The Banished Batgirl Mystery

[InvaderStych]

Unpopular opinion in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

I'm bored with Superman.  Do Not Want.  Even if it was Cavill again as he wore it best, but I'm done. Bored with it. Ditto for Batman, Wolverine, Jean Grey (Gray?) and quite frankly Bond.

 

I'm all down for more 007s, but Bond's story came to a lovely end and it should stay that way.

 

We don't need another Wolverine either. Let it sit for a while. Nothing anyone can do with the character will compare with Logan.

 

Let these character's have their flawlessly concluded arcs and then leave them alone.

 

It is not like DC/Marvel/Etc aren't spoiled for choice.

 

Hell, give me a Rogue on film that actually does the character justice instead of that whiny teen-angst garbage we got with Paquin.  Such a travesty the way they did her dirty in the movies. Paquin couldn't even get the accent right, ffs. 🤣 I like to think it wasn't her fault, that she was just a young actress doing as she was told.

Edited December 28, 2022 by InvaderStych

[biostem]

11 hours ago, InvaderStych said:

Unpopular opinion in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

I'm bored with Superman.  Do Not Want.  Even if it was Cavill again as he wore it best, but I'm done. Bored with it. Ditto for Batman, Wolverine, Jean Grey (Gray?) and quite frankly Bond.

 

I'm all down for more 007s, but Bond's story came to a lovely end and it should stay that way.

 

We don't need another Wolverine either. Let it sit for a while. Nothing anyone can do with the character will compare with Logan.

 

Let these character's have their flawlessly concluded arcs and then leave them alone.

 

It is not like DC/Marvel/Etc aren't spoiled for choice.

 

Hell, give me a Rogue on film that actually does the character justice instead of that whiny teen-angst garbage we got with Paquin.  Such a travesty the way they did her dirty in the movies. Paquin couldn't even get the accent right, ffs. 🤣 I like to think it wasn't her fault, that she was just a young actress doing as she was told.

I don't think it's so unpopular.  I think the problem is that studios don't want to invest in anything smaller in scope.  The stakes have already been pushed so high as to involve the fate of multiple dimensions.  I want to see something street-level.  Bring in actors who can actually fight and don't just smear CGI across the screen.  I can go back and watch IP Man or The Protector over and over again, and those didn't need the kind of budgets we see nowadays.  There's no shortage of good stories if you look, and if you shelve and motive besides creating an entertaining movie that respects the source material.

[Techwright]

On 12/28/2022 at 9:11 AM, InvaderStych said:

Unpopular opinion in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

I'm bored with Superman.  Do Not Want.  Even if it was Cavill again as he wore it best, but I'm done. Bored with it. Ditto for Batman, Wolverine, Jean Grey (Gray?) and quite frankly Bond.

 

I'm all down for more 007s, but Bond's story came to a lovely end and it should stay that way.

 

We don't need another Wolverine either. Let it sit for a while. Nothing anyone can do with the character will compare with Logan.

 

Let these character's have their flawlessly concluded arcs and then leave them alone.

 

It is not like DC/Marvel/Etc aren't spoiled for choice.

 

Hell, give me a Rogue on film that actually does the character justice instead of that whiny teen-angst garbage we got with Paquin.  Such a travesty the way they did her dirty in the movies. Paquin couldn't even get the accent right, ffs. 🤣 I like to think it wasn't her fault, that she was just a young actress doing as she was told.

While I could watch another Superman, it's not the character I really gravitate to. Supes is a Swiss Army Knife of abilities, and in the comics it was even worse (he was given "super ventriloquism once, and there were others).  An insane number of abilities combined with invulnerability on a near-planetary scale makes for a dull character, I think.  I much prefer characters that have a single, or perhaps two abilities, and who learn to maximize them in creative ways.  Likewise I appreciate mortal heroes who become practically renaissance men of martial and detective skills.  This is probably why I enjoy the characters from the 1930s and 40s so much, names like Doc Savage, The Phantom, Green Hornet & Kato, The Shadow, etc., and why I immediately cottoned to the original The Question when introduced to the character.  Batman fits this, but I find him a tad dull these days as he's been overdone and the Joker, too.  I might be interested if his deep rogues gallery were to bring some fresh blood to the screen.  Likewise Logan is an interesting character, but vastly overused.  X-men have a huge roster and I'd love to see some of them get the spotlight. 

