Superhero Movies From October 2018 Onward (3)

For reviews of older superhero movies click here and here.  It felt like time to get rid of the "baggage" those older entries carried, so I'm starting again from October 2018's Venom.

Superhero Moves On The Way

Wonder Woman 1984 (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, June 5, 2020 in the States)

Birds of Prey (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, February 7, 2020 in the States)

Joker (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, October 4, 2019 in the States)

The New Mutants (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, August 2, 2019 in the States)

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, July 5, 2019 in the States)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Comes Out in Taiwan June 7, 2019)

Avengers: Endgame (Comes Out in Taiwan April 26, 2019)

Hellboy (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, April 12, 2019 in the States)

Shazam! (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, April 5, 2019 in the States)

Captain Marvel (Comes Out in Taiwan March 6, 2019)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

What I Liked: Everything.  In my opinion this movie's awesome from start to finish.  The characters, the plot, the animation, the soundtrack, all of it's great.  I suppose it depends on how it does financially, but Spider-Verse could be a real game-changer for CBMs.

For me the best part of the film was the Bill Sienkiewicz-inspired sequence halfway through.  I've been a huge fan of that guy for years, and seeing his art animated almost brought tears to my eyes.  That version of the Kingpin?  That's all Bill Sienkiewicz.

What I Didn't Like: Small complaint: no Spider-Woman.  I've always liked Spider-Woman more than Spider-Man, and it would've been wonderful to see Jessica Drew (finally) show up in this movie.

Future/Sequels: There's talk that Spider-Woman could feature in the sequel alongside Spider-Gwen and Silk, but such plans are tentative of course.  It's entirely possible that a sequel would feature Spider-Man 2099 instead.

Aquaman

What I Liked: Atlantis looks cool.  Amber Heard is easy on the eyes.  The battle in the end - aside from a ridiculous pause in the action for a predictably romantic moment - looks amazing.

What I Didn't Like: Weird moments of exposition.  Instead of showing the audience what's happening/has happened, the characters in this movie often feel the need to stop whatever they're doing and explain things.  The only part of this movie where the action flows seamlessly is when Aquaman and Black Manta have their big showdown halfway through.

The part in the beginning about Aquaman's parents could have been removed entirely.  It adds absolutely nothing to the story, and starting the movie from the adult Aquaman's first appearance would have made a lot more sense.

This movie gets dumber as it goes along.  By the end I was laughing at certain scenes and bits of dialogue, and I wasn't the only one.  And before someone chimes in with "at least it doesn't take itself so seriously," let's remember there's a difference between laughing WITH a movie and laughing AT a movie.

The small ray of hope being that it's not as terrible as Justice League.  Not that this is saying much.

Future/Sequels: Shazam!, also set in the DCEU, will be out in a few months.  After that it's a long wait until Wonder Woman 1984.  Aquaman 2?  It's kind of early to tell, but the movie's been doing well in China, and those wanting a completely brainless superhero romp will be all over this one.

Venom

What I Liked: After a really clunky beginning there are some great action sequences.  Everything after Venom shows up is much better than the 15 minutes that try (and fail) to set up the story.  The fight between Venom and Riot near the end is very good.

What I Didn't Like: That beginning part.  It feels like they weren't sure what kind of movie they were making.  Horror?  Action?  Science fiction?  Going more for the "body horror" elements would have improved the film, and the spaceship/alien invasion subplot could have been dispensed with altogether.

As clunky as the beginning is, the dialogue throughout the movie is by far the worst part.  None of the actors seem at ease with what they're saying, and a couple of lines are unintentionally hilarious.

Future/Sequels: There are plans for a sequel with Woody Harrelson's Carnage in a bigger role.  I think that after setting up the general premise, a sequel is bound to be better.  Harrelson would also make a great villain.  Last I heard, Sony's next comic-based movie will be Morbius the Living Vampire, with Jared Leto as Morbius.  There may be some crossover between Venom and Morbius.

