A solid contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Strong performances and a solid yet unique approach to establishing the character.
I thought it fell flat in the 3rd act, and not even a strong performance from Michael B Jordan was enough to make me overlook the Panther vs Anti-Panther climax, so overused in Marvel films.
Iron Man vs Iron Monger, Ant Man vs Yellowjacket, US Super Solider vs Nazi Super Soldier. Hulk vs Abomination. Its part of what I think makes Loki Marvels best villain. He isn’t just an evil version of Thor. Thor is bravado and strength. Loki is cunning and guile. Makes for a far more interesting villain.
Something that could have been achieved with the Mandarin. Mysticism vs technology. But that let down is why Iron Man 3 is probably my least favourite Marvel film.
Black Panther features an unexpectedly fresh car chase scene that alone makes the film worthwhile. But backed up by several strong acting performances throughout the core cast, goodies and baddies both, just a little too much reliance on predictable tropes hold Black Panther from challenging for the best of the MCU family.
Avengers Infinity War trailers abound. The next great question. Can a Marvel film cram in dozens of name characters under the one movie title and not regret the result?
The Last Jedi was a good film. Not a great film, but enjoyable enough if you are prepared to selectively ignore certain aspects.
Where the orginal trilogy were amazing and groundbreaking, and the prequel trilogy broadly disappointing, the latest instalment joins The Force Awakens somewhere in a middle tier. Paying enough homage to the established franchise, while also introducing new characters.
The Last Jedi continues in creating scenes that draw imagery from the original films, from a ground assault by imperial walkers, to the young force-strong trainee being brought before the evil mastermind by the dark figured villain. But The Last Jedi takes manages to avoid being completely predictable, with some unexpected turns in places.
The characters introduced in The Force Awakens continue being developed. Yet also continue to suffer the same flaws they had in the first film. Rey is too conveniently good at everything unless doing so would be inconvenient to the story. Kylo Ren remains conflicted and angst-ridden. Finn remains single minded and fixated completely on Rey.
One character who does enjoy some strong development is Poe Dameron. His character benefits from the attention it gets in this film.
And added to the cast of heroes is Rose Tico played by Kelly Marie Tran. An actress who came from obscurity to eclipse the current generation of key characters to quickly claim the titles of most likeable, and most relatable character added to the post-Disney franchise.
Benicio del Toro appears as only he can. With a character that is both uniquely his own, and yet is still unique amongst the characters he has portrayed. Yet, unfortunately, playing a character that did little in terms of serving the story.
The other new face Vice Admiral Holdo, played by Laura Dern added another generally forgettable face.
The Supreme Leader Snoke scene took an unexpected turn, leaving another new character failing to reach their potential. But was nonetheless an enjoyable twist and one of the better fight scenes involving lightsabers.
The Finn / Phasma battle was good. Though if stormtrooper armour can be laser proof, why aren’t they all wearing it. Hopefully, not the last we see of Phasma.
The use of Luke was enjoyable. His finale was not unexpected. Other original characters like Chewbacca, R2D2 and C3PO given minor and relatively inconsequential roles.
But this leaves what is to me the gaping hole in the current films. The villains really aren’t all that intimidating. General Hux is almost comedic in his ineptitude. Kylo is an emo teenager on constant tantrum setting that everyone is too frightened of to spank. Not exactly making for a galactic force of darkness. Yet they somehow have control of the galaxy.
Development of the bad guy team would really serve the franchise well. Build them up as intimidating. Perhaps some mentor of Phasma or a relative of Hux explaining how that twit got to be general, taking control of the faction.
It will also be interesting to see what the next instalment holds. Will Disney look for a climactic film to wrap these into a trilogy, or will it be treated as just another instalment in an ongoing franchise?
Netflix has demonstrated its ability to generate quality original content. Indeed, much of their market strategy now seems to be built on its original shows.
I have watched many of these Netflix originals and rarely been disappointed.
One such show is called The Good Place. A light comedy with seemingly short episodes and a progressive plot. It began as something I would just have on in the background while doing other things. But over time, the light humour and interestingly different premise began to build.
Avoiding any spoilers, the show begins with one of the central characters, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kirsten Bell) being welcomed to the afterlife by Michael (Ted Danson). Beyond that premise, I will say nothing of the plot, because its development is worth experiencing first-hand.
