In ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE, determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.
Watch the brand new trailer now.
With the release of the trailer today, viewers were shocked to hear an original conversation with Batman, when Joker says, ‘We live in a society where honor is a distant memory.’ It had social media and the internet buzzing on Sunday.
Stream ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE on HBO Max in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos on supported devices.
Enter the world of ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE and stay up to date with the latest news, trailers, activities and more on the dedicated microsite here! As our heroes, now united, prepare to protect the world from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid’s dreadful intentions, we’ll have everything you need to get ready for the March 18th premiere on HBO Max.
The ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder and Will Beall, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Wesley Coller, Jim Rowe, Curtis Kanemoto, Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck.
DC FanDome is all about the fans, so it makes sense that the second half of the Hall of Heroes would be kicked off by something that wouldn’t exist if not for fans—the Snyder Cut of Justice League.
Less a panel than a presentation and discussion hosted by director Zack Snyder, the segment began with a Q&A featuring guest appearances by Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins. During it, Snyder revealed his favorite superhero after Batman—Doctor Manhattan—and explained how he was most excited to flesh out Cyborg’s role in the story, who he described as “the heart of the movie.” He also promised we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Flash, including something with the character that we’ve never seen before.
Later, Snyder interviewed two fans who were heavily involved with the “Release the Snyder Cut” movement before revealing some details about the project itself.
Debuting on HBO Max in 2021, Snyder’s recut Justice League will be divided into four parts, each one hour long. After all four parts have debuted, they’ll be edited together into a single film, in case anyone prefers to watch it that way. Finally, he mentioned that they’re at work on an international distribution plan so that countries where HBO Max is currently unavailable will still be able to see the film.
In “Justice League,” fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
The “Justice League” screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto and Chris Terrio.
Director Zack Snyder sat in on Justice Con panel on Saturday and discussed the upcoming release and restoration of JUSTICE LEAGUE, as well as revealing a scene of Superman in his black suit!
After global passionate fan calls to action and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, it was announced in May that the director’s vision of the film would finally happen.
HBO Maxand Warner Bros. Pictures will exclusively world premiere Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the Warner Bros. Pictures/DC feature film Justice League in 2021.
In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
The Justice League screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, and Chris Terrio.
After global passionate fan calls to action and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, HBO Maxand Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it will exclusively world premiere Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the Warner Bros. Pictures/DC feature film Justice League in 2021.
Snyder surprised fans with the news this morning during a live online commentary of his film Man of Steel with Henry Cavill.
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut first became a passionate rallying social media cry among fans in 2017 and has not let up. From countless press articles and hundreds of thousands of social media mentions, it became a powerful global movement among cinephiles and comic book fans.
“I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Brothers for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized. Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality,” said Snyder.
“Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes. Well, the fans have asked, and we are thrilled to finally deliver. At the end of the day, it really is all about them and we are beyond excited to be able to release Zack’s ultimate vision for this film in 2021. This could never have happened if it weren’t for the hard work and combined efforts of the teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer.
“When Zack and Debbie shared the extraordinary vision of where Zack wanted to take Justice League, my team and our counterparts at Warner Bros. took it as a mission to solve the many issues that stood in the way,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV. “Thanks to the partnership at Warner Bros. and the relentless pursuit of the entire WarnerMax team we are able to deliver this incredibly exciting moment for Zack, the fans and HBO Max.”
“Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “This feels like the right time to share Zack’s story, and HBO Max is the perfect platform for it. We’re glad the creative planets aligned, allowing us to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.”
In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
The Justice League screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, and Chris Terrio.
Below are the highlights from the watch party on Wednesday morning:
The filmmaker brought a pile of storyboards from the film.
Mentioned his love of Hans Zimmer’s opening cue and how “Kryptonian animals took notice of Kal’s birth” in his explanation of storyboards. “They are the bible of the movie.”
“Kryptonian Council wardrobe was inspired by original Planet of the Apes movie. Art nouveau was the theme for the set and spacecraft and architecture of council chamber.”
“Wanted to connect Jor-El the planet and ancient qualities with flying creature and the natural order.”
“Genesis chamber concept was based on the art of the culture – Russell Crowe was shot in a pool in Vancouver and was a physical set.”
“The moon was broken long ago by Doomsday – he could be brought into this cinematic universe and I liked the character. Have him involved in the movies, if there was movies and to plant some Easter Eggs – for later.”
“Finding Earth and knowledge prior was a way to plant notion that they knew of it. Chance that the codex is an ancient Krypton DNA with various levels of DNA could be stored. Visually symbolic of an organic thing and had a text of thousands of years of info – like an artifact of religious nature, like monks.”
“Lots of fertility symbols in Jor-El’s and Lara’s chambers. All armor costumes was CGI – couldn’t move well with physical costumes especially during fight between Zod and Jor-el. Guns were made by WETA. Joseph Campbell’s quote is on Superman’s costume. “And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.”
Snyder said it shows, “A hero’s journey and spiritual enlightenment and a cool way to think about the world and Superman’s journey.”
“There were talks about only speaking Kryptonian early on with subtitles on Krypton. Couldn’t be as immersive or accessible but had a Kryptonian alphabet early on.”
“Some of the set was real during Zod and followers banishment to the Phantom Zone. Some of the beautiful set was CGI. Super fun sequence to see ship go into the Phantom Zone.”
Snyder originally wanted the House of EL symbol or logo on the front of the ship for audiences to see as it came to Earth.
“We had cooperation with Dept. Of Defense and Coast Guard.” The scene when Clark is underwater, the helicopter shot was real and Snyder was in it during filming..
“Lot of out of focus shots – to flesh out details of this natural world in reference to Superman and notion of an alien living among us. His way in and a close connection for Superman.”
“Photographed Kent’s Farm near Batman’s house – physical connection and was inspired to be Wayne’s home. Iconic pickup truck that was seen in a movies. Pa Kent and Young Clark was shot over many days for lighting purposes. A beautiful scene between the two actors and iconic reveal of Jonathan letting Clark know he is Superman and the reveal of the ship hidden in the barn. “You are my son” is a powerful flashback and memory of Clark’s.”
“I loved the notion that Clark was hitchhiking in one scene – he knew that something was important was happening as he tries to make his way in the world.”
“Amy Adams was an awesome Lois Lane and was blessed to get her to play the part. Special person and friend.”
