Two-Fisted Tales of Redemption
Vol 2. Num. 24068
So the lovely and talented marsinthestars totally begged me to brighten her day by posting to LJ today. And as we all know, <ODB>Maverick is for the Ladies!<ODB> So I felt like I had to oblige. I’d been meaning to talk about the rush of super-hero movies lately anyway.
So being something of a comic book geek, I tend to follow the production of superhero movies. And I’ve been watching them prepare for the Superman Returns for years now. And I’ve come to expect a certain something from the film. I expect it to suck. Honestly, I’m not even a Superman fan. Superman kinda bores me. (The big 3 from DC actually bore me. I’d much rather read about Robin, Superboy, Supergirl or Wondergirl than Superman, Batman on Wonder Woman.) And the movie just looked worse and worse every time I heard more about it. All the original script treatments I’d seen were really really bad. I never though Nick Cage could be a good Superman and the guy they cast just doesn’t say “Superman” to me either. And the costume just looks fucking gay.
But everytime I see the trailer I get more and more excited about it. If nothing else the special effects look great. In my heart of hearts, I imagine tons of kids across the country getting so excited about it that they start shooting each other in the eye.
I try so hard to not be excited about this stuff. Because I know that its going to turn out being crap and I’m going to be disappointed, sort of like I was with X3. (The more I think about X3, the less I like it).
So anyway, I have a wrestling show on Sunday, and I’m pretty busy up until then, so does anyone want to go and see Superman with me and be disappointed on Friday night or sometime on Saturday?
In the meantime, I’m starting to get excited about Spider-Man 3 whose trailer came out yesterday. I’ve always hated Venom in the comics, but I have to admit, this trailer looks great. This one is going to be hard to not get excited about.
I was totally not into Superman… until I saw the trailer with Spacey doing the “Gods” promo.
I am not geeked about it yet, but I am intrigued.
And yes, even through Spiderman 2 wasn’t as good as Spiderman 3, I am geeked about it. It’s a shame it is a year off.
yeah… i am keeping my expectations suitably low to keep myself from being disappointed by it. But its getting harder to do so.
Spider-man 3, it may be impossible.
thank you for brightening my day.
Now, if you could make my computer stop crashing, we’d be set.
well, I can pick it up, fly and throw it into the side of a mountain, but I don’t know if it will actually help.
Oh, sweet Jesus, that picture’s awesome!
thought you might appreciate that.
I wish i actually had a picture of you running with your hands on your face. Oh well.
I saw the film yesterday. Its right there with BATMAN BEGINS as the best super hero film ever made. It is played straight and not campy, and the performances are great [seriously Kevin Spacey should get an Oscar nom].
There is one genuine “HOLY SHIT” moment that had everyone in the audience buzzing.
Brandon Routh is excellent. Kate Bosworth is ok, but doesnt seem to have the confidence to pull off Lois Lane. James Marsters is really good in a tricky roll–you’re kind of rooting against him, but at the same time he’s a great guy who seems to do everything right.
Joe Bob says check it out…
see, I wasn’t all that in to Batman Begins. I didn’t hate it mind you. But I didn’t like it as much as other people I think.
I could go into a list of reasons, if you really care.
Yes please do.
Well, my first big problem was the storyline and character portrayal. It wasn’t really Batman. I’m actually quite ok with a reimagining of a character for the screen. in fact, that’s why I like Smallville so much. I think that what they’ve done there is interesting. However, Batman Begins didn’t “feel like Batman.” It felt like an a stock action movie. Actually it was a very good stock action movie, but he wasn’t Bruce Wayne or Batman. I liked the story, but in all honesty, I think it would have been even better if it was a story about a guy named Wayne Bruce and he has the exact same life, but never bothers to put on a batsuit. Because that part just seemed contrived. I’d be fine with him just going around and kicking ass as himself, and if that’s the case, then its not a Batman movie.
My second problem was the whole Ra’s Al Ghul double thingee. Knowing nothing about the movie, but having background from the comic, the second Liam Neeson says “this is Ra’s al Ghul” I took one look at Ken Watanabee and was like “uh, not he’s not. Liam Neeson would make such a better Ra’s al Ghul than Ken Watanabee.” and even though that’s what ended up happening, I found it to be quite annoying for much of the movie.
I actually have this “problem” where I annoyingly predict movies. I can generally just unconsciously pick up on subtext in movies and tv and stuff and know the plotlines well in advance. A combination of couch-potatoism and a bunch of screen writing and literary and cultural studies courses. For instance, I “figured out” The Sixth Sense like 15-20 min. in and then I was really really bored with it for the rest of the film. So when a movie is extremely formulaic, like Batman Begins, its even worse. That said, I thought for a formulaic action movie it was very well executed but ultimately not as visionary as I thought, say Batman was. So while not the worst comic adaptation ever, I don’t know that I’ll think its as awesome movie 16 years from now, the way I do with Batman, or the way I expect I will with Sin City.
Its interesting in that I dont disagree with your points, just that I didnt think it weakened the film. It was a much better film before he put on the Batsuit. But I still liked the way the Scarecrow was presented, and really liked Gary Oldman as the last honest cop in Gotham.
Also even though I usually know about movies ahead of time [im the type that will dive into a spoiler and not try and avoid them] I usually take them for what they are, and enjoy the story telling of the picture. One of the reasons I liked Batman Begins was because it took the mythos of the character and tried to build from some of the better parts.
Also its interesting when you say “It wasnt Batman” since I think there can be many justifiable interpitations of the character. I dont know if you read WIZARD but the issue that came out yesterday has a really great interview with Paul Dini and Grant Morrison about what it means to be Batman. Its worth reading [“If I was a millionare’s kid, and saw my parents murdered in front of me, Id blow all the money on hookers and drugs”]
I do read wizard. Haven’t opened it yet. Will check it out.
See, that’s pretty much my whole point right there. I much preferred the movie BEFORE he puts on the suit. That makes it not Batman. I should have been very excited the second he pulls that cowl on for the first time. The fact that you’re a millionaire and rather than spend your dough on hookers and coke, you suddenly decide to put on a batsuit, that should mean something. It didn’t. It just meant that “this has to be Batman. So we’re putting the suit on him now.”
That said, I like some of the ideas. Like I love that they picked Ra’s as the villain since a lot of mainstream fans won’t know him. I liked that they tried to go somewhere else. But it didn’t feel like any incarnation of Batman to me. The movie could have just as easily been called “Bruce Wayne: Gotham Knight” and it would have been better.
heya! it’s meron’s friend (the cute white girl from the party yesterday). how random was that? i’m friending you. *poke* 🙂
coolness… email me an email address and AIM screenname so we can talk and I can harass you into coming to jammyjam (mav at elseworld dot com).