The Continuing Frustrations of a Second Banana Comic Book Enterprise

Batman vs. Superman is here, it will make money----just definitely not Marvel money. And there is nobody but Warner Brothers and DC to blame.

The film has been riddled with controversy and problems ever since it was officially announced, and that came after over a decade of trying to get the project off the ground (Since before Christian Bale’s Batman by the way). Whether it’s the choice of Batman, the random inclusion of Wonder Woman (as opposed to getting her own movie first), the release date going up against the Marvel juggernaut Captain America: Civil War (which Warner Brothers would eventually cave in), Batman holding a massive gun in the trailer (do the writers even know Batman?) and even the prospect of this movie happening in the first place. And although it will make its millions in the first weekend only time will tell if it will revolutionize and revitalize the brand like Iron Man, or calmly crash and burn like X-Men: The Last Stand.

Odds are, it will make plenty of money, but won’t last long in the minds of moviegoers and comic book fans. Do recall X-Men Origins: Wolverine still made over $350 million, but it remains a bitter inclusion in the X-Men franchise. Batman vs. Superman might also develop this bitter aftertaste, and it has more to do with the in-house shenanigans as opposed to the competition, which has become a far more organized unit. Side-Note: Disney has been operating this ship extremely well, far better than any of us anticipated back when they first (shockingly) purchased them.

Do remember once upon a time DC was making plenty of progress turning Batman into even more of a household name in the 90s thanks to a good group of movies and a spectacular animated cartoon (Batman: The Animated Series still has the best version of Batman and Robin and the best version of nearly all the Batman villains). Do also recall that Superman had a popular show as well as a cartoon that would ultimately cross with Batman around the same time. Marvel in the meantime had good cartoons, but struggled in making movies and would nearly go completely bankrupt. To say DC has never been good with its IPs is silly. But the truth is: they need some help today. From 1998 on (Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze happened, accept it folks), its been overall tough to watch. 

Back to Batman vs. Superman. The reason why it looks more like a cash grab as opposed to an important chapter to a cinematic series is because there is no build up whatsoever, no time for anticipation. Ben Affleck’s Batman doesn’t have his own movie before this installment, and Man of Steel was the only film in Henry Cavill’s catalog. Now we have to look at Civil War: The same Iron Man has been in 5 movies beforehand, while the same Captain America has 4—not including their cameos with Thor and Incredible Hulk. In order for this movie to have a true impact, we needed to see more of this current Batman and Superman, see their personalities fully flesh out, and then have more of an emotional attachment.

Now, the real question is why didn’t Christian Bale’s Batman have the chance to go up against Superman? After The Dark Knight’s spectacular box office performance and appeal, that would have been the perfect next chapter. Why wasn’t Brandon Routh’s Superman given another shot? Believe it or not, Superman Returns made MORE money than Batman Begins (391 to 374 million) so even if the critical reception wasn’t as good, this reboot deserved at least another opportunity, maybe with a different director. You could have done two trilogies between the heroes and then had them go up against each other in the seventh film. That would have worked far, far better. Routh wasn’t bad, he was just given very little to work with. And everyone in this planet knows Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor would have been much better than Jesse Eisenberg’s. Christian Bale’s Batman wasn’t my favorite, but was well-accepted regardless.

DC is a disaster, and Batman vs. Superman is the latest example of the disastrous state of the “Robin” in the cinematic comic book universe. In my lifetime, I have seen 7+ Batmans (counting the animated series), 4+ Supermans (Smallville slightly counts), and 2 live-action iterations of The Flash happening SIMULTANEOUSLY present day! It is absolutely ridiculous that Grant Gustin doesn’t become The Flash in Justice League. Seriously, why not? DC forgets they need character development for us to truly root for the people. Now we have to see this new Flash and try to accept him.

