Comic Book Movies

Started by Avaitor, May 06, 2011, 11:30:56 PM

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Avaitor

I decided to redeem some of my Regal points for a screening of Black Adam, and it was fine. Not exactly the worst thing ever (but maybe I'm just more forgiving of super hero movies than some), but derivative enough that I understand why it's not winning many people over.

Although I didn't realize that this was also going to be a JSA movie, and that Cyclone would be in it. I read and enjoyed the first part of her run way back when and I enjoyed seeing her in the team. More than Atom Smasher, anyway.
Life is not about the second chances. It's about a little mouse and his voyage to an exciting new land. That, my friend, is what life is.

Sir, do you have any Warrants?
I got their first CD, but you can't have it, motherfucker!

New blog!
http://avaitorsblog.blogspot.com/

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

The JSA, particularly Hawk Man and Doctor Fate, pretty much saved the movie for me. It has all of the problems that everyone has already pointed out, but that one aspect of the movie was genuinely enjoyable and I'd have liked to see a JSA movie before this one considering what happens to one of them.

Of course, more than anything I'd love to see a series of Starman movies (specifically of Jack Knight's Starman), but that's never going to happen, even if they could somehow get James Robinson's blessing to do it.

Still, excited to see what DC can bring to the table with James Gunn at the helm.

Dr. Insomniac

#1878
The JSA were a mixed bag. I really liked Fate, but everyone else was just there. Hawkman being the other half of the "Is killing evil people okay?" argument got tiring, especially in a universe that's been firmly "Yes, unless they have loved ones like a son or a mom" on the question with this film being no different. Still, I wouldn't mind if the JSA got a full movie somewhere around the road.

Anyway, my ranking of the DCEU so far:
1. The Suicide Squad
2. Peacemaker
3. Shazam
4. Wonder Woman
5. Justice League Snyder Cut
6. Aquaman
7. BvS: Dawn of Justice
8. Birds of Prey
9. Wonder Woman 1984
10. Man of Steel
11. Black Adam
12. Justice League Theatrical Cut
13. Suicide Squad

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

I think my list would be almost exactly the same as yours but with the Snyder cut and BVS being a bit lower and Man of Steel being a bit higher. My top 3 are exactly the same as yours.

Dr. Insomniac

I just hope Flash is either the worst or, against all expectations, the best DCEU film just to break the Suicide Squad bookend here.

Avaitor

Peacemaker is so much better than any of Marvel's shows that it isn't even funny. Yet everyone else I know who still regularly watches super hero stuff have slept on it and Gunn's Suicide Squad.

I wonder if they're turned off by the R-rated content, the people I'm thinking about in particular also largely sat out Marvel's Netflix shows.
Life is not about the second chances. It's about a little mouse and his voyage to an exciting new land. That, my friend, is what life is.

Sir, do you have any Warrants?
I got their first CD, but you can't have it, motherfucker!

New blog!
http://avaitorsblog.blogspot.com/

Dr. Insomniac

Maybe they don't like John Cena?

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

Oddly enough, I find that of the popular wrestlers turned actors, John Cena has improved a good deal and can be enjoyable in the right role, like with Peacemaker. Bautista managed to find his groove under James Gunn as well. The Rock, who I always considered to be way more charismatic in the ring, has ironically been the most stagnant and dull in most if not all of his acting roles. I say ironic because he initially got booed for being a superficial, generic, vanilla baby-face and only gained a following after becoming a cocky heel in the Attitude era that the people eventually really got behind. Yet, his whole film career and success seems to be built around playing very generic vanilla characters (though to be fair, not always a straightforward good guy, like with Black Adam). I mean, it's good for him that he's found a successful way to brand himself, and he clearly has a strong work ethic, but it's also hard for me to see his appeal in film.

Of course, the best wrestler turned actor will always be Roddy Piper. The quality of the movie in question doesn't even matter, as he's always entertaining as hell to watch, even if some cases are for the wrong reason.

Dr. Insomniac

Yeah, Cena found his groove, and the people who don't like him presumably associate him back in the day when WWE made him the face of their franchise, and all those Nickelodeon Fred movies he starred in. The differences are astounding. Makes you think how many actors known for phoned-in schlock could tap into a great performance if they just had the right director.

Like how Bautista made a wise decision by doing Villeneuve films right after becoming Drax in the public's eyes. While the Rock, he's generally fine and he's never the worst part of a movie he's in, besides that CGI appearance in The Mummy 2, but he's always felt like those A-list actors who's A-list due to their ubiquity and little else.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

Saw the new Black Panther and thought it was pretty good. As expected, it does feel like something's missing without Chadwick there, but I have to give the rest of the cast props for their performances. More than any other MCU movie that I've seen, this is a film that's carried by it's performances.