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Superhero Movies From October 2018 Onward (2)

For reviews of older superhero movies click here and here.  It felt like time to get rid of the "baggage" those older entries carried, so I'm starting again from October 2018's Venom.

Aquaman

What I Liked: Atlantis looks cool.  Amber Heard is easy on the eyes.  The battle in the end - aside from a ridiculous pause in the action for a predictably romantic moment - looks amazing.

What I Didn't Like: Weird moments of exposition.  Instead of showing the audience what's happening/has happened, the characters in this movie often feel the need to stop whatever they're doing and explain things.  The only part of this movie where the action flows seamlessly is when Aquaman and Black Manta have their big showdown halfway through.

The part in the beginning about Aquaman's parents could have been removed entirely.  It adds absolutely nothing to the story, and starting the movie from the adult Aquaman's first appearance would have made a lot more sense.

This movie gets dumber as it goes along.  By the end I was laughing at certain scenes and bits of dialogue, and I wasn't the only one.  And before someone chimes in with "at least it doesn't take itself so seriously," let's remember there's a difference between laughing WITH a movie and laughing AT a movie.

The small ray of hope being that it's not as terrible as Justice League.  Not that this is saying much.

Future/Sequels: Shazam!, also set in the DCEU, will be out in a few months.  After that it's a long wait until Wonder Woman 1984.  Aquaman 2?  It's kind of early to tell, but the movie's been doing well in China, and those wanting a completely brainless superhero romp will be all over this one.

Venom

What I Liked: After a really clunky beginning there are some great action sequences.  Everything after Venom shows up is much better than the 15 minutes that try (and fail) to set up the story.  The fight between Venom and Riot near the end is very good.

What I Didn't Like: That beginning part.  It feels like they weren't sure what kind of movie they were making.  Horror?  Action?  Science fiction?  Going more for the "body horror" elements would have improved the film, and the spaceship/alien invasion subplot could have been dispensed with altogether.

As clunky as the beginning is, the dialogue throughout the movie is by far the worst part.  None of the actors seem at ease with what they're saying, and a couple of lines are unintentionally hilarious.

Future/Sequels: There are plans for a sequel with Woody Harrelson's Carnage in a bigger role.  I think that after setting up the general premise, a sequel is bound to be better.  Harrelson would also make a great villain.  Last I heard, Sony's next comic-based movie will be Morbius the Living Vampire, with Jared Leto as Morbius.  There may be some crossover between Venom and Morbius.

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Some Other Movies From 2011
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Some Other Movies From 2015

A Review of Every DC Movie from 2005 to the Present (Revised as of November 16, 2017)

With various DC movies in various stages of production, I've decided to shorten this list.  It begins with Batman Begins.  For still older movies (and yes, I've seen them all!), look here.

****	Excellent!  Had to see it twice!
***	Good movie with a few flaws.
**	Not bad, but not great.
*	I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]	Just terrible.
@	So bad it’s kind of good.

2000s

18. Batman Begins (2005) ****

Hell yes.  This was a movie Batman as we always wanted to see him.  Not the neurotic guy with all the gadgets, but the kind of guy who could kick your ass.  The scarecrow is awesome here.

19. V for Vendetta (2005) ***

Great film, made by the Wachowskis of Matrix fame.  Hugo Weaving is fantastic, and even if they dumbed down the source material it's still worth your time.

20. Superman Returns (2006) **

Not as bad as some people make it out to be.  Yeah, Superman does come off as a stalker, and I don't know why they had to do so many of his flying scenes in CGI, but the part where Kevin Spacey and co. deliver a beatdown is excellent.

21. The Dark Knight (2008) ****

Still hands-down the best superhero movie ever made.  And yes, I liked The Avengers.  The plot is complex, the performances are amazing, and the direction is first-rate.  How could Nolan have ever topped this one?

22. The Spirit (2008)

Fuck this movie is bad.  I saw Sin City so many times I had the lines memorized, and with The Spirit I was hoping for something similarly classic.  Unfortunately Frank Miller isn't quite as good in the absence of Robert Rodriguez.