These two are the only actors in the cast I have encountered before. And the characters they play are both unlike any previous roles I’d seen, and yet so well suited that it is easy to become comfortable with them in little to no time.
Yet, it is the broader cast, Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), and Janet (D’arcy Carden) whose various interactions create depth. In a premise that I felt could not possibly have the scope to remain fresh and appealing over time, the development and insights into each character as the series progresses have quickly made The Good Place one of my favourite shows.
Now with a 15 episode first season under its belt, and counting down to episode 8 of the second season, the series has far exceeded my expectations for it and seems to have the talent driving its writing and development that could continue to deliver a quality show for further series in the future.
Yet, very few people are talking about this show. Indeed, it is difficult to say much without giving away some of the development that make the show enjoyable.
I put it on in the background while my sister was visiting recently. Last night she binge watched to the end of the first season and now shares my enthusiasm for the show.
A show I do recommend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been.
I was pretty slow off the mark getting to see Doctor Strange in the cinemas, events conspiring against me. But having finally gotten to the cinema, yesterday, am now adding my thoughts on this latest inclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I should manage to avoid any significant spoilers, though there are few that I would think could genuinely spoil the experience. Though there are some who are more sensitive than I in that regard, so with that in mind, proceed at your own risk.
Doctor Strange is an origin story. Many superhero movie watchers are a bit tired of origin stories. However, given that Doctor Strange lacks the general familiarity as characters like Batman or Iron Man, I think that this is acceptable.
Doctor Strange has enjoyed a better than expected run at the box office, at least in early weeks. I imagine this is driven by the presence of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character. Indeed Cumberbatch manages a strong performance. As an Australian, I lack the sensitivity to critique the British actor’s American accent. It worked okay for me. Doctor Stephen Strange begins in his origin story as an arrogant, self centred, brilliant, individual. Given his run on Sherlock, that was hardly a stretch for Cumberbatch who fit the role like a glove.
In fact, I will state outright that the performances of all the key characters were of excellent quality. Controversy raised its head when Tilda Swinton was cast in the mentor role of The Ancient One, under headings of ‘whitewashing’. The Ancient One being a character that in the source comic book material was born in the Himilayas. I can empathise with minority actors struggling to find roles, let alone roles that are not themselves sterotypical. At the same time, Tilda Swinton is one of those remarkable actors with a filmography including such an incredibly varied range of roles that were she announced to play the lead role in a biopic on the life of Barack Obama, I would be equal parts confused by the casting as I would be intrigued to see what she would do with the role.
Rachel McAdams joins the cast as the love interest for Doctor Steven Strange. Her character was played well, though her character’s reactions to some of the situations in which she is placed was perhaps a bit too accepting. Still, I would prefer that than a hysterical female character screaming every time some she encounters some of the magic that becomes ubiquitous as the movie progresses. Her character is, unfortunately, largely only used to drive dialogue with Strange who otherwise avoids opening up to anyone.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, a magnificent orator and often underrated actor, works brilliantly with Cumberbatch. Saying no more here.
Benedict Wong, playing the character of Wong, is also excellent. Though there is one scene with some laughter that feels more than a little forced that didn’t quite work for me. I will talk more to that shortly. Otherwise a near perfect casting and performance.
Finally, Mads Mikkelsen creates a villain that will rate as one of the better Marvel villains. An aspect of the MCU that I have been critical of previously. Apart from Loki, many of the MCU antagonists have been poorly used to the point of being disposable. As an actor, he has an extensive filmography, but my initial reaction to his casting was tentative. He has rewarded those that put their faith in him in remarkable fashion.
On to the film itself. The character of Doctor Strange is a comic book character based in magic. One of the things that most impressed me with the film is that magic was never used purely as a duex ex machina. Rather, the film took time to develop a form of logic to how and why magic can and cannot be used in certain circumstances. Creating sets of rules and explanations that while fantastic, managed to ground magical mechanics that could easily have simply fallen into funny hand waves and latin words creating convenient effects. In this regard, the MCU did exceptionally well in the way they explored their world of magic. Building on the concept introduced in Thor that magic is merely new forms of science that humans have yet to understand.
