Warner Bros. announces their plans for DC Comics movies (through 2020) (1 Viewer)

[Sean Bryan]

Is there a super hero who will protect us against superhero movies? Of all the superhero movies I've seen, the only one to get it capital "R" Right is Richard Donner with the original Superman. Just the right mix of adventure, humor and respect for the original. As for the rest, I quote Miss Piggy: "B-o-r-i-n-g!"

Bullshit

 

[Ejanss]

I'm still not buying it. IMO there are simply two different corporate cultures at work here. Marvel has the mojo. Warner isn't sure what it has or what do to with it.

DC Animation has the mojo when they make their direct-to-videos, since there's more direct input from the comic writing staff. (If you've seen Man of Steel, quickly clear your palate with "Superman vs. the Elite".)
Problem is, it's Warner that makes the live-action movies, and they're still living in the 00's...Especially their own.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Overall, I liked Man Of Steel but I thought the tone was too dark for a Superman movie. They didn't need a wisecracking sidekick or to have Superman make jokes to lighten things up but having thousands of people getting killed in the destruction of Metropolis was too grim for a movie featuring that character. I realize that they were trying to make Zod a serious threat for Superman to overcome but that much death and destruction would rank as one of the worst events in human history. For me, that's too serious and too dark for a Superman movie.

Then there's me, who was glad to see actual collateral damage in a Superhero film. Two super human beings fighting? You better believe many innocents will perish. Saving billions will sometimes cost a few thousand. The world was almost destroyed with the entirety of humanity wiped out - of course it's the worst event in human history since WW2.

Don't get me wrong - I like the movies when the heroes save everyone, too (Avengers - no one dies in the massive attack on NY apparently.... I like the film a lot but, there should be thousands dead here, too, no?)

Guardians is my favorite of the Marvel films so far, so it's not like I don't also like "fun". I just look at Marvel & DC as serving two different tastes, both of which I happen to have. Marvel can be a bit more whimsical (and though it was great, I don't want it to get more "serious" than Winter Soldier was), and DC is a bit more reflective on how these super and/or vigilante beings would alter society in more than just rah-rah go-team! ways.

 

[Alan Tully]

Shazam (The Adventures Of Captain Marvel) could be good if they have it as a period piece like the first Captain America, which with its Republic serials vibe, I found really enjoyable. But all these modern-day Superhero flics seem to blur into each other, all CGI daft story & fast cuts, but then I suppose I'm not the intended audience.

 

[Keith Cobby]

As I am no longer a teenager I find myself yawning at the thought of all these comic book movies. For me Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman (no need for any of the others) and Chris Nolan has produced the definitive Batman films.

I nearly forgot, Lynda Carter is the definitive Wonder Woman.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Don't get me wrong - I like the movies when the heroes save everyone, too (Avengers - no one dies in the massive attack on NY apparently.... I like the film a lot but, there should be thousands dead here, too, no?

I'm pretty sure the casualties were high in the Battle of New York, as evidenced by the glimpses of memorial walls and candle light vigils in the news footage at the end. It wasn't dwelled upon though. The Avengers saved thousands of lives (and ultimately millions), buts there's no way there weren't significant casualties in NYC. That's why I never quite got why some have issues with the implied death toll in MoS but then don't complain about The Avengers. I think maybe the way it was filmed and the overall tone makes it easier to not think about the NYC casualties.

 

[TravisR]

I think... the overall tone makes it easier to not think about the NYC casualties.

For me, the tone of each movie made all the difference. The Avengers has a sense of fun about most of the movie so that when civilians start getting killed, it just ups the stakes and makes you root for the good guys to stop the bad guys while the same basic thing happening in Man Of Steel makes a serious movie become even more dark and any sense of fun is gone at that point. You can say that MOS shows that there's a price to be paid but I don't think Superman is the right character to get into the seriousness of collateral damage.

 

[FoxyMulder]

As I am no longer a teenager I find myself yawning at the thought of all these comic book movies. For me Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman (no need for any of the others) and Chris Nolan has produced the definitive Batman films.

