DC Extended Universe

[Triggermv]

I am excited for Suicide Squad in a vacuum. I just don't know how they can reconcile it with what Snyder started in BvS. I mean, we see the Joker and all these underpowered or no-power villains running around the movie. The question is how? Batman was willing to kill Supes minus a last minute change in heart(Martha?). He pretty much offs every grunt he encounters in the movie. You saw the Robin armor with Joker graffiti, alluding to the Robins end being Joker related and yet Jared Leto's character is still around? This Batman gives no f**ks but somehow the Joker is alive? I would expect him to be in pieces based on how Affleck's Batman was portrayed. And the other Batman rogue's in the movie would have met the same fate. It just doesn't make sense how you could combine these two design choices.

Yeah, I hear you on that. With that said, apparently they are playing it out where due to some big incident in the past (likely the killing of Robin), the Batman we saw in BvS has become a cold/hard, willing to kill Batman (lost faith essentially), even though he hasn't always been that way. Now, according to articles and interviews I've read, post BvS, Batman now has somewhat of a restored faith in humanity which is supposed to be played out and shown in the new Justice League movie. Overall, I think this is less a fully planned out move from the get-go to do this transformation, and more of a reaction to the backlash from BvS. According to the Snyder's, this was the plan all along. I don't buy that. Nevertheless, any type of transition in the future will be a bit hard to swallow, but hopefully it does offer some type of improvements.

 

[brett108]

Yeah, I hear you on that. With that said, apparently they are playing it out where due to some big incident in the past (likely the killing of Robin), the Batman we saw in BvS has become a cold/hard, willing to kill Batman (lost faith essentially), even though he hasn't always been that way. Now, according to articles and interviews I've read, post BvS, Batman now has somewhat of a restored faith in humanity which is supposed to be played out and shown in the new Justice League movie. Overall, I think this is less a fully planned out move from the get-go to do this transformation, and more of a reaction to the backlash from BvS. According to the Snyder's, this was the plan all along. I don't buy that. Nevertheless, any type of transition in the future will be a bit hard to swallow, but hopefully it does offer some type of improvements.

I agree with the hard to swallow. You cant have Batman trying to kill the world's savior and let Joker off with a reprimand for the mass murdering. I too agree that it is very reactionary, which is unfortunate. Marvel I think did a great job of following the "Plan" and I wish DC had something that could be considered one. It would have been easy for Disney to deviate, but they kept on the road long enough for the base to be set. There are certain fundamental things that they threw away in an attempt to get viewers with the Batman fighting Superman trope. Its man versus myth, but it was way more poignant in the comics(ironic much) because they were such good friends and respected each other to a huge degree. The whole premise was to make money off nerdgasms, and now they are trying to build a universe out of it. This is the worst way to start this universe. And I think they will pay for that with lower than expected box office returns on upcoming movies in the end.

 

[boone7247]

Gal Gadot is a babe

I was so unsure of her casting. Good for her going for it and doing a little beefing up. Still think there is some animation help with her in BvS, as a couple of those scenes she looks seriously ripped, and others not so much.

Excited for the movie.

 

[Triggermv]

Suicide Squad premiere was last night. Only a few reviews have crept out so far. Not sure what is holding them back. Maybe there is still some type of embargo or something. Nevertheless, from what I've seen, things look pretty positive. Sounds like the story line is just good, not great, the cast is excellent, the villain is meh (not sure we even know who it is yet), the pacing is a little off at times, the movie is fun, a few characters like Boomerang, Katana, and Croc are underdeveloped, Harley Quinn and Deadshot are the best, the Joker and Batman are good, but not enough of them. Again, these are just based off of a very few reviews I could scrounge up. With that said, my guess is that this will be a good movie overall that does help the DCEU's cause rather than hurt it. Nevertheless, I don't know that this will be the groundbreaking "Best Movie EVA" that maybe some are hoping for. I'll be really interested to see more reviews and how the conglomerate of Rotten Tomatoes pans out. My guess is that what Guardians of the Galaxy was to the MCU, this will be that equivalent to the DCEU.

