Suicide Squad: They almost did it... almost...

Somewhere towards the end of Suicide Squad, Will Smith's Deadshot remarks, "Well, we almost did it..." And I can think of no more accurate statement to describe this movie.  It almost works. It's almost good, but not quite. The movie is far from being as bad as the critical consensus would have you believe.  It's actually pretty fun and, at least for the first two-thirds, it moves along at a brisk pace with plenty of action.

It isn't even so much a matter of parts of the movie not working as it is parts of the movie working but not quite as well as you would like. Without a doubt, the one part of the movie that works more than any other is Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.  The beloved fan favorite is perfectly embodied by the Aussie bombshell. She's the perfect combination of crazy, sexy, and funny.  They even manage to create a version of the Joker/Harley relationship that is far less problematic than the one depicted in the comics and the animated series (in short, rather than being manipulated by the Joker, she falls for him becomes his willing accomplice and, rather than being abusive or manipulative, this Joker seems to, in his own twisted way, legitimately care for Harley).

And speaking of the Joker, Jared Leto's Joker is one of those things that almost works.  He's no Heath Ledger, but he still gives a creepy, madcap performance as the Clown Prince of Crime.  In fact, I don't have a problem with most of the Joker's look--- except for that damned 'damaged' tattoo across the forehead. It's a bit too on the nose.  It doesn't so much make him seem crazy as it makes him seem like someone who desperately wants people to think he's crazy (then again, that might be what Leto has in mind for his version).  The result is a Joker who isn't so much disturbing as he is what teenagers who shop at Hot Topic think is disturbing (In fact, the movie even has a tie-in clothing line at that very store and my friend and comic writer Jeremy Whitley even quipped, "I can think of no better analogy for Hot Topic than PG-13 Suicide Squad").

Will Smith's 'Hitman with a Heart' (he never shoots women or children; has a daughter that he wants the best for), is another character that almost works. Smith has a natural charm, particularly when his humor is given a chance to shine (which, unfortunately, isn't quite often enough in this film). The character just doesn't have quite enough meat to him and, as a result, it looks like Smith, more or less, just phoned in his performance.

Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang is a welcomed bit of comic relief but, unfortunately, is woefully underused. Speaking of laughs, if the rumors are true and the film underwent massive reshoots in order to inject more humor, they were definitely a sound investment. The film contains the bare minimum amount of laughs that it needs to be entertaining.  It's still not quite as funny as it needs to be to attain the level of irreverence of, say, Deadpool or Guardians of The Galaxy but it's JUST funny enough to prevent the movie from being a tonal bore.

Another online theory about those reshoots claimed that they were to inject more action into the movie. If this were the case, they were not only unnecessary, but they may have actually made the movie worse.  Suicide Squad isn't bad at it's 2 hour running time but, if it had been 20 minutes shorter, it could easily be upgraded to "pretty good" (still not great though). Like many modern blockbusters of the sci-fi/superhero genre, Suicide Squad suffers from action overload in its final act. This is something that affects both movies that are actually halfway decent (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Star Trek Beyond) and movies that are not so decent (Batman Vs Superman, Man of Steel). I kind of feel like, more and more, the final act of these movies is becoming like the final boss fight of a Final Fantasy game; it's not enough for the good guys to just show up and beat the bad guy. They have to seemingly beat the bad guy, beat the bad guy in a more powerful form, then fight the person revealed to be the REAL bad guy.

Ultimately, Suicide Squad is just what it needs to be: an entertaining, action-packed, star-studded blockbuster. Nothing more, nothing less.  And, really, if you're expecting anything more from a late-summer action pic, you're expecting too much (even if, as Guardians of the Galaxy proved, sometimes you get a little more).

ALMOST SPOILERS: The movie is true to it's premise that these are 'Suicide Missions' that our crew is being sent on and that not all of them will make it out alive.  However, figuring out which ones won't is a bit too easy:  which characters have you never heard of before? Gee, I wonder why that guy wasn't even given a backstory like everyone else? They could, at least, make it a little less obvious.
 

Batman Vs Superman's Greatest Failure: Bad Parenting

*SPOILERS*

I can't say that I was 'disappointed' with Batman Vs Superman because I really never expected it to be that good.  It was as humorless and lacking in any real fun as its predecessor Man of Steel. So, why doesn't it work?  What is at the heart of its failings? Is it Ben Affleck's Batman?  Not at all; as skeptical as I was when he was initially announced, I thought he did an admirable job and, all things considered, Affleck looks the part of Bruce Wayne more than just about anyone who has played him on the big screen.  Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is also a definite highlight so that leaves only one culprit in this holy trinity of the superheroic: Superman.

However, I do not blame Henry Cavill's performance; no, the problem is much deeper than that. There is something inherently wrong with this Superman. If you want to do a film about a clash between the two greatest superheroes to ever put on tights, you have to have an inherent understanding about who those characters are.  When it comes to Superman, Snyder, Goyer and Co. are clueless. 