I almost found myself agreeing with you until the Chris Nolan part, for me the two Tim Burton Batman films are the best, they had a brilliantly designed Gotham City, really enjoyable villians, a good Batman who knew how to have a little fun and the best Batman movie theme music to boot, sure i liked the Nolan films but i do think they are a little overrated.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'm pretty sure the casualties were high in the Battle of New York, as evidenced by the glimpses of memorial walls and candle light vigils in the news footage at the end. It wasn't dwelled upon though. The Avengers saved thousands of lives (and ultimately millions), buts there's no way there weren't significant casualties in NYC. That's why I never quite got why some have issues with the implied death toll in MoS but then don't complain about The Avengers. I think maybe the way it was filmed and the overall tone makes it easier to not think about the NYC casualties.

There's also something in how civilians are presented in The Avengers vs. Man Of Steel -- The Avengers has those great little moments, like Chris Evans as Captain America trying to give directions to a police officer for getting people out of the area. That little scene with the cop at first refusing to follow his instructions and then immediately falling in line once Cap knocks out one of the aliens was a perfect little moment for that sequence, and it shows the audience that the superheroes are paying attention to what's happening on the ground. It's also a key part of the action sequence that the Avengers team is deliberately trying to keep the violence contained to within a few blocks - Thor is by the portal entrance trying to keep them from flying just anywhere, and Iron Man is trying to round them all up on the ground and force them into one area which presumably has been cleared out of people.

No doubt in a real alien invasion, there would be more casualties than we see in Avengers - but Avengers makes it part of the story and the scene that the heroes are trying to contain the damage. In "Man Of Steel" we don't really have any equivalent moments. For all we know, people evacuated and Superman had a chat with the cops before bashing Zod about which buildings he was planning to knock over and to please get people out of them. But there's nothing like that portrayed onscreen. And I think that may be why people are more sensitive to the destruction in Man Of Steel than they are in The Avengers.

One other difference in the reaction might also be when/where the movies came out in their respective series. "The Avengers" was the sixth Marvel movie, and at least the second appearance of every major character in it - so escalating the level of violence and destruction seemed appropriate, like the filmmakers had earned the right to tell a bigger, more explosive story. The first Marvel movie ("Iron Man") didn't really feature a villain trying to take over the entire planet in one quick shot. The Marvel movies built to the Avengers. Whereas "Man of Steel" was the first of the new DC series of films, and having all of that destruction right at the beginning that didn't necessarily feel earned might have turned some people off.

 

[Ejanss]

DC Animation has the mojo when they make their direct-to-videos, since there's more direct input from the comic writing staff. (If you've seen Man of Steel, quickly clear your palate with "Superman vs. the Elite".)

Overall, I liked Man Of Steel but I thought the tone was too dark for a Superman movie. They didn't need a wisecracking sidekick or to have Superman make jokes to lighten things up but having thousands of people getting killed in the destruction of Metropolis was too grim for a movie featuring that character. I realize that they were trying to make Zod a serious threat for Superman to overcome but that much death and destruction would rank as one of the worst events in human history. For me, that's too serious and too dark for a Superman movie.

That's one reason I mentioned the "Elite" DTV DC Animated title--
It's one of the more memorable Superman stories where the writers tried to rationalize a good-hearted Boy Scout hero with the new "grittier" trend for amoral antiheroes who get the job done.
In this case, a snotty young team of headbashing teen-upstart heroes arrive in Metropolis and clean up the town, and--while he suspects the leader might have an agenda and a few loose screws--Supe, and the DC writers, are forced to confront the idea, does Metropolis even still want a goody-two-shoes hero who's so truth-and-justice he won't hurt anyone?

The idea is handled with good comic-book action and suspense...Oh, and unlike a certain uber-geek director trying to make his "Ultimate Superman movie EVAR!" to please post-Nolan Warner, the "good" Superman wins in this one without having to make revisionist compromises on principle.
With no spinal injuries or neurotic grownup pandering to "post-9/11 sensibilities".

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090720005148/superfriends/images/5/5e/Gleek_1.pngCulminating in a standalone Gleek movie in 2022.

 

[Ejanss]

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090720005148/superfriends/images/5/5e/Gleek_1.png

Culminating in a standalone Gleek movie in 2022.

