is where the term “auteur” comes in. Where motifs like quick edits among other things pop up in a director’s film.

        Anyways, the film is based on a comic book. When you sit down and watch it, it’s like a comic book made in three dimensions. A better way to explain it than that is seeing the onomatopoeias pop out in a nondiegetic way. Again, words like “POW” pop up and action lines appear during a fight scene. The first instance of seeing this type of comic book design was in Ang Lee’s Hulk. Although, that film messed up since it had the comic book panel moments litter the film when it’s supposed to be a think piece about the jade giant.  

        With all that, the film is about Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera meets a new girl Ramona Flowers played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who has to fight her seven evil exes in order to properly date her. Since the world operates like it’s a video game. In the midst of that, he has a band who is trying to get a record deal. In between that happening, Scott already has a girlfriend Knives Chau, played by Ellen Wong who thinks that Ramona is stealing Scott from her. The story has romance written all over it since that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. 

2. Scott Pilgrim is a Conflicting Person

        I was turned off when Scott was cheating on Knives for Ramona. I thought about it more and something that I missed when I was focusing on just Scott. He’s so aloof with his actions that he never revels in being an ass. He is actually given an ultimatum from his gay roommate that he has to break up with Knives in order to be with Ramona. Scott is lazy about it and just pursues Ramona. 

        Aside from that, he meets with his ex-girlfriend Envy. When they talk, there’s a little detail where the camera pans on Scott and we see photos of them together. Envy has a band as well and hates Scott. We can only infer and guess how bad the relationship turned out for the both of them. This part kind of shows just how Envy is as wanting to have revenge on Scott for breaking up with her. 

        This is probably one of the film’s strongest point is Scott’s character arc. He is having multiple relationships and not having the guts to break it off. Lacking the self-respect he needs to really give him the confidence of just growing up. Another thing I noticed is that after fighting the evil exes, Scott feels like he’s not worth it to Ramona. It would be one thing were the film just be repeating in terms of evil exes, I like the moment where he feels like the whole ordeal is just draining on him. 

3. Niche

        I might as well slowly work my way on how and why the film bombed. As I mentioned earlier, the film is very niche. Not that you have to read the comic book to understand what’s going on, but really take in the quirky effects that is being presented with the film. Such as when Scott’s band finishes playing, Ramona’s first ex fights Scott. In a way that’s completely unorthodox, he sings like it’s a Bollywood film since he’s Indian. I love it when Anna Kendrick’s character says “What?”. It just sets up the audience’s reaction when seeing that part. 

        Another example is that the film copies most video game tropes and comic book aspects. It’s engaging since Edgar Wright utilizes his film aesthetics to make the film something to behold in the special effects. I feel that it’s good action, it just doesn’t work when it’s live action. Like the parts that supposed to be gravity defying stuff looks weird when an actual person does it. It just works in animation, as it was perfectly displayed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Not to diminish the film but, it also contains drawn segments of the comic book when Ramona talks about one of her evil exes. 

        It’s conflicting since it makes the film slightly inconsistent with what it wants to be. Either be a quirky comic book film, an ode to video games, or an animated film that embraces those aspects of geeky culture. Regardless, Edgar Wright manages to balance the mundane with the film to make it a cult classic. If that was his intention or not.  

4. How Did it Bomb?

        With all that being said, the film didn’t make enough to turn a profit for Universal. It grossed 30 Million dollars less than its film budget. After doing some digging, it might’ve been just bad advertisement from Universal. Every studio is susceptible to this, since it’s hard to convey to the general public what this film is. 

        And just by watching it, it may turn off some people who wants to see a comic book film. Mind you, that genre isn’t limited to just superheroes. Another cult classic, Ghost World is about growing up, but is considered one of the best comic book films ever made. Without having a cape or a hero in the marquee. I like Scott Pilgrim since it combines video games with good music. Another thing is that it’s another teen movie with Michael Cera. During it’s release, he had starred in Juno and Superbad, two great teen films, but audiences started to get tired of seeing him in yet another type of him where he’s just quirky. 

5. Overall

        This is an enjoyable film that is part of the slate of films that are classified as cult classic. For the sum of its parts, it’s a good romantic film with bits of comic book and video game humor. I think it’s only detriment is that it’s not a very accessible film for the general audience. As I say with any movie that breaks the norms, check it out. 

        Scott Pilgrim vs. The World gets a four out of five. 

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.