Archive for the ‘ Comic Book Movies ’ Category

Captain America: The First Avenger Movie Review

E3 2011 - Captain America's shield from Captai...

Image by popculturegeek.com via Flickr

(warning: this is a comprehensive review therefore may contain spoilers)

A lot of pressure was riding on Captain America: The First Avenger. If done well, Marvel could have their best movie yet, whilst generating huge hype for The Avengers. If done wrong, plans for The Avengers would have taken a huge hit. Has director Joe Johnston truly managed to bring the magic to one of Marvel’s most iconic characters?

Based on the iconic character from WW2, The First Avenger follows a brave young Steve Rogers from Brooklyn, New York (Chris Evans), as he deemed unfit to serve for the military. With nowhere else to go, Rogers volunteers for an operation that will turn him into a super soldier, led by Dr. Abraham Erskine. The operation is a success but Dr Erskine is quickly killed, along with the secrets of the super soldier formula. Realising their only living super soldier is too much of a risk for combat, the US military decide to parade Rogers out on USO shows to boost morale and gain funding. However when an evil plot reveals itself lead by the evil Johann Schimdt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), Rogers must step up to the task and become Captain America.

The movie handles the hardest part well. It is successfully able to avoid turning a flag wearer into a flag weaver. Instead Evans comes across a well likeable character, who hates bullies and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself. Steve’s character is given proper treatment, before he becomes the Nazi bashing super soldier, as Evans proves he can handle more than just comedy putting any confusion over him being The Human Torch to rest.

Hayley Atwell gives us a convincing performance as the strong, but sensitive Peggy Carter, and Tommy Lee Jones is on scene stealing form as the cocky Colonel Philips who is prone to one-liners. The rest of the cast either struggle to impress or are not given enough time to do so. It’s been a tough summer for Bucky Barnes. He suffered a cheap death in the comic books recently, and his treatment in The First Avenger fairs little better. Sebastian Stan tries to make the most of what he is given, as it’s evident that Steve and Bucky are long-term friends. Once Barnes is quickly dealt with however, he’s soon forgotten. Captain America’s support group The Howling Commandos (although they are never actually called that in the film), cry out for their own spin-off as they provide some of the films more fun scenes.

Several disappointments I had with this film were Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). The Howard Stark portrayed in this film had little charisma, and it often felt forced how many times the name Stark was mentioned, as if to keep re-enforcing the fact that he’s Iron Man’s dad to the audience. Weaving’s Skull is so fanatically unhinged, he even disgusts other Nazis, but it’s sometimes difficult to see where his intentions lie. Is he simply just obsessed with being a god? The Red Skull certainly isn’t the diabolical villain I read in the comics. I also hope we see more explanation behind the Cosmic Cube in The Avengers. Ordinary cinema viewers would have perhaps found it difficult in this film to understand just what is the cube’s power.

That’s where the film loses a star. The main threat HYDRA, the Nazi deep science division, only really has two main figureheads, therefore never really feels like a world threat. Perhaps if we had seen more classic cap villains such as Baron Zemo and Baron Von Strucker, HYDRA might have looked more of a threat.

Did the film work as a period movie? Easily yes. Whilst maintaining enough historical ground to make it work, but not bogging it down too much until it becomes boring, Johnston mixes the perfect amount of history and fantasy to create a truly unique superhero movie. The special effects were actually a welcome surprise. Despite my initial fears Chris Evans’s head would look awkward on a skinny man’s body, Marvel pulled it off fantastically well. The battle scenes all look convincing, and they easily rival the effects seen in Thor.

To conclude Marvel can look back at Captain America: The First Avenger as job done. A great performance from it’s lead character, good action, good special effects and a great story all round. Captain America isn’t a classic by any means, but full credit should be given to Johnston and Marvel for making this happen.

Rating: 8/10

 

 

 

2011
07/29
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS



















1 comment

Who Is The Best Avenger?