The movie does have some story and pacing issues, but I fall into the camp that wasn't too bothered by them. I have to say that if there's one thing in this movie that I did come out loving, it was Tenoch Huerta's interpretation of Namor. He very much is the embodiment of the morally complex character from the comics that I was hoping for. Him and Angela Bassett were easily the strongest performances of this movie.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

So, now that Phase 4 is officially concluded with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever I think I can safely say that this is the weakest phase of the MCU by a pretty wide margin. I didn't hate it like a lot of other people raging about all of their issues with it, but it was enough of a downgrade that I've cooled considerably on the MCU and find it hard to get excited about most of it's upcoming projects. If I had to rank this phase including the Disney + shows, it'd be:

15. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
14. Hawkeye
13. Eternals
12. Thor: Love and Thunder
11. Black Widow
10. Falcon and The Winter Soldier
9. What If...?
8. Moon Knight
7. Miss Marvel
6. Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness
5. Loki
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
3. Wandavision
2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home

I excluded I Am Groot and Werewolf by Night because they are too short to really say much about, even if I did actually enjoy them. I genuinely dislike She-Hulk, and Hawkeye is also a real sore spot for me because it squandered the potential of adapting one of my favorite Marvel comic runs ever. Eternals was pretty much a bore for me.. Thor: Love and Thunder is a movie that I have soured more and more on over time. I don't think it's abysmal but I can honestly say that I don't care for it. Everything from Black Widow to Miss Marvel is OK but nothing I'd ever go back to. I still contend that Moon Knight started out strong but had a really weak second half overall (episode 5 brought it up a bit but the finale sucked). Miss Marvel is at least more consistent overall.  Doctor Strange is probably ranked a bit higher for me than most because despite it's massive problems, I still can't help but enjoy it as a Sam Raimi movie. Loki, Black Panther, and Wandavision are pretty good but each have things holding them back from really being great. Shang-Chi isn't exceptional but I still see it as a good example of how a formulaic MCU movie can still be really well done. And of course Spider-Man is the only Phase 4 MCU movie that I can say that I genuinely loved.

Dr. Insomniac

Haven't seen Black Panther 2 yet, though my ranking would probably have Love and Thunder a little higher (still think Waititi made a 3 and a half hour movie that got cut up to under 2 hours, the crew have alluded to a ton of deleted scenes that could've caulked some of the voids in the film), and probably have Wandavision on 2nd place.

Avaitor

I also haven't seen Wakanda Forever yet- I'm very busy this weekend and won't be able to get to it until next weekend at the earliest- but I agree with the sentiment that Phase 4 was largely a bust. My rankings would be a little different, but I agree with most of your takes, particularly with the top 3 being the best of the phase.

For upcoming projects, I'm still anticipating Guardians Vol 3 and the Christmas special, since James Gunn has yet to disappoint me, and Loki's second season. I'm also cautiously optimistic about the Daredevil show, especially after how Hawkeye did Kingpin dirty, but Charlie Cox has at least been relatively on point as Murdock in Far From Home and She-Hulk (probably that show's only real highlight).

I'm not very excited for the new Ant-Man, I can say that much. The appeal of the previous two movies were its smaller stakes, while this is looking to go in the exact opposite direction. But at the same time, I don't think a third Ant-Man in that vein is really necessary, either? I got the impression that we've done everything with Peyton Reed's general vision that could be done.
Life is not about the second chances. It's about a little mouse and his voyage to an exciting new land. That, my friend, is what life is.

Sir, do you have any Warrants?
I got their first CD, but you can't have it, motherfucker!

New blog!
http://avaitorsblog.blogspot.com/

Dr. Insomniac

So yeah, Wakanda Forever was good. Refreshingly a lot more polished compared to the other 2 movies this year, and I say this while thinking Doctor Strange 2 was still a lot of fun. It does great work in using T'Challa's death to concentrate its themes regarding loss and what occurs from that void. I'm also surprised they homaged the ending scene from Come and See.

And while Riri was surprisingly fine, if I didn't know about the Ironheart show, I would've figured M'Baku, Okoye, or Michaela Coel's character Aneka would have been the star of some Disney+ spin-off thing instead of her. Winston Duke steals every scene he's in like in the first BP. And Danai Gurira was very engaging here.