To Whom it May Concern,

You have a very unique opportunity right now, don’t mess it up.

The Nolan Trilogy is over. It ended very well. It had it’s flaws for sure. I still wasn’t crazy about Bane’s voice (1000% better then in the “Mission Impossible IMAX” preview), I think not mentioning the Joker at all considering he was essentially responsible for almost EVERYTHING that came from the Dent scandal was a big Mistake (I’m sorry, Mr. Nolan, but it’s not disrespectful to MENTION a character… let’s be honest at the very least $150-$200 million of “The Dark Knight” box office was everyone’s morbid curiosity after Ledger’s death… and I’m saying this knowing it’s one of my favorite movies of all time) and I think there could have been some trimming in the editing room.

But with that said, let me get to the point of this letter…

Use “Man of Steel” to start something that Marvel Studios has already done. Create a Universe. And here’s the best Part, YOU OWN ALL OF YOUR CHARACTERS!!! YOU CAN DO IT BETTER IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO!!! I know NOBODY in any position at DC Entertainment/WB will be reading this, but I’m going to give you some ideas as to how this moment can be yours, you just need to grab it and run! And while Life Long Comic Geek/turned Comic Artist, a Film School drop out (yes, that’s me) and someone who left a major in Animation a year before earning his BA (also me) may not be who you want to hear it from… I still know what I’m talking about.

1. “Man of Steel”:  For the Minute and a Half I have seen of the teaser… I’m jazzed. It looks beautiful. It looks like Snyder (who works wonderfully with other peoples material) is really caring about this character. And I hope that the small bit we’ve seen is a prelude to 2.5 hours of the best Superman film imagined. Henry looks outstanding. I like the suit. I do. It looks updated and sleek. I like that it looks like the “New 52″ Superman that Jim Lee designed.

“Man of Steel” can be an EXCELLENT springboard for a DC Universe in film. Cameo a character. Mention another City or two. Start to connect the dots of a larger picture. You have the means.

- Just remember… Lex Luthor is the Bruce Wayne of Metropolis… with a very, very Dark Side. He’s not a real estate nut.

- If Superman is not fighting something, nobody gives a shit! (I.E see Superman Returns)

2. The Batman Reboot: Folks, let’s be completely open and honest with ourselves… THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. Probably sooner then you think. The Nolan Trilogy is over. I loved all three films. I enjoyed what Nolan did. Ledger’s Joker will be hard to top, that is for sure.

But NOT Impossible. Here are a few points I have rumbling in my skull…

- Don’t be afraid to NOT show the “origin”. Seriously. At this point, my 69 year old Mother knows why Bruce Wayne IS Batman. She can even tell you the name of the shooter (Joe Chill for those playing at home). This is because is been dug into our brains. Even with Burton’s films, they touched out it every chance they could. We don’t need it. Do what Marvel did in “The Incredible Hulk” if you NEED to re-introduce what happened to Thomas and Martha Wayne, do it in the opening credits. Just get to Batman being Batman.

- Don’t be afraid of using the Joker. This is a big one. The Joker IS Batman’s archenemy. He is the polar opposite of Batman. This character should not only be in the first new Batman film, but be a thorn in his side in the 2nd and 3rd films as well as a problem for the JL. The Joker needs to constantly be there, even if he’s not the main villain. And don’t be afraid to use the traditional Joker. The “Real World” Joker, the one Ledger did. I think you need to avoid it. The Joker you need to do is the Comic one… you don’t need to show his origin either. He’s a Bad Guy… we know this. And he should remain a VERY Bad Guy. Use Ledger’s Joker as a starting off point… TOTAL Chaos, no remorse, no reasoning with… make him as evil as you can… and make it possible to root for him at times. We did that with Ledger’s Joker. As bad as he was… sometimes we wanted to see him win.

-Batman doesn’t need to talk like he’s got rocks in his throat… ask Kevin Conroy.

- Give us Harley Quinn… and make her awesome.

- Cast Bryan Cranston as Gordon.

- Introduce Dick Grayson/Robin in the second film.

- Give us a Great Catwoman. Anne Hathaway did an EXCELLENT job. It was one of my favorite aspects of “Rises”. But make her look like this (Adam Hughes’ Catwoman):

 

In fact, do yourself a favor and talk to the Writers and Artists who have been working with these characters FOR YEARS! These guys know the ins and outs of these characters and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do what Nolan did and “borrow” bits and pieces from some of the best Batman Stories. Nolan, in his Trilogy, used bits from “Batman: Year One”, “The Dark Knight Returns”, “The Killing Joke” “The Long Halloween” and “Knightfall” just to name the obvious. It worked. It worked very, very well. There’s a reason he did. Great stories, great storytelling.

- cast your Batman to be able to play against your new Superman. They need to have friction that you can feel, but the respect of one another that can be felt as well. Supes is the Boy Scout, Batman is the Heavy.