Oh yeah, I'll be there for the first night on Thursday night to see it, so I'll post my own thoughts afterwards. It may be worth noting that I really hope that it is good. However, I had the same hopes going into Batman vs Superman, and that really let me down. Nevertheless, I'm not a pessimist hater wanting these to fail. In fact, I'm the complete opposite. I really want the DCEU to succeed, but I'm also not going to come on here trying to polish a turd.

 

[Triggermv]

Well, I just read now from one site that the review embargo gets lifted today at 11 am, so providing that is true, we will have our other reviews very soon.

 

[3GenClone]

The tweets and reviews I am seeing are not too good:

https://rogersmovienation.com/2016/08/02/movie-review-what-did-they-do-to-suicide-squad/

Ayer is a good, gritty action director, and absolutely the wrong choice to adapt this. The action beats are taut, but the story arc crumbles under the weight of all the movies it steals from. The casting fails to pop, in most instances. The heavily-hyped Robbie doesn’t dazzle, which explains why she’s photographed from behind, more often than not.

http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/suicide-squad-review-will-smith-joker-1201825911/

Like “Deadpool” earlier this year, it’s entertaining insofar as it allows the characters to crack wise and act out, though they can only go so far within the confines of MPAA guidelines and the rigid DC mythology. On paper, this could have been the antidote to an increasingly codified strain of comic-book movies, but in the end, it’s just another high-attitude version of the same.

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/08/suicide-squad-review

Suicide Squad Isn’t Even the Good Kind of Bad
David Ayer’s super-villain team-up is dull, uninspired, and perhaps worst of all, forgettable.

 

[tejasclone]

My guess is that what Guardians of the Galaxy was to the MCU, this will be that equivalent to the DCEU.

Comparing SS to GotG is pretty apt, I think. Both are breaking from the regular superhero fare and giving us more gray, fun stories in the same universe, and that freshness is badly needed for the genre. It also can't hurt that they're anchoring it with some Batman touches without billing it as "Batman v Suicide Squad."

Looking forward to it for sure.

Oh, and what role should Matt Damon have in a DCEU film? He's too much of a straight man to play any of the really colorful villains, but he also doesn't fit the real outgoing, highly stylized heroes, either. Although, I think he could have made a decent Aquaman. Maybe he could be the human form of Clayface (Basil Karlo)?

 

[3GenClone]

Oh, and what role should Matt Damon have in a DCEU film? He's too much of a straight man to play any of the really colorful villains, but he also doesn't fit the real outgoing, highly stylized heroes, either. Although, I think he could have made a decent Aquaman. Maybe he could be the human form of Clayface (Basil Karlo)?

"The Martian" -Manhunter

 

[Triggermv]

Comparing SS to GotG is pretty apt, I think. Both are breaking from the regular superhero fare and giving us more gray, fun stories in the same universe, and that freshness is badly needed for the genre. It also can't hurt that they're anchoring it with some Batman touches without billing it as "Batman v Suicide Squad."

Looking forward to it for sure.

Oh, and what role should Matt Damon have in a DCEU film? He's too much of a straight man to play any of the really colorful villains, but he also doesn't fit the real outgoing, highly stylized heroes, either. Although, I think he could have made a decent Aquaman. Maybe he could be the human form of Clayface (Basil Karlo)?

Love Matt Damon, but his age is probably his biggest hindrance to placing him well in the DCEU, especially when you need characters for the long-haul in these expanded universe movies. Marvel has done a really good job with this. With that said, I think his best place might be a bit of a grizzled old Green Arrow. While Green Arrow is a decent mid-level player in the DC comics world (even though he has his TV show), I don't think he is a character that you are going to want to use in your next 10 movies, providing you even get the chance to make that many. Therefore, you'd probably be fine giving that title to an older player if you want to especially because there are so many old-man Green Arrow story lines out there.

The old age problem is finally starting to hit up Marvel some with Iron Man. I thought RDJ looked especially older in Civil War and it will only get worse. Therefore, there won't be unlimited Iron Man in the future, even if we wanted. Luckily for Iron Man, his power all comes from his suit as well, which helps to extend his duration. It is only worse if the character's powers come from their physicality. Hawkeye is getting into that category as I thought he looked lots older in Civil War as well.