23. Watchmen (2009) ***

Two problems with this movie: the actors are too pretty, and way too much kung fu fighting.  Aside from these two problems, it is faithful to the comic book and works on many levels. Snyder might have bungled Sucker Punch, but this movie gave me hope for Man of Steel.

2010s

24. Jonah Hex (2010) *

Josh Brolin stars as an ex-confederate soldier who can talk to dead people.  John Malkovich is the villain.  It was almost a good movie, but the soundtrack ruins the better moments and it gets pretty corny near the end.

25. Green Lantern (2011)

This movie had everything going for it.  I'm not even a big fan of Green Lantern, but when I heard about the director and the cast I got really excited.  Unfortunately the road to Green Lantern is paved with good intentions.

26. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) **

This movie bored me.  It's over three hours long, and Bane is unintentionally hilarious at times.  Anne Hathaway makes a great Catwoman, but that's all I can say in favor of this film.

27. Man of Steel (2013) **

Half of a great movie, and half of a Michael Bay movie.  It starts out well, even though some of the details surrounding Krypton don't bear thinking about.  Henry Cavill is a great Superman, but Zack Snyder was trying too hard to please too large an audience.

28. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ***1/2

I don't care what the critics say - this is a great f*&king movie.  I was unimpressed by Man of Steel - but this?  This was the one I'd been waiting for.  Probably a bit slow - or even too dark - for some, but I loved it.  An extra 1/2 star for the Ultimate Edition, which improves upon the theatrical cut.  This is DC done well.

29. Suicide Squad (2016)*

I was disappointed by this movie.  There is WAY too much backstory and many of the characters are underdeveloped.  Harley Quinn seems entirely too sane to have earned her reputation, and as a character Deadshot is unconvincing.  Joel Kinnaman does a valiant job of keeping the whole thing together, Viola Davis and Jared Leto give memorable (if brief) performances, but there's just not enough script to hang a whole movie on.

30. Wonder Woman (2017)**

The Good News: 1) It's better than Suicide Squad, and 2) Gal Gadot is a good enough actress to carry this movie.  The Bad News: 1) There are moments where this movie stops dead in its tracks, 2) the villain is completely undeveloped, and 3) parts of this movie bear an unfortunate resemblance to Captain America: the First Avenger.  The best bits are those in which the characters reflect on the differences between our world and Diana's.  I'm sad to say, however, that these moments are sandwiched between two halves of an action movie that doesn't quite work.

31. Justice League (2017)**

I would put it above Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Man of Steel.  It will at times remind you a lot of the Avengers, but certain similarities were unavoidable given both the superhero team-up format and the fact that Joss Whedon was involved.  I'd like to see Aquaman further developed in his solo film, and I'm still waiting for that Flashpoint film.  Definitely worth seeing, though I doubt it will rock your world.

On the Way  

NOTE: There are a TON of DC movies in various stages of development, but Warner Bros. plans change often and their statements regarding these projects are often contradictory.  What's listed below is what's listed on the Wikipedia article for the DCEU.

33. Aquaman (2018)

Jason Momoa stars as Aquaman, with Patrick Wilson appearing as his brother Orm, the Ocean Master.  With director James Wan at the helm I (and a lot of other people) have a lot of confidence in this movie, though it will be a long wait until December of next year.

34. Shazam (2018)

David F. Sandberg is directing, with Zachary Levi (Fandral in Thor: the Dark World) starring as the World's Mightiest Mortal.  At the time of writing Mark Strong is in negotiations to play the villain, Dr. Sivana.  I think it has the potential to be a really fun film, but we'll have to see how it all plays out closer to the release date.

35. Wonder Woman 2 (2019)

After the thundering success of the first Wonder Woman this sequel was an inevitability.  It's taking over Justice League 2's release date, with all the important people returning for this second round of Amazonian goodness.  Setting this film in the modern day will be a welcome change.

