Batman vs Superman spoilers thread

[Sebastian]

Agreed.

That money it made; count me in on that.. I saw it at the midnight release. One of the worst films I've ever seen.

Iron Man 3 was worse than The Force Awakens; by a country mile. Amazing, right?

I utterly hated Iron Man 3. Despised it. Thor 2 was a masterpiece in comparison. Yet some loved it. Can't believe it made the money it did.

Civil War, after two weeks, has topped BvS' total global gross by $90 million while costing a lot less to produce and market. Hopefully that shock will force WB to get its act together on their upcoming projects. Spiderman: Homecoming is going to bust records when it comes out (provided it gets good reviews). If it is well reviewed, I think it will easily surpass Avengers: Age of Ultron; people are yearning, nay, thirsty, for a good Spiderman movie.

 

[Scholar]

I utterly hated Iron Man 3. Despised it. Thor 2 was a masterpiece in comparison. Yet some loved it. Can't believe it made the money it did.

Civil War, after two weeks, has topped BvS' total global gross by $90 million while costing a lot less to produce and market. Hopefully that shock will force WB to get its act together on their upcoming projects. Spiderman: Homecoming is going to bust records when it comes out (provided it gets good reviews). If it is well reviewed, I think it will easily surpass Avengers: Age of Ultron; people are yearning, nay, thirsty, for a good Spiderman movie.

People are yearning for a good Spider-Man movie that doesn't just retell the same stories they keep doing. Provided it is well made, and explores one of Peter's many other great stories, and they'll just fill up the theaters. On this we agree.

Yep, IM3 was trash. It is what happens when you hire a director to make a superhero movie that doesn't like the genre.

 

[theSwayze]

I ... I can't even remember IM3. I remember something about falling into water and Micky Rourke trying to act beyond his IQ.

 

[Scholar]

I ... I can't even remember IM3. I remember something about falling into water and Micky Rourke trying to act beyond his IQ.

Mickey Rourke was in Iron Man 2.

 

[theSwayze]

Mickey Rourke was in Iron Man 2.

Holy shit-wife confirms that we saw it in the theaters- I just went and read the IMDB synop of it and I still have no memory of it at all. Not the sign of a compelling movie.

 

[gourimoko]

Civil War, after two weeks, has topped BvS' total global gross by $90 million while costing a lot less to produce and market. Hopefully that shock will force WB to get its act together on their upcoming projects..

You know, I think BvS got killed largely because of the poor reviews; I think this was more of a narrative that grew out of a lot of people wanting to dislike the movie. Folks who don't like Snyder, didn't like MoS, don't like Affleck as Batman; etc etc.. There were a lot of folks who just couldn't get with what Snyder was doing, walked in expecting to dislike the movie, and walked out with that opinion validated.

You saw reviewers roasting that film while previously heaping praise on Force Awakens which was a far more flawed film, IMHO. Giving BvS scores like 4/10, etc, to me was more about getting clicks that actually reviewing a movie.

 

[brownindian]

You know, I think BvS got killed largely because of the poor reviews; I think this was more of a narrative that grew out of a lot of people wanting to dislike the movie. Folks who don't like Snyder, didn't like MoS, don't like Affleck as Batman; etc etc.. There were a lot of folks who just couldn't get with what Snyder was doing, walked in expecting to dislike the movie, and walked out with that opinion validated.

You saw reviewers roasting that film while previously heaping praise on Force Awakens which was a far more flawed film, IMHO. Giving BvS scores like 4/10, etc, to me was more about getting clicks that actually reviewing a movie.

In somw ways those reviews had me go in with little to no expectations. So in some ways it made me happy that the movie was not as terrible as the review portrayed. I would echo a lot of what @Jack Brickman said in the earlier post, but one thing is that I did enjoy watching the movie. It is not an abomination in the scale of IM3, Elektra etc etc.

 

[Simmy]

So the Batman V Superman extender/ultimate edition leaked this week - downloading it now. But having already briefly read some reviews, the change seems unanimous. Bloggers/critics of whose original reviews canned the theatrical release have praised the additional 30 minutes as basically "the 30 minutes that was missing for this movie to actually make sense."