Visually, Doctor Strange is spectacular, to the point of being overwhelming. With an opening scene demonstrating special effects that I will broadly describe as something like what you might expect to see if you got the SFX guys from Inception and force fed them amphetamines (you can get an idea of what I mean just from the trailers). In a couple of places throughout the movie, the effects dialed up by a few degrees. They WILL be too much for some viewers. Eyesight that has begun to deteriorate (I began wearing prescription glasses last year) combined with poor previous experiences in 3D movies prompted me not to see the film in 3D. However, my sister with whom I saw the film has said that when it comes out as buy-to-own, she will purchase the 3D version as some of the visuals in this movie could replace Avatar as the go-to movie for showing off 3D technology.
Now, perhaps the weakest part of the film. MCU films are often characterised as fun and humorous. In this area, I fell that Doctor Strange fell short. Neither I nor the audience I shared the cinema with found much if anything to laugh at. Attempts at humour scattered throughout the film either fell completely flat, or extracted only the most feeble of responses from the audience. It is to this I alluded to when I spoke of forced laughter from Wong. The film just could not capture the snappy repartee that so many other MCU films seem to hang their hat on. With orators of the quality of Cumberbatch, Ejiofor and Swinton, trying to replicate the banter of Downey Jr, Johansson and Renner would not seem the way to go. Perhaps this was a deliberate shift in tone to set the film apart from other MCU instalments. But this shortfall for me was the difference between Doctor Strange being a good film, and competing to be one of the best films in the MCU.
For those that care about such things, the film has two credit sequences. A mid-credit sequence tying it to the upcoming Thor:Ragnarok, and an end-credit sequence which is by no means a throwaway, but rather a set up for a probable sequel.
TL;DR version: Well acted. Some SFX eye candy that many will need to rewatch a few times just to appreciate in full. Lacking in humour compared to other MCU films. Still an enjoyable enough film in its own right and a worthy addition to the MCU.
Since Downey Jr, Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman all with roles in the MCU, all that remains is to find a slot for Jude Law (hero, villain or supporting) and the Sherlock puns can flow.
I have seen a lot of unfavourable reviews for the X-Men Apocalypse movie recently. But when I went and saw it for myself, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the movie. It wasn’t without its flaws, but I think has been unkindly treated.
I will drop spoilers ahead, so if you are sensitive about such things and have not yet seen the movie, please come back after you have. Oh, there is a post credit scene. Unless you are fanboy enough to recognise obscure X Men villains by their civilian name, it wont be worth waiting around for.
This latest instalment to the X Men franchise was enjoyable to watch. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender continue to prove worthy successors to Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan in their respective characters, Charles Xavier and Magneto. Providing a strong core for the rest of the cast.
Jennifer Lawrence was a bit flat to me in this performance as Mystique.
Nicolas Hoult is largely wasted as Beast. His character mismatched in a psychic telekinetic ninja vs furry strong jumpy dude matchup. I’m not sure they really thought that one through. Rose Byrne as Moira Mactaggert was similarly underused.
Oscar Isaac does a respectable performance as En Sabah Nur (aka: Apocalypse). The liberties added to his powers and origin were okay. His ultimate apocalyptic plan was tired and his motives difficult to understand.
Evan Peters, the centre of many peoples’ favourite scene from Days of Future Past, plays Quicksliver. A performance that in no way aligns with any version of the character I have seen in the comics. Yet it works well, keeping a lighter character to the movie. He has another big sceen that is likely to again be many’s favourite.
Sophie Turner does a fair job as Jean Grey. Her ultimate release of her powers didn’t work for me. A scene where everything is falling apart, Mystique is dying, and you slowly walk … step… by… step…. into ….. battle…. The attempt at being dramatic was a bit clumsy for me.
Tye Sheridan does a good job playing Cyclops, given the first decent development the character has seen in an X Men movie to date.
Kodi Smit-McPhee delivers a fair performance of Nightcrawler. His powers used predictably, but still a good representation of Kurt Wagner.
Alexandra Shipp as Storm was a good casting choice. While suffering a little from how crowded screen time for each character got, I really like what Shipp did with her.
Lana Condor as Jubilee was barely present, so yeah, pretty much a fair representation of the character. BURN! Actually, totally wasted, though again, I am pleased that this film isn’t one getting accused of whitewashing its international characters. Though one might argue Alexandra Shipp as Psylocke against that. Shipp had a couple of cool scenes, but again had to share the screen with so many.
The franchise does look to be in reasonably strong hands. There are minor clues or easter eggs scattered throughout that could allow the franchise to pursue a number of different major X Men story arcs.
