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BrianDavion wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
There is nothing especially interesting about Bruce Wayne because Bruce Wayne is the mask. Batman has to pretend to be Bruce. In actuality he REALLY is Batman.

true but I think whats being said is that with most prior Batman movies this meant Bruce Wayne was just sort of.... there.
The Dark Knight trilogy was the first time in the movies they really played with this and explored some of the implications. Like Bruce really can't make many friends even if he wanted to because his Bruce Wayne act is something that would no doubt disgust the kind of people whose company he'd actually find worthwhile

Have you not watched Burtons Batman?

You wanna get nuts!? Lets get nuts!

 Lance845 wrote:
There is nothing especially interesting about Bruce Wayne because Bruce Wayne is the mask. Batman has to pretend to be Bruce. In actuality he REALLY is Batman.

Superman is the opposite. Superman REALLY is Clark Kent. Down to earth country boy with a good work ethic and a good sense of right and wrong. When he puts on the suit and is Superman he knows that he is a symbol and has to behave as such. So there are things Clark would want to do. Ways he would want to help, that he knows he can't because Superman has to respect certain boundaries.

Superman is the costume Clark Kent wears to attempt to do the most good in the long run.

Bruce Wayne is the costume Batman wears so that he can keep pursuing his mission.

People ask me "why do people like Batman and Superman fighting" and I think this really sums it up. These two men are foils to one another in almost every way. A country boy with unlimited power who wears a mask to do what he can without becoming a monster, and a wealthy inheritor who wears a mask so he can do what has to be done, even if it costs him some of his humanity. There's just too many ways these characters can effectively play off one another, and that's why it's fun to see them on opposing sides from time to time.

I like this various comic quips about Kent vs Batman and Batman as Bruce.

Early reactions are out, and they’re pretty positive.

Gist is whilst the film is a bit uneven, it remains loads of fun and is ultimately entertaining.

So that’s good going, I’d say.

Gail Simone has been really positive about it.

Apparently Black Canary is essentially a perfect version of her in the movie. (Much to the Arrowverses sadness, I'm sure.)

Harley is supposed to be a really good version of Amanda Conner's Harley series (EG Rebirth). - It's worth saying, that that version of her can be very marmite for people, but ultimately really was quite popular.

Cass is the biggest change and is essentially a completely different character with the same name. - Which is really sad for me, I'm a huge Cass fan.

BUT, maybe Canary might balance it out and I might enjoy the film overall.

Sounds like Winstead's Huntress steals some scenes also. Early reactions are what they are, but positive is better than negative and we've seen negative reactions re: movies. No matter what the 'they're all paid off!!1!1' crowd thinks. (Don't you think the studio would have paid 'Cats' reviewers to avoid that whole mess if they could have?)

Germain Lussier's review isn't exactly glowing, but it's not bad either, and he's hardly been a DC fanboy in the past. That's probably a solid sign.

 gorgon wrote:
Sounds like Winstead's Huntress steals some scenes also.

I can believe that. She held her own against some big names in her season of Fargo, in my view.

Yeah, I like her.

Reviews are coming in. Currently has a 91 on RT and 60 on MC. Think that suggests a less-than-perfect film but a really fun ride. The reviews all seem to praise the action sequences (the director of the John Wick movies helped with those).

Walter Hamada needs to be given a lot of credit for turning things around with DC films. That's four solid-to-great entries in a row, with WW 1984, The Batman, and James Gunn's Suicide Squad soft reboot on the way.

My company got early screening tickets because Triumph motorcycles apparently have some product placement in the flick. 4 of my coworkers went and enjoyed it (I got stuck with some fam stuff) and said it was like Deadpool with women. None of them are super hero movie going guys/gals.

I could have gone to an early screening but it was a weeknight and the theater was located in the city, so no thanks. If I get a shot at a screening for The Batman, then I might make the necessary arrangements.

This one sounds like a fun ride and my interest has perked up. It'll probably be next week/weekend before I see it, though.