I've heard that a lot of Lex's character is explored in the extended cut. That was one of my biggest problems with the original release - Lex's motives weren't explained at all and you had no reason to believe that he was a "bad guy" for any reason other than knowing that he actually is a "bad guy." Looking forward to hopefully being given a reason to really enjoy this film.

 

[Tornicade]

I wanted to like Batman vs superman but there was too many problems.

They blew an opportunity for a batman vs wonder woman fight. The whole doomsday thing bugged me too... okay doom your out on an island lets go back to the city where all the people are.

@Jack Brickman didn't Batman steal the Kryptonite from Lex Luthor? Theres was a car chase and stuff I thought.

I don't think they needed origin moves. They could of done a lot of things different to get the crew together with plausible introductions.
Flash and batman running into each other scoping the same bad guy. Wonder Woman and Batman fighting over the same tech and realizing they were on the same side.

Some type of accident with the test tube creating Doomsday for starters.

 

[Sebastian]

Bump.

Reviews on Suicide Squad are out. So far 35% on RT. I was hoping it would be good...

 

[BMAN]

I'm like halfway through. Have been for a few days now...didn't know it was this long. I have actually enjoyed it so far. They have made Lex Luthor weird as fuck. I think I'm watching the extended edition

 

[gourimoko]

Bump.

Reviews on Suicide Squad are out. So far 35% on RT. I was hoping it would be good...

'Suicide Squad' Review: Worse Than 'Green Lantern,' Worse Than 'Fantastic Four'

Suicide Squad is not the savior of the summer. It is not the great DC Films entry that gets the franchise back on track after two middling Zack Snyder-directed Superman movies. It is a narratively slapdash affair, filled with dull action beats, a zig-zag plot with no suspense and no tension, plus a constant stream of musical choices that often feel about as subtle as that one great scene in Baseketball. The only things worth savoring are Smith, Robbie, and Davis. They make the case for their inclusion in a better DC Films project down the line.

Ah, a better DC Films project… Once upon a time I bent over backward to be fair to Green Lantern, yet now I am nostalgic for what that film’s A-to-B-to-C competence. As much as everyone talked about Zack Snyder as the great devil holding back the DC Comics universe, Suicide Squad is noticeably inferior to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. It’s (perhaps by default) probably the worst “big” DC Comics live-action movie sinceCatwoman. Even Jonah Hex, warts and all,was at least about something, as its “fear of a militarized Tea Party” subtext turned out to be sadly prescient.

 

[castor777]

'Suicide Squad's' Secret Drama: Rushed Production, Competing Cuts, High Anxiety
The upheaval like that behind Warner Bros.'s DC team-up is becoming a staple of studio franchise filmmaking.

"Better late than never." That was one Warner Bros. executive's reaction to the excitement at Suicide Squad's splashy Aug. 1 premiere in New York. Tracking indicates the film could open to more than $140 million domestic and potentially hand the studio its first unequivocal megahit since American Sniper's $547.4 million in December 2014. With March's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice grossing $873 million worldwide but failing to impress audiences or reach the hoped-for $1 billion mark, Warners still urgently needs to jump-start its critical DC Comics universe, raising the stakes for Suicide Squad, which cost at least $175 million to make.

Yet if the villain team-up ultimately works — and it has drawn some harsh early reviews — it will be in spite of the kind of behind-the-scenes drama that is becoming typical for giant franchise movies that now are the main focus of the studio business: a production schedule engineered to meet an ambitious release date; a director, David Ayer (Fury), untested in making tentpole movies; and studio executives, brimming with anxiety, who are ready to intercede forcefully as they attempt to protect a branded asset. Often, efforts to fix perceived problems ratchet up costs, which drive anxiety ever higher. In extreme cases, such as Fox's troubled Fantastic Four, the intervention is so aggressive that it becomes unclear what it means to be the director. (In each such case, studios are careful to stress that the credited director is on-scene and in charge, which is essential to avoid DGA issues. And the wise director plays along.)

So despite grueling moments, multiple editors and competing cuts, the production of Suicide Squad barely stands out in today's landscape. In a joint statement to THR, Ayer and Warners production president Greg Silverman say: "This was an amazing experience. We did a lot of experimentation and collaboration along the way. But we are both very proud of the result. This is a David Ayer film, and Warners is proud to present it."