“Glacier face and tunnel was twenty feet down – cool physical set. 20,000 years ago Kryptonians landed – on the computer is the surface of Mars and thought about having Doctor Manhattan in the scene. Easter Egg from Watchmen movie.”
“Big sci-fi spaceship coming out of the ice was cool. Shot
Lois on the Glacier in a day and went on location.”
Daily Planet and Metropolis was shot in Chicago.
History lesson between Jor-El and Kal. A liquid history lesson that was state “sponsored showing the propaganda of the planet. Gave Crowe his reveal of the House of El on his chest/costume. “
“Superman still had codex inside so it’s possible to rebuild the destroyed Krypton – so in a way Zod was right in saying Kal has the power too. Ancestor of the House of El’s family black suit is different than the red and blue inclusive suit the public sees.”
Snyder says the “First flight concept with him jumping first and realizes his power – be amazing and knows his responsibility that comes with his power. His fist down scene and he knows what’s happening – and his first flight.”
Shot at Kent Farm over many days.
Spaceship coming out of the Phantom Zone – design of it is a nonstandard flying saucer.
Snyder said he liked the idea of Clark drinking a beer. “You are not alone” and POV shot by Kal. Had a 1950’s sci-fi classic invasion story.
“Clark grew up in Kansas and part of who he is culturally – symbolically and the philosophy book. Had aspirations. He has respect and believes in his father, and farming is noble. But his destiny lies beyond. Grapples with it in the church scene and conversation with the priest. What will he be asked and sacrifices and asked to give – gives himself to what will be morally right.”
“Floating Superman facing the army. And then ludicrous to be in handcuffs but he knows its right – the idea of it. He understands that it would make humans feel better. Moral dilemma.”
“Human characters around that are also heroes. Shot outdoor scenes at Edwards AFB.”
“Interesting first contact with a Kryptonian and the dropship. Found throughout the galaxy. Sci-fi docking port. It’s an invasion film in a lot of ways.”
“Shows Superman is vulnerable when he gets onto the ship – world engine. Shows Zod and crew watching how they got out of the Phantom Zone. Zod is a genius and is able to transport them to Earth and they discover the old outposts and dropships. They want to transform Earth into a new Krypton, into an alien world. Transforming earth and superman into one of Zod’s followers.”
“Smallville battle was fun to shoot – a fight between Kryptonians on Earth. Multi Jor-els as AI’s in scoutship was a favorite sequence.”
“Shows Lois to the escapepod was exciting with all the Jor-Els.”
Snyder said the “Superman iconic reference to a ‘Savior’ as he falls is a powerful.”
Shot the IHOP scenes partially in Vancouver and Illinois.
Some wire work some CGI – tricky on the day of the battle in
Smallville.
Iconic scene where Chris Meloni acknowledges that Superman “is our friend” is a favorite.
Process of terraforming and notion that the idea of what’s happens to humans is strong and real consequence and when they call Superman.
Deborah Snyder joined Zack Snyder in viewing room.
Fight between Zod and Superman for the survival of Earth. “Favorite Hans Zimmer music cue is the Superman theme – simple and emotional. The first few notes is so cool and iconic. We used it in Batman v Superman. You know its him and a way to reprise the emotion over the 2, potentially 3 movies.”
“Shot inside a hangar in a real cargo plane at Edwards AFB with Lois – a spaceship for real inside the plane. The real AF guys had to strap it down and they were in the scene. It was fun to hear how the plane really worked. The cockpit was a set.”
“The fly-in was one wires with the actors, Superman and Lois – no CGI. Very tricky.”
“Shannon was wearing a full CGI costume, even with the dirt in his hand and was complicated. Both said Shannon was very funny between takes and they were lucky to get him for the role.”
“Destruction of Metropolis was complex from lighting to CG to shooting it. Lexcorp logo was fun to put in and reference – a bigger world,” said Snyder.
Zod running up the building was their favorite part – he cant fly
yet. And then sheds his armor – Zod is stronger than his armor.
“Difficult to shoot this scale through the city. Wayne industries logo on the satellite. Bruce Wayne is around in the city. He is looking up at the battle.”
Deborah said, “Superman saves the family and it was very controversial to kill Zod. But he ends up alone and we can debate but the real question, his legacy and he has chosen us over his people from Krypton. Torn a piece and reminiscent to not save his own people.”
Last day of shooting in the desert with Cavill was the final shot. Deborah added, “He looks so iconic here.”
And then Henry Cavill joined the pair on the VERO screening along
with a Q&A.
Cavill and the team discussed his first time in suit. Cavill said,
“It is difficult to forget – I put it on for screen test. So hush-hush and
under wraps. I stepped outside and had that moment when everyone looked and it
felt empowering to be in the Superman suit. It carried an extra magic in that
moment.”
Both Snyders said, “Then we used Chris Reeves suit for the screen
test as Cavill’s suit wasn’t ready. They got it out of storage and it was
handled with white gloves. Reeves is like underwear outside and not heroic
looking.”
Cavill asked if Jor-El’s construct was capable of love – how
advanced was it. Snyder responded, “it’s not a complete person and it would
undercut Jor-El’s sacrifice. A diary he wrote to his son so when he got to
Earth and became Superman, he could talk to him. It carries the message of
love.”
“I’m not personally in control of it – it exists and what I
did with it,” says Snyder when asked about the release of the Snyder cut of
Justice League movie.
“It’s not really up to me, but I would had left it on
thumbdrive in a bathroom.”
Cavill interjects and laughed, “cuz yeah people love picking up a thumb drive in a bathroom”
Cavill also said on the Justice League Snyder cut, “I still love watching MAN OF STEEL and I remember watching the first trailer and what was going on in my life. It changed my career. I would love to see a version of Justice League without the mustache.”
Snyder said, “When Superman came back, he was iconic minus
the beard and that look. It was always my intention to see that version and
implication of the mustache. “
Deborah Snyder added, “we were on this journey with all
these characters from Justice League. To become the team that would have been
amazing.”
“I have it and we have to find a way of showing it one day,”
said Snyder
Cavill then followed up “You should just show it.”
Snyder then shared the logo and said its happening!
JUSTICE LEAGUE will be available on Blu-ray next Tuesday, March 13th
Ok, I get it, the jury is in, the Justice League bombed at the box office and most critics were less than kind. I don’t care, I saw it three times (not as often as Wonder Woman) in theaters. I love it anyway. Even though I had my own problems with this latest DC Universe movie.