 

[Triggermv]

Lots of reviews:

http://comicbook.com/2016/08/02/suicide-squad-reviews-critics/

I especially thought this one was pretty telling and maybe a good summary:

For DC, which blew it with Batman v Superman last spring, Suicide Squad is a small step forward. But it could have been a giant leap. --Chris Nashawaty, EW

 

[Triggermv]

Ouch..... 35% Rotten Tomatoes right now, but with only 51 reviews in right now for Suicide Squad. Batman vs Superman finished with 344 reviews total.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/suicide_squad_2016/

That compares to a final score of 27% for Batman vs Superman. However, if I remember right, at its equivalent early point, I think I remember Batman v Superman being in the upper 40s% liked. In general, I've mostly seen things just get worse over time, but I don't have a ton of samples in my experience watching the stuff.

Nevertheless, this is NOT an impressive start for Suicide Squad, which is a super big disappointment. Even with this, I'm still going in unbiased to this thing and hoping for the best. For example, I really liked Man of Steel and that was pretty mixed reviews too. However, if the critics are right..... Come on Warner Bros. Get your crap together!!!!!!

 

[Triggermv]

More talk of it being kind of a mess behind the scenes in making Suicide Squad between the director David Ayer and studio execs.

http://screenrant.com/suicide-squad-studio-interference-warner-bros/

Whether it is true or not or whether it was good changes or not, everything in that Universe seems so reactionary to the failure that was Batman vs Superman. I call it the Snyder effect that carries on long past his original failures. The good news is that the Snyder effect should get less and less with each new movie. However, wha-bammmm, then he'll be right back in it with Justice League. Just please go away man.... And to think I used to defend the dude. Again, still like Man of Steel.

 

[HFCS]

Wonder Woman's theme music is my favorite movie music in years. Gives me chills for some reason. Love that they used in BvS and then again in WW or at least in the trailer.

 

[isufbcurt]

Do people really take reviews seriously?

If I learned anything in my 37 years on this planet it is that "movie critics" criticize things in movies I never even would think about. There are numerous movies over the years that that I loved but critics ripped to shreds. So when I hear a critic say a movie is bad it probably means I will like it and vice versa.

 

[HFCS]

Ouch..... 35% Rotten Tomatoes right now, but with only 51 reviews in right now for Suicide Squad. Batman vs Superman finished with 344 reviews total.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/suicide_squad_2016/

That compares to a final score of 27% for Batman vs Superman. However, if I remember right, at its equivalent early point, I think I remember Batman v Superman being in the upper 40s% liked. In general, I've mostly seen things just get worse over time, but I don't have a ton of samples in my experience watching the stuff.

Nevertheless, this is NOT an impressive start for Suicide Squad, which is a super big disappointment. Even with this, I'm still going in unbiased to this thing and hoping for the best. For example, I really liked Man of Steel and that was pretty mixed reviews too. However, if the critics are right..... Come on Warner Bros. Get your crap together!!!!!!

I still think the BVS reviews are the worst in RT history. I pretty much throw out what they have to say about hero movies if they thought that was 35-40% but horrendous Antman was 80% six months earlier by most of the same people.

Hero movie fatigue is setting in and a lot of people have silly brand loyalty to the Marvel logo.

I think Will Smith fatigue set in long ago...so there is a chance he tanks it for people. That's my only worry about liking it, much more than trusting people who thought BVS was one of the worst superhero movies of the past two decades.

 

[tejasclone]

Do people really take reviews seriously?

If I learned anything in my 37 years on this planet it is that "movie critics" criticize things in movies I never even would think about. There are numerous movies over the years that that I loved but critics ripped to shreds. So when I hear a critic say a movie is bad it probably means I will like it and vice versa.

Nope. Movie critiques are still just peoples' opinions... the difference between movie critics and all your Facebook friends is that the critics fooled someone into paying them to publish their opinions. Especially for big budget movies like these, I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect just based on trailers, cast, and crew. I find movie reviews to be more useful for smaller, off-the-grid productions that don't have the hype or name power behind it.