Warners chief Kevin Tsujihara announced the project in October 2014 as part of a slate of 10 DC films stretching into 2020. Though the studio believed there was enough time to get the movie done, a source with ties to the project says it was a sprint from the start. "[Ayer] wrote the script in like, six weeks, and they just went," he says, arguing that the whole process would have benefited if Ayer, 48, had been given more time to work. But another source closely involved with the film says once it was dated, pushing back the release was not an option: "It's not just that you've told the public the movie is coming, you've made huge deals around the world with huge branding partners, with merchandise partners. It's a really big deal to move a tentpole date."

In Ayer, Warners enlisted a director who had never made a giant, effects-packed action movie. Hiring filmmakers who lack such experience is the trend, and it's often out of necessity. "There are a lot of people who don't want to direct those movies and that's a huge problem," says one producer with franchise experience. "A lot of the proven guys are back-to-back with their stuff, or they want to develop it for five years, and there's a machine that has to be fed. And there's the economics." Seasoned directors are expensive, meaning studios turn to those with less experience, relying on instinct that they will be up to the job. Sometimes it works (Colin Trevorrow on Jurassic World), and sometimes it doesn't (James Bobin on Alice Through the Looking Glass).

A source with knowledge of events says Warners executives, nervous from the start, grew more anxious after they were blindsided and deeply rattled by the tepid response to BvS. "Kevin was really pissed about damage to the brand," says one executive close to the studio. A key concern for Warners executives was that Suicide Squad didn't deliver on the fun, edgy tone promised in the strong teaser trailer for the film. So while Ayer pursued his original vision, Warners set about working on a different cut, with an assist from Trailer Park, the company that had made the teaser.

By the time the film was done, multiple editors had been brought into the process, though only John Gilroy is credited. (A source says he left by the end of the process and that the final editor was Michael Tronick.) "When you have big tentpoles and time pressure, you pull in resources from every which way you can," says this source. "You can't do it the way it used to be, with one editor and one assistant editor."

In May, Ayer's more somber version and a lighter, studio-favored version were tested with audiences in Northern California. "If there are multiple opinions that aren't in sync, you go down multiple tracks — two tracks at least," says an insider. "That was the case here for a period of time, always trying to get to a place where you have consensus." Those associated with the film insist Ayer agreed to and participated in the process. Once feedback on the two versions was analyzed, it became clear it was possible to get to "a very common-ground place." (The studio-favored version with more characters introduced early in the film and jazzed-up graphics won.) Getting to that place of consensus, however, required millions of dollars worth of additional photography.

Other sources describe a fraught process — one cites "a lot of panic and ego instead of calmly addressing the tonal issue." Clearly all wasn't sitting right with Ayer, who in June suddenly dropped his longtime agent at CAA and defected to WME, though the agency won him back in a day. "He was under a lot — a lot — of pressure," says one person with knowledge of the situation, arguing that Ayer was exhausted and needed time to process conflicting ideas.

And there may have been other strains. Just weeks before the two versions were tested, Warners declined to ante up for Ayer's next project, Bright, which will reunite him with Squad star Will Smith. He ended up at Netflix, which made a staggering $90 million deal. Nonetheless, a day or two after Ayer fired and rehired CAA, another cut of the film was screened for a test audience, and sources say the results were strong enough that there was an upbeat plane ride back to Los Angeles.

Now the question is whether the film will deliver for an industry thirsty for something, anything, that will work in a summer bereft of live-action hits. Though reviews suggest the competing visions for the movie may have taken a toll (THR's critic calls the film "puzzlingly confused"), BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield says, "I've learned long ago there is not always a connections between reviews and box office and financial success." At the same time, it is imperative for Warners to build DC movies fans love like they do the Marvel pics.

Even on the day of the premiere, one insider fretted about whether Suicide Squad would mirror BvS' huge opening and weak legs. Another veteran says the goal is survival: "The movie's got to do $750 million, $800 million to break even. If they get anywhere close to that, they'll consider it a win."

This story first appeared in the Aug. 12 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

 

[brownindian]

ugh!!! Yet another blockbuster that seems to be busted !!!

 

[UncleDrew]

Bump.

Reviews on Suicide Squad are out. So far 35% on RT. I was hoping it would be good...

I'm still going to fucking see it, ignoring the low ratings.