Sunday, April 11, 2021

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DCEU Films Ranked: #5 Joss Whedon’s ‘Justice League’ (2017)

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 05:00 PM PDT

 

#5 in my ranking of the DCEU franchise.

 

The biggest mistake Warner Brothers seems to have made about their big team up picture isn't that they forced it too early, it's that they forced it to be two hours long. I have to imagine that part of the reason Zack Snyder left the project in the middle of post-production was that Warner Brothers was demanding a two-hour film and he knew he couldn't tell the story he had made well in less than three hours. After the loss of his daughter to suicide, he probably wasn't up for that kind of fight and simply tossed in the towel, allowing Warner Brothers to bring in Joss Whedon who ended up retooling the movie to such a degree that it feels like a lesser cousin to his own The Avengers rather than the next movie in the DCEU.

 

YouTube Video

 

The movie has six main characters, only three of whom have any previous screentime more than a couple of minutes in the franchise up to that point. Superman had two movies. Batman and Wonder Woman each had one. But Cyborg, the Flash, and Aquaman had nothing other than brief cameos in Batman V Superman, so the movie needed to really focus on these three, giving them time to grow within the film itself to help them carry their weight. The problem with the two hour runtime is that so much needs to be dedicated to the bringing together of this new group, setting up the plot, setting, and overall conflict, that there's very little time left for character building. According to Zack Snyder, Cyborg was the emotional heart of the film, and that seems like the right place. He's the most "outside" of the group, dealing with his own problems of belonging because of his unnatural existence built from one of the Motherboxes hidden on Earth for thousands of years. Whedon seems to have moved the focus to the Flash, though, because Ezra Miller is quippy in a way that fits well with the way Whedon writes dialogue, but the Flash himself isn't that interesting as he is in the final cut.

 

 

 

So, Superman is dead and Batman has a bad feeling that bad stuff's coming. He needs a team of super people, so he tracks down the three other people listed in the hard drive he stole from Lex Luthor in Batman V Superman. The first fifty minutes or so of this movie feels like it could be arranged in almost any order as it's all made up of the kind of set up scenes that don't really need direct connection to the events immediately proceeding and succeeding it to make sense. It's fine to have for a time, but when almost the first half of the film is built this way, that ends up making a rather tiring first half to sit through. Anyway, Batman tracks down Aquaman, gets rejected, the Flash who quickly accepts because he needs friends, and Diana tracks down Cyborg who seems willing to help but not join.

 

 

 

The villain of the film, Steppenwolf, shows up in Themyscira and absolutely wrecks the greatest warriors on Earth, the Amazons (the second such beating they've gotten in this series) before stealing one of the three Motherboxes on Earth. The other two were hidden by the Atlantians under the ocean and by man, which man had rediscovered and used on Victor Stone to make him Cyborg after a near fatal car crash in a desperate move by his father who had access to it. Steppenwolf gets the second box from Atlantis just as Aquaman is swimming by which allows for a dull information dump about who Aquaman is and how he's important in the middle of a movie with an actual plot to get to. This somehow convinces him to get involved (really, this movie needed another hour at least of storytelling). Steppenwolf then follows a set of clues to Victor's father in his effort to find the third of the boxes, which leads to the first team up of the five living members of the nascent Justice League that leaves them with little to show for it.

 

 

In the face of such an imposing threat, they decide to use the last of the three Motherboxes on Superman's corpse to try and revive him, which obviously works, leading to the single best sequence in the film (and, it seems, the only Superman scene preserved from Snyder's original cut without major reshoots from Whedon). Superman doesn't know who he is, and he's angry, especially when he sees Batman, his burgeoning memories pointing to him as an enemy. The five against Superman is a good little action sequence where the highlight is the Flash realizing that Superman is as fast as he is. It's quality stuff.

 

And it's over too soon, but the movie suddenly does have a direction after Steppenwolf steals the last of the Motherboxes. He goes to an abandoned nuclear power plant in Russia where he will combine the three into one, a process that will ignite a terraforming process and turn Earth into a facsimile of Steppenwolf's planet. Sound familiar? So, the five go to Russia with an objective to stop Steppenwolf, get Cyborg to the Motherboxes so he can separate them (further evidence that he should have been the central character in this ensemble piece), and defeat Steppenwolf once and for all.

 

 

The big action scene is big and well done (considering the size and scale, it's probably also primarily Snyder's work) with a Russian family thrown in to give the heroes a moment where they save people, most likely in direct reaction to people's thoughts on the first two Superman movies in the DCEU where the little people were largely forgotten. It's big and destructive and look good, so there's that, but it's ultimately kind of unengaging because the character work is so incredibly thin, all because a story that should never have been squeezed into two hours got squeezed into two hours.