Hawkeye (comics)

Image via Wikipedia

The Avengers are one of the greatest comic book teams ever created. Originally debuting in 1963 as a superhero team consisting of Ant-Man, Thor, Wasp, Hulk and Iron Man, The Avengers have gone on to have a huge rotating roster over the years, consisting of aliens, mutants, gods, super soldiers, robots and supernatural beings. With Avengers popularity at an all time high, I’ve chosen to discuss who I personally think is the best Avenger of all time.

Hawkeye

(Bio)Clint Barton was born in Waverly, Iowa and lost his parents at a young age. After spending 7 years at an orphanage, Clint ran away to the carnival where he became a master archer. After seeing Iron Man in action, Clint was inspired to become a superhero, but a misunderstanding on his first outing forced him to go on the run as a falsely accused thief. Clint then met the Soviet spy, The Black Widow who persuades Clint to steal technology from Iron Man. After the mission proves unsuccessful, Hawkeye decides to stay solo, but is later convinced to become an Avenger after Iron Man sponsors him, believing Clint is serious about becoming a hero.

Some people are sceptical that compared to the likes of Iron Man and Thor, Hawkeye is going to look weak when appearing next to his teammates when The Avengers is released in 2012. What makes Hawkeye such a relatable and engaging character is that he is just a normal man, standing amongst gods and super soldiers. Many people have compared to him to Han Solo in the sense that, he isn’t afraid to get in other people’s faces. Hawkeye’s backbone is his dynamic with the other Avengers. He often clashes with Iron Man over authority issues, which can also lead to conflicts with other Avengers such as Captain America.

One of the best examples of how Hawkeye should be portrayed is in the recent animated show The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The show depicts Clint as a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent who has a large attitude, which keeps him on the outskirts of the Avenger’s team. Despite only been a fringe member of the team, Hawkeye has some great standout action moments in the series.

I’m not the biggest fan of Mark Millar‘s Ultimate Hawkeye interpretation. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the black-ops aspect of the character, I found Ultimate Clint to be slightly generic, and his character was too similar to The Punisher (although there was some standout moments in The Ultimates 2 for Clint).

We’ve seen a glimpse of how Hawkeye will be portrayed next year from Jeremy Renner‘s brief cameo in Thor. So far it looks like a reasonably fresh concept for the archer avenger, but there are definitely elements drawn from The Ultimates series. The recent concept art for Hawkeye’s costume for The Avengers movie more or less confirms this.

So there you have it. My favourite Avenger is not a god, or a man in a weapons suit. It’s simply a guy who uses a bow and arrow. Hawkeye hasn’t had the best treatment in mainstream Marvel comics recently, but hopefully come next year when everyone see’s what a great character he is that will all change.

2011
07/25
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
Comic Books/Random Discussion
TAGS
















Leave a comment

Deconstructing: The Amazing Spider-Man Teaser Trailer

Garfield-Spider-Man-costume

Image by Daniel Semper via Flickr

It’s been a crazy week for comic book fans and that’s largely due to the release of the teaser trailers for next year’s three big comic book movies. We’ve had The Dark Knight Rises teaser, and a leaked trailer for The Avengers, both of which I looked at here. Next up is next year’s The Amazing Spider-Man, directed by Marc Webb, starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker Spider-Man, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey and Rhys Ifans as Dr Curt Conners, aka The Lizard. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you can check it out here.

So what did I think? Well firstly I am a huge fan of the change of tone this series seems to be taking. I personally found the Sam Raimi trilogy guilty of skipping pass the important issues that really define who Peter Parker is. Some fans are sceptical of the writers choosing to revisit Parker’s origin, but the trailer shows just how dramatic and serious his origin is actually meant to be, and that going back to basics give them a chance to pull off a origin story similar to that of Batman Begins. Spider-Man should not be dark, but I wouldn’t call losing your parents at a young age, losing your uncle during your teenage years, then becoming a superhero which the public and the press are constantly sceptical of a light story nevertheless. What makes Peter Parker such a relatable character is how he picks himself up and fights through these issues whilst remaining as upbeat as possible. The Amazing Spider-Man looks to have captured that tone perfectly.

