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[Blue Kitty]

It's a nice trailer, but each of the other movies had nice trailers and look what they turned into. The best way I can describe it is the Sonic Cycle

[Thrillho]

Either that or we see Hank Henshaw, the Eradicator and Superboy stepping in and trying to claim the title of Superman. Oh and John Henry Irons living up to the ideal and Supes returning in the next film.

Oh, and Batman can have his back broken (again) and Wonder Woman can be replaced by an unstable warrior from a sister city.

And in that moment, we shall realise we have been transported back in time to the mid 90s.

Nah if that was true everything would be all dark and gritty and antiheroic and painted in drab colours and OH SHIT.

[TheEvilDog]

Either that or we see Hank Henshaw, the Eradicator and Superboy stepping in and trying to claim the title of Superman. Oh and John Henry Irons living up to the ideal and Supes returning in the next film.

Oh, and Batman can have his back broken (again) and Wonder Woman can be replaced by an unstable warrior from a sister city.

And in that moment, we shall realise we have been transported back in time to the mid 90s.

Nah if that was true everything would be all dark and gritty and antiheroic and painted in drab colours and OH SHIT.

Even worse...we could end up with this!

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The horror of the mullet....the horror...the horror...

[BenRG]

I'm hoping that Henry Cavil would veto that on the basis that no contract or pay-off can justify such body horror.

[TheEvilDog]

Zack Snyder has stepped down from his role in the post production of Justice League to cope with a family tragedy. He's handed the post production duties to Joss Whedon.

[Neko_Ali]

I am such a mixed bag of feelings about that.

[Method of Madness]

Wait, when did Joss Whedon go to DC?

[BenRG]

I don't think that Marvel or Disney ever had him on anything approaching an exclusive contract.

[Method of Madness]

Holy shit, Wonder Woman waa good.

[BenRG]

Going to see WW on Sunday. It's also the first superhero flick I've been able to convince my mother to go to see since Avengers 1.

So far, Wonder Woman has had a critical response that towers over BvS or Suicide Squad. If it does very well in the box office too, I suspect that Joss Wheadon will be making some serious re-edits (maybe even doing a few quick reshoots or redubs) to more reflect Wonder Woman's tone and style in Justice League.

[TheEvilDog]

Rumour mill is running at the moment saying that Josh Gad will possibly play the the Penguin in the Batman movie. Not linking to any articles because its just conjecture based on something he's said and I'm taking a chunk of salt with it.

As for the Batman movie, the details are a little thin on the ground at the moment, but a couple of sites think that the plot might resemble something similar to Arkham Origin. The idea is that its after the Justice League movie and Batman becomes more well known, Batman becomes the target of a bounty and assaulted by a number of assassins and mercenaries, hence Deathstroke.

But again I'm taking all this with a chunk of salt.

[Aimless]

Wonder Woman was like Captain America with better production values but poorer writing and acting. That still makes it the first DC movie since Batman Begins that isn't really frickin' lame

Gal Gadot is well suited to the role and the supporting cast is decent but 70% of the dialogue was severely groan-inducing.

The antagonists were so-so. Action sequences were excellent in the beginning but really rubbish towards the end, with that stupid move where she deflects bullets being repeated over and over again like that video game move in Troy. Runtime was all right, it made for a less rushed movie but too much time was dedicated to the final act. I would've enjoyed seeing more antics with the rest of the team or in London. The philosophizing about Love was extremely clunky, I wish they'd done a better job of setting that up and weaving that theme through the movie.

Still, definitely go see it and let yourself regain some faith in DC. Don't see it in 3D

[Welu]

Just saw Wonder Woman. Definitely the best DC movie of this current run so far. I think I enjoyed the first act the most.

[TheEvilDog]

Just saw Wonder Woman. Definitely the best DC movie of this current run so far. I think I enjoyed the first act the most.

To be fair, that's not an especially high bar.

But several friends of mine have come back from seeing it and they have loved it, finally glad that their favourite character has gotten the film she deserved after 70 plus years.

[Neko_Ali]

So, I saw Wonder Woman today, and I'm quite pleased by it. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine give absolutely solid performances. The rest of the cast range from great, to meehhh... The pacing and antagonists of the movie seem out of place in a super hero film. But honestly... They are not the plot of the film. The story of the film isn't 'how Wonder Woman stopped World War I' but Diana's journey from wide eyed and childish love of mankind, through the horrors of war. Growing as a person and becoming a hero. The antagonists were there to move the plot along. They provide the spark, but are not the end goal.