 

I've not seen the latest Bond, though I will, eventually.  If they've indeed written an ending to the arc, perhaps they'd consider doing a stint with another 00, or even a team of them, maybe introducing the new Bond at the end of that.  I'd find it interesting because 007 has long had plot armor.  What happens when the story focuses on one or more of the double-Os who don't have the advantage of being the most indestructible of their number?  It would keep us guessing.

 

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Supes is going to be interesting to write for, because despite having very few physical vulnerabilities, he's... not all that much different to the rest of us personality-wise, and is mentally fallible to many of the same things. Despair. Rage. Depression. Isolation. Manipulation. Just putting him up against another lunk of equal power (hi Dwayne!) will blow your CG budget just fine, but there are more and better stories that can be told.

 

And yes, I love the old-school heroes too. I still love the Baldwin take on The Shadow. I'm one of the few people who will unironically defend Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow to the death. The Rocketeer is still close to my heart and captures the tone and spirit of pulp beautifully. And beyond that, some of the actual 30s/40s pulp movies like The Lone Wolf. (Hey, come to think of it... if Gunn is lurking here - Gentleman Ghost movie please.)

 

I'm not gonna give away the plot of the last Bond, but... yes, the Craig years end satisfactorily. Though, like every other damn franchise right now, they still have a villain problem. WRITE YOUR DAMN VILLAINS PROPERLY. There is a new series of books with no less than three double-O's - sounds interesting. As the reviews suggest, the idea of using 007's toybox with new toys lets you decouple a lot of the legacy issues while still using all that worldbuilding.

 

Also, the world of spying in the UK has changed, since we now have at least a couple of hundred 00s, and I'd like to see SRR featured. (MIL / Bond fan nerd note: 007 does not work directly for River House. Actual spies are not allowed to carry weapons, except for self-defence where legal in that country, or do wetwork. However, there are people for that who can be brought over on secondment... like Commander Bond, RN, or assorted grunty Special Forces types in the USA.)

Edited January 3, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Techwright]

On 1/3/2023 at 9:52 AM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

And yes, I love the old-school heroes too. I still love the Baldwin take on The Shadow. I'm one of the few people who will unironically defend Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow to the death. The Rocketeer is still close to my heart and captures the tone and spirit of pulp beautifully. And beyond that, some of the actual 30s/40s pulp movies like The Lone Wolf. (Hey, come to think of it... if Gunn is lurking here - Gentleman Ghost movie please.)

 

The Rocketeer was amazing.  It went way over budget and they had a terrible time with effects for the rocket, I'm told, but the results were spectacular for its time and they still hold up.  It really should have a sequel, despite having to recast everyone.  I'm just sad that no matter what, Timothy Dalton cannot return.  He was phenomenal as #3 Box Office Star/Jerk. 

I share a passion for Baldwin's The Shadow.  Some parts got a bit campy, but overall, it really tapped into the 1940s feel, and as the Shadow, he was perfect.  John Lone was amazing, and has been greatly under-used by Hollywood. Such a pity.  Sky Captain was a bit soft on the story, or I should say on making a 1938-style pulp story into something folks would appreciate in the 2000's, but for style and acting, it was deep and on target mimicking the look and feel of the pre-War years. Likewise The Phantom was hampered by an at-times corny script, but it really felt like something Dad would have plunked down 10 cents to see at Saturday matinee.   It helped that Billy Zane was a huge fan of the comics and really put himself into the role.

 

I'm still waiting for a Green Hornet & Kato movie.

 

(psst...mumble, mumble, Seth Rogan, mumble)

 

I said, I'M STILL WAITING ON A GREEN HORNET & KATO MOVIE!