One of the main criticisms of Tony Maguire’s Spider-Man was that he didn’t look a skinny nerd. This is where Garfield looks to best his predecessor, as he seems to pull off both the Peter Parker look and The Spider-Man look with ease. I was worried they were cutting out some of Parker’s humour, but early reports from Comic-Con footage suggests the film finds a perfect balance between drama and humour which is essential to the Spider-Man mythos. We haven’t really had much of wise cracking Spidey film, so I can’t wait to see what Garfield brings to the table next year.

We saw a glimpse of Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, and whilst it’s too early to judge her performance, from the brief moments we say her and Peter together, they seemed to have good chemistry. If Garfield and Stone can keep the chemistry going, this could easily been the definitive Spider-Man film yet. We got a glimpse of Rhys Ifans as Dr Curt Conners, and it’s a safe bet he will act like a father figure to Parker before becoming the monstrous Lizard.

Towards the end of the trailer we see some first person footage of Spider-Man swinging through the streets of New York. Whilst for now it looks a bit too similar to the videogame Mirrors Edge, it at least gives us something different. I can’t wait to see how Webb and crew have handled the practical effects, as seeing a real life Spidey swinging over the streets gives us a much more realistic viewing experience.

All and all I have been completely one over by the Spider-Man reboot. The teaser trailer was great, and now the film’s already in pre-production with over a year until the film’s release to go, there’s lots of time for Webb and crew to get the film as polished as possible. Maybe reboots aren’t such a bad thing; The Amazing Spider-Man truly does look amazing.

 

2011
07/23
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS







4 comments

Deconstructing: The Avengers Teaser Trailer

The film's current logo, staying true to the A...

Image via Wikipedia

Last week during a special screening of Captain America: The First Avenger a teaser trailer for next year’s superhero extravaganza The Avengers was shown following The First Avenger’s end credits. Whilst it didn’t give much away, it was successfully able to generate an insane amount of excitement for next year’s film, showing Warner Bros how it’s done when it comes to teasers for their superhero films.

Unlike the teaser trailer for Warner Bros The Dark Knight Rises, Marvel were willing to give the fans a first hand look at all the characters from The Avengers in costume. Unfortunately, I’m unable to load the trailer as Disney were quick to pull it down, but what I can say is that the costumes are a mix of Ultimate/616 styles.

The trailer started with Steve Rogers punching a punch bag, when Nick Fury walks in to talk about a mission, which don’t actually find out what the mission is. The music then begins and we get treated to some great shots of Iron Man, Thor, (Mix of Ultimate costume and Ages of Thunder) Black Widow (Iron Man 2 costume), Hawkeye (Ultimate) and Bruce Banner.

We were then shown the first glimpse of the Avengers in the same room together, as Nick Fury was talking to Tony Stark, whilst Captain America was sitting down. Thor was leaning against a wall, and we also got a first look at Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. I can’t quite remember if the Incredible Hulk was shown, but I can guarantee if he was in the trailer it was nothing special. Cue lots of action shots as Jeremy Renner‘s Hawkeye shoots something causing an explosion, Scarlett Johansson in action as the Black Widow and Iron Man flying in the air, with Thor throwing his hammer to reveal the Avengers logo coming May 2012.

It had to be one of the greatest teaser trailers I’ve ever seen. Again, unlike the teaser trailer from Warner Bros The Dark Knight Rises, Marvel gave fans something new to be excited about. None of the footage was reused, and seeing all the characters in costume just illustrated how amazing it is that the Avengers movie is actually happening. Was the trailer too revealing? No. We still don’t know anything specific about the plot (unless you’ve read Samuel L Jackson‘s stolen script). We didn’t seen much interaction between the characters, therefore any character specific sub-plots such as Tony Stark’s surprise to meet the super soldier his father always spoke about remain a surprise.

I have to give it to Marvel. They’ve worked really hard to build this film up and based on the teaser trailer alone, it looks like it will almost definitely pay off. Just seeing the online reception alone to the leaked teaser trailer is staggering.

It’s good to be a nerd sometimes…

2011
07/22
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS











5 comments

Are Superhero Films Too Toyetic?