My problems, in brief: First, the missing and deleted scenes. Youtube was loaded with many and various previews for Justice League leading up to its release, all of which had scenes and lines of dialog that didn’t make it into the final cut. I sincerely hope the blu ray will present an extended or director’s cut of Justice League. And of course the blu ray release has been delayed.
Second the threat is too generic, Steppenwolf never does seem like much of a villain and the “ParaDemons” are too much like the Alien Army in the first Avengers movie, cannon fodder for the heroes with no personality. And the Macguffin the villain is after is way too much like the power box, again, in the first Avengers movie. Making three magic boxes instead of one, that makes it different? Right……
And to me the most egregious mark against the Justice League, J. K Simmons. Not the actor, he is one of the best actors working now and has an Oscar to prove it. My problem is, why hire J. K Simmons and give him nothing to do? Commissioner Gordon is used to working with The Batman, would he not have something to say to, I don’t know, Wonder Woman or Cyborg other than “How many of you are there? “ How about “Are you people crazy?” or “Why in the hell are you doing this?”
Oh well, to my simple mind these are minor problems. There is much I love in Justice League starting with:
10. Ezra Miller as Barry Allen “The Flash” Miller is a little guy but has a huge talent. Don’t believe me? Check out a movie called We Need To Talk About Kevin, a movie more relevant than ever in the wake of yet another school shooting. With a face that looks like it was designed by an artist Miller’s take on the Flash is wonderful. His comment that Barry Allen “needs friends” is heartbreaking. In fact Justice League more than hints at the notion that all these characters “need friends” most of all Batman and Cyborg. Miller brings humor to a movie that needs it, he makes an impossible character believable and likeable, all the actors do quite frankly. Which brings me to:
9. Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry “The Aquaman” I saw Conan the Barbarian in a theater and have it on dvd. Momoa really didn’t make much of an impression in that project. He must have been working on his craft because he is flat out wonderful in Justice League. Steals every scene he’s in and, for a man who can live and breathe under water is the voice of reason and sanity and common sense in a comic book universe. How many comic book super heroes are there that not only drink whisky straight out of the bottle but litter the landscape with their empties? Aquaman does. And I love his “truth to tell” rant due to his sitting on Wonder Woman’s lasso. Aquaman was never one of my favorite DC heroes, I now look forward to his stand alone movie. Justice League is worth seeing for Momoa alone.
8. The first battle scene. I love the idea of all the Justice League members being dependant on Batman’s various vehicles and gizmos. The fight in the tunnels under Gotham Harbor is complex and involves a lot of movement; it could have easily degenerated into confusion and chaos, much like the (rightfully) disliked Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice final battle. We never lose track of anyone’s location and who is doing what to whom. This battle can stand alongside any of the action set pieces in the Marvel Universe.
7. Henry Cavill as Kal El, Clark Kent, “Superman.” I will be the first to admit Cavill is not the most versatile actor in the business. Want real proof? Try The Man from Uncle Movie with Cavill as Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as Ilya Kuryakin, if you can make it all the way through. However, if there was ever an actor who looked exactly like a comic book character Cavill is it. I will be honest, I grew up with the George Reeves Superman television series and to me he will always be Clark Kent/Superman. I also very much enjoyed Christopher Reeves take on a classic character (except for that fourth movie!) Cavill looks exactly like the Superman of the 1960s DC Comics. And he brings his A game to the project and, as I told my sweetheart Radah Sheah, when we watched Superman Vs Batman Dawn of Justice (which she hated) “you can’t kill Supes, can’t be done!” And yet another issue I have with Justice League, when Superman finally (finally!) joins the fight against Steppenwolf and his cartoon minions we fully expect him to pound the living shit out of the Bad Guy and slam him back and forth on the concrete (much like what The Hulk did to Loki in the first Avengers movie) No, we see Supes get in a few licks and then run off to save “civilians!” Whatever!
6. Another visit to Paradise Island/ Themyscira/The Amazon Kingdom. I love the Amazons, LOVE the Amazons, adore them! I saw Wonder Woman 7 times last year, in theaters (that’s Seven times!) And not just for Gal Gadot. When I was 10 years old I became obsessed with the legend of the Amazons (yes obsessed is a good word, although it may not be strong enough!) I read of them in a children’s encyclopedia and checked out books, written at an adult level, from the library on Greek and Roman history and mythology for any information about the Amazons.
I even wrote my own stories about Amazons in my grade school classrooms, when I should have been paying attention to Geography and Arithmetic lessons. Other boys drew pictures of tanks and fighter planes; I scribbled out stories of women warriors defeating entire armies of men. The first time I saw Wonder Woman, during the entire opening on Paradise Island I wept, cried tears of absolute joy! I had forgotten all of my youthful enthusiasm for the Amazons.
There are other movies about the Amazons. Tarzan and The Amazons with Johnny Weissmueller, 1945, depicted a very cool Amazon kingdom in Tarzan’s territory. Ironically those Amazons defeated men armed with guns using bows and arrows, spears and swords, much like the Amazons of Wonder Woman. And during my time in the Navy when I ran the ship’s tv station on the USS AMERICA I broadcast a later day Italian peplum movie, War Goddess aka Amazons from 1973. Depicting the Amazons dealings with the Greeks and a disputed power struggle, it has its moments. Those Amazons apparently spent all their money on eye makeup. Those movies were ok, but Wonder Woman’s movie depicted the Amazon Empire exactly as I had pictured it at 10, 11 and 12 years of age. Except my Amazons had a bowling alley, equipped with pin ball machines, bumper pool tables and a soda fountain. My Amazons also got to use automatic weapons, grenade launchers, tanks and what have you. Hey, they were MY stories and I enjoyed that I could give them anything I thought they should have! So Wonder Woman is a very special movie to me and I was ecstatic that Justice League took us back to Themyscira and populated the Amazons with many of the same actors and athletes who portrayed the Amazons in Wonder Woman. I would love to see them have their own stand alone movie. A sweeping historical epic about their wars with the Greeks and Romans, and especially how they got mixed up with Hercules! It would be a perfectly logical reason to bring back Robin Wright as Antiope, one of the most awesome woman characters ever captured on film! I should add too, my Amazons always won, every engagement they kicked ass and took names. And they never even had any casualties (again, they were my stories, and no, none of the stories survived. Whenever recess was called I would throw my stories in the trash. I wrote them only for my own amusement and I was convinced that if any one, especially adults, found out about my obsession I would be put in an institution! I am NOT kidding!)
