Blog Archives
The Joker Is as the Joker Is
The first image of the new movie Joker has hit the Internet, and responses are mixed…though mostly mocking. The picture is pretty extreme, and I’m not sure how I really feel about it, but it’s clear they went in an entirely different direction than Heath Ledger’s Joker. That was probably the best idea.
On a surface level, I don’t like it, mostly because I’ve never understood the appeal of grills. Why do you want to put metal on your front teeth like that? It looks painful and stupid. But on the other hand, I’m willing to give this Joker a chance. The Joker is one of those characters who can be re-interpreted in any number of different ways. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s an established part of the character that he’s constantly changing his image.
And in the dark and gritty DC Cinematic Universe, perhaps this is what the Joker looks like. I don’t really have much faith in the DCCU, but maybe they’re going somewhere where this. I’m willing to wait and see.
But I do find it kind of funny that this Joker was revealed at the same time as the Internet is collectively mocking a similarly proposed and rejected take on Spider-Man.
————-
Enjoy Some Fan Trailer Wackiness
The intrepid people of the Internet are at it again! I found a couple of fun fan trailers to spruce up our Tuesday!
First up is a pretty neat LEGO trailer for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It comes courtesy of Brickflix, who sound like this is what they do for a living, thereby making me extremely jealous.
Next up is a trailer for the Suicide Squad movie, done up by our friend and fan trailer aficionado Alex Luthor. It’s also pretty neat.
The important thing is that you enjoy this Tuesday. Of course, you might not all be as buried in snow and below zero temperatures as I am.
—————–
6 Things I Want to See in the Suicide Squad Movie
Apparently, by all accounts, the Suicide Squad movie is really happening. Even though big names like Will Smith and Jared Leto have been cast, I’m still having a hard time believing that DC Comics and Warner Bros. have chosen the Suicide Squad over the entire rest of their future lineup to make a movie about. Suicide Squad is the direct follow-up to Dawn of Justice. It boggles the mind!
But hey, I’m not one to turn down a good superhero movie, and maybe this will be a really good superhero movie!
Why isn’t the giant shark man in the movie?!
The Suicide Squad is one of those great comic book concepts. It’s about a team of super-villains put together by the government to run dangerous black-ops missions, and in exchange they get time knocked off their prison sentences. It’s a pretty ingenious way to take a bunch of classic villain characters and turn them into protagonists without erasing their menace. And quite honestly, the concept makes for a pretty awesome and original superhero movie. This won’t be an origin story, this won’t be a hero’s journey; this is an action film starring comic book badasses…so maybe that’s why they’re making it next!
Filming is scheduled to begin next year, so there’s plenty of time for producers to check out the six things I want in the Suicide Squad movie! You can check them out after the jump, and feel free to add some of your own ideas in the comments!
I’m Not Sure How I Feel About the Suicide Squad Movie
Am I the only person who’s a little confused that DC Comics seems to be rushing into a movie about the Suicide Squad for no good reason? Don’t get me wrong, the concept has legs. The Suicide Squad has so far made for a great episode of Justice League Unlimited and an OK episode of Arrow. And the basic concept is pretty solid too: super-villains forced to go on dangerous missions for the government. But Suicide Squad is hardly a big name, and they don’t yet even know if Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to succeed.
Why is Suicide Squad, of all possible franchises, the next one to hit theaters?
Whatever the plan is, Variety is reporting that DC has nailed down the cast. One part of the plan is clearly to use big name actors to bring in the audience.
Jared Leto as the Joker
Will Smith as Deadshot
Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Jai Courtney as Boomerang
Cara Delevingne as Enchantress
The film will be directed by David Ayer, and will begin shooting in April for a planned Aug. 5, 2016 release date.
That’s definitely a pretty solid list of actors. I think they’ll all do fine in those roles. Having both the Joker and Harley Quinn in this movie is a strong move. Everybody is pretty familiar with both characters, and there’s probably no other way they could make a solo film starring the Joker. So let the Clown Prince of Crime take center stage in Suicide Squad. I bet audiences will eat that up. And it’ll be neat to see the character interact with people who aren’t Batman. I’m sure Jared Leto will bring the same unexpected, manic energy as Heath Ledger did.
Will Smith as Deadshot should be pretty awesome. I can see him being a fan favorite, as Deadshot usually is, and Smith is pretty popular too, from what I understand. Leto and Smith should carry this film easily, with the Joker’s zany madness offset by Deadshot’s brutal pragmatism.
I’m assuming Boomerang is just short for Captain Boomerang (who’s also appearing on both Arrow and The Flash this week), and Enchantress is a really weird choice. Of all the lady bad guys they could have chosen, why Enchantress, someone nobody has heard of? She’s a magical character, and that brings a lot to the table, but they could have had so much more fun if they’d picked, say, Poison Ivy. Everybody knows Poison Ivy, and it would give you a pretty amazing love triangle with Harley and Joker.
But I’m sure Warner Bros. knows what they’re doing. I’m sure they think they have a solid script in place, and this will make one heck of a fun Ocean’s 11-style masterpiece. We shall see. I’m going to be cautiously optimistic, but I’m still just not sure why they’re going with the Suicide Squad. Maybe they know something we don’t.
——————-
The Official List of Upcoming DC Comics Movies!
Batman v. Superman. Suicide Squad. Wonder Woman. Flash. Cyborg. Aquaman. Green Lantern. Shazam. Two Justice Leagues.
DC Comics and Warner Bros. have some major plans!
At a Warner Bros. shareholders meeting today, the company unveiled its upcoming film slate. Along with LEGO Movie sequels and that Harry Potter spin-off, DC has superhero movies planned through 2020!
That list is both insane and awesome! Sounds like a pretty solid plan for movies, though I’m surprised that DC isn’t going to try to do a new solo Batman film or even a proper Man of Steel sequel sometime in the next 5-6 years. They’re risking a lot by hoping that audiences like the less marquee heroes like Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman.
But hey, as a comic book fan, I’m excited! Some people out there might not like the onslaught of comic book movies we’re getting these days, but I’m in love! Bring’em on, good or bad!
————-
Henchman-4-Hire 