Iron Man

Image by Ridho Nur Imansyah via Flickr

Welcome back to the blog. I haven’t posted anything in a while due to work commitments therefore I thought I’d come back with something a little bit different. I want to highlight and discuss the relationship between the current influx of superhero movies and the toy industry. This idea came to me recently when I was browsing through a local toy store and saw a large amount of shelf space devoted to Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger merchandise.

Granted most comic book movies will have toy lines to appeal to the young children or collectors who’ve seen the films, but when does it get to a point when the movies themselves are constructed with the toy lines in mind? Joel Schumacher‘s Batman & Robin was criticised for being a two hour-long toy commercial, which illustrates how film studios do factor in how the films can generate money from toy merchandise. It didn’t stop there for the Batman franchise, as some would argue his latest in film gadget, The Bat-Pod was purposely created to sell toys.

The Iron Man film franchise can easily be seen as having a vast toyetic approach. Robots vs. robots, the toys basically sell themselves. It was Iron Man 2 however that raised questions over how much planning had been put into the film’s toyetic appeal. The ending of Iron Man 2 was essentially a battle royale for robots. In what was a clustered finale, Iron Man and War Machine unleashed fire upon countless Hammer Drones in a scenario that didn’t really fit in place with the rest of the film, considering how little action was found in Iron Man 2’s first half. Was the action focused ending just a way to make sure the film generates toy sales?

Last month’s super debutant Thor is a little harder to make toyetic. But what the toy companies did do is generate toys based on the weapons in Thor. For instance Hasbro created an electronic hammer and heavily advertised it though television. What child wouldn’t want to be a Norse god? Captain America: The First Avenger is the toyline that most got my attention. It’s obvious Cap’s figures and play sets have been heavily designed with G.I. Joe in mind. That’s a great and clever marketing technique, but to what extent does that ideology cross over into the film? Is Captain America going to be driving a 4×4 and a fighter jet as well as his trademark motorbike throughout the film? Are The First Avenger’s action scenes going to be story devices for advertising toys?

These are just some examples of how some comic book movies have made their marketing intentions clear throughout the films. In some cases the toyetic approach is not a problem, providing the action scenes are well constructed and actually fit into the context of the films. The X-Men franchise (bar X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is probably the best comic book movie franchise that doesn’t over exploit the toyetic approach. That’s where FOX trump over Marvel Studios. Marvel need to make sure they don’t spoil any future movies, buy trying to generate toy sales.

2011
06/29
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS














Leave a comment

Are There Too Many Supporting Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Avengers Poster V.2.1 Unofficial

Next summer The Avengers will unite for the first time on screen. Yes that’s right, next year we will see Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America assemble attempt to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. To get this far, it has taken five films that each intertwine with each other in order to set up this huge superhero team up. Whilst films in the Marvel cinematic universe are all connected, they are also their own franchises that contain other important supporting characters. With the Avengers fast approaching, are major supporting characters such as War Machine, Bucky and Odin likely to get bumped for the superhero team-up film?

Recent reports suggest a host of supporting characters such as James Rhodes/ War Machine from Iron Man and Bucky Barnes from Captain America: The First Avenger will not be appearing in the Avengers flick. This is understandable from Marvel’s point of view, as it would save them money and prevents the film from overcrowding, but from a narrative point of view, are there too many loose ties to deal with that require these supporting characters in some capacity?

My first point is with Thor. When we last saw the Odinson, he was stranded in Asgard after destroying the Bifrost Bridge. (The bridge that connects the nine realms) Whilst his return to Earth is likely to be caused by the ‘secret paths’ Loki hinted at, how is the Avengers film really going to deal with this without using the likes of Heimdall, Odin and Jane Foster. Using Idris Elba in the film wouldn’t seem too excessive as his appearance could be kept to a bare cameo, but stars such as Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, who haven’t yet confirmed if they’re on board, would be extremely expensive to have for bare cameos, and would likely need to have some involvement in the story, considering the main villain is likely to be Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

The same goes for the supporting characters in the Iron Man franchise. Don Cheadle recently confirmed that unless he’s recast, he definitely would not be in the Avengers as War Machine. This is understandable considering the team will already have Iron Man, but if the crisis in the film that brings the group together is truly Earth threatening, wouldn’t Nick Fury want another armoured battle suit at his disposal? This is something I hope Josh Whedon acknowledges in the film and that he makes a reasonable excuse for Rhode’s absence. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts is fortunately unnecessary in the film, so at least her absence is taken care of.