5. The second battle scene. In the DC and Marvel Universe there seems to be a great concern about collateral damage. And rightfully so, if super heroes and super villains really did exist and had epic battles in urban areas, the damage would be catastrophic. In Justice League the final showdown happens in what appears to be Chernobyl. Very few civilians present and the League members take great pains to get them out of harm’s way. And again, we never lose track of who is doing what, when, where and why. And the action, once it gets rolling, is truly awesome.
4. Ray Fisher Victor Stone “Cyborg” This is the one character I was not familiar with. I have not bought a comic book since about 1985. It finally dawned on me that I could no longer afford to buy and store huge amounts of paper collectibles. So Cyborg was a new character to me and Ray Fisher brings a lot to the project. I read at least one comment on the web that Cyborg is based on Robocop. Not really, Cyborg made his debut in 1980, Robocop the original movie, was released in 1987. If anything Robocop owes a debt to DC Comics and the character of Cyborg. What’s left of a man housed in a robotic body and finding himself stronger, faster and with many other powers not possessed by mundane people, like you and me. We get all that with Fisher, the pain of being different, an outcast, alone. And even better we have the incredible Joe Morton, star of John Sayles classic cult movie Brother From Another Planet as his suffering Father. Cyborg and all the other Justice League members are to have their own stand alone movies. I am looking forward to all of them.
3. Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne “The Batman” I have a co worker who refused to see Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice or Justice League because she cannot stand the idea of Ben Affleck playing Bruce Wayne/Batman. I could not possibly disagree more. Affleck makes a good Batman and an even better Bruce Wayne. I will readily admit I am a sentimental old fool when it comes to these characters. I saw all the faults of Batman Vs Superman and loved it anyway, mainly for the thrill of finally seeing Batman, Superman AND Wonder Woman in the same movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Marvel Universe and have seen most of their movies. But Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were there first. There was no Marvel Comics publisher during that time frame of the late 1930s and 1940s. Captain America was published by an outfit called Timely. I treasure what is probably the best moment in Dawn of Justice “Is she with you?” “I thought she was with you!” And I love the moment when Diana literally pulls Batman’s ass out of the fire. Affleck is a fine Batman, there is an epic sadness to this Caped Crusader. Bruce Wayne in Justice League is about, literally, at the end of his rope. A reluctant leader.
I love the idea that he would much rather have Superman back or somehow goad Wonder Woman into taking the lead. It’s heartbreaking when he openly admits that Superman is a better man than him. In fact this Batman seems to think that Wonder Woman is a better man than him! Of course Supes is a better man than anybody, and everybody! I would put Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman about midway between Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer (my personal favorite of all the contemporary actors who have played Batman.) Affleck has proved himself as an actor and he’s an even better director, The Town and Argo prove that beyond any doubt. I’m going way out on a limb here and say it for the whole world, Justice League is the best Batman movie since Dark Knight. You want to see a bad DC movie? Try sitting through Dark Knight Rises more than once.
2. Gal Gadot Diana Princess of Theymyscira “Wonder Woman” If you’ve read this gibbering nonsense this far here is a no brainer. Of course I adore Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman. Here is the best example I can think of for an actor to be inseparable from a comic book super hero character.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Lynda Carter but her television show was to Wonder Woman what the 1960s Batman show (which I loved too, Adam West will always be the “real Batman”) was to the Caped Crusader. A goofy, pop art, more comic than book, take on this iconic character. Patty Jenkins and her crew gave us what is probably the greatest superhero movie that will ever be made.
I’ll say it again, I saw Wonder Woman seven times last year, bought the blu ray the day it went on sale, and could watch it every day the rest of my life. My co workers during the summer of last year, told me to shut up about Wonder Woman (and most of my co workers are women!) I also treasure the movie Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, which I also saw in a theater.
I love that Wonder Woman was created by a man, who truly believed women were superior to men. Marston’s my man, I have believed that for years, decades. Jenkins is on the record, Wonder Woman is only about 20% of what she had in mind! I would love to see how she originally envisioned this masterpiece.
I love that Gadot is, apparently, the real deal. She is an Israeli Army veteran and was a combat trainer, hand to hand and firearms., She downplays that and says it was no big deal. I doubt that, during my time in the US Navy we had class room training, one class involved “know your allies and your enemies” a rundown on various countries different military outfits. I distinctly recall being told the Israeli army is one of the toughest and most well trained in the world. I rest my case.
I had a co worker tell me that I kept going to see Wonder Woman because of Gal Gadot’s astonishing looks. No, if she were just another pretty face I would have seen it once, maybe twice. Part of what kept me going back is her incredible acting talent. The male super heroes, both Marvel and DC, when they go into combat mode, look very grim, determined, no nonsense. When Diana cuts loose and runs amok on the German Army she has this lovely smile, of utmost confidence and, could it be…..joy? Her smile, after she knocks aside her first bullet with those bracelets (one of my few problems with Wonder Woman, I would like to have an explanation of what those are and why they work the way they do. I also don’t think the Germans of WWI would be so quick to open up on one lone woman crossing No Man’s Land, some hesitation would be in order, but these are minor quibbles.)
When she comes busting through that window and lands in a roomful of heavily armed Germans her smile says it all “I’ve got this! You people are about to enter a world of pure, agonizing pain!” What she does after that is the best example of what I would call “running amok!” And she wears that smile of determination in Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice, repeatedly. Every time she gets knocked down by Doomsday she has that smile, gets back up and goes right back to knocking the shit of “a creature from another world.”
I could write page after page of how much I loved Wonder Woman’s movie, the humor, the valor, the team work, the pure joy of knocking the piss out of somebody who has it coming. And Gal Gadot brings all that to Justice League, and a whole lot more. The lady has talent and charisma and style to burn. I could watch her take a nap on the couch. Of course if she woke up and saw me she’d scream bloody murder and beat the shit out of me (I should be so lucky!)A good friend made a very rude comment when I showed him my Wonder Woman poster, which I shall not repeat on the internet. I told him the truth, such comments are sacrilegious, blasphemous, “I do not see this woman as a sex object, I worship her as a Goddess (I am only half joking!)