- Cameos, Cameos, Cameos! Superman/Kent needs to pop up in the first film. In a subtle way. On the TV in the background… on a Monitor in the Batcave. Hell, have him fly into the Batcave offering his help with what Batman’s dealing with.

UPDATE: Last but certainly not least… THE MOVIE IS ABOUT BATMAN, SHOW ME MORE THEN 25-30 MINUTES OF BATMAN IN A BATMAN MOVIE!!! IF THE MOVIE IS 2 HOURS, 90 MINUTES OF THAT MOVIE BETTER HAVE EFFIN’ BATMAN IN HIS SUIT DOING BATMAN STUFF!!!

I can go on forever with the Batman films. Seriously, I could, but we need to move forward with other characters before you all fall asleep.

3. Do NOT give up on Green Lantern. Green lantern was not a good movie, let’s just be honest. BUT it wasn’t because of Ryan Reynolds, The effects or lack of interest. Blake Lively and the lack of a proper villain ruined that movie. A few quick tips on what to do…

- DON’T recast GL/Hal Jordan. Reynolds is a great choice, keep him on.

- DON’T give him a sequel… YET. Bring him into the fold through a Superman or Batman film. Get people interested again. Seriously. Look at The Avengers and what it’s done for the Hulk. People are screaming for a Hulk movie now who didn’t think they wanted one!

- Make Sinestro the Big Bad in the first JL film. This is a NO BRAINER. Mark Strong’s Sinestro was one of the best aspects of the film. This way, the existing GL film will be into the NEW continuity and maybe people will go back and watch the GL film (DVD/Blu Ray/Digital Sales)

4. Wonder Woman does NOT need her own film… YET!

- Introduce her in the JL movie and give her a film after.

- Cast accordingly. Look at all of Adam Hughes’ WW pieces when casting, and no, I’m NOT joking:

 

In fact, You should ALWAYS consult the characters most popular artists when it comes to the costume design and casting.

5. Don’t afraid of Magic, Intergalactic Villains or shit that could never happen. This is why the Marvel films are working… they’re just going balls out with Comic style stories and people are loving it! USE DARKSEID!!!! USE SINESTRO!!! BRAINIAC!!! Hell, you could do a World’s Finest Series of films and the possibilities never end with team ups and villains!

Now… I’m going to stop here because I could go on for days and I don’t have that kind of time (I haven’t even talked about The Flash, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter… Black Canary… all great JL characters…) and there’s a 90% chance you stopped reading after the Superman portion. Just know that you have a great opportunity to bring the world something amazing and as much as you probably HATE hearing this… MARVEL STUDIOS/DISNEY is beating you at something you could have been doing for a long, long time. And they’re doing it well, very well.

You don’t have to listen to me… look at the numbers. Look at the people who never would have seen a comic film went two-three times to see “The Avengers” and those same asses will be in the seats for Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Cap 2… GUARDIAN’S OF THE GALAXY!!! Seriously, HOW BALLSY A MOVE IS THAT, DC? They’re putting out a GotG movie that will likely lead into Avengers 2 and you can’t straighten out a Wonder Woman film (or TV show)… BTW, wasn’t going to mention it before… but how are you feeling now about dropping Whedon?

OUCH!

OK… done razzing you. If you want anymore opinions from a Film school/animation drop out… email me!

All the best and do the right thing,

Tom

 

UPDATE:

Below is a “suggested” release schedule for DC/WB… these are NOT real, just my ideas…

Man of Steel Summer 2013 (Cameo by ?)

Batman Christmas 2015 (yes, Christmas, let Marvel have the Summer, dominate the Holidays… Superman Cameo, The Villain: The Joker & Harley Quinn)

Superman: Man of Steel Summer 2016 (Cameo by Wonder Woman, Villain: Luthor/Brainiac, Hint at Darkseid)

Justice League Christmas 2016 (Yes, 6 months after Supes 2, give us the JL movie… MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM DC/WB!!! Introduce Martain Manhunter, Green Arrow, bring in Green Lantern. Villain: DARKSEID)

Green Lantern II Summer 2017 (Villain: Sinestro)

Wonder Woman Christmas 2017

Batman II Summer 2018 (Villain: Mr. Freeze, Introduce Robin)

World’s Finest: Batman/Superman Christmas 2018 (Villains Luthor/Joker)

Teen Titans Summer 2019

Justice League II Christmas 2019

There, I just mapped out your movie schedule for the next 9 years… you’re welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie Review | Comments - 9 »

Be warned, I will expose plot points… YES! There was ACTUALLY a Plot in this one!!!