Gonna have a butchers this afternoon. Still got some money left on that giftcard after watching Star Wars, so why not eh?


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DC takes a trip to Tarantino land and brings home the bacon. Well, a cheese and bacon sandwich, to be precise.

As Ryan loves his Deadpool, Margot loves her Harliquin. As with Deadpool 2, Margot has a decent enough story to work with this time round, and an equally enthusiastic supporting cast.

Bit silly and grungy at times - maybe a bit too dark - but an enjoyable comic book romp all the same. One of the better comic book movies in recent times.

I just saw the movie and I really sort of enjoyed it but it also really annoys me that I did enjoy it.

I shouldn't. I really shouldn't but still it was fun.

Saw it yesterday. Didn't have high expectations going in, after hearing that Suicide Squad sucked hard, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not a GREAT movie, but a good one. Worth watching, and kept me entertained.

 Compel wrote:
I just saw the movie and I really sort of enjoyed it but it also really annoys me that I did enjoy it.

I shouldn't. I really shouldn't but still it was fun.

which is all anyone should ask of a super-film, and usually why Team DC keep getting circles danced around them by their Marvellous rivals, they are starting to get it as whilst the Justice League film was quite dull Mr M injected some much needed fishy fun, and WW1964 seems to me to have a Ragnorok vibe to it, (haven't seen Aquaman yet)

How is black mask in this movie?

Ewan seems to have had a ball chewing the scenery as him. I can't really speak for the comic accuracy though.

The closest example I can probably think of, is a Roger Moore Bond era villain but tweaked a little to be on the 'actually sort of scary' side.

Heading for the worst DC comic book movie opening weekend since some movie called Jonah Hex. Doesn’t feel like a bomb, but it will struggle to break even financially.

Shame, as it seems decent and DC had been on a tear. Wonder Woman to save the day in a few months, I suppose.

the lack of anyone wearing their costumes in all the pictures I've seen and on the movie poster pretty much kills my intreast, it feels like another late 90s "we're afraid to be a super hero movie" super hero movie

There really isn't any costumes in the film at all (Except for Black Masks), but it is also, without a doubt an *extremely* Comic Book movie. Just not necessarily a superhero oni would say, admittedly, not being an expert, the clothinh design in the movie wasn't great overall.

But really, it was a fun and enjoyable movie

 Compel wrote:
There really isn't any costumes in the film at all (Except for Black Masks), but it is also, without a doubt an *extremely* Comic Book movie. Just not necessarily a superhero oni would say, admittedly, not being an expert, the clothinh design in the movie wasn't great overall.

But really, it was a fun and enjoyable movie

The pictures I have seen have not been promising. Tell me, in what % of his scenes is black mask actually wearing his black mask?

For those that’ve seen both, and yes I am deadly serious...

How does it compare to Tank Girl? Because I effing love Tank Girl. All of it. Seriously up there amongst my favourite movies for its sheer pants on head crazy nonsense.

Regarding Ewan's take on Ronan Sionis and The Black Mask...




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
For those that’ve seen both, and yes I am deadly serious...

How does it compare to Tank Girl? Because I effing love Tank Girl. All of it. Seriously up there amongst my favourite movies for its sheer pants on head crazy nonsense.

Good lord, thats going back quite a bit. There's certainly some crazy stuff going on in this film, which is balanced by Margot's equally crazy performance, which shines more here than in Suicide Squad.

For example, I never knew how precious cheese and bacon sandwiches are....

 Lance845 wrote:

 Compel wrote:
There really isn't any costumes in the film at all (Except for Black Masks), but it is also, without a doubt an *extremely* Comic Book movie. Just not necessarily a superhero oni would say, admittedly, not being an expert, the clothinh design in the movie wasn't great overall.

But really, it was a fun and enjoyable movie

The pictures I have seen have not been promising. Tell me, in what % of his scenes is black mask actually wearing his black mask?

right, which is my point when I see a advertisement for a comic book movie and they can't be bothered to have these people wearing an outfit that is vaguely similer to the characters in the comics, it just tells me they don't respect the source material.

