Movies I Can't Wait to See: DC Comics Announces Superman/Batman Movie!

Image from source, MoviePilot

ERMAHGERD!!! Talk about a nerdgasm! What comics fan (particularly a DC Comics fan) wouldn't go nuts for a "World's Finest" team-up or battle between Superman and Batman? Ecstatic, even! There are however a few problems, namely, a) having to re-boot the Batman character, since Christian Bale is done with it, b) dealing with recaps or retellings of either character's origin stories, c) clarifying the timeline, as to if Supes and Bats have both been around for a while, or if this is a brand new relationship, and d) bridging the worlds of Gotham, Metropolis, and the larger DC Comics universe (Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Justice League).

With a) and b) I wish they would just dispense with retellings and rebootings. I think with three actors in a row having played Batman in the Tim Burton-started series, same thing with the Hulk, changing actors for the love interest in The Dark Knight, and the continuing changes in the James Bond universe, audiences can handle a loose continuity with these characters, without having to go back to square one. Fanboys might squawk a bit, but we don't have to see Batman's origin story again, we get it! If there's a significant change to the backstory, highlight that in a flashback, and then move on.

With c) and d) there is a more delicate problem. So far, DC Comics-based productions have been all over the place, and their behind-the-scenes pre-productions have been insane. It almost seems like a good movie comes out with a DC character. I mean, they were going to have Nicholas Cage be Superman? REALLY? Anyway, they scored a three-fer with The Dark Knight series, and I think continued it with Man of Steel. Count me as one opinion that just because Bale doesn't want to be Batman, that they could easily keep the continuity of the series with a new actor, whether it's Joseph Gordon Leavitt or a replacement for Bale. I've never understood why those three movies have to "stand alone." Even the naming conventions between TDK and MOS are the same. Why start from scratch.
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What not to do. Image from NYDailyNews

Their most difficult task is going to be building this shared universe without going overboard, or screwing up one of the puzzle pieces. How will they introduce the other characters, without diverting from the story, or just throwing too much up on the screen? The Marvel template is there to follow, but you know they're going to want to do something different. Can Warner Brothers sustain the franchise with popular movies based on unproven characters, and keep the hype up until Justice League is born? Marvel managed it. In fact Marvel has managed in across studios, with the X-Men and Spider-Man series running in separate worlds from The Avengers. DC is developing their movie universe in a huge shadow.

But they couldn't wish for better than a Superman/Batman movie, done well. If that is done well, and ably sets up some spin-off characters, they will be off and rolling. Henry Cavill has shown that he's a great Superman. If they do as well with their new Batman, it's going to be some show! Can't wait.

[Excerpt]

Warner Bros. Announces Superman/Batman Movie For 2015

Big news Justice League shippers: Zack Snyder is returning for the sequel to Man of Steel.
Only this time, the aforementioned icon will be joining forces with the Dark Knight. . .

Read more at: MoviePilot

Mass Shooting at Dark Knight Rises

For all of the importance and focus we put on terrorism from without, there seems to be little we can do about it from within. And when it comes to domestic terrorism, there is little more effective than a mass shooting. They seem to happen with disturbing regularity in this country. And without a seismic shift in public opinion, they're going to keep happening.

I'm usually ambivalent when it comes to guns, neither fetishising them as many on the right, nor being energized against them like. . .well, I'm not sure these days who is rabidly against guns. When it comes to tragic events like this, the gun nuts well get over-the-top defensive, and insist that if only more people were armed*, this wouldn't have happened. And for the most part, anyone who wants to be critical of guns or gun rights will soft-peddle what they want to say for fear of being branded anti-gun.   [Story continues below]

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I'm not sure how we got here, with this issue being so radioactive. Yes, we have a second amendment, but it doesn't say, "An unregulated gun collection, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear unlimited Arms without restriction or oversight, shall not be infringed." It says, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  The first part is often left out, of course. And the word "infringe" is rather fuzzy and imprecise. It's surprising that it has become so ironclad. Also, you'd think the word "arms" could be defined to exclude weapons of mass destruction. It already is, in that you can't have a nuclear weapon, or a tank, or a dirty bomb.

This story is new, and we may learn some uncomfortable details--and in the meantime may hear some inaccurate ones--after the facts come in. The shooter could be right-wing, left-wing or completely politically unaffiliated. There may have been laws or regulations that could've helped prevent this, or it may be that no one could have seen it coming. I have to wonder though, why it is impossible to limit--or at least impede--just anyone from acquiring weapons capable of mowing down a crowd.

[Excerpt]


12 shot dead at 'Dark Knight Rises' screening in Aurora, Colorado

Twelve people were killed and at least 50 others wounded early Friday when a gunman wearing a bullet-proof vest opened fire during a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie near Denver, authorities and witnesses said. . .

Read more at: NBCNews.com


* The "more guns" argument bugs me a lot. It belies a rather unrealistic mindset, where life is like a movie, and every "good" gun owner is John McClane from Die Hard. I'm not sure the reality would play out like an action movie.  

81st Oscars: The Good and the Bad

Image from source, MSNBC

Every year, I watch the Academy Awards. I don't know why exactly, because invariably, I've seen very few of the movies nominated. The show is always very long, filled with schlocky song-and-dance numbers, montages and stilted, scripted "banter" between the presenters.

But you know what? I liked it this year. It would be pretty difficult to dislike the host, Hugh Jackman. He can sing, he can dance, he can deliver a joke, and he ain't hard on the eyes. And with Jackman as the lead in the song-and-dance parts, they were actually good. The "best song" was for some reason truncated to three nominees, none memorable. So, despite Peter Gabriel's protest that his song was cut down to a snippet, it was a wise decision.