[Method of Madness]

Aimless, you didn't like The Dark Knight?

[sitnspin]

I really dug it and I'm not even a fan of superhero content as a general rule. The date I took really liked it, too. It wasn't perfect, of course.

I saw it in 3D, but only because that's what was showing on the IMAX screening we attended. I didn't really notice anything particularly 3D about it. Which is a compliment from me since I mostly find 3D to be gimmicky at best and bloody awful at worst. The large screen and big sound of IMAX made it worth it, in my opinion.

[BenRG]

Saw Wonder Woman and loved it. Not a brilliantly ground-breaking bit of cinema but a genuinely enjoying journey that presses all the right buttons and raises all the right flags. Even the generally-maligned final reel is enjoyable (and is greatly saved by the the effect Gal Gadot communicates it is all having on her character).

Favourite moment?

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Wonder Woman genuinely considering dropping a battle-tank on Dr Poison's head but choosing not to do so as she remembers what she feels for Steve and deciding that, as vile as the woman is, she cannot cure the evil she represents with arbitrary violence. There is so much character depth and powerful story in that 90-second or so moment.

[Method of Madness]

Ok, you know what I realized yesterday? This is my own failing, not the movie's, because I really, really liked the movie (aside from slightly excessive slow motion).

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I don't remember how Ares died. I know that he died, but his death itself? Completely gone for my mind. It's one of many reasons for me to see it again, and I absolutely will this weekend, but...yeah. Anyone wanna just remind me?

[Neko_Ali]

Ok, you know what I realized yesterday? This is my own failing, not the movie's, because I really, really liked the movie (aside from slightly excessive slow motion).

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I don't remember how Ares died. I know that he died, but his death itself? Completely gone for my mind. It's one of many reasons for me to see it again, and I absolutely will this weekend, but...yeah. Anyone wanna just remind me?

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Ares called down lightning and fired it at Diana, who blocked with her bracers then returned to to him my clapping them together, like she did in the fight with Antiope.

[Method of Madness]

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Oh yeah, I remember that, for some reason I forgot that was the killing blow. I'm still going to see it again because I want to see it with Justine, but I really appreciate that.

[Kugai]

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So, she didn't behead him this time round

[Blue Kitty]

Wonder Woman was everything I wanted Man of Steel and Dawn of Justice to be

[Neko_Ali]

Wonder Woman was everything I wanted Man of Steel and Dawn of Justice to be

Not terrible? What got it for me is the biggest thing that Zach Snyder never understood. We want to see an accurate representation of the characters we know from the comics. Not his idea of what a dark and gritty version of them would be. I know he knows this is the problem with the films, because it's brought up every time his DC movies are mentioned. We don't want angsty and brooding Superman, murderous Batman, angry and kick ass Aquaman.... Okay I take that last one back. He can stay. But look at how he decided to play Lex Luthor. Or the strangeness of Jared Leto's Joker. Most of the Suicide Squad was okay, because they already fit his 'super heroes by way of Hot Topics and the Army Surplus store' aesthetic.

For me the big reason why Wonder Woman succeeds where the others have failed is her story is divorced from the greater narrative they had built. She could be and was the Wonder Woman we know, if in somewhat more muted colors. It wasn't some re-imagining of the Wonder Woman mythos. Had you told me they just took one of her comic book stories and adapted it to a movie, I would believe it. The movie feels accurate in a way that Batman v Superman absolutely did not. Time will tell if the studio learns the right lessons here and alters Justice League appropriately. My fear was it's already been shot and all but finished by Zach Snyder's vision and the studio won't let Joss Wheadon change much of it.

[LeeC]

[Kugai]

George is never gonna live that down.

[Method of Madness]

I mean, he's getting off easy here. No nipple jokes.

[TheEvilDog]

What we've learned here is to always be yourself.

Unless you can be Batman.

Then you should always be Batman.

Unless the Batsuit has nipples.

Then you're never going to live that down. Ever.

[LeeC]

So... Lego Batman.  One of the greatest Batman movies of all time, or the greatest Batman movie of all time?

[Pilchard123]

I spent the first half-hour wondering where it was going, the next half-hour wondering if it had got there yet and the last half-hour deciding whether it would be more hassle to squeeze out past the other people on the row or endure the rest of the movie.

On the bright side, I went to see it with a friend who I hadn't seen for months, so the catch-up in the pub afterwards made up for the poor choice of film.