The climactic final battle just lacked suspense for me. Magneto was doing something bad that I didn’t really understand or understand why he was doing it. But it was definitely bad. Everyone hung around and took turns fighting so the camera could capture all the action instead of reacting to an urgent situation the way they should. The characters that don’t seem to survive the movie are discarded pretty weakly.
But despite these shortfalls, I would rate this movie, and the X Men franchise, as the second strongest behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but ahead of DC.
What was that post credit scene all about?
Reinforcing – here there be spoilers.
In the post credit scene we return to Stryker’s Weapon X facility. Survivors are cleaning up as some black suits with a black briefcase stride through the rubble and carnage purposefully. They reach the room where Wolverine was held and open a cabinet next to his cell, taking a blood sample marked Weapon X. They place it in the briefcase and close it, revealing a corporate logo that reads Essex Corp. End Scene.
This scene appears to set up the next X Men movie’s villain, Nathaniel Essex, aka: Mr Sinister. A pretty cool villain, overall.
So what next?
I mentioned a number of possible story arcs. Here are my thoughts on some of the options.
House of M
Unlikely. Too large a cast to really drive home the impact behind that alternate reality. And if you were going to delve into alternate realities, I’d be doing Age of Apocalypse first.
Brood
Weak Xenomorph knock-offs? A classic villain, I agree. But not one I think could translate well to the big screen.
Phalanx
Heavily dependant on CG animation, again I think there are better options.
Dark Phoenix Saga
After X Men: The Last Stand was for so long rated the least of the X Men movies, I think they would be afraid to revisit this story. The window for success is pretty narrow. And given that they have already used the Hellfire Club in First Class, they wouldn’t be able to hold close to the original comic story.
Fatal Attractions
The bone claws thing was kinda done in The Wolverine, but a confrontation so climactic that it forces Charles to mindwipe Magneto, an event in the comics that then led to the events of Onslaught, I could get behind that.
Inferno
A classic story centred around Mr Sinister, though also around the mutant Magik, who has yet to make an appearance in the XMen movies.
Proteus
A classic early X Men battle, centred around the son of Moira Mactagger, who was briefly mentioned in X Men: Apocalypse.
As usual, while I will always avoid any major spoilers, if you are sensitive about such things, bookmark this post and come back after you have seen it for yourself.
Batman vs Superman is intended to link the previous Superman movie Man of Steel to the upcoming DC Cinematic Universe movies, culminating in Justice League movies.
With the box office success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, it was always going to look like DC were trying to earn a share in that success. Anything DC did was going to be compared to the success of Marvel’s franchise.
The establishing movie, Man of Steel did well enough at the box office, though it was not without criticism from a number of quarters including the comic book fandom.
At first blush, Batman vs Superman also suffers from many of the same issues as Man of Steel. There were good moments, but the overall effect for me was a decent movie, but far from being a great one.
Kicking off with Ben Affleck. When the Batfleck was first announced, I was skeptical. Flashes of the movie Daredevil surfaced, and despite the time and success Affleck has enjoyed since then, I questioned the casting. But he held down the role well. The version of the Batman, one well progressed in his own timeline with years of experience and loss under his belt, also gives me hope for his planned stand-alone movie.
Henry Cavill is physically impressive, but fails to resonate as a character. His turns as Clark Kent failing to differentiate the secret identity from the costumed one other than in outfits.
Gal Gadot does exeptionally well. She could easily have earned equal billing to the male characters. Her stand-alone movie is also full of potential. Howeverm her presence is poorly explained and in places seems tacked on to the core story. But her performance is remarkable.
Jesse Eisenberg was the single biggest disappointment to me. He was completely and obviously insane. Donald Trump aside, it is unbelievable that someone so utterly unhinged could be the head of a successful multi-billion dollar company. Completely failing to come across as a scheming mastermind, performing more like a coke-fiend that just finished off his stash in a single hit. Luthor was not a worthy adversary of the man of steel.
I didn’t care for Amy Adams performance in Man of Steel. It felt dispassionate, detached. Her role in Batman vs Superman was greatly improved.
Excellent supporting minor roles from Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Holly Hunter as Senator Finch, and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White rounded out the core cast.
The entire tying in of the other future Justice League members in Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) was heavy handed. It felt superfluous to the movie storyline and I would question whether there could not have been a better way to introduce them. None of their appearances helped the immediate story, was remotely compelling, or achieved anything more than eating up minutes of screen time.
I think of these additional Justice League characters, it is Ezra Miller who has the most difficult task ahead of him. He is recreating a character with a current incarnation that is both successful and popular.
The titular battle itself, Batman vs Superman, was fairly good quality, though it took too long to get to for what it ultimately delivered.
The ultimate villain that the heroes band against was called Doomsday though it looked more like it had escaped the Mines of Moria or Peter Jackson’s Weta workshop. Possessing pointless energy powers that had no basis in comics. Lacking the only physical traits that gave the comic book character an identity, his large facial bone protrusions. The combat scenes were similar to Man of Steel in that they are very fast and crazy powerful. While I know that this is simply meant to portray what combat at those power levels would be like, I found them inaccessible and pointlessly destructive. The story was ended with a completely impotent plot development regarding Superman’s fate. With both a Man of Steel sequel and expectations around appearing in the planned Justice League movies, it was a hollow finale.
Side point, a single shot during this final battle saw Batfleck positioned in a beautiful homage to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight series. As a long time fan of that comic book series, this was a highlight for me.
Ultimately, Batman vs Superman felt like two different movies mashed together. One telling the core story arc and bringing the DC trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman together. The second building the platform to introduce the Justice League. I would have been happy with just the former, and I feel that the whole suffered as a result of trying too much to follow Marvel’s footsteps.
The individual performances and nuances of the Batman and Wonder Woman characters still give me hope that the DC Cinematic Universe still has potential. But from these early chapters, I fear it is doomed to live in the shadow of Marvel’s achievements.
One last thing. I stuck around on the rumour of a post-credit scene. No such scene appeared. Don’t waste your time on it.
This week I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to see the pilot episode for the new Supergirl series.
I saw the trailer, and that along with the success of other recent DC television shows (Arrow and Flash), I was ready to give this new series a shot.
A single episode is an unfair thing to judge an entire series on. Still, it is the first impression and that needs to work to get most viewers to come back for a second look.
The feeling the show gives me is very similar to Flash in many ways. It really plays heavily on the somewhat nerdy and occasionally awkward central character. A role that Melissa Benoist (my first encounter with her) seems completely at ease in.
Meanwhile, the underlying theme of the show does seem to be empowerment. It is targeting a female audience in addition to whatever comic book fandom it can latch on to. Alas, Supergirl has never been one of DC Comics’ most popular titles. Yet, on some levels that gives the writers freedom to do the unexpected without fearing the wrath of a large devout fan base that will criticise any deviation from the original comic book source material. The comic book Supergirl has had a number of incarnations over the years, and there is no reason this TV version needs to adhere to any of them.
Add to the cast the gloriously catty role played by Callista Flockhart as Cat Grant, who is essentially J Jonah Jameson with a lip wax and a license to be as dementedly horrible a boss as one can muster. As predictably antagonistic as her character is, she is also plenty of fun somehow managing to pull off what should be outrageous.
The show does, however, suffer from some of the same issues as the Flash. I feel that the writers do well in their approach to the retelling of the iconic origin story, seeing the character come to terms with their abilities and role as a hero who then comes in to his own. Something that has essentially become its own TV trope. But while their achievements in these broad strokes are strong, this seems to come at a cost. Dialogue is often clunky. Character thought processes can seem completely uncharacteristic because that is what is needed to set up the next scene or act in the story. The quality of the dialogue in particular I find comparable to Flash. That isn’t a good thing. I have found myself shouting at the TV as though the writers could hear me exclaiming, ‘What were you thinking? How am I supposed to believe that character is clever when so often he is so unbelievablystupid!’ Or, ‘Why would anyone do that! Of course that is how they are going to react! You would have to have some sort of brain damage to think that was a good idea!” Yet I keep watching the show, driven by a combination of likeable characters and the desire to see the story of the hero continue to unfold. To the extent that I must admit I do enjoy the overall journey.
Mehcad Brooks is cast as Jimmy Olsen. This could be a racial recasting that may be reasonably popular since so far he just seems to be there as eye candy for the (much hoped for) female viewership. The term token black character seems almost an understatement. The lack of racial diversity in the cast thus far is dramatically noticeable. Still, it is just the pilot. There is only so much time that can be devoted to introducing and developing characters and extended cast in a single episode. I hope this is something that does not go on to characterise the show. Or at least embrace the transparent eye candy approach and start finding frivolous reasons for him to get his shirt off. Seriously, any excuse. The worse the reason the better. He does nothing for me but if you’re going to be ridiculous you may as well at least embrace it. As an actor, he is capable. I hope we get to see that in future episodes. And as much as he has been initially set up as a potential love interest, I hope that the writers do not try and build up Kara and Jimmy to be this show’s version of Lois and Clark. That idea makes me cringe.