The absence of Captain America’s supporting characters in the Avengers is easier to explain due to The First Avenger being a period movie. Some key characters such as Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) will at least need referencing in the film, perhaps in flashback sequences in order to emphasize how Steve Rogers has become a man out of time. If the Avengers film were to set up storylines for future solo character adventures, Bucky Barnes could be featured as The Winter Soldier.

Lastly is The Incredible Hulk. Personally this is the hardest film to incorporate into the Avengers movie due to it being released back in 2008 with no further sequels and a recast in lead actor from Ed Norton to Mark Ruffalo. When we last saw Bruce Banner he was hiding out in British Columbia where we saw hints that either he had become able to control the monster within, or it was controlling him. Whilst this will surely be dealt with in the Avengers, the after credit scene with Tony Stark and General Ross hinted that Ross was somehow involved in the set up of the Avengers team. Will this be addressed in the film? I doubt it as I’m beginning to feel Marvel is slowly removing The Incredible Hulk from their continuity.

Hopefully the absence of any important supporting characters will be addressed intelligently, as this is where Marvel’s connected universe will really begin to pay off. For instant I don’t want to see Thor return to Earth with no mention of Jane Foster, nor do I want Tony Stark in combat without acknowledging War Machine’s absence. Hopefully Josh Whedon will pay attention to detail and Marvel will surely pull of something phenomenal that sets new standards for comic book movies.

2011
06/23
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS























1 comment

DC Characters We Will Never See As Movies

Green-arrow sig

Image via Wikipedia

The summer comic book movie season started off with a hammering bang. Thor was superb, offering cinema audiences a slightly different superhero movie to what they’re used too, but still managing to be dramatic, compelling and fun. X-Men: First Class was dramatic, intelligent, and filled with youthful energy. The pressure was on for DC’s Martin Campbell‘s directed Green Lantern, and did it deliver? No. The movie was universally panned by critics and now faces a struggle to avoid becoming a box office disaster. With Warner Bros putting such high hopes on Green lantern for it to instantly fail, the ramifications will undoubtedly halt future DC movies for B-List characters. But which ones?

The Flash

The adventures of DC’s Scarlett Speedster would undoubtedly have been DC’s next superhero film in line. With a huge comic book fan base, The Flash could have easily translated well to the big screen. Whether the film followed the origin of the always late Barry Allen, or the story of his nephew Wally West, it was a certainty that the film would be announced after the success of Green Lantern. With Hal Jordan not causing much of a storm at the box office, the film starring the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong struggling will undoubtedly have Warner Bros pushing the panic button on their smaller franchises, meaning we probably won’t see a Flash movie any time soon. It is however the most likely character to avoid the fall out of the Green Lantern movie.

Wonder Woman

This will undoubtedly be the certain casualty of the fall out of Green Lantern’s failure. With Joss Whedon the only likely candidate to successfully helm the Wonder Woman film and get results busy on Avengers business, the Amazon Princess will likely stay in development hell for the mean time.

Aquaman

Lampooned by comic book fans as the ‘useless’ hero who talks to sea animals, the cinematic potential for Aquaman likes much deeper. Aquaman could have been an underwater epic, to rival the likes of Avatar. The story could have followed a young Arthur Curry as his human father raised him in the under water city of Atlantis, where Curry develops healing powers along with other powers suited to his aquatic surroundings. What also makes this film standout is that of all the superhero movies getting the 3-D treatment, this was probably the film that could have benefited from it most. If Green Lantern can’t strike cinematic gold, there’s no chance of seeing Aquaman on cinema screens, unless a director such as James Cameron or Steven Spielberg gets behind it.