The presentation of the major awards by past award winners was great, creating anticipation: "Who's going to come out?!? Cher? Helen Hunt?" The presenters were--for the most part--better than usual, with Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Natalie Portman and Ben Stiller providing laughs. Also, they didn't play the music to give long-winded winners the boot. . .but I didn't feel like anyone went on too long.

Now the bad. The curtain-puller early on in the show goofed pretty badly, and is probably having a very bad night. The "In Memoriam" segment was shot weirdly, with the camera zooming around, making it difficult (even on our big HDTV) to see who was being featured.

And finally, the ridiculous adulation for Slumdog Millionaire. OK, I get it, people liked it. But I'd never even heard of this film before it was nominated. The subject matter, and type of film it is don't interest me at all. And while I don't mind it picking up an award here and there, a virtual sweep was quite tedious. If it was so deserving, why weren't the actors nominated for awards? Fortunately, Heath Ledger (best supporting actor as The Joker in The Dark Knight) and Sean Penn (best actor as Harvey Milk in Milk) won awards, or the awards part of the Academy Awards would have been a bust for me! Those were two of the only nominated movies I'd seen!

[Excerpt]

Slumdog Millionaire’ fulfills its Oscar destiny

"Slumdog Millionaire” is the Academy Awards champion, wrapping up its ghetto-to-glory story by winning best picture and seven other Oscars, including the directing honor for Danny Boyle. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

DVD Movie Review: The Dark Knight

The sick day rolls on, and I'm feeling (slightly) better. The Other Half came home, and we ordered a pizza, something that is off of my regular diet. And, I watched--as part of a superhero double feature with The Incredible Hulk--The Dark Knight, the second of the rebooted Batman franchise.

The blurb on the box (actually Blu-Ray, not DVD) says "prepare to be wowed." And I was prepared. Everybody has raved about this picture. It's up for Oscars, and is widely regarded as the best superhero movie of all time. And me? I'm a comic book fan from years (decades) past, I'm easy to please. So, why was I underwhelmed by The Dark Knight?



The first thirty to forty minutes were a snooze-fest for me. Things picked up a couple of times. There were some nifty effects with the Bat-Cycle, I thought Heath Ledger did a good job, and I really like Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. Harvey Dent's Two-Face makeup was great. But otherwise? Not impressed. I can't see myself reaching into the old movie library to watch this again in a month, a year, even five. On the other hand, I've seen Superman Returns, Spider-Man 1 & 2, X-Men 1 & 2, Iron Man and both Fantastic 4 flicks at least a couple of times each.

There is something overwrought and bombastic about Batman movies (the original four, and the two new ones). They tend to be too long. There is generally too much going on, with an inordinately convoluted plot weighing everything down. The newest films have done better with the villains, though. Two-Face and Joker did not feel like they were shoe-horned into the same movie. The 80s/90s Batman movies shoved way too many villains and heroes onto the screen at once, much like Spider-Man 3 did.

I guess my problem is in the character of Batman himself. You never really buy that a non-superpowered human would do the things Batman does, or that it is even possible for him to do so. It was nice that he asked for a mask that would allow him to turn his head, because that always bugged me. Why does he have a big rubber cowl anyway? Wouldn't fabric work better?And Christian Bale has a very recognizeable lower face (as does Aaron Eckhart), so how hard would it really be to figure out Batman's secret identity?

As a comic book fan, you might wonder why I'm picking it all apart like this. I don't know. I wanted to like the movie. . .and I sorta did. But it's like all the hype about Forrest Gump when it came out. When I finally saw it ("You've just gotta see this film!!!"), I spent most of my time mentally picking it apart. I think part of my subconscious takes it as a challenge to prove the rest of the world wrong sometimes. As it was with The Dark Knight.

Despite all I've written, it really isn't bad. In fact, if it were tightened up a bit, I would have liked it just fine. If you're sick at home like I've been today, you could do a heck of a lot worse (see The Happening, or better yet, don't). It's just that it isn't the best superhero film ever as everyone says (that honor belongs to Iron Man, in my opinion), and I wasn't wowed. Sorry.

My review: Everyone else loved it a lot, so I recommend it. I just advise lowering your expectations a little. You'll like it better that way.

Actor Heath Ledger Dead at 28

Photo from source, AOL News

One popular pastime of the cynical and darkly comic is the celebrity death pool. It's even been leaked that the Associated Press has been readying an obituary for Britney Spears, just in case. But I'd wager that nobody predicted this one.

The topic of Heath Ledger has come up recently in my household, after we caught a rerun of the movie Dick, staring Mr. Ledger's ex-wife, Michelle Williams. We were lamenting how sad it was that they'd split up, having a young daughter and all. Little did we suspect that days later things would get much more sad.

I wouldn't say I was a Heath Ledger fan. I found A Knight's Tale rather incomprehensible. But I did think he was terrific in Brokeback Mountain, even if I did think the film was too long by about a third. He was completely believable in his character, even as a man nearly twice his age by the end of the film. And while he will be fondly remembered by millions for that role, it is unfortunately leading to some dreadful comments in right-wing world right now. I won't dignify their hideous comments with a link, just trust me on this one.

Heath Ledger was an actor with a seemingly bright future, which we will still get to view in part. The Dark Knight, the next Batman movie will be released soon, featuring Ledger as The Joker.

[Excerpt]

Heath Ledger Found Dead in New York

Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment, naked in bed with prescription sleeping pills nearby, police said. The Australian-born actor was 28.

There was no obvious indication of suicide, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. . .

Read more at: AOL News