The remaining cast have yet to see much screen time. I was a little underwhelmed with the way Chyler Leigh’s character Alex Danvers (adoptive sister to Kara/Supergirl) was established. And the patently obvious instruction given to make Alex Danvers as different a personality from her adoptive sister as possible almost feels like the two are a modern odd couple. For a while I was wondering if the character’s bio read, ‘Avoid smiling. Supergirl smiles alot. Alex must be the opposite.” Unfortunately, it came off a little robotic in first impressions.
Seeing Dean Cain cast as Supergirl’s adoptive Earth father did tickle a funny bone for me. I hope to see him recurring in the series.
So overall. The cast isn’t exciting. As comfortable as Benoist is in her role, she has not yet managed to endear herself to me. Her motiviations, and perhaps more importantly the idea that a person who could do Superman stuff would not only choose to live a mundane life, but wouldn’t even still use the odd ability on the side just because ITS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!…… this idea did not gel for me. It felt like dismissively weak writing to set up a beginning point of storytelling without having to cover the time from her arrival on Earth to current day in a montage or yet another series of endless flashback sequences.
Spoiler alert
Superman appears in the pilot, but you never see his face. This is not going to keep working for me. From a logistical standpont, I get it. I also get the Jimmy passing on messages approach. But DC will either need to figure out a way to cast a TV character to pop in and play the role properly, or find a way to leave Superman in his own city and out of Kara’s storyline. In theory, one could argue that the last TV Superman, played by Tom Welling in Smallville, ended with Superman coming in to his own. It wouldn’t be completely outside the realms of possibility or continuity to have him visit occasionally to fill the role. Okay, Smallville had a very different casting for Jimmy Olsen, but until someone bites the bullet and declares all TV shows, comics and movies about DC superheroes to be alternate reality versions of one giant DC Multiverse, continuity issues like that are always going to happen.
Overall, the tone of the show was light and managed not to take itself too seriously. That is a decent formula for a fun, light hearted series. Enough so that I will be looking out for more episodes. However, I think there is going to need to be either some serious work in developing some of the supporting cast until they actually start to be interesting, or some seriously unexpected twists for this show to really hit its stride.
Worth a checking out for anyone that considers the Flash enjoyable, or has a touch of fanboy (or girl) in them.
So review end here. Next, I am still going to talk about Supergirl, but am getting into speculation.
One of the big things about Supergirl is that she doesn’t really have the iconic list of supervillains in her stable. I had only read the occasional issue of her comic title, with most of my exposure to her being during comic crossover events.
I checked out her enemies lists online, and not surprisingly, they are made up of D-Listers you’ve never heard of, villains that are normally associated with other heroes but they will fight Supergirl because their main nemesis is occupied that weekend, and assorted alternate reality versions of various Kryptonians. Not surprisingly, the initial antagonists on the TV show seem to be renegade escaped convicts from the Phantom Zone (see Smallville season 6 for essentially what appears to be almost the exact same plot).
Supergirl’s list of comic book villains is overall, fairly underwhelming. If anything, the more compelling story arcs of hers I am familiar with are those with demonic origins – something that initially seems at odds with the tone of the TV show. There were, however, four villains that I would love to see on the show. I am not against rehashing DC villains from other DCU shows, but since the best villains for a Kryptonian to fight are Superman level, and since there is no current TV Superman series running, that doesn’t excite me too much. The fact that DC has so many shows means that a villain appearing on one show could conceivably also make an appearance on others as a quiet crossover. Given that Supergirl is CBS and Arrow, Flash and friends are The CW, and this article, that seems unlikely. Almost a shame.
Anyway, the four villain options that caught my interest:
(1) Bizarro Supergirl. Bizarro anything, really. Lets have an entire bizarre JLA including Bizarro-Krypto the Super Dog and Bizarro Gleek. Its all gonna be funny.
(2) Silver Banshee. A more serious option and could be incredibly cool if they get the costume and effects right. Her powers are supernatural and Kryptonians are not invulnerable to supernatural powers, so a genuine threat to Kara. Plus anyone wearing that makeup is gonna be spooky as. Perhaps enough so to trigger a new favourite Halloween and cosplay costume…..