Side-Note #2: I know some of you will bring up the THIRD cinematic Spider-Man in the last 15 years appearing in Civil War. But do remember I pointed out Marvel’s ridiculous decision-making in the 90s, which still affects Disney, Marvel, and some of the IPs to this very day. Trust me, Marvel isn’t perfect, but it’s doing a great job righting some of the wrongs-----with the help of Mickey Mouse.

Why couldn’t Batman just get the James Bond treatment and treat each film as standalone movies? I don’t need to see The Living Daylights and Live and Let Die to watch Goldeneye; but they each do still carry the same flavor of James Bond and still gives us a sense of familiarity. Batman would have been the perfect franchise to consistently mix comic book fun with adult themes and you know….actual detective work. This modern legion of Batman fans have forgotten that he is first and foremost a really good detective for Gotham. The Dark Knight remains a highly respected film because it’s a grounded cat-and-mouse fugitive hunt involving a man that wants to save a city against a man who wants to destroy it. This is a classic good vs. evil tale that didn’t require viewings of previous films to fully understand and fully get involved. The Dark Knight by itself is an impressive movie.

Superman is the defining example of a moral compass in the universe of superheroes, and could have also benefited from a slew of standalone movies before the crossover with Batman. If you didn’t plan on developing Bruce and Clark through connected films, at least beef up the resumes before the highly-anticipated showdown. The Marvel Cinematic Universe could not have planned Civil War better, any earlier it would have failed. And P.S., they know the power of television and Netflix by connecting nearly everything together. Agents of Shield directly influences Avengers: Age of Ultron, while Jessica Jones does a great job being part of the same environment without directly referencing it.

Then there is one aspect of DC’s recent film history that unexpectedly affected the entire company and warrants some sympathy for its current state of silver medal: Heath Ledger’s death. Heath Ledger’s Joker was an extremely compelling character that not only could have spanned multiple Batman sequels, but could have very well played a role in a Superman movie. The original idea was for Joker to wind up in court over his actions in the third film and cause more mayhem. Unfortunately, Ledger’s death would end any ideas with the character.

Personally, I would have continued the Joker storyline regardless because to “retire” the most popular comic book villain of all-time was a fantasy and we all knew it. Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, maybe even Mark Hamill himself could have carried the mantle. I’m almost positive Heath Ledger would have wanted it that way. Also, notice the minimal setback when the replaced Dumbledore and The Oracle between films in their respective series. I believe we would have accepted a different Joker just like we accepted the new (and improved) Rachel fully knowing the circumstances. Nonetheless, the idea was scrapped and we wound up with a ho-hum third chapter that would take place nearly a decade later and would end a storyline that really didn’t need to finish. Not continuing Joker was the right move, but the wrong move at the same time---and to this day the effects still linger…as does the heinous final act of Dark Knight Rises…

DC has forgotten its comic book roots and mannerisms. You need to build your characters, you need to give us time to get to know and love the iteration of the persona you are presenting on-screen. The Dark Knight trilogy featured 2 films earning a billion dollars because we became invested in Bruce Wayne’s story and wanted to see where it was going. It took two and a half movies before Christian Bale’s Batman was overpowered by Bane, leading to a tough sequence that affected moviegoers everywhere. We felt those punches, we felt his pain (Gonna be a buzzkill; but Christopher Nolan needs to learn how to film a fight sequence. Compare the Bane/Batman fight to the Spider-Man/Green Goblin fight and you’ll understand why).

Batman vs. Superman expects us to develop enough sympathy to feel worry about our (new) caped crusader tackling impossible odds in fighting a God within the time frame of 70 minutes---before the conflict actually takes shape. DC expected us to feel for an ultra-powerful character that didn’t have much of a bridge between the surprisingly violent neck-snapping scene of Man of Steel and his powerhouse showdown in the late second/final act.

In stories of this caliber, you need more time. Would the Batman/Superman fight in Dark Knight Returns back in 1986 have had the same impact if they had met earlier in their publication history? Most likely not, it’s hard to top over five decades of character buildup. Would Civil War have been as big a deal if it had directly followed the original Avengers? Not even close. Four years and three films separate their first minor tiffs and the upcoming battle which may even result in a major death.

Despite Batman being the best superhero and my personal favorite, I won’t watch Batman vs. Superman because I view this as more a pawn to make more money for Warner Brothers and DC as opposed to a film trying to really tell a story and continue the legacy of DC’s most popular assets. My heart just isn't beating heavy enough for this movie. I wanted to be excited, but after witnessing the trailers and seeing Batman rebooted (again) and seeing Wonder Woman just being thrown in for no legitimate reason, I see myself just hanging on to the money and waiting for the other comic book movie in the horizon. 





DC, get your act together. Don’t just pit a bunch of your heroes together, allow us to love them again. Because as of right now, I don’t know the superheroes I am watching.

The Election For America's Soul

 

I don't normally do this.

But 2016 has become an exception.


I’m not political (don’t even fully have a political party to be honest), I don’t usually deeply follow it outside Daily Show, John Oliver, and whatever Conan spits out. I don’t mind discussing it, I don’t mind reading/watching it, but I don’t form rallies, I don’t form protests, and I don’t hand out stickers or buttons. But this election is important for all the wrong reasons.

Unfortunately in the last 8 years, what we have witnessed is a rise in witnessed racism. I mean witnessed racism as in the kind that gets discussed, the kind that is videotaped, recorded, and released to the masses for us to react to. For me to claim that racism had gone down in recent decades would be ignorant: it’s always been there, it’s always been lurking, but my skin is too light and my accent is too non-existent for me personally to ever actually experience it. My parents have experienced it, but it’s nowhere near the levels of racism that has always been prevalent in a majority of areas in the nation. We are a huge country, with lots of people: mostly good, some bad, and some downright ugly. Civil Rights isn’t as old as we like to assume, for there are still thousands still alive that can still smell the fires, and feel the pain. Today there are millions that are still oppressed, still treated different. And it has always been this way, but it had mostly remained quiet, under the shadows.


Then Obama got elected. Then social media became bigger. All of a sudden, the platform to discuss your opinions and the fact that we are in an America run by a proud black man with Chicago roots has opened the doors to some of the evil that had been waiting to spread. What we hoped would not happen, unfortunately occurs. And it won't go away. And it gets quite ugly.





Pandora’s Box of racism has been opened, and the floodgates swept through.





No president in recent memory has been as harshly criticized, unfairly ridiculed, and as Washington oppressed as Barack Obama. Now, I will never claim that he is the all-time greatest president and can do no wrong (and nor will I claim that EVERYONE anti-Obama is actually racist), this is not the time to discuss his grades. However, the man had so much going against him from the start, and the blame immediately took off the second he sat down.

Obama had to take over an economy that was obliterated by Wall Street, the Housing Crisis, and ridiculous spending. He still got the blame. Obama is running a country that has seen a dramatic increase in gun violence and mass shootings. He still got the blame. Obama is running an America that is witnessing company after company bail and leave cities and millions stranded without jobs. He still got the blame. Obama never really had a chance to work with the House and Senate to try to pass some of his ideas, no matter how nice and harmless they might be. You can hate Health Care all you want, but for the Republicans to (constantly) deny a bill that would give extra care to the first responders of the 9/11 attacks? Are you kidding me? That’s beyond ridiculous. Obama even once got harshly criticized for winning a Nobel Peace Prize---which is something you don’t even campaign for….

Mr. Obama is black, and him being black prevented us from moving forward as much as we should in the last 8 years. America wasn’t ready for a black president. A majority of America is, but there are still edges of the nation that yearns for the Civil War/Reconstruction/Flapper days apparently. Under Obama, we even found and killed Bin Laden, how quickly we forget. Now, he was even blamed for the rise of Donald Trump. Even worse, there is a wave of people that is now openly anti-black, anti-Black Lives Matter, anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic, and anti-Women’s Rights (I find it fascinating most of these folks are married). The nation appears to be more openly and proudly divided than ever, when the melting pot is becoming more mixed. A very jarring turn of events.