So these are the main DC films that will probably never see the light of day. There are tons of other DC properties that could have benefited from films, such as Green Arrow, Black Canary, Atom and Hawkman, but these certainly won’t be made if the big three I mentioned can’t escape development hell. Also to take into account, is that Warner Bros are behind the upcoming DC comics reboot, as they wish to start turning a profit on comics books, meaning money saving now seems to be on their agenda.

They do certainly not seem like the type of company to give us a Martian Manhunter film anyway.

2011
06/20
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS

















2 comments

Are Comic Book Movies Dying Instead of Thriving?

Green Lantern's Light

Image by JD Hancock via Flickr

June has marked the release of one of the year’s most critically panned movie. No I’m not talking about the mediocre movie The Hangover Part II. I’m not talking about the brilliant X-Men: First Class. As much as it pains me to say it, Martin Campbell‘s Green Lantern may become the worst disaster for comic book movies since the likes of The Fantastic 4 hit cinemas. And it was all going so well this year…

As I’ve mentioned before about the likes of Thor and X-Men: First Class, comic book movies have needed to drastically improve in order to survive at the box office. Throwing a special effects extravaganza at audiences just doesn’t cut it anymore. Movies need to develop interesting characters, and generate a good story before worrying about spectacular special effects. That’s where comic book movies are struggling. With so much choice now for comic book movies, the films can’t afford to be lazy. Thor told a great father-son story, First Class added some historical gravitas to a superhero story whilst Green Lantern fails on just about every level…

Terrible plot holes, bad pacing, boring characters (unlike the comic book versions) and a bland story keeps Green Lantern’s feet firmly on the ground. It’s also an example of how a generic ‘popcorn’ superhero movie just doesn’t cut it with critics and fans alike. If Green Lantern bombs, DC will probably shy away from moving forward with projects such as The Flash and Wonder Woman. This could cause serious ramifications for comic book movies because; Marvel’s on screen catalogue of comic book characters will eventually run dry. With no alternative to go to, fans will inevitably get bored of Marvel throwing every B-List character under the sun at them. The same goes for DC’s Batman and Superman franchises. They will eventually run dry and DC will have nothing left to offer.

That’s what’s most disappointing about the Green Lantern movie. There was so much riding on it, and despite having Green Lantern wiz Geoff Johns behind the scenes; the movie has killed off all momentum for DC. Yes they have The Dark Knight Rises coming next year, but considering that’s up against Marvel’s Avengers, don’t expect it to reach the heights of The Dark Knight.

If the genre is dying, every upcoming comic book movie needs to be unique. The initial awesomeness of seeing Marvel’s finest united on screen will undoubtedly hold off bad reviews, but other projects such as Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman might not be so fortunate unless they give the characters and the story proper attention. It’s time studios take these movies seriously. From the moment the initial GL trailer hit the net and viewers were treated to a classic Ryan Reynolds ‘I KNOW RIGHT’ scene, it was clear Warner Bros weren’t treating GL seriously. And that’s why the genre is struggling. It needs more X-Men: First Class, less Van Wilder in space.

2012 will be make or break for the comic book movie genre…

2011
06/17
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS



























12 comments

No More Justice League Movie?

Blackest Night iPhone wallpaper

Comic book movies are at an all time high. Every Marvel Comics character from Luke Cage to Daredevil seems to have their own cinematic franchise, or at least have a movie in development. DC has so far lagged behind Marvel when it comes to making their characters come to life on screen.

Whilst Marvel have been whopping out properties such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor and The X-Men in recent summers, DC have rarely ventured beyond the likes of Superman and Batman. Whilst these two properties usually equal cinematic gold, DC’s lesser-known properties such as Jonah Hex, Swamp Thing and Catwoman have all been met with universal panning. Will DC’s cinematic slump change forever when one of their most popular B-list characters, the Green Lantern, hits cinemas in just two days time?

If early reviews are to go by then The Green Lantern is set to be the summer’s first major blockbuster casualty. Major outlets such as Empire Online, Total Film and Digital Spy have all given the film negative reviews. With major critical panning only two days before release, and only a 31% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes, things aren’t looking good for Hal Jordan and The Corps. What will the repercussions be though if Green Lantern bombs this summer?

