I agree with a lot of things in the original post, like epic length, a terrific soundtrack, a worthy villain, and a roster of nothing but A-list heroes played by well-cast actors. But there are also several things that I disagree with.
Individual movies are both easier and cheaper to make, while being lower risk. If a Flash movie disappoints, you've still got Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. If Justice League disappoints, then DC will have lost ALL of its top superheroes as bankable movie franchises.
I see your point, and a great one it is, but consider the cost of 5 indivudual films (Flash, GL, WW, Bats, Supes), and then the cost to get the cast from the indivudual films, coming up with a story that doesn't conflict with the indiviual films (let's say the WW film is a WW2 period piece, GL is an origin, and Flash is set in the future, how do you come up with a story that incorporates all of this?), it's just a LOT to do, and seeing how WB isn't anywhere close to doing individual films, a JLA film seems like the most reasonable option. However, ideally, I'd love to see individual films first, it just seems very unlikely to me, so in my post I tried to come up with a reasonable way to do JLA a way that's feasible for WB and establishes things that we, the fans want in the film.
Marvel's current direction is a direct rebuttal to the idea that individual movies leading up to a team film can't happen.
That is true, but WB/DC and Marvel are starting at opposite ends. Marvel, from the very start, set their films up in the same Universe. DC/WB did not, they did a young Superman who had been Superman for at least 6 years (in story), left earth and returned, and a Batman, who's comparatively older than Singer's Superman, who just began his career as Batman, in realities that kind of contradict each other. Had WB/DC been smarter and started the 2 in the same universe so that they would be compatible, it would be very convenient to have the to converge and do a teamup film, but because they didn't do it like that, it isn't convenient, and I doubt we'll see it done that way.
There is nothing in either Batman Begins or Superman Returns that explicitly says that they aren't in the same continuity. They may not reference each other, but the same holds true for the comic book series they use as source material. You can read many issues of Batman comics without seeing Superman being mentioned.
Again, that is true, there isn't anything specific, but if they are supposed to be occurring at the same time and you look at some of what the reality is in those universe which I pointed out in my previous paragraph ^, it's rather conflictive and, IMO, would not work.
Christian Bale has said that he would be willing to work with Brandon Routh, and Routh will take any movie role you give him since he's not getting anything else.
LOL. That's true, and they at least have them if they wanted to do JLA that way, but again, it just doesn't seem feasible to me.
Marvel has already outdone and humiliated DC at the movies. DC should try to catch up by making GOOD movies that people want to see. They won't be helping themselves by rushing a JLA movie into production just out of an egotistical desire to get their big team movie out first.
I agree, they have
already outdone DC at the movies, but they will be one step even FURTHER than DC if they get Avengers out first. Now if JLA is rushed and will suck because of that, it's fine with me if we don't see it for the next 20 years. But if they work carefully, and ar able to get it out by 2010 or even 2011, I say GO. RIGHT. AHEAD. The sooner the better, and so much the more if it's being done right. So ideally, I'd like to see JLA out by 2010, but nit at the risk of the film's quality.
If Avengers come out first, then fine. Make JLA later, and make it BETTER. Top the Avengers, go further than it did, and make it even cooler.
My thoughts exactly.
People won't get sick of these movies if they're original and good.
Some people are already complaing that there are too many comic films, but the naysayers also admit that they are very good films. So you may have a point there.
The most successful superhero movies have been origin movies. X-Men is the exception, but the comics didn't start with their origin either (because they were introduced as mutants who were born with their powers, and were already with Xavier for a while).
That is true, but JLA, like X-Men, IMO, does not need an origin story. Nothing that can't be covered in a few verbal references or flashbacks. They don't need to do an origin to tell a good story. Most origins like this are always alien invasion type stories, I'm pretty certain Avengers will be doing that. Besides, if they want to do someone like Darkseid in a sequel, the audience, IMO, will start to think that the whole "alien invasion" angle is starting to get a bit repetative with the teamup movies.
You can't overestimate the audience's knowledge or care for these characters. The fact is that the average moviegoer knows NOTHING about most of them. To truly grab an audience you should pull them onboard from the beginning, so that they don't feel confused or left out. They need to know who the JLA members are, so that they don't just come across as members of the team.
While I think that can be done without doing an origin film, that is a very valid argument for why individual filsm whould be one first and that an origin should be done with JLA. Because the JLA members are more than just part of the team, as I said, they're individuals that can carry their own films, they weren't created originally to be together, when they're together the audience should be like "WHOA!", that has to be established with a JLA film and if an origin will do that better than an "as is" story or vice versa, then so be it.
People know Superman and Batman's stories. They know jack about WW
They have
heard of her and know what she looks like, but that's it.
, GL, Flash, etc. And even with Superman, Singer's decision to go with an established continuity rather than starting from the beginning was considered a huge mistake. Imagine that you're a very young kid. Even the Bruce Timm Superman cartoon in the 90s was before your time. Superman Returns is your first exposure to the character...and it starts with a freaking block of text and makes reference to events you've never seen. WTF is that? I'm betting that alienated a bunch of kids right there.
I agree. Most young kids have no idea who Superman is. They know the costume and powers, maybe the alter ego. That's it. Some kids don't even know how Batman came to be. :/
The people who opposed the JLA movie aren't "haters" or "ungrateful nits."
There are some people who are. I'm talking about the people who don't EVER want a JLA film, they only want Batman or Superman, that's it. No teamups EVER, and they will oppose everything that would establish that. Those are the people I was talking about when I mentioned that, not the people who didn't want Miller's JLA film because of the treatment the League was getting or whatever.
They're fans who care about the characters and want what's best for them. There was a lot of "doom and gloom" predictions, but people DID have things to go on. The horrid cast of miscast young actors and even NON-actors was not a secret.
On the other hand, BAD exposure hurts everyone. There will never be another Fantastic Four movie with Jessica Alba and Tim Story. That's because the first two movies sucked and turned people away. Unfortunately, a real Fantastic Four movie worthy of the name is now that much harder to make.
Right on, sadly.
Likewise, there will not be anymore Blade, Catwoman, or Elektra movies. Hulk got an unexpected reboot, but even five years later the shadows of Ang Lee's crap was still hanging over it. As a result the hype was lower, and the box office has been mediocre even though most people agree that the new movie is an improvement from the 2003 Ange Lee film.
Again, that is true, unfortunately. All the more reason to be careful and
DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
Thanks for the post.
t:
down to McConoughey, man. Casting him would ensure that Aquaman would be played as a joke. I don't think the man can do "serious" for the life of me.