 

There are also tonal things with the movie. Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder are not similar directors. Snyder is kind of ponderous and self-importantly bombastic while Whedon is light and comic. Whedon as a choice to replace Snyder was an obvious attempt by Warner Brothers to distance the franchise from the stepping stones that Snyder had established. The break in tone would be less of an issue if Whedon had made Justice League from the beginning, but the material isn't really built to support non-stop quips from the characters. A lot of the fun dialogue (which I do find fun, by the way) seems to break from scenes to have a quip rather than be a rational extension of the scene in any way. It's a weird, Frankenstein's monster of a film that way.

 

 

I was prepared for Snyder's cut to be a superior film, mostly because I expected the expanded four hour runtime will be used to fill in the character holes created by whittling the film down so much. I don't really expect it to be a masterpiece, but for the new cut to be in line with Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, ie, big, earnest, ambitious, and flawed. Whedon's cynicism doesn't really seem to fit in this universe.

 

Still, the movie has its charms. Its second half works pretty basically after the flagging first half. It looks good, and there are winning performances all around. It's mildly entertaining, but nothing exactly special.

 

*see my review of Zack Snyder’s cut here.

 

Rating: 2/4

 

The post DCEU Films Ranked: #5 Joss Whedon’s 'Justice League' (2017) appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Embarrassed Marvel With Attack on Jordan Peterson

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 03:00 PM PDT

Warner Todd Huston at Breitbart pointed to the discovery that far-left Coates wrote up a stealth attack on Canadian conservative writer Dr. Jordan B. Peterson in the pages of the current Capt. America volume Coates is scripting:

 

Conservative thinker Jordan Peterson was shocked this month to discover that Marvel Comics had assigned his writings to the evil Nazi villain Red Skull in the latest issue of Captain America.

Peterson commented on the absurd situation upon the release of Captain America comics, Volume 9, #28, published by Marvel Comics last week. The current series is being penned by left-wing activist Ta-Nehisi Coates.


On one page of the new issue, Coates parodied Peterson's famous book 12 Rules for Life by depicting the series' classic villain Red Skull — a character long associated with Nazi Germany — pushing an Internet video called "The Ten Rules for Life."

The page also features Captain America criticizing the "weak" young men who glom onto Red Skull's online videos. "It's the same for all of them. Young men. Weak. Looking for purpose. I found the flag, you found the badge. They found the Skull," Cap says in one of the panels.

"He tells them what they've always longed to hear. That they are secretly great. That the whole world is against them. That if they're truly men, they'll fight back," the hero adds in a seeming swipe at thinkers including Peterson.

 

Yet again, Steve Rogers, if he’s the still the star, has an ideologue’s words forced into his mouth, and C.B. Cebulski clearly doesn’t have what it takes to rein in Coates’ poor conduct. As a result, they continue to draw the kind of disapproval you’d think they’d rather avoid. Obviously, that’s not the case at all.

Pajamas Media cites the following reaction from Ben Shapiro:

 

Ben Shapiro eviscerated the attack and mocked it at the same time.

"The fact that Ta-Nehisi Coates was trying to come up with the most evil supervillain he could and the best he could do is a Canadian psychologist who writes about Jungian analysis and encourages young men to make their beds is pretty telling," Shapiro tweeted. "In our upside-down world, Captain America goes around telling Americans that their country is irredeemably racist and that systemic discrimination is necessary to rectify past injustices."

Indeed, Coates pushes far-Left racial politics that seems to trace back to Marxist critical race theory. This ideology inspired much of the destruction of the Black Lives Matter and antifa riots over the summer. While protesters rightly expressed outrage at the treatment of George Floyd, many of the protests devolved into looting, vandalism, and arson in which lawless thugs — acting in the name of fighting racism — destroyed black lives, black livelihoods, and black monuments.

Is it too much to ask Marvel to keep critical race theory and smears against Jordan Peterson out of Captain America comics? Apparently, Marvel has decided it doesn't want any of those pesky conservatives to be part of its audience.

 

Exactly. Not even Cap’s co-creator, Joe Simon, who was right-leaning. Yet don’t be shocked if one day, the same crowd that led to the cancellation of 6 Dr. Seuss books will get the Star-Spangled Avenger banned as well.

 

The Post-Millenial notes:

 

The final caption says “the feminist trap,” a reference to Peterson’s opposition to feminism. The middle caption, “Karl Lueger’s genius,” references the controversial Austrian political Karl Lueger whose legacy includes the modernization of Vienna and a vicious anti-Semitism which some say inspired Hitler. It is unclear how this may reference Peterson.