[TheEvilDog]

Or, take a minute to realise that like the first Lego Movie, the Lego Batman Movie is essentially a kid playing with their Legos and doing what they thought was a cool (to them) story. Its got that kind of innocent humour to it.

[Welu]

I loved it and was so surprised at how much I enjoyed Zach Galifianakis as Joker.

[Method of Madness]

I still need to see it. Also, I saw the newest (I think) Justice League trailer tonight and...damn it if it doesn't look fun. I know I'll probably be disappointed, but...you know what, I don't care. I like pretty much all of the main cast. Maybe it actually will be fun.

[BenRG]

Well, the Metacritic scores for Justice League are starting to collate. Oddly enough Rotten Tomatoes are embargoing their own scores until tomorrow (rumour has it at Warner Brothers' insistence).

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Currently 49/100 for Metacritic.

The general consensus is that it's a brave effort let down by a poor story, focus on Batman that the script given to Ben Affleck can't sustain and a visual schizophrenia caused by the incompatible directorial styles of Zach Snyder and Joss Wheadon. Apparently, Wheadon's Second Unit reshoots are very obvious, especially when CGI is used to insert reshoot footage into the previous shoot's sets, background and ambiance.

There are also some mutters about Snyder having a borderline-Frank Miller misogyny that makes this film's portrayal of the Amazons very different from that in Wonder Woman.

All in all, I think that this is going to be a white-knuckle ride for WB to see if the reception is positive enough to keep the DCEU going.

Going to see it Saturday or Sunday.

[sitnspin]

The one good thing about breaking up with my comic book fan exgf is that I don't have to watch these pieces of crap anymore.

[Blue Kitty]

So far people are saying it's better than Batman vs. Superman, but not as good as Wonder Woman.

[Method of Madness]

So...it's a movie that exists is what people are saying.

[Blue Kitty]

Basically, it was supposed to be first Avengers level and it didn't reach that

[TheEvilDog]

I've said it before, but its worth repeating.

DC and Warner Bros left it far too long to create a cinematic universe (or rather, they wasted an opportunity). Instead, Marvel was able to create the MCU, taking four years to establish the main players before bringing their premier team to the big screen.

Marvel produced Iron Man to establish the universe, The Incredible Hulk expanded on some of the key concepts, Thor brought the main villain of Phase 1 and gave him motivation, Iron Man 2 had the impact of Stark's history and the effect on the future and The First Avenger gave the ideal to live up to. Only then did they bring everything together for the finale of Phase 1.

By contrast, the DCEU had Superman not quite living up to the ideal he presents in the comic, Batman is presented as something of a brutal vigilante (and before anyone says anything, despite how he is presented in other media, Bruce Wayne is one of the most compassionate people in the DC stable). Suicide Squad, well, too much in too short a time and like the other DCEU films didn't live up to the hype. Of the four films before Justice League, Wonder Woman was the only one that felt like the character and not some Dark-Age-Life-Is-Angst crap that the previous films presented.

Marvel had a five for five rating for Phase 1, with solid story telling and a great deal of consistency. The only thing consistent about the DCEU right now is its inconsistency. Warner Bros were a decade too late getting their thumb out of their back and they're paying for it now with rushed jobs.

[BenRG]

Well, I went to see Justice League and...

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... Frankly, I have no idea what movie all the negative reviewers went to see.

It was a completely adequate movie. Hardly a work of art but it met my expectations in all areas and even exceeded them in some.

Positives? Only one of the fight scenes had Zach Snyder's characteristic confusing camera work and there was only one 'tribute to 300' scene that was so brief that it actually emphasised the scale of the struggle, not trivialise or cloud it. The lighter (doubtless Wheadon-originated) moments blended in well and, whilst the newer characters didn't receive as much depth as they could have had, they were still well-realised enough that you get what they're about.

There are a few nice touches here and then, with an ending focus on the 'Trinity' of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman before we cut to the credits to a rising medly of John Williams' Superman, Danny Elfman's Batman and Hans Zimmer's Is She With You (the Wonder Woman battle  theme). You are left with the undoubted sense that, yes, there are heroes protecting this world (much like you did at the end of The Avengers).

Negatives? The film takes too much as read. We needed a better insight into how Bruce learned so much about the Apokalipsians. It is mentioned that he has access to Luthor's notes but he still has knowledge about them that is inexplicable and that the film, sandwiched into an arbitrary 120-minute run time, doesn't have time to explain.

Probably the most disconcerting part of the film is the fact that, at the end, you realise that Wheadon edited it into an act-by-act duplicate of Avengers. However, I strongly suspect that this was the mandate given to him by Warner Brothers.

