Birds of Prey - Season Premiere 10/9/02 (1 Viewer)

[todd s]

First off. I really enjoy Smallville. And thought Birds of Prey was ok and hopefully will improve. That being said. What is wrong with Warner?!? Why does everything Superhero property they do have to be re-imaginings or completely different the comics. Just look at the nonsense that is going on with the proposed Superman & Batman movies. Look at Marvel. They have brought their heroes to the big screen and did only minor tinkering with them. And they were for the most part big hits. I just don't understand the brain trust at Warner. :rolleyes

 

[David Egan]

I had some problems with it but am maintaining a positive attitude. It was no suprise to see that WB was trying to sell some CDs at the end as in the first part of the show there were some bad pop songs playing loud enough to make it tough to hear the dialog. I also don't find Dinah's visions to be a very inspired idea. Like a cross between Rogue and Frank Black. Cordy on Angel also had a similar ability and it wasn't very interesting. I read the DC Batbooks and do not mind that they are taking liberties but there are some dubious concepts here. Still, Dina captures Barbara perfectly and the other two grew on me as the show progressed and Mia Sara is very promising as Harley. It aint Shakespeare but if they can manage an amusing story every week it could be fun.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I absolutly hate what they did to Smallville, which is pure trash going against DC history.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, and the show certainly does go against DC history. But why does that make it pure trash? While the krypto-villian of the week has gotten old (and hasn't been present for two of the three episodes this season), there are some things that are absolutely dead on. Clark's relationship w/ his parents for instance (might this be the old WB show [besides 7th Heaven or whatever it's called] that has a functional family situation}? The widwestern values that the show has can be readily traced to the Superman to come. IMO, if they had followed the offical DC backstory, it would be a much lesser show.

As for Birds of Prey, I'm waiting to see how it works as a regular series. I agree with the poster who said that the was like a less graceful version of Dark Angel. Hopefully there will be enough people who weren't turned off by the pilot to turn in next week and keep the show going.

 

[Patrick Sun]

What is sort of weird is that in the comics, it's Marvel that does all of the "re-imaginings" with many of their current titles, like the Ultimate series which set characters' origins in present day and move forward without all of the baggage of the long-running titles for their popular characters. But in the films, they are keeping the origins updated, but very close to the original origins that most people are familiar with. Marvel adaptations from the 80's to the mid-90's were atrocious. Does anyone remember the TV shows/movies for: The Punisher, The Fantastic Four, Captain America, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Hulk (was passable), and Doctor Strange?

Luckily for us, we live in an age where the studios are comfortable throwing enough money into the special effects to do the super-hero subject matter right. Earlier, we simply didn't have neither the budget or technology to translate comics to the big screen without it looking super-cheesy.

DC's already done the origin stuff with the 1st Superman and Batman films. To re-tread that stuff would not be something I'd want to see. But DC is in a quandary of putting up entertaining films featuring their big guns.

While I'm sort of puzzled by the choice of doing a re-vamp/interpretation of the Birds of Prey for TV, I think it's more of a vehicle to get young women (looking for empowered female characters) to tune into the WB, nothing more, nothing less. So, maybe that's the main demographic that the WB is after, and for many of us males expressing how cheesy it is, it still may gain enough viewership among females to keep it afloat.

 

[Ken Chan]

In addition to the really annoying cat sound for The Huntress, the way Catwoman looked, with that long stringy blonde hair, was somehow off. Also, the Joker didn't look quite right, although white skin and green hair can be hard to pull off. And Batgirl's costume almost seemed retro, with the bright yellow bat, gloves, and boots.

In The Killing Joke, isn't Barbara shot because she was with her father, the real target? The Joker doesn't know she's Batgirl, right? Or is BoP trying to say that The Joker went after Barbara because was just Barbara Gordon, a close friend of Batman? The way they tried to mush the backstory together confused me, but maybe that's because I know something about it from the comics. But even if you knew nothing, I'm not sure it holds up.

As for the DC francises, if what the article in last week's Entertainment Weekly said is any indication, be afraid:

[Brett Ratner, the director for the upcoming Superman] admits Red Dragon's built-in audience sold him. "If it wasn't a franchise, I wouldn't have dived into a psychological thriller, because I wasn't sure I could do it," he says. "But this movie has potential--no matter how good or bad--to have people go see it. [So] it won't seem like a complete failure. These are the thoughts going through my head."