 

It’s probably Coates’ way of drawing offensive comparisons, entirely oblivious to how, when you describe people you don’t agree with as nazis, you run the risk of minimizing the meaning, which many on the left these days don’t seem to realize is acronym for “national socialists” in Germany. Even some European pundits who didn’t like Donald Trump admitted it’s going too far to use such slurs. Also of note:

 

Coates himself is a left-wing journalist who has written for The Atlantic, Washington Post, and various other media outlets where he primarily discusses racial issues. While it does not appear that Coates has discussed Peterson in significant detail before, Peterson has in the past criticized Coates’s work.

It is unclear to what extent Coates’s character was inspired by Peterson.

 

I’m guessing this is Coates’ revenge on Peterson for daring to criticize his ideologies. Of course, as I often tend to wonder, what if Peterson were an Israeli thinker? How would ideologues like Coates approach the very brethren of Simon/Kirby, whose co-creations Coates’ exploits now to channel his loathsome politics?

It’s disappointing again Marvel’s allowed this kind of atrocious stuff to be greenlighted, and aside from that, it’s the kind of thing that makes me wonder if villains like the Red Skull have outlived their usefulness, if only because you don’t see new villains being created now who could embody metaphors for more relevant subjects in this modern age, like Islamofascists now plaguing Europe, and even Afghanistan. It reminds me of an interview Joe Quesada once gave 2 decades ago when he became Marvel’s EIC, and made clear he considers villains far more valuable than heroes and their co-stars. Which I believe is a very worrisome viewpoint, and if this whole flap involving Red Skull is any indication, it’s because now, such long established villainous characters are being used as political stand-ins to attack right-wing philosophers the dominating leftists despise. With the Coates-penned Cap story, we’re seeing more of these sad results.

 

 

Originally published here.

The post Ta-Nehisi Coates Embarrassed Marvel With Attack on Jordan Peterson appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Marvel’s Moon Knight is Back With a New Mission: Justice

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 12:45 PM PDT

The Fist of Khonshu returns this July! Moon Knight, one of Marvel's most enigmatic and compelling heroes, is back in an all-new ongoing series written by Jed MacKay (Black Cat) and making his Marvel Comics debut, artist Alessandro Cappuccio (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). MOON KNIGHT #1 will spin directly out of the recent "Age of Khonshu" arc in Jason Aaron's Avengers run and promises to be a worthy new adventure for this fascinating character.

The mysterious Mr. Knight has opened his Midnight Mission, his people petitioning for protection from the weird and horrible. That protection is offered by Moon Knight, who stalks the rooftops and alleys marked with his crescent moon tag, bringing violence to any who would harm his people. Marc Spector, in whichever guise he dons, is back on the streets, a renegade priest of an unworthy god. But while Khonshu languishes in a prison that Moon Knight put him in, the white-cowled hero must still observe his duty: protecting those who travel at night. And let it be known – Moon Knight will keep the faith.

 

“I’m very excited to be working with Alessando Cappuccio on the continuing adventures of one of Marvel’s biggest messes- Moon Knight!" MacKay said. "In the wake of his disastrous attempt to take over the world in the "Age of Khonshu," Marc Spector (et al) has retreated to what he knows- busting heads on the streets. But despite betraying his god to the Avengers, the Fist of Khonshu’s obligations remain the same- to protect those travelling at night. Apostate priest of the moon god, the mysterious Mr. Knight has opened the doors of his Midnight Mission, where those in fear of the weird and strange may petition for the aid of the Moon Knight! But this doesn’t sit well with everyone, and hidden threats circle Marc’s new start from the shadows…”

"When Tom Brevoort contacted me to work on the new Moon Knight series, I couldn’t believe it," Cappucio said. "Debuting in Marvel Comics with one of my favorite characters is a dream come true! The story is a new beginning for Moon Knight, Jed did an excellent job as usual on the scripts and I’m delighted to be working with a professional of his caliber."

Since his first appearance in 1975's Werewolf by Night #32 by comic book greats Doug Moench and Don Perlin, Moon Knight has stood out over the years thanks to his intriguing mythology and the psychological complexities of the character. Having enjoyed critically-acclaimed runs by Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Jeff Lemire, Mark Spector now makes his much-demanded return with a series that will give Moon Knight fans exactly what they've been asking for and serve as a perfect gateway for newcomers interested in this unique Marvel hero. Moon Knight's new era begins when MOON KNIGHT #1 hits stands on July 7th.