I get so few chances to see movies in the theater anymore (life with a 2 year old), so I generally just treat that time as a deserved distraction, and try not to worry too much about whether it lived up to expectations.

 

[HFCS]

Nope. Movie critiques are still just peoples' opinions... the difference between movie critics and all your Facebook friends is that the critics fooled someone into paying them to publish their opinions. Especially for big budget movies like these, I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect just based on trailers, cast, and crew. I find movie reviews to be more useful for smaller, off-the-grid productions that don't have the hype or name power behind it.

I get so few chances to see movies in the theater anymore (life with a 2 year old), so I generally just treat that time as a deserved distraction, and try not to worry too much about whether it lived up to expectations.

It's not just popcorn flicks either. Most of Kubrick's movies were not well received by critics upon release. He has the most spotless record of quality of any director of all time. Pretty much every one of his films was viewed more positively years after release than it was immediately. Sometimes just a few years later.

 

[Triggermv]

Wonder Woman's theme music is my favorite movie music in years. Gives me chills for some reason. Love that they used in BvS and then again in WW or at least in the trailer.

Personally, I really didn't like it at first. In fact, I really didn't like it. I admit though now that it might be partially biased to my opinion of the film overall at the time of first hearing it late in Batman v Superman. With that said, it keeps growing on me over time, to the point where I almost like it now, especially after that awesome Wonder Woman Comic-Con trailer which ended with that music.

 

[Triggermv]

I appreciate all you guy's thoughts on movies, critics, and whatnot. Like what you like and don't be ashamed of it. Personally, I'm kind of a movie buff and do appreciate the critics thoughts beings how they tend to relate fairly close to my thoughts as well. For instance, if you compare my rankings of all the superhero movies as compared to say a Rotten Tomatoes conglomerate rankings of them, you'll see they relate pretty close to one another. Granted, there are some outliers where we don't agree (Man of Steel, Iron Man 3), just like everyone will have, but I do find them to be a fairly accurate source of whether a movie is worth my time or not. Yes, I agree there is some bias in there, especially when it comes to the recent DCEU movies as compared to Marvel movies, but it isn't to the level where they are calling a good movie bad. If I'm honest with myself, Batman vs Superman is still NOT a good movie, however, it probably deserves more of a 50% RT ranking verses a 27% one.

I like to compare movie critics reviews to recruit ranking services in sports where an individual review is comparable to an individual site's (Rivals for example) ranking of a recruit, whereas a movie site like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, who compiles the conglomerate of many reviews is more comparable to 247's index ranking, which compiles the recruit rankings of many different websites. With that said, are the recruiting website's always accurate, even the index ones? Absolutely not. You are going to always have some diamonds in the rough, as well as some overrated recruits. However, those rankings aren't completely worthless either. It isn't just a coincidence that the teams that consistently get the highest rated recruits also typically are the best teams over time verses those who don't.

Again, I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the matter. When it comes to movies, still always think for yourself and like what you like. Don't be ashamed of it either. Even though I value these critics thoughts on Suicide Squad still, I'm still going in with a completely open mind.

 

[3GenClone]

I get so few chances to see movies in the theater anymore (life with a 2 year old), so I generally just treat that time as a deserved distraction, and try not to worry too much about whether it lived up to expectations.

I rarely see any movies in the theaters and end up just buying them on blu-ray release day. Part of that has to do with the cost of going to the theater, but the other has to do with audience and critical reception. I can wait 4 months for the Blu-ray and see a movie for the first time and I am blown away at how much better they are:

Man of Steel, Star Trek: Into Darkness ,Cowboys v. Aliens, The Lone Ranger and BvS were all way better than I thought they were going to be and I think that can be attributed to going in to a movie with lowered expectations. I find movies far more enjoyable this way than had I seen a movie opening night and been disappointed.

The same goes the other way - like HFCS said, I didn't think Ant-Man was particularly great and I didn't even think The Avengers (gasp!) was as good as the hype around it.

I suspect that I will enjoy Suicide Squad - too bad it won't be on Blu-ray until sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas