While We are on the Subject of Movie Fails: Justice League

I have watched this a couple times because I like DC TV. I have the DVD collection of Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice, and Constantine (which is like the worst case of story-interruptus ever!). I am not as invested in the CW line up, but I have enjoyed them. (Legends is very cool. Once they found their niche as “the comedy team,” it’s been great.)

It’s “the rule.” Marvel rocks the big screen, DC rocks the small screen (especially productions under Bruce Timm).

So beyond Superman (who frankly I think it still riding the coattails of the 1970’s films with Christopher Reeve), Batman, and now Wonder Woman, why has DC not been able to pull it together on the big screen?

Justice League had three fully established characters. The “Big Three” in fact: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

As much as people hate Ben Affleck, I thought he did a good job. Not Christian Bale great, but good. I think he was the Batman who worked for a team film because I can’t see Christian Bale’s Batman teaming up with anybody, let alone spearheading forming a team

Of course Gal Godot is awesome-sauce as WW. She nailed the character from day one.

Henry Cavill is o.k. as Superman. It’s hard for me to judge because I’ve never been a big Superman fan. I do like that in the Cavill films, writers focused more on Superman’s human side than alien. When he was resurrected, it was not WW’s appeals to “Kal El, Last Son of Krypton” that brought him back to himself. It was the reminders of his life as a human being. (Which the comic book WW would have got that, but I’m willing to give movie WW a pass because she’s demi-goddess raised in a society that knew Gods and Goddesses, so it’s feel natural for her to appeal to the “god” first before the man.)

Jason Momoa threw a fully realized and engaging Aquaman up there with zero backstory or prep. He was awesome. If you were not invested in his character you were at least entertained.

So four out of five.

Grant Gustin *is* the Flash (on TV) and recasting him for the film felt wrong. It was hard to get over that. Ezra Miller did well with the material he was given, but they wrote him too young to play with the big kids. By the time the Flash joined the League, he was a fully realized hero in his own right. Yes, he’s a goofball, but he’s no n00b.  And I think writing him a bit older and more experienced would have worked better. (And the funny thing is when they first introduced him, they hinted he was more experienced than that with “I’m fluent in sign language. Gorilla sign language,” which is a fanservice reference to Grodd, who is in the Flash rogue’s gallery.)

Cyborg. I don’t know why there is this push to make him be a founding member of the Justice League (GL and Hawkgirl are the other two founding members) when the guy was a Teen Titan long after the Justice League was founded. I guess for the film’s sake, he was needed for the Apocalypse tech (Mother Boxes). And he had his moments when he was not being Broody McAngsty.

The story was solid. I would not say fantastic: “Big alien invasion brings superheroes together to for team” is a classic trope. It’s a “pilot” film and those are always a little weak. That is was a little more complex than aliens pouring out of the sky because an Asgardian was getting his snit on was nice.

So why doesn’t it have the punch the first Avengers film did?

Character development, yeah. The Avengers had more. Even the Black Widow, who did not have her own film, was more developed than Aquaman, Flash or Cyborg.

But I think where the Avengers really surged ahead is Loki was a much more interesting villain who was fun to watch. Steppenwolf was more of mechanism where Loki brought all his attitude and personal baggage and Hiddleston rocked it.

“Your protagonist is only as good and interesting as your antagonist.” –  Master Class in Writing from Chris Claremont. (Actually he said it in an interview decades ago about how he changed the X-Men and their “world” when he took over in 1974, but MAN is it so true.)

Another thing struck me re-watching Justice League last night, and you’re going to laugh or think I’m nuts, but music.

As I observed a long time ago, soundtrack can make or break a film. I don’t think Gladiator would have been as successful as it was without Zimmer’s soundtrack pulling at our heartstrings.

And the only iconic musical theme DC has produced that gets our blood pumping is Wonder Woman’s.

(And to be frank, she has the best fight choreography too.)

For the Justice League, can anyone remember the music at all?

And it’s Danny Elfman!?! How does Danny Elfman turn out a forgettable theme? But he did.

Whereas The Avengers theme:

Face it, you just got teeny rush, didn’t you? You totally saw Cap or Tony, didn’t you?

And they slip it into every single MCU film. It maybe five seconds of it, but it’s in every single film which of course helps to subconsciously establish universe continuity.

See. Music matters.