BrianDavion wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:

 Compel wrote:
There really isn't any costumes in the film at all (Except for Black Masks), but it is also, without a doubt an *extremely* Comic Book movie. Just not necessarily a superhero oni would say, admittedly, not being an expert, the clothinh design in the movie wasn't great overall.

But really, it was a fun and enjoyable movie

The pictures I have seen have not been promising. Tell me, in what % of his scenes is black mask actually wearing his black mask?

right, which is my point when I see a advertisement for a comic book movie and they can't be bothered to have these people wearing an outfit that is vaguely similer to the characters in the comics, it just tells me they don't respect the source material.

I think of it less as they don't respect it and more that they either don't understand it or don't have any faith in it. Why do they not put them in their costumes? Because they don't think it would work on screen. Why do they change an entire characters backstory? Because they don't understand how those elements shape the important aspects of the character or because they don't understand what the important aspects are.

Look at all the many MANY changes to Tony Starks character for the MCU. But it worked, because they understood the important parts of his character. His arrogance that he could fix everything. His drive. His trying to fix everything and his best intentions and all the harm it causes. Suicide Squad doesn't understand Deadshot. Batman movies don't have any faith in the no killing aspect of the character.

 Lance845 wrote:
Why do they change an entire characters backstory?

I'm not a Bird of Prey expert but. Canary and Huntress' backstory is pretty much 100% accurate to what I know about them. - In general, Black Canary is the most comic accurate version of her in live action yet.

Renee, aside from the age-up, pretty much fits her as well (I was really concerned that she was going to be a knock-off Jessica Jones, but they actually portray her as a good, serious cop).

I'm kinda disappointed in Huntress.

And Cass should have just been called Sin.

 nels1031 wrote:
Heading for the worst DC comic book movie opening weekend since some movie called Jonah Hex. Doesn’t feel like a bomb, but it will struggle to break even financially.

Shame, as it seems decent and DC had been on a tear. Wonder Woman to save the day in a few months, I suppose.

I've seen some discussion about the box office underperformance for a film that's getting solid reviews and audience ratings. DC's been doing better ever since they stopped trying to deliver a shared universe, instead focusing on making good movies. And apparently this is a good movie, but without a shared universe driving interest in it, people are asking who these characters are and why they should care. I thought Captain Marvel was a very mediocre film featuring a character that no one knew, but turn it into a bridge between the two parts of the epic conclusion of a phase of the MCU, and suddenly it's a billion-dollar enterprise. BoP is the flip side of the 'no shared universe' approach. *shrug*

It probably should have been marketed more heavily and better explained. "Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey" might have been a good start. HQ is all over the ads sure, but I think it's a clearer and more honest title. Put the character that people are actually familiar (and the main character) with right up front and let people know the BoP are her backup band.

I'm also not sure why they chose this weekend over the Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend. BO almost certainly would have been better next weekend, and they could have avoided the negative headlines. I may be crazy, but I think it has a chance to have a solid second weekend just because it's a better moviegoing weekend. If not, well...it was inexpensive, so like MCU first phase films it's not a huge deal if it stumbles.

 Compel wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
Why do they change an entire characters backstory?

I'm not a Bird of Prey expert but. Canary and Huntress' backstory is pretty much 100% accurate to what I know about them. - In general, Black Canary is the most comic accurate version of her in live action yet.

Renee, aside from the age-up, pretty much fits her as well (I was really concerned that she was going to be a knock-off Jessica Jones, but they actually portray her as a good, serious cop).

I'm kinda disappointed in Huntress.

And Cass should have just been called Sin.

Yeah. Cassandra Cain is the one from this movie. But it's not like they don't change people all the time.

Considering its only just cleared its opening weekend, Birds of Prey has already paid back its budget. A similar case study would be Shazam, which for $360 million was considered a success and lacked an audience-familar character, whereas Birds of Prey does have the popular Harley character behind it and she practically dominated the trailers.

Should be alright.