1. And finally; this is the Justice League movie. This IS the Justice League movie! Good Bad or Indifferent this is a movie aging comic book fan boys, and girls, like me have looked forward to for years. In the 1960s when I was reading comic book and monster magazines and science fiction books and magazines I never dreamed there would be a whole series of Marvel Comic movies,, or DC, that brought these wonderful characters to life. If someone had told me that in the future there would be movies as good as Spider Man Two or Dark Knight or The Avengers or Captain America: Winter Soldier or Wonder Woman, or a complete filming of The Lord of the Rings, I would have called them out for bull shit artists. And yet , here we are. As I said I am a sentimental old fool, at the end of Justice League I wept, again, at seeing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman in the same shot, dust still in the air, with the American flag behind them.
And there are other moments I love, Jeremy Irons joins a long list of great actors who have played Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s right hand man. His Alfred has several great moments. And Diane Lane is probably the best Ma Kent we will ever see. There is a video on Youtube of Chris Hemsworth, Thor in the Marvel Universe, at Comic Con. He was asked about the DC Universe series; he laughed and said something to the effect that “those guys are just trailing in our dust!” Don’t get me wrong, I like Hemsworth, and Thor. I thought Thor Ragnarok was a very fine piece of work, loved it. But that was a rude thing to say. There is room in the market place for Marvel and DC. Although if somebody ever makes a Thunder Agents movie I’ll know for sure we are really living in the end times (or Blue Beetle or Plastic Man for that matter!) So yes, I love the Marvel Universe and DC, I thought Justice League was fine. Could it have been better? Of course, any movie could, unless you’re talking about directors at the level of Kubrick or Hitchcock. Having said all that, at some point in the future, if it’s possible, I would love to see a Justice League meets the Avengers movie. Of course the threat would have to be colossal, the fate of the entire solar system? Galaxy? The Universe itself? All of life hangs in the balance? I would just imagine that Superman and Thor would have something to talk about. And I would love to hear a conversation between Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, technical innovations and high finance? But what I would really treasure, the moment I dream of, I would love to see Diana, Princess of Theymyscira, Wonder Woman, sit down with Agent Romanov; The Black Widow and The Scarlet Witch and have a nice cup of espresso and a croissant and talk about how messed up it is to try and deal with male super heroes. I can hear it now “you think Tony Stark is a jerk! Let me tell you what Bruce Wayne did! What he said!” “Sister you have no idea!”
And how would this be for a slow motion team walk:
Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Spiderman, Antman, Wasp, Black Panther, Flash, Aquaman, Hulk, Thor, Cyborg, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, The Vision, War Machine, Green Lantern, and what the hell, Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy, The X Men, Fantastic Four and everybody else in the Marvel and DC Universe, striding towards the camera with a “terrible resolve” to face down an implacable and unstoppable enemy. If I’m going to dream I may as well dream big!
I have friends, good friends, who don’t care for the super hero movies. To paraphrase a line of dialog from My Favorite Year “ I need my heroes, I need them bigger than life! As big as I can get them!” And I thank everyone who works on these movies, in the DC and Marvel Universe. And I am so happy for Stan Lee, the Marvel movies are something he dreamed of for years.
And so, yes I love the Justice League, for all this and so much more.
“Bruce Wayne is a rich man. He’s an aristocrat. Superman grew up as Clark Kent on a farm bailing hay, and he’s got a boss that shouts at him if he’s late to work. He’s actually more human.”
– Grant Morrison
This quote from comic book legend Grant Morrison is what’s at the heart of the problem at why so many of the recent DC films have not worked and why so few have. It’s not that these films were missing the comedy aspect like some critics and fans have expressed. I think it’s more complex than just adding a few clever one-liners. As Grant Morrison suggests, these men and women aren’t just heroes that save the world. Even though the Marvel formula has clearly worked for the studio, the answer to DC’s prayers isn’t that they need to resemble that formula. It’s more that these stories need to show their humanity. The heroes need to resemble us… or at least remind us that they are like us. That’s why we read comic books in the first place. It’s not for the splash panels comprised of superhero poses and cataclysmic fights – it’s because we want to be reminded that inside these all-powerful Greek Gods and Goddesses there lies a reflection of ourselves. Hearing Batman grumble, “Do you bleed?” in BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE isn’t going to do that. Nor is watching him brand criminals in a weird sadomasochistic way with the bat symbol. How we relate to the Caped Crusader is his loss. That’s something we have all felt. And it’s this feeling of loss and regret that fuels him in JUSTICE LEAGUE.
The death of Superman following the events of BvS: DAWN OF JUSTICE brings a dark cloud over the events and characters in JUSTICE LEAGUE. Hope is lost and there are feelings of shame and regret exhibited by the community as a whole. But a bigger cloud seems to be spreading as Batman faces off against an invasion of Parademons (aka- flying baddies from another dimension) throughout Gotham. In order to stop this new threat, he calls on the help of Wonder Woman and some new recruits, as you can expect. These Parademons are working alongside Steppenwolf, the new villain of the week who is on the hunt for three Mother Boxes – one guarded by the Amazonians, one by Atlantis, one by humans – that will grant him the ability to destroy Earth.
If the faceless, robotic-like henchmen, magical portal to another dimension, and a group of heroes from different backgrounds coming together all sounds familiar, then yes… you’ve seen a couple of comic-book films over the past couple of years. Despite the surface level familiarity with the proceedings, JUSTICE LEAGUE is mainly fun if solely to get to know some characters we haven’t seen previously on screen. Yes, I did say fun when describing a DC film.
The first half of the film serves as an introduction to these new faces while serving as a recruitment film. You would think with a few new recruits and a new villain to introduce that the film would feel very disjointed, but actually, the first half moves smoothly between each character-building sequence without feeling like it’s jumping from comic book panel to panel. What’s most important though is that these moments early on establish a universe where you care about the men and women behind the costumes.
Unlike some of the recent Marvel films where every character delivers sarcastic one-liners, each member of the League has their own defining characteristics. Since Batman and Wonder Woman have previously been established, more time is given to Cyborg, The Flash, and Aquaman. Cyborg serves as a nice departure because he’s presented more as a tragic monster than wannabe hero (like The Flash). Ray Fisher carefully portrays the Victor Stone/Cyborg character as a Frankenstein-like creation, confused about his place in life and angry with his creator for his mere existence. Flash, on the other hand, is all unbridled energy and quips. A backstory is not entirely fleshed out and works to an extent thanks to Ezra Miller’s commitment to the role, but his sophomoric dialogue fails to hit the comedic mark it’s desperately striving for. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) on the other hand, surprisingly, works even if he strays the furthest from his comic book roots. His cool whiskey-chugging, cocky swagger is a welcome departure from the rest of the motley crew, although it comes with one too many “Yeaahhh!” exclamations for my taste.
It’s when these characters come together and interact with one another where their guards begin to lower and we see their human side, bruises and all (quite literally, as seen in one tender scene between Batman and Wonder Woman). While many of these moments might be seen as Joss Whedon flexing his emotional and comedic chops (he took over directing duties after Zack Snyder left the project to deal with a family tragedy), I can’t help but wonder if some can be credited to Snyder as well. What becomes the true test for the gang and is also where the film really comes alive is when a new character enters the story at the beginning of the third act. It’s an expected surprise but is executed in a way that feels warranted while creating an exciting shake-up to the story just when it needed it.
Of course, like every one of these DC films, it all comes to an end with a CGI spectacle that is disastrously ugly and hard to watch. Between the color scheme and the effects, the finale is downright laughable. Yet, it is a perfunctory way to end a plot that wasn’t really the main focus of the story in the first place – a plot that many will complain is paper-thin instead of acknowledging that it’s a backdrop that lets the heroes of the story shine.
MAN OF STEEL and WONDER WOMAN – the two most successful films in the DC universe – work because of their simple and relatable theme. Both center around outsiders struggling to belong. Again, a human dilemma that we’ve all felt, but one that can also be used to describe the problems the DC film universe has faced finding its way. JUSTICE LEAGUE can now be added to that short list of successes (though minor in comparison to this year’s WONDER WOMAN). It’s a film that gives me hope that these heroes are discovering who they are and carving out their own identity on the big screen.
Overall rating: 3 out of 5
JUSTICE LEAGUE is now playing in theaters everywhere
WaterTower Music is proud to announce the November 10 release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure Justice League. The album features one of the industry’s most versatile and accomplished film composers, Danny Elfman, who is returning to score a DC Super Hero film for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns.
While bringing his celebrated and unique approach to the Justice League score, Elfman also gives DC fans some special familiar moments. Utilizing memorable character themes to tell the musical story, he incorporates and re-interprets iconic music from past films, including John Williams’ Superman theme, Hans Zimmer’s Wonder Woman theme, and his own Batman theme. “I’m using the same thematic material that I used back then,” Elfman told Billboard Magazine. “It never actually went away. We’ve got these iconic bits from our past and that’s part of us, that’s part of our heritage. It just was great fun.”
The soundtrack also features a blistering version of The Beatles’ “Come Together” by electrifying virtuoso guitarist Gary Clark Jr. and Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum producer, musician, and composer Junkie XL; along with Norwegian pop singer/ songwriter Sigrid’s haunting and powerful take on Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” and The White Stripes classic “Icky Thump.”
The 27-track Justice League soundtrack, which includes three bonus tracks, will be released November 10. A two-CD version will be released on December 8, with a double vinyl edition coming February 9, 2018. The Justice League Original Motion Picture Soundtrack can be ordered here and the track list is as follows.
All music by Danny Elfman, unless otherwise noted.
“Everybody Knows” Sigrid
The Justice League Theme – Logos
Hero’s Theme
Batman on the Roof
Enter Cyborg
Wonder Woman Rescue
Hippolyta’s Arrow
The Story of Steppenwolf
The Amazon Mother Box
Cyborg Meets Diana
Aquaman in Atlantis
Then There Were Three
The Tunnel Fight
The World Needs Superman
Spark of The Flash
Friends and Foes
Justice League United
Home
Bruce and Diana
The Final Battle
A New Hope
Anti-Hero’s Theme
“Come Together” Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL
“Icky Thump” The White Stripes
The Tunnel Fight (Full Length Bonus Track)
The Final Battle (Full Length Bonus Track)
Mother Russia (Bonus Track)
Over the last 30 years, four-time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman has established himself as one of the most versatile and accomplished film composers in the industry. He has collaborated with such directors as Tim Burton, David O. Russell, Gus Van Sant, Sam Raimi, Joss Whedon, Paul Haggis, Ang Lee, Rob Marshall, Guillermo del Toro, Barry Sonnenfeld, Brian De Palma, and Peter Jackson. Beginning with his first score on Tim Burton’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Elfman has scored a broad range of films, including: Milk (Oscar nominated), Good Will Hunting (Oscar nominated), Big Fish (Oscar nominated), Men in Black (Oscar nominated), Edward Scissorhands, Wanted, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mission: Impossible, Planet of the Apes, A Simple Plan, To Die For, Spider-Man (1 & 2), Batman, Dolores Claiborne, Sommersby, Chicago, Dick Tracy, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland, Silver Linings Playbook, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Up next for Elfman is the highly anticipated action adventure Justice League from Warner Bros. & DC.
A native of Los Angeles, Elfman grew up loving film music. He travelled the world as a young man, absorbing its musical diversity. He helped found the band Oingo Boingo, and came to the attention of a young Tim Burton, who asked him to write the score for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. 30 years later, the two have forged one of the most fruitful composer-director collaborations in film history. In addition to his film work, Elfman wrote the iconic theme music for The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. He also composed a ballet, Rabbit and Rogue, choreographed by Twyla Tharp; the symphony Serenada Schizophrana for Carnegie Hall; an overture The Overeager Overture for the Hollywood Bowl; Iris, a Cirque du Soleil show at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre; and most recently his first Violin Concerto, “Eleven, Eleven”, for soloist Sandy Cameron, which had its world premiere in Prague with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and its second performance at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Danny Elfman’s “Music From the Films of Tim Burton” had its concert premiere in 2014 at London’s Royal Albert Hall and has continued on with over 60 concert performances in over 12 countries.
Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher star in the action-adventure film Justice League.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice League was directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, story by Terrio & Snyder, based on characters from DC Entertainment; Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns produced the film, with Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, Daniel S. Kaminsky and Chris Terrio serving as executive producers.<
Set for release in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX beginning November 17, Justice League will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. justiceleaguethemovie.com
Warner Bros. Pictures has released a first look photo from director Zack Snyder’s JUSTICE LEAGUE.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Warner Bros. Pictures will release director Patty Jenkins movie, WONDER WOMAN, on June 2. That film stars Gadot, Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, David Thewlis, and
Danny Huston.
JUSTICE LEAGUE’s story is by Zack Snyder & Chris Terrio, Screenplay by Chris Terrio based on characters from DC Entertainment, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Raymond Fisher, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J.K. Simmons, JUSTICE LEAGUE opens in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX on November 17
Warner Bros. Pictures’ screen pairing of the world’s most iconic super heroes has at last answered the question “Who Will Win?” by winning over movie audiences and setting box office records around the world this weekend with an estimated worldwide box office total of $424.1 million.
Batman and Superman. Gotham and Metropolis. Lex Luthor, Doomsday and—for the first time ever on the big screen—Wonder Woman. With its stellar lineup of heroes and villains and bigger and better battles with even more at stake than the destruction of the Earth, Zack Snyder’s BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is an epic Super Hero journey like no other.
Pit the two greatest heroes in the world against each other and the unthinkable becomes inevitable in the form of a truly seismic clash: Batman, the underground vigilante, a knight in the darkness, and Superman, the unbeatable alien in the sky—who can possibly win such a war?
From director Zack Snyder comes BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, starring Oscar winner Ben Affleck (“Argo”) as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent in the characters’ first big-screen pairing.
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with each other, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it has ever known before.
To capture this epic world, director Snyder turned to director of photography Larry Fong, with whom he’s worked several times. “It was exciting developing the look for the film,” Fong says. “Zack definitely has his own style but he’s not afraid to try new things as well.”
While the camera work on MAN OF STEEL was mainly handheld, Fong says for this film Snyder wanted to change it up. Therefore Fong took a more classic approach, with mostly dolly, Technocrane and Steadicam moves. “Designing the shots with these tools was good discipline. We wanted a naturalistic look, but with a heightened reality. That was the feel we were going for.”
The variety of shot designs was only dwarfed by the variety of formats. “When we first starting talking about format, Zack was immediately drawn to 35mm anamorphic with single-camera coverage. But by the end, we had shot in 16mm, 35mm anamorphic, 35mm spherical, 65mm, GoPro, digital and IMAX,” Fong laughs.
IMAX presented one of the biggest challenges, according to the cinematographer. “IMAX cameras are big and heavy, with very shallow depth of field. Zack likes to move the camera a lot,” he adds “so we really pushed the limits. We attempted some very elaborate camera moves and even handheld shots with it, and our camera operator, John Clothier, and first assistant camera, Bill Coe, were incredible. The results are amazing. You can really feel the immense scope of the format.”
The role of Batman required Ben Affleck to appear intimidating enough to go up against Superman. “It was important to me that Batman be bigger because Superman is infinitely stronger than the best that humanity has to offer,” explains director Zack Snyder.
“Theoretically, the best that man can do is still nothing in the face of Superman, but I wanted him to look like he stands a chance. Ben is 6’4”; with his boots on he’s 6’6”. And he’s handsome, smart, charismatic and mature. For the road-weary Batman that we wanted, Ben was perfect.”
Batman has been a staple of pop culture throughout the decades.
Detective Comics (1937-2011) #27 was the very first appearance of the Bat-Man in the six-page story “”The Case of the Criminal Syndicate!”” This issue also featured the first appearances of Commissioner Gordon and the revelation of Bat-Man’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne. The film’s screenplay by Chris Terrio, an Oscar winner for ARGO, and David S. Goyer (THE DARK KNIGHT) is inspired by several graphic novels and story arcs from the classic DC comics. First and foremost is Frank Miller’s seminal 1986 work “The Dark Knight Returns” which concludes with an epic battle between a greying Batman (probably a good ten years older than in the film) and the seemingly immortal Superman, who is now an agent of the government. The “bat armor” worn by Ben Affleck echoes the enhanced uniform designed by Miller. Much earlier in the film, Wayne glances at a combat suit encased in glass on display in the Batcave. On closer inspection we can see a raised “R” over the left breast. This may be a reference to the celebrated story arc that ran in Batman comics #426-429 in the late eighties written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Jim Aparo. Readers were offered a chance to vote on the fate of second Robin Jason Todd via 900 phone number. Ultimately Todd perishes when he throws himself on a bomb, this after barely surviving a brutal beating from a crowbar-wielding Joker. Another famous story arc referenced is “The Death of Superman” from the DC Superman titles in 1992, which had Kal-el giving his life to protect Metropolis from the raging, near-unstoppable monster Doomsday.
Though Superman made it to movie screens first in 1941 in a series of highly lauded animated shorts, Batman beat him to the punch in the live action arena with 1943’s Columbia’s fifteen chapter serial BATMAN. Lewis Wilson was Batman and Douglas Croft played Robin, now fully authorized US undercover agents. They were assigned to stop nefarious Axis agent, the Japanese mastermind Dr. Daka, played by the Irish character actor J. Carrol Naish. A year after Superman’s live action serial debut, Columbia produced a fifteen chapter follow-up, BATMAN AND ROBIN with Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan in the title roles. The dynamic duo faced off against a mysterious, fully-masked scientific genius known as the Wizard (his identity a secret until the final installment). Two supporting characters from the comics were included for the first time. Jane Adams was intrepid news photog Vicki Vale and former matinee idol Lyle Talbot was Police Commissioner Gordon. The caped crusader didn’t return to movie screens until the 1966 Twentieth Century Fox feature film BATMAN, which starred the TV cast and was rushed into production in order to capitalize on the gigantic popularity of the twice-weekly ABC network show.
In 1989, Warner Bros. released the live-action feature film BATMAN; directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the title character.
The film was a huge success; not only was it the top-grossing film of the year, but at the time was the fifth highest-grossing film in history. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. The film’s success spawned three sequels: Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997); the latter two of which were directed by Joel Schumacher instead of Burton, and replaced Keaton as Batman with Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively. The second Schumacher film, while a box office success, failed to outgross any of its predecessors and was critically panned; causing Warner Bros. to cancel the planned fourth sequel, BATMAN TRIUMPHANT, and place the film series on hiatus. (Wikipedia)
In September 2015, The Hollywood Reporter ran a story that DC Entertainment had announced that Bill Finger, who worked with Bob Kane on early Batman comic strips as well as co-creating Green Lantern and other characters for the company, would be receiving official credit for his work in film and television projects based on his creations.
Finger, who died in 1974, made a number of critical contributions to the Batman mythos, including coming up with the names of the hero’s alter ego Bruce Wayne, as well as the city in which the hero fights crime. He was also co-creator for a number of iconic Batman characters including Robin, Catwoman and the Joker.