Done right, Silver Banshee could be developed as an iconic nemesis for Supergirl. Plus as a strong female character, albiet an evil one, she fits the theme of the show well.
(3) Dr Psycho. The notoriously mysoginistic and dimunitive mind controller. In a show that has a running girl power theme, smacking down a woman hater absolutely should be on their to do list. Since he is a little person (I hope that term is still PC), in the current global acting environment, if they don’t get Peter Dinklage to play the role then its because he refused or wanted too much money.
If Dr Psycho’s character were to mind control a couple of beauties from the cast, or from Supergirl’s villain gallery, and play out some ridiculous fantasy (as per picture) – then have him get a through comeuppance thanks to our heroine – thus ending on a firm message that such behavior is anacronistic and intolerable in modern society…….. Well, thats a story line that would appeal to a wide range of viewers. From the male pigs to the women that are disgusted by them (and maybe a few fanboys too).
This picture makes me thinks of ..
(4) My final villain selection, and there is a reason this one was left for last
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I don’t really need to explain this option other than to anyone who has no idea who this is. But if The Last Czarnarian turned up in Supergirl, people who have never watched the show and never intended to will be tuning in for those episodes.
To wrap up, I will also add in the trailer for Legends of Tomorrow…..
I cringe at the title. If this were based on some obscure team up comic book title, I might have been more forgiving. Perhaps Time Hunters, a comic book series that featured Rip Hunter, didn’t sound lame enough.
At any rate, I see this as being what happens when Marvel lets it slip that they are building up to a TV series that will see several Marvel characters team up for a Defenders mini series. Instant reaction to form a DC superteam with no comic book precedent for the constellation of characters and steal Marvel’s thunder.
The cast here has a lot of depth. I hope I get to write a review on the pilot on this one in the not too distant future.
Having just enjoyed season 1 of the new Daredevil TV series on Netflix, which only recently came out in Australia. I will tiptoe around spoilers, but I can’t promise there mightn’t drop some minor reveal. So if you are sensitive about spoilers, then you probably shouldn’t be Googling random blogs for more information on TV shows anyway.
Daredevil is based on a Marvel Comics superhero character. Some think of him as Marvel’s Batman, in the sense that he is a very dark vigilante character that relies on their incredible training in martial arts fighting against crime to protect their city.
But Daredevil’s alter ego is no billionaire. Both he and his alter ego, Matt Murdoch attorney at law, are blind and live in the part of town that wavers above and below the poverty line. I did collect his comics for some time, but he was not a character I followed closely.
I went in to this series with very low expectations. Like many lacking faith in the upcoming Batfleck, the 2003 adaptation had not lived up to expectations (please let me be wrong on Batfleck). This combined with the promotional pictures of the suit having not set my world on fire, left me hesitant about getting excited for a new adaptation.
But the TV version has done a great job of establishing itself as something very different within its subgenre. This transition in to telling the superhero tale in TV format has been done before in shows like Smallville and Green Arrow. But I think Daredevil manages to be more grounded. A story told on a background that feels closer to reality. Perhaps it is because the format allows more time to really explore the world the hero lives in. The time to develop characters in more detail than a movie are forced to cover in a montage because they only have a couple of hours to get to the finale.
(this clip is an unrelated distraction intended to get the song stuck in your head)
The leading role is played by Charlie Cox. This was my first encounter with the actor. Actually, I did see Stardust, but I wouldn’t have remembered him in that had I not just Googled it. I also would not have known he was English, and would have assumed American given the American role. That’s the best American by a Brit I’ve seen since Hugh Laurie in House. Though probably any American would think, but he sounds so British to me. Well that is how many Brits feel about many of the accents on Game of Thrones.
It took me a while to warm to Murdoch as a character, and he is certainly not my favourite in the series. He seems irrationally stubborn at times, though that could be a deliberate move to differentiate the character from the various Batman incarnations ( Adam West’s was the best imho). Such differentiation being another thing the show achieves despite the similarities in the source material.
Over the season, Cox has developed his character in to a worthy leading character as he is lends the series a flavour that I ultimately enjoyed immensely. I would not hesitate and encourage anyone to check it out, irrespective of whether they have any familiarity with the source material (though aimed at more mature audiences than some fans of the character) . While there are references that link the story to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via the Avengers final battle having destroyed large chunks of New York, a viewer can easily forget that it is supposedly a part of that connected universe simply because the accent or flavour is so much more grounded in reality.
