And the DC Comics Movie Universe Begins...

[ROJM]

I'm a huge DC fan, so this is really cool. I really hope this means that New 52 will have a Cyborg and Shazam ongoing soon

But why do I have to wait so long

Watchman....meh...The comic is way better...the movie...a cop out...

[ROJM]

We've discussed it and it's been debated a lot elsewhere is that Warner Brothers has had a lot of trouble setting up this new movie universe, because of the following:
-While WB does own DC, they cannot allocate all their resources towards making comic book movies, there are other people with their own projects that also need funding;
-There was a lot of difficulty setting up a pseudo internal "DC Comics Movie Studio" since so were so many people with their hand in the jar;
-WB lost it's confidence in Akiva Goldsman, who used to be their old go-to Super Hero Movie producer and as such hadn't found their Kevin Feige yet;
-WB, during the early Marvel movie build-up, was still very much stuck on the Harry Potter / Dark Knight money train to have any strategy and really who could blame them, since both franchises were making a lot of cheddar?

Now with regards to what was the trigger, I don't think it's was just The Avengers and GotG that made DC Comics finally do this:

-Man of Steel, love it or hate it, was sucessfull enough to invest more time and resources into comic book properties;
-The Arrow TV Show I think, also boosted a lot of internal confidence which has prompted them to also invest more into TV-themed Super Heroes, an area in which Marvel is still very much has no footing, in this era of HD TVs and people preferring to watch more stuff at the comfort of their own home, it's a smart strategy;
-The overwhelmingly positive reaction at the announcement of Batman vs Superman was also encouraging;

Now with regards to the actual lineup, I was only a tad dissapointed that Shazam! is only a 2019 release, since Dwayne Johnson has been so vocal about it, I was under the impression that it was a more immediate project.

Kinda of a shame, since I'm super into the character right now, dare I say, almost as much as Superman vs Batman.

Also to note, unlike Marvel who wants all the TV Shows and Movies to follow an ubber cohesive timeline, DC's answer to that is: Screw it!

Screw it, TV Universe and Movie Universe will be separated, because (IMO):
-We expect our audience to be smart enough to understand that the Bruce Wayne from the TV Show Gotham has nothing to do with the Bruce Wayne on Batman vs Superman;
-Separation allows a bit more creative freedom which is something that's starting to harm the Marvel Universe a tad.

That's correct...but they have their Freige..in Geoff Johns..notice he's the main producer and spokesman for all DC media related stuff now..they just haven't stated publically that he's their head guy for the films and TV.

In the first FLASH they made a reference to CRISIS...the multiverse collapsing event....I'm assuming that's where they're going..created different DC universes that may cross over...Why else are they gonna make Flash movie when they don't need to since they have a TV show of him...It would be cool if they tried to do that on screen...

[Barry the Nomad]

George and I loved the Watchmen movie. SEGAbits was almost WATCHMENbits.

[pirovash88]

George and I loved the Watchmen movie. SEGAbits was almost WATCHMENbits.

Wooo! And here i thought i was the only one. =)

My wife hates it, so i've only seen it once.. Went out and bought it day 1 and never got to see it again..

[JRcade19]

Movie based on Book or Comic:

"Bawww they ruined the source material, character x wasn't here would never do this!"

Watchmen:
"Bawww this is too much like the comic"
------------

Why I no longer take most comic fan movie criticisms seriously.

[MadeManG74]

Movie based on Book or Comic:

"Bawww they ruined the source material, character x wasn't here would never do this!"

Watchmen:
"Bawww this is too much like the comic"
------------

Why I no longer take most comic fan movie criticisms seriously.

Really? I never heard anyone complain that Watchmen was too much like the comic. If anything I kept hearing that it missed the point and changed a few things that were really integral while keeping less important things intact like visuals etc.

[ROJM]

Exactly. And Snyder goes overboard with the effects..that's a fact...you just have to see MOS to see that with the pointless cgi fighting scene at the end. With Affleck's people in charge of the DCU they will keep Snyder's natural enthusiasm in check and make it work in the context oif the narrative the film is trying to present. Snyder left to his own devices isn't that bad though compared to Goyer left to his own devices but luckily they aren't using him as much as the guy running the show.

[MadeManG74]

Exactly. And Snyder goes overboard with the effects..that's a fact...you just have to see MOS to see that with the pointless cgi fighting scene at the end. With Affleck's people in charge of the DCU they will keep Snyder's natural enthusiasm in check and make it work in the context oif the narrative the film is trying to present. Snyder left to his own devices isn't that bad though compared to Goyer left to his own devices but luckily they aren't using him as much as the guy running the show.

I agree with Snyder's over-reliance on special effects. All the fights in Watchmen, barring the opening Comedian fight were ridiculous and did not fit Watchmen in the slightest IMO.

I didn't mind his work in Man of Steel too much, but I haven't watched it since the cinemas so can't recall anything too on the nose about it. At least Superman fits his over the top style a little better than Watchmen did though.

[ROJM]

The fights are good in smallville if you take out the exploding barrels of corn...Its the final bit that it gets like a video game.

[JRcade19]

Really? I never heard anyone complain that Watchmen was too much like the comic. If anything I kept hearing that it missed the point and changed a few things that were really integral while keeping less important things intact like visuals etc.

Alan Moore has frequently stated that he wrote Watchmen specifically for the comic book medium and that is where it will work. The themes, detail ect...present in the comic book to an astounding degree were never going to make it into the movie.

Watchmen's main arch is the act of traditional super "heroes" committing atrocities for the greater good. Below that there are about 5 or 6 other subplots which can come in and out depending on the issue. The "broad" arch of those is the general superhero arch, which is the one snyder tried to adapt.

Heroes do bad things for the betterment of all
Superheroes

The problem is that Watchmen(comic) relied on a cohesiveness of ALL of it's elements, which is simply something the movie would never have been able to fill. The lack of these details in a large degree takes away a lot of what made the comic stand out, but that did not stop snyder from still attempting to adapt the comic faithfully.

Are there problems? Of course! SPOILER ALERT
-----
----
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Silk Spectre and Nite Owl's relationship was horridly portrayed
The focus on gore and sex rather than the general gritty darkness of the comics
Some of the casting choices were questionable(Particularly Moloch)
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Good things?
Rorschach's potrayal by Jackie Earl Haley
The flashbacks in the movie were some of the better highlights
Nite owl and Ozymandias costumes
Dr Manhattan
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The hardcore either did or did not like it based on changes, and the rest either grew frustrated through lack of understanding or being told that the source material would explain everything. New York, Entertainment weekly and a few others specifically complained that the movie's attempt to adapt the comic as faithfully as possible basically ended up turning anyone who didn't know the comic away.

Watchmen is far from a perfect movie but given what it had to work with, it didn't come out half bad.
------

That being said, Jeffery Combs Question is best character.
This is fact

/comeonatme

[ROJM]

That being said, Jeffery Combs Question is best character.
This is fact

I don't believe nothing is unfilmable...but whether the person people behind the film were capable of doing it..and that's where the problem lies in trying to adapt one material to the medium of film.
But i agree with the Question..they should just have him play that character on the big screen or live action. And to me the woman who did the voice of Amanda Waller in the JL cartoons should play her on the big screen too as she is an actress that has appeared on many films and tv shows. She's the only one to nail Waller correctly and this is a good chance to get the casting right on this one instead of hiring someone else for more money.

[max_cady]

Well, if a Suicide Squad movie is indeed moving foward, they need to have Amanda Waller's character in there. Though, I suspect they won't use the overweight woman from the earlier incarnations. I am 100% sure that they'll use someone along the lines of Waller character from the Arrow TV show.

Outside of that, the only other major question mark is: Aquaman. 'Cause Shazam is basically Big but with Super Powers, this one is gonna be tough to adapt, because it'll be a tad expensive.

[ROJM]

Well, if a Suicide Squad movie is indeed moving foward, they need to have Amanda Waller's character in there. Though, I suspect they won't use the overweight woman from the earlier incarnations. I am 100% sure that they'll use someone along the lines of Waller character from the Arrow TV show.

Outside of that, the only other major question mark is: Aquaman. 'Cause Shazam is basically Big but with Super Powers, this one is gonna be tough to adapt, because it'll be a tad expensive.

No way...Arow's Amanda Waller is crap.
 

 
This is the woman i'm on about, C.H.H. Pounder who did the voice of Amanda Waller in the cartoons. Hardly overweight and she has the character down exactly. She's been in dozens of big movies....so its a no brainer that they should go with her. Apperently Amanda Waller is meant to appear in Batman vs Superman...so it'll probably won't be her. Like with Clancy Brown and the casting of Luthor to that brat who was in the social network who is now luthor in that upcoming film its another missed oppourtunity...
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruwIBT-noAs&safe=active
 
This is her in action in how AW should be played...
 

[George]

I agree with some of the criticism that the action was too 'action hero' considering that in the comics it just felt like regular people fighting. Sorta dropped the ball there, but regardless of these little hiccups you expect from 'comic' to 'movie', it was really entertaining and well done. Better than the comic? Never. Watchmen is revered as a comicbook for a reason. Its like Wizard of Oz, totally different from the book but iconic in its own way.

[MadeManG74]

I agree with some of the criticism that the action was too 'action hero' considering that in the comics it just felt like regular people fighting. Sorta dropped the ball there, but regardless of these little hiccups you expect from 'comic' to 'movie', it was really entertaining and well done. Better than the comic? Never. Watchmen is revered as a comicbook for a reason. Its like Wizard of Oz, totally different from the book but iconic in its own way.

I don't know if I would call Watchmen 'Iconic' as a film. I get the feeling it's the opposite and will become forgotten. I personally don't have that much love for it, although that could be because I was such a big fan of the comic. Maybe I just need to watch it again to rekindle my love for the movie.