 

Also still waiting on a proper Doc Savage movie.  The Ron Ely movie of the early 1970's was a riot, but so, so campy.  It at least introduced the characters to a new generation, but I feel a more grounded movie is in order.  There was talk about having The Rock play him at some point in the past (what has Dwayne NOT been connected to) but I think they missed the point:  Doc Savage of the 1930s is the anti-Nazi.  He's physically and mentally the embodiment of Aryan ideals, yet he rejects all of that for a life of humility serving the needs of others.  In the 1930s it would have been a huge slap "right in der Fuhrer's face", as band leader Spike Jones put it.  Dwayne has got it going on in so many positive ways, but it would take a miracle makeup team to make him Aryan in appearance (and about 20 years younger). Man of Bronze, yes, absolutely. Aryan ideal, no.  Now, if they were to not do a period piece, and update Doc Savage to modern times, say having his war days in the Persian Gulf War instead of WWI, then yes, with modern sensibilities towards ethnicity, Dwayne might make an excellent adventurer/explorer/brain surgeon/polymath extraordinaire, and with a good script I'd have a ball watching it.

 

I'm actually not familiar with The Lone Wolf nor Gentleman Ghost.  The former IMDB has informed me of several movies.  I shall try to find them.  Thanks!  The latter, well I know about the DC comics villain Gentleman Ghost, but I'm getting a blank from IMDB.  Care to elucidate?  My best friend has informed me there's a character called "The Spider", whom he described as "The Shadow, but more violent".  I shall have to look into that one as well.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

I did mean the DC Comics villain Gentleman Ghost: either the 40s trickster gentleman thief, or the one who obtains a terrifying artifact and becomes a ghost. Nice be careful what you wish for story in there, and it's always fun to have villains in the lead. 

 

And for Doc Savage, having him go from the 30s to the now would be fun for Dwayne and/or whoever took it on. (That's the origin story of one of my characters - the very Rocketeer/Rocket Ranger-inspired pulp hero Captain Thunder, who pursued Nemesis through a time portal and got stuck in the modern era. But being an electronics genius, quickly updated his tech, if not his sense of style...)

 

Still waiting also on what the Blue Beetle movie is going to come out like.

[Techwright]

On 1/5/2023 at 12:44 PM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

Still waiting also on what the Blue Beetle movie is going to come out like.

First I've heard of this.  I'm assuming the Jaime Reyes version and not the Ted Kord version?  Kord is an interesting character, but audiences these days are all about the pew, pew, boom, boom, and the Jaime Reyes version has that in spades.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

It is known:

• Blue Beetle is likely the final release from the pre-Gunn era.
• Currently finishing up in post. Gunn himself has confirmed it's going ahead mid-2023, following the death of Batgirl.
• It was slated as another HBO MAX exclusive, but is getting a theatrical. How wide, I dunno.
• It's the Jaime Reyes version, played by relative newcomer Xolo Mariduena...
• ...and there's a whole extended family of Reyes to back him up, including veteran comic George Lopez as Uncle Ben Rudy.
• Obvious Bad Guy looks like your standard evil-version-of-the-good-guy fight, played by fine journeyman evildoer Raul Trajillo. Character is even called Conrad Carapax, which... seriously? C'mon. Do better.
• But with all these movies, the most expensive actor is usually the Boss Bad. And we have Susan Sarandon turning up as Victoria Kord - Ted's sister.

Doesn't sound like my cup of alien space tea, but with a decent script and a Shazam-esque attitude, it could play pretty well. 

[Mr. Vee]

I was hoping for Jaime as I can't stand Kord due to the dad joke JLA years. Sounds like we'll get Jaime + dad jokes, because of course we will.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

18 hours ago, Mr. Vee said:

Sounds like we'll get Jaime + dad jokes, because of course we will.

Not sure Ted's actually in it much. He's not on the declared cast as yet - and I believe this takes place after his death, when Jaime acquires the Beetle.