The first time we see the Man of Steel in the film, he recklessly charges in to a foreign country to save the life of Lois Lane, leading to an international incident (granted, some of this was a result of the machinations of Lex Luthor.... but still). This is a Superman who does what he wants with complete disregard for the consequences of his actions. He doesn't act in the interest of the greatest good, he doesn't even act in the interest of "the American Way" like the Superman of old--- he just rushes in to 'save the day', consequences be damned. Oh, and if it's someone he cares about (which, as far as I can tell, is limited to his adoptive mother and Lois Lane)who is in danger he will gladly trample over anyone or anything that stands in his way.  

So what happened? Why is this Man of Steel so selfish? Why isn't he able to separate himself from his own self-interest and work towards the greater good? 

The answer is quite simple: his adoptive parents are terrible, terrible people.

I grew up with the Christopher Reeve Superman. This Man of Steel was adopted by farmers of the greatest generation--- the people who survived the great depression and defeated Hitler---they knew a thing or two about the sacrifice necessary to make the world a better place.  As a result, this is a Superman who can never truly be with Lois Lane.  He could never dedicate himself to just one person because that would be denying the world of his extraordinary abilities--- he can't just focus on Lois, he has too much else he needs to do. 

In Superman II, Superman makes the choice to give up his powers so that he can be with Lois but, when General Zod and his cronies show up, he quickly makes the decision to regain his powers even though it means he can never be with Lois again.  He sacrifices his own happiness because he realizes the world needs him more.

He learned this from his parents.  They taught him not to abuse his power. In the original Superman, Pa Kent tells his son that he's "There for a reason [and that] it's not to score touchdowns".  Moments later, he suffers a heart attack and dies, teaching Clark two very important lessons: 1) don't waste your talents on selfish pursuits of glory and 2) not even Superman can save the people he loves all the time. 

Compare this to Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent from Man of Steel who, when asked by his adoptive super-son if he should just let people die rather than reveal himself, rather bluntly replies, "Maybe". Here, we have a father teaching his son to be selfish. He is worried about how the world might react to him so he teaches him to hide his power and act in his own self-interest.

This leads to this Pa Kent's own, rather stupid, death by tornado. So, rather than learning about the fragility of life and the inevitability of death, this Clark Kent carries on his conscience the death of a father he could have easily saved. 

However, Pa Kent isn't the only parental force in Superman's life.  We must not neglect Diane Lane's Ma Kent who, in Batman Vs Superman, advises him to, "be anything they need you to be.... or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did." And there you have it: rather than teaching her son that "with great power comes great responsibility" (see what I did there) and a moral obligation to help those less powerful than yourself, she says that great power means you can do whatever the hell you want with it.She probably used to read to him from The Fountainhead at bedtime (this isn't all that surprising when you consider Zack Snyder's own admiration for Rand's work).

There is one crucial aspect of Superman that one needs to understand for the character to make any sense.  Why would a being this powerful even bother to help us? Why not conquer us and rule us as a god? The answer is simple: the Kents.  The Kents are supposed to teach him the value of compassion and altruism. Their very first act towards him is one of charity.  They had no obligation to take this poor, alien, space-baby into their homes.  They could have easily handed him over to the government. After all, who knows what kind of alien diseases he may have been carrying. But, they take him in: he cares for man because man cared for him first.  Remember, Superman was born in the era of the New Deal, in a time where, as a nation, we realized that we could only survive through combining our strength and agreeing that we are only strong when we are able to help the weakest among us. 

However, the Kents of Man of Steel/Batman Vs Superman are not the idealist of the greatest generation; they are jaded and suspicious about their world.  They are not the generation of FDR and the New Deal--- they are the children of Watergate and Vietnam.  That's right, this Ma and Pa Kent are Baby Boomers (after all Costner even made his uncredited film debut as the dead body in the opening of The Big Chill--- that most quintessential of Baby Boomer movies). If you think about it, it's a wonder they even bothered to save the poor infant from krypton in the first place!

So what kind of Superman does this get us?  Brooding, grim, egocentric, self-pitying--- probably spends a lot of time alone in his room listening to his favorite Stone Temple Pilots and Collective Soul CDs.  That's right: I give you the Superman of Generation X!

Favorite Comics 2015

This is the year that I really got into comics again; for once I'm reading stuff as it actually comes out.  Not all of the series here started in 2015 but all were still coming out or finished in 2015.


10. Batgirl- Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr


Just an all around fun series; Tarr's art is playful and, best of all, most issues contain self-contained stories.

9. Howard The Duck- Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones

Zdarsky is one of the funniest guys working in comics today and the second issue of the re-launch nearly brought tears to my eyes. Talk about range! I'm looking forward to watching this series evolve.