 

OK, how do I start this without sounding like I was chomping at the bit to see this. Did I want to see it, absolutely and here’s why…

WAY too many people give a shit about this franchise and take it WAY TOO F**KING SERIOUSLY. Let’s get this out of the way RIGHT NOW…

IT’S A SERIES OF MOVIES BASED ON A TOY FROM THE 80′S THAT IS ABOUT ROBOTS FROM OUTER SPACE THAT TURN INTO CARS, WALKMAN’S, JETS AND GUNS!!! THIS IS NOT F**KING SHAKESPEARE!!! IF YOU TAKE THIS SERIES TOO SERIOUSLY YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR HEAD EXAMINED! AGAIN A MOVIE SERIES BASED ON A TOY!!!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I enjoyed it for what it was. I didn’t love it, but it sure as hell was better then Green Lantern. Let’s get into the flick…

The Story opens with us seeing a bit of the fighting on Cybertron. For those of you not in the know, Cybertron is the home planet of the Autobots and Decepticons. This is stuff any 6 to 40 year old male knows… a few ladies as well, but lets face it, I dragged Terri to this. Any knowledge she has gone into this film was due to the two previous films and I don’t believe she was even paying attention to the last one as we actually avoided seeing it in theaters and waited til it was on HBO… didn’t even rent it.

Anyway, back to the film… On Cybertron, the war is raging between the two camps and we see a large starship fleeing which has something important (don’t they all?). It gets damaged in it’s escape and we then cut to 1961 and the US is tracking something in space and it crashes on the Moon. We see Kennedy ala Forrest Gump in a meeting with officials about the object. Basically what Bay is setting up is that the ENTIRE Space race was an excuse for the US to get to the Moon and find out what this thing is. Fast forward thru NASA getting the crew of the Apollo 11 mission on the Moon, cutting the camera (a ruse that for those 20 minutes, the crew can investigate the crash site without TV camera’s watching). I was impressed by this. The set up was great… it showed that at the very least, there was effort (in the beginning) that Bay listened to people about the problems of the first two films. Cut to the Astronauts talking to Nixon (another Gump style effect) on TV, the Astronauts getting home safe, being debriefed… then the Title comes up: Transformers Dark of the Moon (which Terri and I agreed that since the term “Dark Side of the Moon” is said in the film a couple of times, they likely had to change it due to legal reasons).

Now, the next 45 minutes of the film are spent watching Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf whom I’ve always liked in this role regardless of material) and his new Girlfriend, Carly (The really hot and out of his league even in the real world, Rose Huntington-Whiteley) go through the same shit, different day relationship arguments. It wasn’t terrible, just cliche.  Sam’s jealous of Carly’s rich Boss, Dylan (Patrick Dempsey) again, another cliche. Sam’s folks are on their way for a visit and he’s concerned about Job Interviews and feels since he’s saved the world twice, he deserves a super awesome job. The reality is, I’m kind of glad Bay DIDN’T just throw Sam into a high paying, super awesome gig because he saved the world at some point. That would have taken the cliche-meter off the chart (even though it’s pretty much in the red already). In the first 45-60 minutes we get the that the ship was carrying the one thing that would have saved the Autobots effort in the war on Cybertron and that the ship still holds Sentinel Prime (The Autobots Leader before Optimus, voiced by Leonard Nemoy… and that bugged me the WHOLE FILM I couldn’t figure out it was him!). Optimus Prime (OP from here on out) goes to the Moon to retrieve the device and Sentinel Prime (SP from here on out), bring them back to Earth and put the device away for safe keeping from the Decepticons.

They bring him back to Earth and the device (which we learn is only a small portion of the entire device), OP brings SP back to life and all is well… or is it? We cut to Megatron in Africa hiding amongst Simba and the rest of the characters from The Lion King. Megatron is ALL jacked up from his last fight with OP in TF2… HEY! So it DOES make sense for him to be in Africa! Well played, Bay. Anyway… Megatron, his dog (you’ll see) a numberous amount of Cyberbugs and Starscream are hiding out in Africa plotting their revenge.

OK, let’s just start jumping through the main bits… SP is a traitor. It turns out he was on his way to Earth (if you recall, Megatron was found in Antarctica by Sam’s Great Grandfather… or was it Great Uncle?) to meet with Megatron and use the device which BTW, the Decepticons had been removing from the ship on the Moon, hiding the components and laying in wait for OP to revive SP (because he’s the only one who could) and BOOM SP and Megatron are in cahoots and Chicago is the place where they’re going to set the device up to bring Cybertron to the Earth’s orbit and enslave the Human race. There’s bits I’m leaving out like how the Decepticons have had Human’s working with them since they came to Earth during the Space race. Dempsey’s character is leader of the Human Asshole Brigade (VERY un-McDreamy of him!) and he looks at the Decepticons as Clients and he’s on the side that won’t kill him. He takes Carly captive and Sam is forced to spy on the Autobots to see what they have planned. In shgort, the Autobots agree to leave the Planet and never return in order for the Human race to be spared. They are lifted off the planet in a Modified Shuttle and as they take off, Starscream destroys the ship. All the Autobots are dead. We be F**ked.