Perhaps that sense of realism comes from the fact that the backdrop for the heroes world is the less prestigious parts of town. Meanwhile in the next scene the villains live in opulence. Of perhaps it is the lack of space aliens. Whatever the cause, the result often is more credible than many shows that dramatise the real world. It does have its moments of comic book, over the top fun during the fight scenes, though. Some well executed and filmed stunts, that pull the viewer back from the sense of gritty reality in what would otherwise be thought of as some of the most brutal scenes of violence on popular television. Cox even positions his head they way a person not used to holding eye contact while conversing with someone often would. A subtlety often missed by performers pretending to be blind.
Lets take a moment to realise we’ve lost the tldr crowd by now. I am going to talk seven most of the recurring cast so if you don’t have time to do this in a sitting, bookmark and come back looking for the intermission.
Matt Murdoch’s closest friend, Foggy Nelson is played by Elden Henson. Some of the supporting ensemble in comic adaptations can feel forced. Kind of a, they are only here because they were in the comic feeling. This is what my first impression of Foggy Nelson was. He is just that bit over the top, at points compensating in the somebody has got to carry the exposition when your leading character is being Mr Broody-pants. But he also has some outstanding highlights. For me, his first speech to a jury in court was perhaps his stand out point in the series. Reminding me of some of the best episodes of Boston Legal without the underlying politics. An aspect in Foggy I hope to see more of.
Karen Page is played by Deborah Ann Woll as a recurring member of the Daredevil good guy team. I enjoyed her in True Blood and had high hopes for her, though I have no memory of her character in the comics. Karen is at times stubborn and frustrating, even more so than women are to me normally. She is presented as someone with essentially no friends and apparent social anxiety as she seems to have no motivation to change that beyond the two non-gay men that she isn’t sleeping with. But at the same time possessing the confidence and forcefulness to actively investigate criminals she met through their proclivity for murdering anyone that knew too much about their dealings. She is important to the team dynamic, but those conflicts make me struggle with her as a realistic personality.
Next, Netflix seem to have picked up on the correlation between the success of comic book superhero adaptations, and the quality of their villains. I am again unfamiliar with this actor’s prior work. But D’Onofrio’s performance in Wilson Fisk is both memorable and a major factor in why this show works. Fisk is to Murdoch what the Joker is to Batman or Lex Luthor is to Superman. The two define each other and D’Onofrio presents us a worthy adversary.
Fisk’s hencham is a man named Wesley. The man who does all the legwork for the man with all the power. Another character I had no memory of from the comics. Toby Leonard Moore executes the role skillfully.
Madame Gao is played by Wai Ching Ho, and is another villain on the bad guy’s team. Often the dialogue between Fisk, Wesley and Gao is in Chinese. I have had the barest of basic lessons, so cannot vouch for their pronunciation. I did find the paced, consistent enunciation was pleasant to listen to and at times even, graceful. Plus, Madame Gao manages to hint delightfully at supernatural tones yet to be explored and perhaps helping to link Daredevil to the announced Iron Fist series.
Tenacious reporter, Ben Ulrich is played by Vondie Curtis-Hall. Ulrich is a character who has changed race since their comic book origins under the banner of improving racial diversity in comic book characters. I sometimes wonder how minorities feel about this. Doesn’t it just create an alternate version of a character that will forever be compared to the original? Well whatever the basis for his casting, Curtis-Hall does a fantastic job with Ulrich and easily claims the tile of the best version anyway. Also the show’s handling of a character who was always a newspaper journalist in the modern era where such journalism is so under pressure from online news sources is well thought through.
Finally, we have Vanessa Marianna as played by Ayelet Zurer. Once again, a character I had no memory of. A compelling performance and creating the third spoke in the heart of the villain’s dynamic in the same way that Matt, Foggy and Karen create theirs for the heroes.
So overall, the show is not without its flaws. No show is. But the result is enjoyable and I look forward to seeing a season 2. Even the 2003 movie recognised that two elements key to any Daredevil story are Bullseye and Elektra. If Fisk is Joker to Daredevil’s Batman, then Bullseye is Bane and Elektra is Catwoman.
And I also hope that the show keeps itself that arms length from the rest of the Marvel MCU. Crossovers are fun and all, but I think Daredevil deserves to stand alone and not rely on such gimmicks to build its fan base.