36. Cyborg (2020)

Ray Fisher will reprise his role as Cyborg, though little else is known about this movie.  I'm hoping that in the sequel they can dispense with some of the cgi in favor of practical effects.  I doubt, however, that this will happen.  Tackling some of the character's psychological aspects might make for an interesting movie, but an action blockbuster will probably be the order of the day.

37. Green Lantern Corps (2020)

This movie's been announced, and Warner Bros. seems firm on the release date, but aside from that it's a mystery.  Some Green Lanterns appear in one of the flashback scenes in Justice League, so at least we have some idea what they might look like.

38. Other Projects That May or May Not Ever Get Made

Batgirl, The Batman, Flashpoint, Nightwing, Lobo, Man of Steel 2, and a bunch of other movies might get made, but at this point who really knows?  I mention six movies by name because they seem the most likely to end up in local multiplex...  BUT with the reception awaiting Justice League uncertain, we'll just have to wait and see.  A Flashpoint movie is particularly dependent on how Justice League does at the box office.

Justice League!

Holy Jesus!  Justice League came out today!  Is it really in theaters now?  Have I really seen it?  Or was it all a dream?

1. One Paragraph Summation of the DCEU Thus Far:

In the Beginning, Superman's dad saves Superman (and Krypton's DNA thingy) from Michael Shannon by shooting his infant son to Earth in a shoddily constructed rocket.  Superman grows up - rather sulkily - and after months in the gym and experiments with weight gain powders he finds out about his dad just as Michael Shannon arrives on Earth looking for that DNA thingy.  THEN SH*T GETS REAL.  Fighting, fighting, fighting.  Punching, punching, punching.  Cities are destroyed, Michael Shannon is killed - yay?  All is right with the world, except for the fact that broody Superman has unwittingly killed all those people who weren't Zod.  Then Batman shows up, tries to kill Superman, but forgets about the whole thing because of either the oft-reiterated "Martha" episode or because a giant supermonster created by Lex Luthor is about to destroy civilization as we know it.  With Wonder Woman's help, Batman and Superman kill the supermonster, but only after Superman has sacrificed his life for the sake of furthering his image as a latter-day Jesus.  Meanwhile, in a city whose name I'm either forgetting or repressing, a team of supercriminals band together to stop an ancient Central American demon - or something - all the while eluding Gangsta Joker's attempts to get his girlfriend back.  But wait!  Before all of THAT happens there's this island of stunningly beautiful women in the Mediterranean, and one of them goes to Europe to make World War One slightly less unpleasant.  And hurray!  She lives over a hundred years, long enough to help out Batman and Superman with that whole supermonster problem.  Thus leading to... JUSTICE LEAGUE, MOTHERF**KERS!!!

2. Thoughts on Individual Characters Before Actually Seeing the Movie

    2a. Superman

You know he's not really dead, right?  Like Jesus, he's coming back on the third day, or at least his third film.  One imagines that he'll be less broody this time, because four out of five people polled have requested that the next Superman be "less broody."  Messianic?  Sure.  But not broody!

    2b. Batman

I get why Affleck is cagey about how long he wants to play Batman.  He put his heart and soul into Batman v. Superman, and the critical reactions to that movie were probably hard to take.  Even so I think he's the best Batman ever, and hopefully his attitude will change if Justice League is better received.

    2c. Wonder Woman

I have no problem with Gal Gadot being Wonder Woman, even if I was underwhelmed by her first solo outing.  She's beautiful, she can act, and she was convincing in fight scenes.  I just wish they'd complicate her backstory a bit.  It would make the character more compelling.

    2d. Aquaman

Hate the costume, but Momoa can certainly carry a movie.  With all the great Aquaman costumes we've seen over the years, I don't know why they went with that green/gold thing.

    2e. The Flash

Hate the costume even more.  What's with this "armored Flash" thing they're doing?  The Flash has one of the most screen-ready costumes ever, and it would require little tweaking to make it look good in a movie.  I think Ezra Miller will make a good Flash, I just wish he looked less like a character from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

    2f. Cyborg (a.k.a. "the black guy")

I've been deliberately avoiding the latest trailers, but hopefully they improved the cgi used for Cyborg.  In the earliest trailers he looked amazingly fake.  And why do him in cgi anyway?  They've been doing live-action cyborg characters since 1987's Robocop.