The post Marvel's Moon Knight is Back With a New Mission: Justice appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

L.A. Comic Con Announces In-Person Convention Show in December

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 10:00 AM PDT

 

L.A.'s largest event for comics, gaming, sci-fi and pop culture, is announcing new show dates for its first in-person show since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is planned to take place December 3rd through December 5th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with headlining guests including Zachary Levi, Tom Welling, Frank Miller, Tom Kenny, Giancarlo Esposito and more.

 

"When we realized we couldn't hold our event last December, we defaulted to the September 2021 dates because that was the same weekend we would've had our original show in 2020," said Chris DeMoulin, CEO of Comikaze Entertainment, L.A. Comic Con's parent company. "However, now that we've seen how 2021 is playing out, we've concluded that the new December dates feel the most accessible for the largest number of fans. By that point in the year, more people will likely feel safe attending an in-person event, and we also wanted to insure that our dates wouldn't interfere with people's holiday plans. Considering all of the precautionary factors in terms of vaccines, safety trends and California color-coding, we believe the Dec. 3-5 dates yield the best chance of being able to host our most complete in-person show. For fans who prefer not to attend an in-person Con in 2021, we'll have more streaming offerings than ever before to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in live panels and talent meet-and-greets, with virtual access to every main stage and secondary panel."

 

 

Last month, L.A. Comic Con announced its first all-virtual show, Micro Con, taking place on April 17. The virtual event will introduce many of the innovative digital elements that organizers are including for future Con events. "Micro Con is really a Microcosm of a full IRL Con.  It will allow us to introduce several new digital products for the fans, and work with them to scale it for a larger audience," said DeMoulin.

 

All currently held consumer tickets for the September 2021 dates are rolled over and valid for the Dec. 3-5 event. All previously announced talent and exhibitors are still confirmed for the new show dates, including Zachary Levi, best known for his leading-roles in "Shazam!", "Chuck", "Tangled" and many more; Tom Welling, best known for his roles in "Smallville" and "Lucifer"; and comic legend, Frank Miller, best known for "Sin City", "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns."  

 

In addition, new guests such as Tom Kenny and Giancarlo Esposito are being added each week.

 

 

Finally, L.A. Comic Con will be the first Con to offer a collectible set of free NFTs featuring art from the Con's archives. Organizers state they'll be introducing small collectible NFTs for Micro Con as a precursor to launching two packs of NFTs for December's event. Everyone who buys a ticket to Micro Con will be given a digital wallet with an NFT sleeve with one of the five NFT collectibles included, and there will be other ways to collect them as well. These first five NFTs will feature some of "The Art of L.A. Comic Con" from 2011 to 2015.

The post L.A. Comic Con Announces In-Person Convention Show in December appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

DCEU’s ‘Black Adam’ Film Adds More Cast Members

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 08:20 AM PDT

In a major career boost, rising actor Bodhi Sabongui has joined the high-flying cast of New Line and DC’s Black Adam, the action-adventure superhero feature starring Dwayne Johnson, THR reports. Sabongui's role is being kept secret but it is a key role in the Black Adam-DC canon.

 

The movie has been casting up as it heads into production later this month with Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Johnson in the upcoming Disney adventure film Jungle Cruise, in the director's seat.

Plot details are being kept under the cape but the project will feature the big-screen debut of the Justice Society, DC's precursor to the Justice League. 

 

Deadline also reported that James Cusati-Moyer has joined the cast of New Line/DC's upcoming Black Adam in a role that's being kept under wraps. Cusati-Moyer is currently nominated for a Tony Award in the featured actor/play category for his turn as Dustin in Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play. Cusati-Moyer originated the role when the play premiered Off Broadway at New York Theater Workshop and continued the role on Broadway until the pandemic shutdown last spring. (A date for the postponed Tony ceremony has not been announced.)

 

Cusati-Moyer recently wrapped production on the Shonda Rhimes Netflix series Inventing Anna starring Julia Garner. His additional credits include WBTV/Fox's Prodigal Son series, Amazon's Red Oaks and Hulu's The Path. Cusati-Moyer made his Broadway debut in Tripp Cullman's Six Degrees of Separation. Off-Broadway, he starred in Terrence McNally's Fire and Air at Classic Stage Company.

 

Cusati-Moyer joins a cast that includes Dwayne Johnson in the title role, and the big-screen debut of DC's Justice Society: Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone. Marwan Kenzari and Sarah Shahi also round out the cast.

Black Adam has a July 29, 2022 release date.

The post DCEU’s ‘Black Adam’ Film Adds More Cast Members appeared first on Bleeding Fool.
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