This Cannot Be – Prince

As a child of the 80’s, still in love with 80’s music, I can’t even conceptualize Prince (Or the Man Formerly Known As)  as in his 50’s. Let alone…

All my Gen X pals are just stunned.

Of course everyone is playing “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” which has some philosophically appropriate lyrics.

But I will depart from that memorializing/enshrining and share my favorite Prince song.

Because when it comes down to it, the man was utterly unabashed about one thing.

So thank you your Royal Purpleness for helping to define a generation, whether we were outwardly comfortable with it or not.

Inwardly we sure were.

P.S. I will also add that my father really liked Purple Rain, both the film and the soundtrack.

 

 

A Little Night Music

Moody

Moody

I am Cultured, Really! Look!

Actually, I’m not. I don’t know much about music or the visual arts, but I know what I like.

Speaking of Vivaldi and Yo-Yo Ma, I just discovered this:

See, it’s not *all* about the 80’s.

1980’s Alternative, Back When “Alternative” Meant Something (warning: YouTube spam)

This is probably the third post I’ve had about 80’s music. Sorry if I’m boring.

I spent my adolescence in Los Angeles, which meant KROQ alternative rock. KROQ imported the New Wave/Goth/Post-Punk stuff from Britain (via Richard Blade) as well as had Rodeny on the Rock combing the clubs for the latest sounds. Mix with some of the bigger names like U2, The Police, Eurythmics, Bowie and a little Queen, throw in some John Hughes soundtracks, and you got yourself an awesome station!

And I will pay significant sums…o.k. 20$ to anyone who can get me recordings of John Frost’s The New Detective.  (Not the current TV show, the radio play during the Kevin & Bean morning show. So utterly wrong, wrong, WRONG! and so funny.)

I was jonesing for some 80’s today and stumbled across this Top Ten vid.

Pretty good list, though I would move Joy Division up the ladder (because they’re fucking Joy Division, that song defined the 80’s) and used Killing Jar or Cities in Dust for Siouxie and the Banshees. I also question Blondie’s presence, since I tend to associate her with Disco rather than Alternative.

Some others I would include:

Peter Gabriel is one of my all time favorite artists and this and Don’t Give Up are my favorite songs of his.

This is such an 80’s music video:

This is such a fun video:

(Barely, 1990. But if they can include Bela Lugosi is Dead, I can include TMBG)

Now, to most people Oingo Boingo was merely the novelty band who did Dead Man’s Party, but in their home state of Southern California, we got the whole deal.

You have no idea how *headdesk* it is to hear, “Danny Elfman used to be in a band?” But I like to think Boingo helped launch the 1990’s movement of rockers that came out of So Cal, like Sublime, No Doubt and the Peppers.

Now here an oddie: An American group who was big in the U.K. but barely known of in the U.S..

Admit it, you totally danced to that.

R.I.P. MCA

This is my personal 80’s anthem:

This song always reminded me of home so much.

on and on and on.

The only thing I didn’t like about 1980’s music scene was how separated the genres were. If you were into Goth, you could not listen to Heavy Metal and vice versa. (I remember getting a few funny looks for that one.) I remember when KROQ listeners did a call in vote to, ironically, get the station to stop playing Bring the Noise by Public Enemy and Anthrax. (The theme of the song apparently went right over their heads.) Not because they did not like the song, but because they were “Not KROQ bands,” ie. they were from the wrong genres.

And I remember Richard Blade’s complete disgust. Eventually, it was played on KROQ again, after the listeners had time to forget the shame of that moment.

In the 1990’s those barriers broke down and musical genres started blending as the fans did producing some awesome stuff, such as the So Cal band named above.

P.S. And yes, I like this one too:

 

Today’s Earworm

Disclaimer: I do not condone infidelity for any reason. Been there, did that the first time. Felt like crap. Didn’t do it the second time.

This is just a fantastic groove.

Online Radio Networks

I’m stuck at work finishing up some stuff, but hey with no one here I can do whatever I want. *spins in office chair* Wheee!

Including listening to great tunes.

Live365

It’s great for when you get bored with your iPod playlist. Using it for free (without an account) there are ads, but it’s still better than radio these days. Certainly the selection is better.

And if you are *really* into it, you can create your own “radio station.”

Man, I miss 80’s music…and 80’s music videos. 🙂

You Know You Want It

It is also noteworthy that the #1 album on Billboard is a 70’s Mix Tape.