Then again, George can swing in with a few dad jokes of his own if you're missing out.

 

BTW, Matt Reeves is meeting with Gunn & Safran to work out rules and boundaries for the bright, shiny DC-verse, versus the GRIMDARKPAINANDSUFFERING Bat-verse.

 

Given Reeves' take had a lot of critical acclaim - and incidentally, pulled off a $770m take vs $180m budget during the pandemic downturn - it makes a lot of sense to carry on with that as its own side thing. And it's not like there haven't been multiple strands, styles and writers of the Bat at any one time in the comics.

Edited January 13, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Techwright]

On 1/12/2023 at 12:27 PM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

It is known:

• Obvious Bad Guy looks like your standard evil-version-of-the-good-guy fight, played by fine journeyman evildoer Raul Trajillo. Character is even called Conrad Carapax, which... seriously? C'mon. Do better.
• But with all these movies, the most expensive actor is usually the Boss Bad. And we have Susan Sarandon turning up as Victoria Kord - Ted's sister.

 

I don't know the comics.  I know the Jaime Reyes version from animated works. It sound like this Conrad Carapax (got to have the alliteration) might be a fake name for Black Beetle?  In the animation, at least, the beetles were supposed to dominate the host, but the Blue Beetle was damaged, and as a result became somewhat subservient to the host.  Is that how it plays out in the comics?  "Conrad Carapax" sounds like a name quickly whipped up through the translator when the villain Beetle has to hide and use the face of the host.

 

Also, I've never encountered the character of Victoria Kord.  Is she a villain in the comics, or just a hard-nosed person to get along with as she tries to run her late brother's company (I presume)?

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

I can't find much on her outside the movie. So I guess with both her and Conrad, they've taken a relatively minor existing character and sketched in something new around them.

Gives the writers and actors more room to play with, and you can throw the audience curveballs. Assuming you don't telegraph the whole thing in advance in press releases. (cf Arthur Harrow in Moon Knight, but Ethan Hawke still delivered. Also, Sharon Stone was in the running for this role, which is interesting but also telegraphs the plot - Sarandon would be pulling a face-heel turn at some point rather than being outright badass from the first reel.)

[Ulysses Dare]

Some new insight into the mystery:

 

[Techwright]

Re-read the full thread after watching the video Ulysses posted, and it's fascinating to see how real life played out these past couple of years compared to what was believed or speculated, both by forum members, and by folks all over the globe.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

I'm not usually good with these kind of rants, but this was genuinely interesting. Thoughts:

 

Spoiler

• I liked the OBVIOUS REASONS bit...
• Damn, this sounds like an actual solid core plot - even if the rough draft they ran with had holes you could drive a Mack through - and the character build of Firefly would have been right up Brendan's street.
• I've never heard of a movie running into problems because it didn't get enough studio notes during shoots...
• ...but then firing a storm of them post-production? Yeah, that does happen quite a lot.
• Yep, the rumours about a bad shoot was BS. 61% isn't that bad - eminently fixable if they'd had the budget.
  (Remember, Star Wars did their test screener with half-finished main effects, and final battle footage nicked from 633 Squadron and Bridges Of Toko-Ri. It got absolutely slated by everyone present. Except some young weirdo called Spielberg.)
• This bit with the money sounds like a whole other story waiting to break. Was WB in THAT MUCH TROUBLE - that shareholders didn't know about - that an already-allocated production budget was held up by the bank? Did the executives have all their auths frozen? Or... was money actually going missing at WB?
• Per the posts earlier in the thread, yes, a lot of other things died in the fire - even the residuals for veteran Sesame Street actors of pensionable age. (I say, once again, b***ards. Roles dry up fast when you're that age, especially if you're a special like a puppeteer or kids's show actor, and if you've planned ahead around those to keep your SAG union healthcare going, you're in deep s***.)
• Holy sneaky snakes, Batgirl... they deliberately didn't warn anybody so the movie couldn't leak? I know Whollyodd types have trust issues (and believe me, it's justified), but that's horrific.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver