All good things come to an end, and fortunately, so do all bad things. With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it’s more the latter for the DCEU. Although there were occasional flashes of good to be found in the decade-spanning franchise, many of the 16 films inspired by DC comics were middling to flat out terrible. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the end of the line for the entirety of the failed experiment that was the DCEU and it’s about as awkward and unthought-through an ending as any other chapter of the franchise, which in a way makes it a suitable conclusion. Is it any good? Certainly not. But, like the larger franchise it was contained in, the last DCEU joint does have some things that people would ostensibly like, even if they’re shipwrecked in clumsy narrative flotsam and weak character work. Read More
Entertaining ‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’ Surprisingly Conventional for Comic Book Movie That Weaponizes Polka Dots
Look no further than James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad for proof that superhero media has truly become too big to fail. As legions of old and new, traditional and bizarre, familiar and not-so-familiar heroes position themselves to win out at the box office, as well as, increasingly, on our premium streaming services, comic lore has become the last remaining monocultural tentpole of our current age. Read More
Anarchic and Dumb ‘BIRDS OF PREY’ is Pure Fun-Loving DCEU Bombast
I’m only going to write out this whole title once so enjoy it while it lasts. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a movie that’s as excessive, unedited and utterly ridiculous as its title; a go-for-broke, R-rated, comic-book-inspired joyride through the most colorful, femme fatale-populated corners of the DC Extended Universe. Led by a cutesy head-butt of a performance from superstar Margo Robbie, Birds of Prey is a do-over of sorts for the much-maligned Suicide Squad, preserving its annoying pinball storytelling structure (the editing in this movie often stops momentum dead in its tracks) but delivering on the promise of unruly antiheroes actually being quite a bit of fun to watch. Read More
Diana Prince Swings Across Lightning Bolts in Flashy ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ Trailer
Two years ago, Wonder Woman proved that a female-led superhero movie was not destined for poor box office returns and critical lashings, the Patty Jenkins-directed big-screen debut becoming the DCEU’s biggest success at the time. Though the film wasn’t perfect, there was plenty to enjoy and fans were eager to see more of Gal Gadot’s version of Diana Prince. With DC’s current film slate in an admittedly confusing jumble of maybe/maybe-not-interconnectedness, their latest approach has seemed to deteether their heroes and if Wonder Woman 1984′s trailer indicates anything, it’s that the title star won’t be worrying about making room for Batman, Aquaman or anything other supermen. Read More
DC Ditches Doom, Gloom, Goes Overboard With Silliness with ‘SHAZAM!’
Leaving behind the days of darkened cowls, killer Batmen, and gritty monochromatic realism, Shazam! continues DC’s newfound grove as the weirdo cousin of the superhero movie multiverse. Leaning full brunt into the bonkers aspect of a world where certain citizens are bulletproof, immortal, and/or can chat with sharks, this latest origin story from the DCEU steps out of the shadows of the Zack Snyder-era of Batman v. Superman, fully embracing the goofy prospect of heroes living among us and building it up one ridiculous costume at a time. This time out, it’s a kid donning said costume and this latest chapter in the ever-evolving DC world absolutely revels in the goof. Read More
Out in Theaters: ’JUSTICE LEAGUE’
For many DC comic fans, just the thought of a Justice League movie gets their panties all warmed up; finally seeing the Big Three (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) join forces with the Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman on the big screen in a live-action super-blockbuster enough to produce a seizure-inducing nerdgasm. Well prayers have been answered and after many years of waiting, we can finally stop wondering what a feature film Justice League might look like because it is here in all its ridiculous glory. And the result, well it ain’t too pretty. Read More