    2g. Green Lantern?

Odds are he'll (she'll?) show up, even though I'd much prefer a look at Captain Marvel (a.k.a. Shazam).  I've never liked Green Lantern.  His/their powers are stupid, and even though Hal Jordan was kind of cool as Parallax, I wish they'd leave the Green Lantern Corps out of the DCEU.

    2h. Steppenwolf (a.k.a. "the bad guy")

He looks somewhat retarded in the trailers, but he's not much worse than Ares from Wonder Woman or Enchantress's brother from Suicide Squad.  Having Steppenwolf as the bad guy was a strange choice, but perhaps it'll make sense in the film.

3. Thoughts on the Director(s) of This Movie

I like Zack Snyder.  I think he's a great director when he has a good script to work from.  He obviously slaved over Batman v. Superman, and I don't think he deserved the knee-jerk reactions that movie engendered from Marvel drones.  If he directs the Justice League sequel I'm fine with that.

Joss Whedon, the guy called in for reshoots, is keeping a low profile after allegations of sexual harassment.  For the record I liked (didn't love) The Avengers, and (to a lesser extent) Age of Ultron.  Hopefully he didn't make Justice League too jokey.

4. I Just Saw the Movie!  What Did I Think?

     4a. The Story

In the wake of Superman's death, Steppenwolf arrives on Earth, trying to bring the three mother boxes together so he can turn our world into a mirror of his own.  In order to stop him, Batman assembles a team consisting of Wonder Woman, the Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, and a resurrected Superman to do battle with this otherworldly threat.  After Steppenwolf unites the three mother boxes somewhere in Russia, the Justice League battles and ultimately defeats him.  The movie closes with Batman, Alfred, and Wonder Woman surveying a possible "Hall of Justice" where they'll meet in the future.

Mid-Credits Scene: The Flash and Superman begin a race to see who's faster.

Post-Credits Scene: After escaping prison, Lex Luthor meets Deathstroke to discuss forming "a league of our own."

     4b. My Reaction

First off, relax.  It's actually pretty good.  Not an instant classic by any means, but a solidly put together action movie that only drags a little bit near the middle.  Whedon's touches are fairly obvious, in particular a scene in their headquarters that brings the first Avengers to mind.

My major complaint about this movie is Steppenwolf.  He's about as forgettable as Ares from Wonder Woman, and he looks VERY stupid.  As villains go he's about as generic as they come.

The story's fairly solid and the characters' actions seem consistent with their personalities.  The tone shifts slightly after Wonder Woman talks with Batman at the lake - almost as if Whedon jumped in at that point, saying, "Alright, now it's MY turn!"  One wonders what Zack Snyder and writer Chris Terrio might have done in the absence of Joss Whedon, but such speculations will, I imagine, lead nowhere.

The Flash is my favorite character in this film.  As for the rest, they're either playing upon developments in previous movies or they weren't given enough screen time to be as interesting.  Jason Momoa is a good Aquaman - he just isn't in as much of this movie.

5. Looking Further Ahead...

It will be a LONG wait for the next DCEU movie, December 2018's Aquaman.  In April 2019 we'll finally get a look at Shazam, and during November of that same year Wonder Woman 2 will hit theaters.  Cyborg and The Green Lantern Corps are still on the schedule for 2020, but very few names are attached to either project.  The fate of films like Flashpoint and Man of Steel 2 is even less certain, though I'm sure that if Justice League is a big success they'll move into production sometime soon.  

I know fans find it frustrating, but I think Warner Bros. is smart not to announce too many movies in advance, and to have pulled back from their ambitious plans a bit.  After the likes of Justice League and this summer's Infinity War, the public might well begin to turn away from the big superhero franchises.  Being tentative is smart.

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How to Make the DC Cinematic Universe Not Lame

"Dark and gritty."  