//Ken

 

[Mike St.Louis]

CoreyII,

I ask you again - what is your big problem with Smallville?

Apart from humans being mutated by Green K and Smallville being ravaged by the meteor shower, the show is quite faithful to the Superman legend.

I think it is an excellent depiction of what a young Superman would experience coming to terms with who he is and what his destiny will be.

Maybe its a re-imagining and sure its slightly askew. But a 'bastardization' of Superman?? That's a bit out of line.

As a big Superman fan I am very happy with Smallville. What about you other Superman fans?

Sorry to sidetrack this thread.

 

[CaptDS9E]

The comment that marvel gets all there charectors right on the big screen is total garbage. Ever see the old movies Fantastic Four, Punisher, Captain America? I was never much of a superman fan, but i am a batman fan and i enjoyed Birds of Prey. it did remind me of the batman style. I guess if you read the comic you wont like it. But I know a lot did. They got pretty good ratings

capt

 

[MickeS]

What was the problem with "The Punisher"? Yeah, he didn't have the skull suit and the van, but otherwise I thought the movie was a pretty decent and faithful adaption.

/Mike

 

[Jeremiah]

I just saw Birds Of Prey last night and I thought it was OK, not great but also not bad. I have no idea about the comics so I am not irratated by the fact that they are not true to the comics; I do wish that they would stay close to what the comics are(why wouldn't you?), the producers might be for all I know.

I might just like the show because Ashley Scott and the other dark haired woman are very good looking. Also, who ever said that the blond girl sounds like(or is it acts like) Kristen Kurek is dead on.

 

[Will Cunningham]

I did not love or hate this episode. I was hoping for more action and less dialog, but I am willing to give it one more episode. There are a few things that jump out at me as horrible. The first is the jaguar sound, agree with you guys that it is way to lame. The neon. If you have neon glases, they don't look high tech...they look like they belong in the horrible movie with Mr Freeze.

I also feel cheated that this serries even exists. Why oh why did they not say "you know what? As interesting as the story of batman and catwoman's kid is....dontcha think the story of Batman and Catwoman would be more interesting?". It is time for a new Batman live action TV show. They should take the suit and car from the movie and get good writers (aka the ones from the animated serries) and put together a show worth going out of your way to watch. They are too chicken to do it though. I bet they are scared that if the TV show were to exist and not do well, it would spell the end of the batman franchise.

 

[Mike St.Louis]

I bet they are scared that if the TV show were to exist and not do well, it would spell the end of the batman franchise.

Good post Will. You may be right.

 

[Phil Florian]

WB did something right early in the 90's...they greenlit Bruce Timm and Paul Dini with the animated Batman series which was the most faithful adaptation of the comics in many opinions (and even changed the way many modern comics look).

As for re-imaginings, I don't mind that if done well. Heck, DC does this from time to time with their world-shifting "Crisis" style comics where they in effect "reset" the world somewhat so we don't have to worry about a 60 year old Batman. Marvel was due to do this for a loooong time (and a decade and a half of irrelevant X-Men comics to prove it). Their Ultimate series is a breath of fresh air.

DC on the little screen has a long way to go. I am not sure Birds of Prey has a very clear mission statement yet. The look of a Burton-esque production with scripts like Charmed and action like Buffy. What they get is a low-rent syndicated series look with writing that would be laughed off of SCI FI channel. But dang it, I will still watch it because there is the hope of a decent storyline. I love many of the "Elseworlds" books that DC puts out...in those comics they put the mainstay characters in similar worlds (one book posited a story where Clark doesn't become superman because the Kents didn't find him because of a flat before getting to the downed craft) or wacked (Batman ala HP Lovecraft). Re-imaginings don't bother me but bad ones do. I will give it a chance but not for too long. Too many comics and books to read!

Phil

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

(and even changed the way many modern comics look).

Not to mention redefining the character of the Joker by creating Harley Quinn. I'm not a fan of the Batman series, but I've heard that she's been transplanted into the comics themselves, right?

 

[Jason Seaver]

Yep, got her own book and everything. I don't think Dini & Timm can be said to have redefined the Joker, but I seem to recall that Mr. Freeze didn't have the tragic dimension to him before BTAS.