If I’m confusing you, I don’t mean to, I know I’m omitting bits and pieces out when you see or have already seen it. I’m trying to keep it as too the point as I can.

Anyway, the last hour of the film is watching the Decepticons attack Chicago, which looks freakin’ insane. ILM does it again in this regard. If these films do ONE thing is shows the advances ion Special Effects. The Attack on Chicago is really well done. You’d swear it was actually happening. I also like that Bay showed humans getting taken out. There was a sense of urgency in this film. There was a sense shit is going down hill fast and there’s little hope for the Human race. So Sam decides he’s going to team up with Epps (Tyrese Gibson, his character now retired) and his band of Crazy ex Military and gang members to head to Chicago to fight the Decepticons and get back his Super-Hot Lingerie Model Girlfriend. They fight, things look bleak but it turns out the Autobots were not dead, they knew the Decepticons would try and kill them and so they planned their fake death. They help Sam, the Mercs and soon the Military take back Chicago, get back Carly, Do away with SP and Megatron once and for all and give us a epic speech that in a blink of an eye ends the movie.

Seriously. OP has a few words about how the Autobots and the Human Race should live together in peace and BOOM, the credits roll. WTF?!?! Terri being pregnant and all had to pee so we did not sit through the credits as I know they likely had end scenes in the credits. If there was, feel free to post them here so i know what I missed.

Pros:

There is a story. The last film was all over the place. The first film was a set up, not a perfect one, but it was what it was. I mean, Bay had Buzz Aldrin show up in this to tell OP he was in on the cover-up! The one thing the film has is a plot and for what it’s worth, it’s the first in all three films to have a solid one.

The effects. I expect nothing less from ILM (OK, the Scorpion King effects at the end of Mummy 2 sucked… that is one I can’t deny). But the one thing Bay has always shown us in these Transformers films is that EVERY dollar of the budget is on screen.

Despite what most critics have said, I liked Rose Huntington-Whiteley. She did a decent job for her first acting gig.

Dempsey playing the Villain. A nice surprise (ruined for me by the Today Show this morning)

Cons:

The crap bogging the story down. The story is there. The stuff we didn’t need was apparent. We didn’t need John Malcovich. Not a bit. We didn’t need Sam’s Parent’s to show up (even though the scene in the Bus is hilarious) . I feel like Sam could have easily already been in a crappy job instead of looking for a crappy job for 15 minutes of the film. We DEFINITELY didn’t need the two Mini-Robots following Sam around, granted they had a role in the end battle, but that could have been done in another way. Francis McDormand was OK, but seemed she (and Turturro) were in this for a nice paycheck… as was Malcovich.

I also honestly missed Megan Fox. While I did like Huntington-Whitely, I felt like she needed to be in this movie. I get why Spielberg fired her. To compare Bay to Hitler is awful, but as Terri pointed out to me on the way home, Fox doesn’t come across as a History Buff and likely didn’t understand the weight of that comparison to a guy like Spielberg.

The lack of Transformers. AGAIN, Mr. Bay, the film is called TRANSFORMERS, not SAM WITWICKY, HIS HOT GIRLFRIEND AND THE TRANSFORMERS. This seems to be the one thing Bay doesn’t get. The film should have these things in 95% of the shots and they’re in like 60%. When they’re on screen, they’re awesome. They look great… no, they look INCREDIBLE! Every scene with them fighting or the Battle raging in Chicago, I can’t take my eyes off the screen.

The ending. WHAT WAS THAT, BAY?!?!? Was this your “Sopranos” moment because that’s essentially what I saw. Really, man, even you could have done better then that!

My Final thoughts…

OK. I see films like this because it’s mindless entertainment. The plus side is there was a story here and despite the occasional roadblock (not the Autobot… actual roadblocks in the pace) it got to it’s conclusion. It was enjoyable enough to sit through at least once in the theater. I skipped the 3D version as I don’t care enough to see it in 3D. Kids will love it, random movie goers will also enjoy it. Will Transformers fans like it, I’m sure they’ll be split down the middle, but they’ll like it much more then the last one. Again, I will repeat myself from the opening of this review…

IT’S A SERIES OF MOVIES BASED ON A TOY FROM THE 80′S THAT IS ABOUT ROBOTS FROM OUTER SPACE THAT TURN INTO CARS, WALKMAN’S, JETS AND GUNS!!! THIS IS NOT F**KING SHAKESPEARE!!! IF YOU TAKE THIS SERIES TOO SERIOUSLY YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR HEAD EXAMINED! AGAIN A MOVIE SERIES BASED ON A TOY!!!

QUICK EDIT: It turns out Terri never saw TF2. She informed me after she read this.

 

Movie Review | Comments - 0 »