This seems to be how Warner Bros. is conceptualizing its DC properties.  But is dark and gritty really necessary?  I realize that dark and gritty is a way of setting DC films apart from Marvel films, and Nolan's Batman trilogy was undoubtedly darker and grittier than anything Marvel, Sony, or Fox have yet done, but Marvel has also done dark and gritty.  

The part in the first Iron Man where he's held prisoner in the cave?  Dark and gritty.  The part in Winter Soldier where Nick Fury almost gets killed?  Also dark and gritty.  Marvel is just as capable of getting dark and gritty, but they realize that dark and gritty gets old after a while.  It's an easy fit for Batman, but not such an easy fit for Kryptonians, or guys running around in red and yellow tights.

We'll see if Warner Bros. can get past dark and gritty.  I certainly hope so, because if all that sets DC films apart from Marvel films is dark and gritty, then we're going to see those DC films fail.  Setting the right tone for a film (or a cinematic universe) is important, but it's not everything.  Dynamics are also important.  A bit of humor is important.  Superheroes that don't always take themselves seriously is important.  Batman does dark and gritty well.  But Shazam?  Green Lantern?  Not so well at all.

With this in mind I offer my thoughts on the proposed additions to DC's cinematic universe.  Here's hoping that they don't suck.

March 2016: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Marks Against It: I never had a big problem with Ben Affleck as Batman, though I would have preferred Josh Brolin.  Josh Brolin could have easily played the kind of Batman they're striving for, and he's a great actor besides.  One persistent criticism of this movie (which we have yet to see!) is that it might be overkill to introduce Batman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg in one movie.  I tend to agree with this point of view, though maybe they can overcome this obstacle.

How to Make it Not Lame: My feeling is that this movie will be good, but not great.  It will probably get bogged down in its own subplots, especially since they're trying to introduce Lex Luthor and Metallo at the same time.  If it's great it will set the stage for the DC Cinematic Universe in the same way those Marvel post-credits set up the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if it's only good it will probably burden the entire enterprise with unanswered questions and unsatisfied desires.

I'm hoping they focus at least 90% of the movie on the relationship between Batman and Superman.  This is the plot point that really needs to be "sold," and this is also a crucial relationship within the DC Universe.  I'm hoping they limit the involvement of Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, and the other characters.  Man of Steel should have been a much simpler, more focused film, and hopefully Zack Snyder has learned a thing or two since then.

August 2016: Suicide Squad

Marks Against It: I can't think of any so far.  I actually think this is a fantastic idea for a movie, and far different from anything Marvel has attempted.  If you're not familiar with the Suicide Squad, they are a group of supervillains coerced into serving the government.

David Ayer has been linked to the project, and in my opinion he is the perfect choice for a movie like this.  In the case of Suicide Squad, dark and gritty is necessary, and movies such as End of Watch, Training Day, and the underrated Dark Blue are all movies that capitalize on dark and gritty.

How to Make it Not Lame: Bring out the big guns.  I'm not talking about Deadshot here, but about the real star supervillains of the DC universe.  Put Joker on the team.  Put the Reverse-Flash on the team!  Anticipating villains from future DC films would be an even bigger draw.  DC has always had more interesting villains than Marvel, and there is a lot of material to draw from. 

July 2017: Wonder Woman

Marks Against It: Gal Gadot.  She looks nothing like Wonder Woman.  Call me sexist if you will, but really.  She looks nothing like Wonder Woman.  We need a woman who really looks like an Amazon.  We need a woman with curves.  Wonder Woman has always been about sex and gender, and that part of the character needs to be embraced.

To further confuse the issue, Warner Bros. is apparently going with the New 52 backstory, which largely eliminates Paradise Island and the Amazons.  This seems like such a shame to me.  The contrasts between Wonder Woman, "Man's World," and the Amazons could have made a very compelling movie.

How to Make it Not Lame: Recast.  I really don't care what kind of actress she is.  You wouldn't cast Robert Downey Jr. as Thor, would you?  Bringing the battle of the sexes into a Wonder Woman movie would also be important.  Wonder Woman works best when she is challenging male ideas of what women can do.  Her sex appeal is also part of the character.