Overall Mark: 7/10 - Not as good as Wonder Woman but good enough. I don't feel the need to see it again but I do not feel robbed having seen it. (£13 seat price! )

Recommendation: Wait for the end-of-credits hook for what I assume is Justice League 2. A few old enemies appear to be drawing plans of their own.

[TheEvilDog]

A major problem that many people have seems to stem from the fact that Joss Whedon's work is fairly evident throughout the film.

It certainly doesn't help that Whedon cut many key scenes during his time, including, but not limited whats under the spoiler:

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- Wonder Woman was supposed to have more lines and more prominent in key scenes.
- Vic Stone's time on screen is a fraction of what it was in Synder's film.
- A large chunk of Superman's recovery, including his conversations with Lois and his mother.
- Barry Allen saving Iris West from a car crash, the scene and animatics can be found on youtube.
- Not to mentions scenes involving Anitope and Professor Vulko were also cut.

Not to mention that Zack Synder and Joss Whedon have incredibly different ways of directing films and it shows in the film. What could have been a deep story that looks into the best and worst of humanity and the inherent struggle that lies within gets tossed to the side with emotional whiplashes and the traditional Whedon focusing on asses.

[Neko_Ali]

The reviews I've seen for the movie haven't been negative. Most of them have been 'Eh, it's okay. It's not memorable or groundbreaking and it's clearly been heavily edited, but it's watchable.' They place it about on level with Suicide Squad, generally.  The trouble is that Marvel has been delivering consistent hits in the super hero movie genre for so long now that just average isn't going to thrill people. I don't think you can entirely blame Joss Whedon for the choppy nature of the film. They were reshooting and re-editing the movie long before he came on board. And I've heard from multiple reviewers now that the team was under strict orders to keep the movie under two hours, and it was originally planned to be a two movie story. So yeah.. a lot was cut down or tossed out entirely to fit probably 5+ hours of story and action into 121 minutes.

[BenRG]

Casting Call
Who would you like to play Mari M'Cabe/Vixen in a future Justice League live action show or movie?

[Thrillho]

It's too late for Halle Berry, right?

[Neko_Ali]

She was a terrible Storm and Catwoman so  yes, it's too late for her.

[TheEvilDog]

Let's see, who could play Vixen?
Nikki Amuka-Bird.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Alisha Bailey.
Lorraine Burroughs.

[Neko_Ali]

So I saw Justice League today. I thought it was good. I went in with deep misgivings and was pleasantly surprised. There are some pretty deep plot holes and I felt that the characterization of Flash was entirely wrong for Barry Allen, but I think overall the movie was a good bit of fun and huge steps ahead of most of the previous movies that have been pulled under the DCCU brand. The movie does start off very bleak as is typical for Zach Snyder's works and has been a major problem for most of this era's DC live action movies. But it does change as the movie goes on. I don't know how much of that is from Joss Whedon taking the helm, or how much was planned in. But overall I think it set up a narrative that could save the franchise if they run with it. The movie establishes pretty much early on that an atmosphere of hopelessness has fallen over the world since Superman's death. And the kick off of the villain's plot is because Superman was no longer there. Which is a plot hole in itself, but saying more involves spoilers.

Taken as a meta-narrative and if you ignore some aspects of the previous films that should be ignored anyway, you could run with the idea that the world became such a bleak place because there was a lack of heroes to look up to. Superman acted as that heroic ideal for a lot of people... When he died things became even more grim. Now with more heroes stepping up the world is growing brighter, more hopeful. More in line with what is in the comics and what a lot of people want to see. Not angsty Superman snapping necks or grown men in Halloween costumes growling at each other. If they continue the franchise in this tone I think they have a shot of continuing.

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This is probably not much a spoiler but... for the first time I felt that Henry Cavill was hitting the role of Superman. He had the charm, the wit and the humbragging that I've always associated with the character.
 The parts of him that inspire people to like him. Unlike what we've seen recently of the character. So I'm suspecting a large part of why he was so bad in the role before was the directing. When he's directed to act like Superman would, he does so rather well.

[LeeC]

Joker

[Method of Madness]

Joker looks so fucking bad. Anyone see the DC Captain Marvel yet? I meant to but haven't, and I'm seeing Endgame this weekend. I heard it was good, though.

[cybersmurf]

That trailer makes him look... weird. bad kind of weird, even for the joker.

Suicide Squad joker was weird, too, and kind of rather bland. maybe that movie is trying to tie in with that. we'll see.