How to use this Page

Remember UNBREAKABLE? It’s my favorite superhero movie (and Grant Morrison’s), and it wasn’t big and bombastic like the current Marvel and DC movies. Glad to see someone else remembers:

“15 years ago, UNBREAKABLE became the superhero movie we need now”

http://www.avclub.com/article/15-years-ago-unbreakable-became-superhero-movie-we-228635

UNBREAKABLE’s anti-heroic lack of bombast is precisely one of its (many) problems: after two hours of build-up, all we got was Bruce Willis strangling one bad guy to death by grabbing him in a chokehold from behind.

George: I read that article a few days ago and it made me think of what the latest Fantastic Four might’ve been if the studio hadn’t gotten scared and wanted a bombastic SFX fight scene at the end.

Oliver: Maybe the real problem with the finale is that we’re trained to expect bombast on the big screen. Maybe if Unbreakable had been a Netflix series we would’ve been okay with it.

In terms of Geoff Johns’ involvement, I wonder if he’s half the problem, being that he’s helped set the tone of the current comic universe where grimderp is confused for depth.

I suspect if they set up Bruce Timm in a Kevin Feige role, the cinematic DCU would be much improved.

Unbreakable? That piece of neowerthanian anti-comics propaganda?

Without giving away many spoilers, you’ll notice that the comics readers in the movie are either murderers (Mr. Glass) or potential murderers (Bruce Willis’ son). Yeah, great comic book movie that one.

Not that between it, Comic Book Villains and Kick-Ass movies have painted a flattering view of comics fans, of course.

“Oliver: Maybe the real problem with the finale is that we’re trained to expect bombast on the big screen.”

Every superhero movie now climaxes with a big CGI battle (explosions galore) and they’ve become increasingly similar.

I paid to see UNBREAKABLE in the theater after reading a positive review on AIN’T IT COOL NEWS and how this was one of the best superhero movies ever made. Man, do I regret listening to that review and paying money to see that boring as hell movie. If I had watched that movie on TV for free, I might have enjoyed it more since the movie seemed like a made for TV movie. I don’t go to superhero/fantasy movies to be bored to death by endless scenes of talking heads with little or no action.

The optics and perspective on these things are hilarious.

It sometimes feels like I’m the only person on the planet that’s really excited for Batman v Superman, but the echo chamber of the internet doesn’t reflect reality too often.

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E. really???”

You’d think the failures of DARK SHADOWS and THE LONE RANGER would have shown Hollywood that while an old TV show might be revered by a certain generation, nobody is exactly clamoring for a movie version. Of course, there was no great demand for reboots of Spider-Man or Fantastic Four, either.

I think the last Warner movie I saw was Paul Thomas Anderson’s INHERENT VICE, which was supposed to have a wide release until the studio panicked and kept it in “limited” release. Cowards!

No Mad Max, George?

Oops, forgot that was from Warner. Thanks, Kyle!

Seriously, does Warner have anything interesting coming out in the fall or winter? Is everything at a standstill until BATMAN V. SUPERMAN opens in March? Warner did have 2014’s biggest box office hit (AMERICAN SNIPER). Maybe the profits from that will keep the studio afloat for a while.

To be fair, Disney isn’t even in first place between the studios this year and they had two super hero movies and a Pixar film. THey are getting “trounced” (I use that word with tongue firmly in cheek) by Universal who is having their best box office year in years.

I mean, the other way to look at this, from WB’s point of view is, they have no major super hero movies or franchise tentpoles and they are still in third place only (I think) 5 or 6% total box office dollars for the year behind Disney. I’d be pretty happy with that if I was WB.

Also, Heidi, I’m sure producing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. had a lot less to do with propping up that franchise, and a lot more to do with keeping Guy Ritchie, who directed those little Sherlock Holmes movies for them, happy. I totally understand them playing the long game on that movie.

Also, I saw it, and it was unexpectedly a lot of fun and not at all what I was expecting.

“I totally understand them playing the long game on that movie.”

Sort of like Warner used to let Clint Eastwood direct a personal project like BIRD in exchange for another Dirty Harry movie.