November 2017: Justice League Part 1

Marks against it: Zack Snyder is directing.  I liked Watchmen, but this guy is starting to irritate me.  Also, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.  No.  Just no.

How to Make it Not Lame: This one's a tall order.  By the time this film gets released, we will have seen TWO Avengers films, not to mention a boatload of X-men films, one of which features Apocalypse.  Finding an original threat for DC's superfriends to face is going to be difficult, especially since Marvel has largely co-opted Darkseid in the form of Thanos (a Darkseid clone).

Recent rumors suggest that Braniac will be the villain.  If so, this is unfortunate, because Braniac is going to come off as an Ultron clone, even though Braniac predates Ultron by over a decade.

One idea worth exploring is the multiverse-type storyline that DC has always done better than Marvel.  Give us a window into different universes, and even different versions of established characters.  This is something Marvel hasn't attempted yet, and moreover something that might lead to a lot of interesting contrasts between universes.

March 2018: The Flash

Marks Against It: This movie is still far away from production, but one drawback might be the Flash TV show, which features one of the worst Flash costumes ever.  If that show continues until 2018, then a Flash film might have trouble forging its own identity.

Super speed has also been done before.  We've already seen Quicksilver in X-men: Days of Future Past, and we'll see him again in Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Yes, Quicksilver started out as a Flash clone, but it's going to be hard to erase those two characters from the public consciousness.

How to Make it Not Lame: Make Flash more godlike than either version of Quicksilver.  Make him equal (or even superior) to Superman.  There is really no way to explain the Flash's powers in the absence of super strength, so throw physics out the window.  His powers CAN'T be explained, so don't bother.  His only really interesting foe is Professor Zoom/The Reverse-Flash, so use him from the start.

Also, get the costume right.  That costume in the TV show is just BAD.

July 2018: Aquaman

Marks Against It: I've heard people groan about this one, but I think Aquaman could be a winner for DC.  Marvel Studios has yet to do anything with Namor, and Aquaman has a somewhat volatile personality as well.  Volatile personalities always make for more interesting movies.

Jason Momoa has also been cast as Aquaman, and I think he's a great choice.

How to Make it Not Lame: Push the ecological angle.  And no talking to fish.  Make him an environmental crusader, opposed to the damage mankind has inflicted upon the oceans.  Pitting him against an industrial magnate like Bruce Wayne would also provide a compelling conflict within the ranks of the Justice League.

April 2019: Shazam

Marks Against It: "Dark and gritty" and Shazam don't go well together.  Making this movie more kid friendly would be the easiest route to take, and is in line with roles that Dwayne Johnson (already cast as Black Adam) has done before.  Billy Batson and the element of wish fulfillment make Shazam a potentially more interesting character, but people are probably going to expect something more "adult" from DC.

How to Make it Not Lame: Make it a period film.  Yes, this has already been done for Captain America, but I think Shazam was only really interesting when he was fighting Nazis, alongside the rest of the Marvel Family.

June 2019: Justice League Part 2

Marks Against It: None.  I'm sure I'll have some reservations after I've seen Justice League Part 1.

How to Make it Not Lame: 2019 is a long way away from now, and by the time this hits theaters we might have already seen Avengers 3, which might even get released alongside Avengers 4.  By then the idea of a super team will be old hat, and a new set of tropes will either have to be acknowledged or overcome.

April 2020: Cyborg

Marks Against It: Deathlok has been done in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Not that it matters all that much.

How to Make it Not Lame: The "is-it-a-machine-that-thinks-it's-a-man-or-a-man-who-thinks-he's-a-machine" angle from the Robocop remake could be explored, especially since it was wasted on that movie.  Cyborg has always been a bit player in the DC universe, and this lack of visibility could either be the movie's downfall or its salvation.  Hopefully it won't bring to mind the movie version of Steel.

