Just to be cautious, I will preface this entry with a spoiler alert.
After seeing Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was not entirely what I expected, I thought I would take a look at the world of comic book movies as a whole.
You might have heard that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been mildly successful. Both of the Avengers movies and Civil War racked up more than $1 billion internationally. Since Iron Man came out 6 years ago, every single MCU movie has been a box office hit and, for the most part, a critical success. Seriously, there isn't one single bad movie in the bunch.
The results have been more mixed at DC. Superman Returns (the one with Brandon Routh) was a disappointment (although I did watch it recently, and it really isn't that bad of a movie), and the Green Lantern was an absolute mess. The Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy, which took a gritty, realistic approach, was well-done overall, especially The Dark Knight, the second entry in the series.
Finally, the folks at DC and Warner Bros. decided to get their shit together and make a coordinated effort to create their own universe. After all, they also have their own set of iconic characters to work with including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern. So far, the jury is still out. Man of Steel was flawed, but entertaining overall. It tried to copy the gritty feel of the Batman movies, but that tone just doesn't work for Superman. Zack Snyder's directing was a bit overdone, and the prolonged fight between Superman and General Zod might have even topped the Transformers movies for the amount of property destroyed. I also didn't liked the contrived situation that was set up at the end that forced Superman to kill General Zod. At least Henry Cavill was a decent choice to fill Superman's tights.
Although Man of Steel was by no means a flop, the box office figures, particularly the international numbers, were a disappointment. At this point, the powers that be at Warner Bros. shelved a trilogy of Superman movies and decided Supes needed some help in the next movie, specifically in the form of Batman.
When Batman v. Superman came out earlier this year, it seemed like everyone, particularly Marvel junkies, was waiting for it to suck, and almost hoping for it to fail. It was (unfairly) beaten up by critics, and the studio was supposedly not pleased with the end result either.
I watched this on streaming video bracing myself for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised. The darker, gritter tone worked this time, because this fits for a movie with Batman in it. The effects were top-notch, as they should be for a ginormous $250 million budget, and the pacing was good, even for a 2 1/2 hour movie. The fight between the two heroes and the battle at the end of the movie were both fun to watch. I did not get a chance to watch the even longer self-indulgent R-rated cut of the film, which many critics think is better. Anyway, I liked how they developed the main characters. Superman and Lois Lane held their own, and I thought Ben Affleck, despite the loud complaints about his casting, was surprisingly good as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The Bruce Wayne we see in this movie is a world-weary one, having fought badguys in Gotham for 20 years. Jeremy Irons is also a very good fit as Alfred Pennyworth. Gal Gadot was a good choice to play Wonder Woman, and it's about time we see this iconic character in a movie.
Although I liked this sequel better then Man of Steel, I would still call it flawed, but entertaining. Jesse Eisenberg's quirky portrayal of Lex Luthor was disappointing, especially after the rumors that Bryan Cranston was going to play Superman's arch nemesis. I also didn't like the fact that Batman and Superman finally started to get along after they found out that both their mothers (stepmother in Superman's case) were named Martha. Zack Snyder still has a tendency to over-direct, but it's not as obvious this time. Also, even though the dark approach works here, the movie had barely any levity or humor whatsoever.
Like Man of Steel, the movie was not a flop, but was again a disappointment. The fans showed up on opening weekend to give the film a strong start, and then the movie took an historic 81 percent nosedive on the second weekend. The studio was expecting this to hit the billion-dollar mark internationally, but fell short by about $125 million. Meanwhile, Marvel's Captain America: Civil War (which I haven't seen yet... Boo!) was loved by critics and audiences, and was another billion-dollar megahit.
After than the less-than-impressive results from the two DC Extended Universe movies, it looks like the folks at Warner Bros./DC are doing some course correcting. Next month, "Suicide Squad" comes out, and it would really be hard for a movie about a bunch of villains working together to help the good guys to not be entertaining. After that comes Wonder Woman, then the Justice League movie featuring a resurrected Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. The previews from both of these movies featured a lot of witty humor, something which critics have said is missing from these movies. The powers that be also made a wise decision to take one of the best elements of "Batman v. Superman" and double down on it. Ben Affleck will be directing, co-writing and starring in a standalone Batman film, rumored to be titled "The Batman."
Again, the jury is still out on the DC Extended Universe. The Marvel movies are working so well because they deliver everything audiences want. They have great special effects, larger-than-life heroes, good stories (although they are becoming a bit formulaic), and lots of humor. It has gotten to the point where you see the Marvel name on a movie, and you know you will be entertained for 2 hours, which is why people go to the movies. Also, producer Kevin Feige is there to make sure everything fits into the big picture, but each movie does have its own individual style (to a point). Geoff Johns and Jon Berg will take on this responsibility for DC.
The DC movies (so far) have delivered good characters and effects, but are too heavy and dark overall, and are a little weak in the story department. They pale in comparison to the Marvel movies.
I am optimistic, because they are realizing these movies are not clicking on all cylinders, and they are actively trying to do something about it, and understand that they need to lighten things up. However, they have a long way to go before they even come close to the well-oiled machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Update: The reviews for "Suicide Squad" are in, and critics generally say it is a mess. Supposedly this is the result of several factors: They had to rush post-production to make the release date, and there were two cuts of the movie: One from director David Ayer and the one credited editor; and another from Warner Bros., which was still hurting from the criticism that Bv.S was too dark and somber, and wanted to match the irreverent, "edgy" tone of the first teaser trailer. The end result was supposedly a chaotic, muddled mash-up of the two cuts. The movie needs to gross at least $750 million internationally to break even, and that is exactly what the studio is hoping for at this point... survival.
June 2017 update: According to reviews, It looks like "Wonder Woman" is actually a good movie. Coming from a largely unproven female star (Gal Gadot) and director (Patty Jenkins), I am told it is fun to watch and makes a good feminist statement without being overwhelming. Could this be the first billion-dollar blockbuster for the DCEU? We will see. Also, the trailers for "Justice League," using the song "Come Together," continue to look lame. Three months ago, Zach Snyder's daughter committed suicide. He tried to go back to work, but later said he couldn't do it. As a result, workhorse Joss Whedon was brought in to finish reshoots. As far as I know, Snyder still gets sole directing credit. My wife feels awful for Snyder, but I personally think this was done for other reasons. Finally, even though there is a perfectly good version of "The Flash" on TV, they are still making a movie. However, rumors are saying that Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Cast Away) may be helming this movie. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up with the four "Arrowverse" TV shows because I have been a bit busy.
July 2017 update: The latest on the "Flash" movie is that they are bringing in "Lego Movie" directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller to take over the franchise. Hopefully Zemeckis is still on the table. Wonder Woman has made it to $750 million worldwide.
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