1) No More Sequels.

If audiences don’t flock and see a film that cost an estimated $150,000,000 to make, chances are Warner Bros will drop their losses and not risk producing another mega budget box office flop. Especially since Harry Potter is set to break box office records this summer, whilst safe-card properties such as The Dark Knight Rises and Superman: Man of Steel hit screens next year. It will be a great shame if Green Lantern flops, as rumour suggests the film was heavily setting up a sequel, which may now never see the light of day.

2) No DC cinematic universe

Considering how high the budget was for this film, I don’t expect DC to venture into other B-list properties if Green Lantern flops. What also suggests DC might just stick to the likes of Superman and Batman, is the recent cancellation of the Wonder Woman television series. Whilst I’m happy to see more Batman and Superman films, I can’t help but wish for the likes of The Flash, Green Arrow and Aquaman to one day hit cinema screens.

Do you think Green Lantern is doomed? Are you bothered that we may never see The Flash or Wonder Woman in film? Please leave your comments below and let me know what properties you’re hoping to see after Green Lantern.

2011
06/15
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS


























Leave a comment

What’s Next For Batman in Film?

Batman: Battle for the Cowl

Image via Wikipedia

Next year Christopher Nolan will bring an end to what promises to be the greatest superhero movie trilogy of all time. The man behind Batman’s on screen resurrection has constantly assured fans that The Dark Knight Rises will be his last outing as director of the bat franchise. Whilst I’m sure Batman’s on screen future depends on the success of Marvel’s Avengers, as DC will look to get the ball rolling for their own Justice League movie, I’m not so sure a Batman reboot it the way forward for the Caped Crusader.

After all, how do you top a franchise, which has arguably set the standard for comic book movies? Reboots like The Amazing Spider-Man and Superman: Man of Steel I understand, but rebooting a franchise of such high quality that still oozes potential makes little sense to me. If Batman isn’t going to be played by Christian Bale in the next bat flick I’m not interested. Enter Dick Grayson.

I’ve already done a post on how Robin could factor into The Dark Knight Rises, but I doubt that’s going to happen given filming is underway and there’s no sign of any casting for the Boy Wonder. That doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of seeing Dick Grayson is some film capacity in the near future. I suggest going the Kick-Ass route with a teenage Grayson, and have him decide to fight crime on his own, inspiring to be like the caped crusader. I doubt Batman’s antics in the third film are likely to end crime in Gotham forever, so the city will be in need for a new hero.

Grayson is not like Batman though. Unlike Bruce, Dick did not feel responsible for his family’s death. Whilst he wanted to avenge them, Dick has never quite the amount of anger Bruce had in his early years. If Grayson were to get his own film, his circus life and the death of his family would need to be dealt with early on. This way the rest of the film can be spent building up Grayson’s character, as he attempts to mimic the actions set by Batman from the first three films. To make the character flawed and realistic, the film should showcase how Dick struggles to mimic the fighting style of the Dark Knight. After all, Bruce spent time training overseas to prepare him for his life fighting crime. To have Grayson become an expert crime fighter on his own would be unrealistic. Dick would need to develop his own fighting style suited to his past as an acrobat. Watching him develop his own style would be much more interesting and fluid considering how botched the cinematography was in Batman’s movie fight scenes.

What’s most important is that the character should not be looking for revenge; he should be looking for justice. If cinema is not ready to have Wayne and Grayson together in a film, then Dick should base his morals on the crime fighter he read and heard about. It’s a much more modern take on the sidekick role. Also the character’s costume should be a lot more amateur, with no cape. He is only an orphaned teenager after all. Lastly this is not a film about Robin, the Boy Wonder. Hearing the name Robin in cinema would likely bare a stigma from the famously flawed Batman & Robin film. Grayson should go through the film nameless until he catches the attention of Gotham’s police force that refer to him as The Nightwing.

So there’s my method how the Batman franchise should be continued. Would you prefer a Batman reboot after the last film hits cinemas next year? As always leave your comments below and let me know where you think the Batman franchise is heading.

2011
06/13
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Comic Book Movies
TAGS



















2 comments