America has always had its race issues, but now they are much easier to spot. This is a double-edged sword because now you can see it coming, but then you become nearly desensitized at the sheer amounts of bigotry you are witnessing. And now this leads to Donald Trump:

Donald Trump may not be a full out racist (then again, he probably is, only God knows), he may not be an Islamophobe; but he is perfectly fine accepting their furor and accepting their votes. He has been perfectly fine feeding off the chaos, hatred, and ignorance of old-school Republican America and not only has divided the country severely, but even his own party has been shattered into pieces. You have a movement of people that never vote suddenly supporting him because of what they witnessed in the White House in 08 and 12, you have another movement of people blaming minorities for lack of jobs and lack of improvement, and then have a third wave of people giving shades of hate to Muslims and are seeking asylum under the Trump campaign. We even have the always-awful KKK being a supporter for Trump.

When you mention that you want to make America great again while undermining Blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims (among others), it sets off a tone that pretty much sounds like you would rather see a whiter country. No mention of unity, no mention of working together, he places the blame and doesn’t fess up responsibility for some of his actions. At first it was a joke, but now people are taking it seriously, and dangerous people are supporting him for all the wrong reasons. And this has to stop.

The UNITED States of America should not be behaving this way. We are supposed to be a united mixed bag of religions, cultures, ideals, ideas, and dreams working together to complete the lofty goal of living a happy, healthy, and successful life. For as long we continue allowing Big Business to destroy us and economically break us, we won’t get there. For as long as we allow the education system to continue its downward spiral with lack of love for public schools and universities becoming larger businesses we won’t get there. As long as we continue blaming groups for the actions of a few we won’t get there. For as long as we continue trying to denounce and restrict the rights of others we won’t get there. Building a tall wall is not the solution, you are just building more and more problems.

In a perfect world, college would be free, for at least the first 3-4 years while children becoming adults can seek out what they want to be, and what they want to accomplish. More people having access to higher education creates more jobs, plain and simple. And we need more nurses, doctors, electricians, scientists, mechanics, artists, and many other occupations that build up the places around us and allow us to flourish against all odds. Most importantly, with the dream of cheaper health care for everyone, we need more people on the medical field. Have you tried getting a medical degree? It will cost you the rest of your life. We can’t have money scare potential future doctors away.

In a perfect world, we will punish businesses for leaving the country and creating slavery-like jobs overseas. American businesses should have 75% of their labor in the United States, at least, to avoid being punished. And American businesses that claim “citizenship” elsewhere (Like Burger King tried years ago), will pay a foreign tax for doing business with us. Yes, it might be rough to see Nintendo paying America some extra cash to do business, but it’s the only way to get more jobs off the ground within the borders.

In a perfect world, you should have the right to preach what you want to preach without the threat of violence outside your place of worship. You have the right to choose, despite the moral code of others. You have the right to become an American citizen without the threat of being booted out into hostile environments that technically America helped create (The Mexican border is the absolute best example).

In a perfect world, weed would become legalized, gambling becomes legalized, the tax rates go up in a more consistent rate so the top 1% can help more and contribute to those not doing as well, and we don’t pay crazy rates for organic and healthy foods—which would make us all ultimately healthy. Go to Taco Bell and see how cheap their awful food is. Then go to Panera and see what you can get for $4. Hope you like bagels.



Slight joking aside, in a perfect world we try to figure out how to improve our environment together, not point fingers and incite riots. And this is why Bernie Sanders is my pick.






Bernie Sanders has been through the absolute ringer, and the fact that he is only 5 years older than Trump and looks 30 years older shows you the experience and stressed under his resume. He is not a man that has received ridiculous donations from companies that helped create some of the mess we are in today. He has been there for human rights, middle class rights, women’s rights, environmental rights, as so much more. He has battled Obama, has battled Bush, and has battled Wall Street time and time again. Not even kidding, he has been fighting in Washington in four different decades. You can look all of it up on YouTube, he made C-Span entertaining (which is impossible). He promoted equal rights for gays back in the 80s when they were being blamed for AIDS. He got arrested chaining himself to a Black woman while protesting segregation back in the 60s. He has spent his entire life battling in politics. I want a man that fights, and doesn’t settle. Bernie Sanders will not rest until he gets what he desires. There is no chill in this man, and it’s quite inspiring.

Side-Note: Hillary Clinton isn't exactly a disastrous choice, but she will struggle against Trump much more than Sanders if she gets elected. She's not as likable, doesn't have as pretty a track record, and has the guilty-by-association factor by being involved with Obama. Sanders can actually attract Republicans----Clinton definitely cannot. Like I said, won't be a litigated disaster if she gets nominated.....but she's not the best choice this election

His ideas for cheaper health care, free education, a more peaceful nation indeed has that socialism ring, and people are deathly afraid of that word. I can’t stop you there, if you are more of an individualist, then this conversation is pretty much over. But if you want to help the community, if you want to help your neighbor, if you want to help people from poorer and more violent countries in need, then Sanders is your man. He wants to help the Mexican-American population, he wants to help Cuba improve, he wants to improve Puerto Rico, and lastly he wants to improve the millions that are unemployed and in poverty. Best of all, he is doing this with the same furor and energy as the ridiculous Trump supports---except for none of the racism, violence, and bigotry.




This election is important because we are battling for what America will become in the next few years: a divided nation that will have layers of similarities to the Civil Rights Movement, or an America that will work closer together to try to right some of the wrongs we've been experiencing this century. The soul of America is at stake. We need to take down the racists, the bigots, the domestic terrorists. They need to lose, and by a landslide. Racism won't end, it will always be there unfortunately. But this election we can prove to ourselves and the rest of the world that no prissy idiotic schmuck with enough money to throw into a hate-filled campaign will come close to becoming president, regardless of if he wins the GOP. We can't have that, and we won't have that. We can't continue seeing the rich getting richer and just sitting back while everyone else underneath battles for attention, battles for jobs, battles for representation.

I am a minority. I love my culture, and I will continue to represent my culture to the best of my abilities. And part of this representation includes standing up for my neighbors that are being unfairly oppressed and blamed. Mexico, I'm with you. My Muslim friends, I'm with you. My Black Lives Matter friends (whom have been told by Trump to "Go back to Africa"), I'm with you. I will stand tall with all that have been victims in the past several months, and together we shall rise and conquer this election, and destroy the potential of the country shifting its priorities and ideals back 150 years. Won't happen under my watch. The Minorities are rising, and before you know it we will represent Florida and will vote correctly. I hope you all do the same.


Look up Bernie Sanders. Look him up, look up his history, and look up his ideals. Then climb aboard the Sanders train. You’ll be very glad you did.





I don't normally do this. But this year, I absolutely have to.

Zootopia: 10/10

Some movies perfectly personifies the past (Saving Private Ryan), some movies predict the future (Fight Club), and some (like this one) perfectly nail the current issues so accurately you feel like they financed, wrote, and filmed the movie yesterday. Read the following sentence slowly because you might not believe it the first time you glance through it: Zootopia is the best film under the Walt Disney Animation Studios banner since Emperor’s New Groove, and is arguably the most important animated film since Princess and the Frog. Yes, the clock has to reach back 16 years before you can find a Disney Studios animated film as strong as this one. Between the layers of intense subject matter and a surprisingly strong mystery plot lies a beautiful message for the kids and tweens that needs to be heard, especially today.

Nothing on the surface can actually prepare you for what happens once you enter the setting of Zootopia. However, the surface is quite delightful to look at. The animation is spectacularly detailed and contributes mightily to the storyline about animals living together. The main city itself branches off into several subdivisions, each with its own distinctive personality. Unlike most Disney films, Zootopia itself is so massive its practically begging for continuations through film and television. It’s an expansive visual feast of colors and colorful characters, similar to the creative world of Wreck-It Ralph.

However, once the movie gets going you will quickly realize that although it is a children’s movie, there is plenty for teenagers and even adults to laugh at and to be moved by. The mystery is slightly more mature than what is expected, and we even reach quite dark territory once the second half kicks into play. This is a children’s movie, but has an incredible script full of heart, soul, drama, and necessary comedy to offset the bleakness. Using Pixar’s collective creativity technique (which has been rusting lately), we have three directors and nearly a dozen writing credits attached (two wrote the screenplay, many others contributed to the story). It is a miracle that so many contributors to a single script made a film that flowed so well.

Disney and Pixar are the best at coming up with the required vocal talents to bring the animated films to life, and this is no exception. Jennifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman are absolutely perfect for each other and play to their strengths: Goodwin with her charming all-American bubbliness and Bateman’s sly hustling ways. They dominate the film but luckily you’ll learn to love them immediately through their strengths and their flaws. And in keeping with recent tradition, you won’t know who the true villain is until later as the stakes start getting higher.

Rich Moore (most experienced of the three-director team) should be a bigger name because his directing credits includes the early 90s Simpsons and some of Futurama’s greatest episodes. What those shows and this film has in common is the electric mix of well-paced story, strong characters, and shades of drama and commentary that speaks to the current issues. Zootopia explores racism, sexism, classism, and diversity fears better than any of the trailblazing Disney animated films before it. That being said, it’s not a knock on Princess and the Frog, Mulan, or Hunchback of Notre Dame---the truth is Zootopia would have never been fully greenlit by Disney in the 90s, and even the 2000s.

Disney has gotten gutsier and ballsier in recent years with the Too Big to Fail attitude, and although the company definitely remains officially mum on the current political turmoil, Zootopia can and should be its resume and cover letter concerning what side of the fight they are on. Zootopia is a daring animated film that will frighten you (especially the youngsters), will emotionally hurt you, and will leave you thinking long after Shakira’s gazelle character lets out her final note. It’s the perfect concoction of mystery, comedy, action, and social commentary that not only allows it to become an early entry for Best Animated Feature, but (dare I say it), a Best Picture nomination.

Zootopia on the surface, beneath the surface, and everywhere in between is essentially flawless. It has something for everyone, although the youngest ones will struggle as it gets darker. Through its importance as well as the engaging, ever-revolving plot, I give this film the highest marks. Zootopia will stand as one of the best in all of 2016, and among the best works of animation this entire decade. Disney has unveiled its stance through adorable animals while simultaneously proving that it remains the animation king of the world.

Blogging Updates

The overhaul has begun.

My very first blog, The Entire World etc. was started on January 2009. It started after I had decided to drop out of UCF, and it was originally to keep my mind fresh and have a place to transfer all my opinions about things. 7 years later, nearly 500 posts later, and 241,000 page views later I find myself having to readjust all my writing outputs. Blogger isn’t exactly the most useful decide for sharing my articles, and having a blog that rambles about anything with minimal structure isn’t going to build a consistent fanbase.

Although I did start this practice of separating my thoughts a few years ago with Unscripted Disney World (very short-lived), Florida Dine and Dash, and Eighth Generation, I feel like it’s time to separate even further by starting a couple blogs on WordPress and limiting the output of my original blog. I noticed the recent influx of sports articles, so now I have the Florida Sports Report (Surprised this domain has not been claimed yet) and in April will start a full-out gaming blog known as 16 Bits and Beyond—which will allow me to discuss video games of the past as well as the present.

The Eighth Generation will cease to exist, Florida Dine and Dash will still be dormant (really do want to bring this back, but the budget is too much), and I will be splitting my time between my Wordpress blogs and my original blog that will house all of my other thoughts not related to sports or gaming. Might get more political, might get more personal. At the end of all this, I’m still blogging, its just becoming a little more scattered.



For those of you that have been along for the ride, I appreciate the support.



Take care.