Although Kane received sole official credit for the character as part of the original deal signed in 1939, the artist talked in later life about Finger being an important influence on the development of the series. In his 1989 autobiography Batman and Me, Kane described Finger as “a contributing force” on the series, noting “I must admit that Bill never received the fame and recognition he deserved.”
See BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE in theaters now.
It’s the year of the comic book battles. And no, I’m not talking about DC vs. Marvel (though that’s a heated battle that has only gotten more spirited in recent months). Lines will be drawn in the sand and sides will form later this year in Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, but DC is the first to step into the ring with their own legendary battle. Two of the most iconic characters in comic book history have come together to see who can out slug the other. But in this doom and gloom follow-up to MAN OF STEEL, it’s an “orphan-off” more so than a punch-out.
Zack Snyder shows that the two men were born from the same cloth. Sure, Superman/Clark Kent is an alien from another world, but as many films and comics including MAN OF STEEL have effectively proven, Superman is as much of a conflicted man as he is a super-powered being. Batman/Bruce Wayne’s story is just as well-known, even though Snyder feels the need to kick off BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE with the iconic scene we have seen many times before that leads to Bruce becoming an orphan. That being said, Snyder and screenwriters David Goyer and Chris Terrio use this common thread of guilt-ridden and internally tormented orphans as an emotional background for the two sides. Unfortunately, the setup carries more emotional weight than the execution.
BvS (so not to waste so much space typing it out) shows so much in its lengthy 151 minute run time but says so little. Character arcs or nuances are left on the cutting room floor as the movie quickly jumps from scene to scene with very little room for any of it to really breathe or make an impact. Even worse, some of the character motives are left out all together, as in the case of Lex Luthor. Coming across as a guy who just graduated from college with a Psych degree and a big mouth wanting to talk all about it (not to mention having the ultimate face that you just want to punch), Jesse Eisenberg is so over the top that he’s practically soaring above Supes with his ridiculous incarnation of Luthor.
Henry Cavill has now earned the “S” on his chest after two films. Ever since the announcement of his casting, all eyes have been on Ben Affleck – not so quietly judging and igniting an endless amount of vitriol-filled articles. I’ve never had a problem with the man or his casting, and I think many critics after seeing the film will have so much more to complain about than Batfleck. He feels like Bruce Wayne. On the Bat-half of the spectrum, it’s so hard to judge because very little screen time is spent with Affleck wearing the cape and cowl. The suit looks great and he seems to wear it well, but even when he’s in full-on Batfleck mode, it’s so hard to understand what’s going on and really judge it because of the cinematography.
I didn’t think it was possible for action scenes to be both pitch black and yet obnoxiously bright. So much of the choreography and action is spent in the dark but punctuated with these bright flashes. The “blast” effect from the guns creates a strobe-like effect in a warehouse fight, not to mention overly bright explosions dance across the screen throughout the closing battle creating a disorienting feeling. Where I really noticed it was early on in the film during a car chase with the Batmobile. It was as if I was watching J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK films. An exorbitant amount of lens flares combined with the “flash” of the guns firing at one another made it even more distracting than how intensely close the camera was to the movements. Didn’t we learn anything from the indecipherable zoomed-in action in BATMAN BEGINS?
You would think given the amount of time spent advertising the big fight between the brooding bros that the sequence would carry more of an impact. And yet it’s just as dull and forced as so many of the scenes in the film. The loud and proud score punctuates the brawl with drama, but it’s over so quickly that you practically forget that it even happened because they are fighting one second and then quickly making up the next – proving that this really is, indeed, an “orphan-off.”
Once again we are treated to a Bat flick on the big screen that fails to deliver the action from the comics. This is the 8th live-action film that Batman has appeared in during my lifetime, and there hasn’t been a really great… I’m talking spectacular… fight featuring Batman going toe to toe with an evildoer or group of henchmen. Each of the films have ranged from amazing to catastrophic, but the scenes that are so memorable about the great ones are never Batman in costume battling a villain. The best one might be the Bane fight in DARK KNIGHT RISES, but even that feels a little lackluster and without much consequence given how you know before it begins how it’s going to end. BvS sets out to deliver the very fight that has yet to be seen on the big screen. You would think given how superficial many of Snyder’s other films are that he would at least give Batman fans like myself not just a fair fight… but a memorable one – a fight for the ages. That is what all of the marketing has promised, right? And yet Snyder not delivering on what he set out to ultimately achieve is the least of the film’s problems. He’s already shown us two characters throwing each other through walls for 30 minutes in MAN OF STEEL. So, when we get 10 minutes of that in BvS, you are left to wonder: where is the memorable choreography and sequences that we saw in 300 and SUCKER PUNCH?
There are two saving graces in the film and they both come in the form of new incarnations of characters we know and love. Alfred, Bruce’s trusted confidant and butler, ditches the suit and tie and stoic walk this time around and becomes the most hands-on version of the character we have seen on the big screen. Seeing him get his hands dirty working on the batmobile and controlling the batwing/bat-plane remotely from the cave is fresh and exciting. In fact, it’s one of the only exciting elements of the film – second only to the Amazonian warrior woman. Wonder Woman may not wield her golden lasso or shield very much in the film, but Gal Gadot gives her strength and power every time she’s on screen. Not to mention, the formal gowns she wears are stunning as they bring to mind the gold accents on her Wonder Woman suit. She acts as more of a mystery woman in the shadows throughout the film, but I have no doubt her presence will have fans awaiting her solo feature film next year.
BvS feels like a rushed job by DC. Say what you will about the “Marvel formula” and their constant teasing of the big baddie Thanos. At least with their series of films, they have set a groundwork to build epic showdowns and dramatic events. Watching Batman face Superman doesn’t feel dramatic or exciting. In fact, it’s the biggest yawn that Batman has brought out of me (even more so than the Schumacher days). Frank Miller gave Superman and Batman a reason to fight in his seminal comic series, “The Dark Knight Returns.” Snyder and company have simply lifted some of the visuals from that and other stories that comic fans will recognize but didn’t support it with a proper idea or motivation. DC seems to be taking a cue from Superman’s legendary bald foe – just because you have the money and can do what you want, doesn’t mean it’s right.
Overall rating: 2 out of 5
BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is now playing in theaters everywhere