Ah, John K. avatar and Cartoon Network-style Superfriends joke...Someone's a bit nostalgic for the 90's.

And just to handicap the next pop-cultural wag who tries to make Wonder Twins jokes--
Back when WB was trying to audition every single minor-league DC character in the encyclopedia for a guest episode of Smallville, yes, even their retconned updating is now part of the DC canon:

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

This thread is a combination of thoughtful contribution and long-winded snark.I for one am interested in seeing how WB makes up for lost ground against the Marvel machine, but as a fan of the Nolan Batman films, and as someone who found the different, albeit darker take on Superman interesting (I am fond of interpretation of material, even when it's a striking departure,) I am taking a hopeful stance on the DC plans here. I was not a fan of Green Lantern and so I am hoping lessons were learned.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Ultimately, all I know is that I loved every minute of Man of Steel, so again, bring' em on.

 

[Alan Tully]

This thread is a combination of thoughtful contribution and long-winded snark.

I assume that the long-winded snark are comments you don't agree with, & the thoughtful contributions are comments you're at one with

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

I assume that the long-winded snark are comments you don't agree with, & the thoughtful contributions are comments you're at one with

Actually, it's a mix.I always enjoy thoughtful comments that run counter to my starting point (and blind praise does nothing for me) - but seeing eye to eye with me certainly helps it not seem long-winded

 

[Brian Dobbs]

There has got to be some middle ground here folks.

IMO, Zack Snyder is a great visual storyteller.

Examples here - 300, Watchmen, Suckerpunch.

But where was that visual aesthetic with Man Of Steel? I was let down because what we got was an anamorphically squeezed, shaky-cam mess with terrible Goyer-written dialogue.

I can't help but cringe when I watch the movie. It's physically difficult to watch and listen to. I liked the story and overall scope, but the execution was questionable.

Point is, I know Snyder can do better. We've seen it.

Please Zack, just give us the Snyder style we've grown to love.

On the plus side, at least Goyer's BvS script is being rewritten by the Argo screenwriter, and Snyder's got his old cinematographer back this time around.

 

[Nigel P]

Justice League are the ones that interest me the most. I have always been fascinated by team building and team dynamics so I am very keen to see what this one brings.

 

[Sam Favate]

Here we are in 2019, and DC's slate of movies seems to be falling apart.

Wonder Woman and Aquaman were huge successes, and early reports are that Shazam will also do very well.

But Cavill is supposedly out as Superman, Affleck is out as Batman, Ezra Miller is trying to save his role as the Flash, but that appears to be a last-ditch attempt. And now, there's this report that Ray Fisher is out as Cyborg:

Ray Fisher Won’t Return As Cyborg In The DCEU, Solo Movie Not Happening

https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies...SuesAY-TjYVTQUxAAQTByxDCMFb-psmrW8LPN7_nVWvhI

Here's a story from yesterday on the Miller/Flash thing:

Is Ezra Miller the Screenwriter 'The Flash' Needs?

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...ra-miller-save-his-movie-will-he-exit-1195205

BTW, lest anyone think I'm one of those guys who bashes DC films while praising Marvel, I'm really not. I was the kid who read both sets of books and who jumped for joy when Superman met Spider-Man in 1976. Superman: The Movie is one of my all-time favorite films of any genre. Tim Burton's Batman was a favorite too. Loved the Dark Knight trilogy, Wonder Woman was awesome.

 

[Tommy R]

Such a shame because, IMO, that JL movie was REALLY good. Objectively, I’d say the first and third Avengers movies were “better”, mostly because I thought the villian in JL was poorly conceived and executed. If they had a villian as good as Loki or Thanos I’d rank JL EASILY above all the Avengers films. But I thought the JL heorea themselves were better than the Avengers heroes, and I thought the JL movie as a whole was as good as, if not better than, a lot of the Marvel films. I’m really amazed, as a comic-outsider, how much praise Marvel gets compared to the extreme criticism the attempted DC films have gotten. I think they are both similar in quality; some good stuff and some bad stuff.

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but that’s just my take. For some context, I have been un-familiar with almost EVERY Marvel and DC super hero before seeing the recent slew of MCU and DCU films.