June 2020: Green Lantern

Marks Against It: I'm sorry but Green Lantern is just a lame superhero.  He has a ring that can basically do anything.  Where do you go with that?

How to Make it Not Lame: A more compelling adversary for a start.  It would also be good to see the existing cinematic version of Green Lantern, and then do everything opposite.

I'm assuming this will be a reboot of the character.  If so, perhaps they'll give his ring some kind of convincing limitation.  The Hal Jordan seen in DC's New Frontier might be a good place to start.

The DC Cinematic Universe - Updated!!

Warner Bros. has finally announced their slate of DC films up until 2020.  These films are:

March 2016: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
August 2016: Suicide Squad
July 2017: Wonder Woman
November 2017: Justice League Part 1
March 2018: The Flash
July 2018: Aquaman
April 2019: Shazam
June 2019: Justice League Part 2
April 2020: Cyborg
June 2020: Green Lantern

In addition, the studio has also announced plans for stand-alone Batman and Superman films, which will (presumably) be released within this time frame.  This would mean the release of at least two DC films a year.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this development.  None of this is set in stone of course.  Release dates can be changed.  Projects can be shelved.  But in announcing these films, Warner Bros. is also announcing its commitment to the characters, and to building a cinematic universe around them.

The first of these films, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is still filming now.  Despite intimations of other characters in Man of Steel, this will be the movie to introduce the idea of an interconnected cinematic universe.  As nearly everyone on the planet knows, Ben Affleck will star as Batman, and Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman.  Gal Gadot will also appear as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, and other actors may also appear as other well known superheroes.

Much less is known about Suicide Squad, the following film.  David Ayer is attached to direct, and this alone is cause for excitement.  I'm sure we'll see Deadshot in this movie, though the rest of the roster is anybody's guess.  This movie could be a huge success for Warner Bros., especially if they choose more recognizable villains.

As for the rest of these films, we'll just have to wait and see.  Justice League Part 1 is reportedly filming back to back with Batman v. Superman, so details of that film will certainly surface soon.  Production on the other films hasn't even started yet.  If nothing else, I'll be overjoyed to finally see a Flash movie.  A movie centered around this character has been long overdue, and I'm glad that Warner Bros. is finally taking a step in that direction.

Comic Book Interlude....

And now for something completely ridiculous.

I realize how incongruous it is to review something like Captain America and Bucky in the wake of books like American Tabloid and Journey Without Maps (see below), but I am resolved to include these things in the order I read them.

Last week I managed to get a hold of some American comics.  Here they are:

1. Justice League #5

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Cyborg do battle with a guy that looks a lot like Darkseid.  IS it Darkseid?  I'm not sure.  Some of their costumes have been revamped since 52, and I'd have to say that Superman looks much better without the red underwear.


2. Spider-Man: Marvel Adventures #22

The art in this comic book is horrible.  The story is horrible too.  I'm assuming this was marketed more towards younger kids.  Spider-man fights the Mandarin, but - most puzzling of all - we never actually see Spider-man hit anyone!

3. Captain America and Bucky #626

The art in this one is a bit more stylized than the others, but it still has a journeyman quality that I disliked.  Bucky is evil!  Or wait!  Is it really Bucky?  Maybe it's really an android!

4. Aquaman #6

This is the most politically-correct comic book I have ever read.  Mera walks around the surface world, not doing much, and offers many comments on how inappropriate our society is.  In the end she sucks all the fluids out of some guy - definitely not in the way he was hoping for, I'm sure. The art was terrible.

5. Batgirl #6

Batman and Batgirl take on some girl who can control minds.  In the end they find out that she was the product of a botched mafia hit, so it's really not her fault anyway.  Apparently the fact that many of her mafia accomplices were also the product of violent situations is not worth noting.  They're not girls, after all.

6. Avengers Annual #1

This was the best of the bunch.  Wonder Man goes crazy and beats the crap out of the assembled Avengers, but in the end Iron Man tricks him and reverts him to his "ionic form" (whatever that means).  Reminiscent of The Ultimates, but in a good way.