8. Sex Criminals- Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky

Suprisingly less dirty than you think! The premise is just the hook to bring you into what is actually just a  very well written story about men, women, and relationships. Beautiful art from Zdarsky.

7. Southern Bastards- Jason Aaron and Jason Latour

Imagine the The Sopranos meets Friday Night Lights with a bit of Sons of Anarchy thrown in and you might come up with something like Aaron and Latour's southern fried noir about a football coach who is the kingpin of crime in a rural southern town.


6. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl- Ryan North, Erica Henderson, Rico Renzi

So much good!  My favorite thing about this series is that each issue actually takes 30 minutes to read (granted a good 5 of that is North's fine print comments on the bottom of each page... but still).  It's light-hearted, fun for the whole family that is smart and entertaining enough for grown-ups as well.

5. Spider-Gwen- Jason Latour, Robbie Rodriguez, Rico Renzi

Latour and Rodriguez turn the Spider-Man mythos on its head by having Gwen Stacy (arguably the first woman in a refridgerator) get bit in by the spider, transforming her from damsel in distress into the hero of the series.

4. Batman- Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

This might be the best thing ever done with Batman in his monthly series.  4 years and this series is still going strong but this year saw, not only the finale to the brilliant Endgame (arguably the best Batman/Joker showdown ever done) but the current story arc with a very different version of Batman with Jim Gordon under the cowl.

3. Hawkeye- Matt Fraction/David Aja



Bottom line the best thing in Superhero comics over the last few years.  Beautiful art, brilliant, creative story-telling that maximizes the power of the comics medium.

2. Casanova- Matt Fraction, Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba

I finally got around to reading this series this year and, fortunately, it was just in time for the latest volume.  Fraction is the Tarantino of comics; a mash-up artist of influence and style (and with taste closer to my own no less!).




1. Saga- Brian K. Vaughn/Fiona Staples

It's like nothing else out there--- not just comics, but anywhere! No TV show or movie is doing anything like this.  I seriously can't even begin to explain this series--- just read it!

Favorite Movies 2015

I saw depressingly few movies this year and a lot of the one's I really want to see are coming out as part of the 'Oscar Crowd' in the next couple of weeks (and most of those don't fall under the 'geeky' banner anyway) so here's the best of what I did see.

10. It Follows- The best horror movie I've seen in a while (granted I don't watch a lot); one of the more original and disturbing premises though.

9. The Martian- This comes in so low because of how disappointed I was with it.  I'm not typically a "the book was better" person but, in this case, 'the book was better'



8. Vacation- Again, I didn't see a lot of movies this year--- but this one made me laugh the most.  I saw it the same day as Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and I enjoyed this one much more.

7. Spectre- (SPOILERS)Not as solid as Skyfall and it drags a bit in places but Christoph Waltz as Blofeld was a brilliant choice.

6. Trainwreck- It is basically the same old romantic comedy where the person who refuses to settle down finally meets someone they want to settle down with--- only in this case, it's the woman who doesn't want to settle down. Which, in it's own quiet way, is kind of revolutionary.

5. Inside Out- Pixar delivers its most inventive tale yet.



4. Avengers: Age of Ultron- Kind of a mess, but still stunning visually with jump-off-the-panel action sequences.

3. Ant-Man- More than any of the Marvel movies that have been produced under Disney's ownership, this feels the most like a 'Disney' movie (I mean the old school live action ones--- Magical World of Disney)--- and I don't mean that in a bad way at all.  It's not doing anything original in terms of it's structure but sometimes the reason a formula is a formula is because it works.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road- It's amazing how entertaining seeing people drive one way and then turn around and drive the other can be in the right hands.  It's basically a 2 hour car chase that doubles as a critique of hypermasculinity that embraces feminism.  Not what you'd expect of a summer blockbuster of this type but--- there you go!



1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens - The biggest complaint people seem to have about the movie was that it 'unique enough' but, given what we went through with the prequels, we needed reassurance that we were back in the world that we loved and that it was in good hands.  Also, when you consider everything they had to accomplish (set up new characters with unique story-arcs and motivations, re-introduce old characters, reacclimate us to a changed galaxy) this could have very easily have been a gigantic mess--- instead it's the best movie of it's kind (sorry Guardians of the Galaxy--- you were great--- but Star Wars is my BAE) since The Empire Strikes Back. 

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

The first thing I have to say about this movie is that I loved it--- every second of it.  This is what a Star Wars movie should be.  What I find amazing is how the plot is essentially the same as the original Star Wars (I'm an OG--- I don't call it A New Hope) and, yet, it still all seems so fresh.  But all the elements are there:  cute, MacGuffin-carrying droid on the run from bad guys, peasant character with more power than they know finds and helps droid, older mentor figure, gigantic world destroying weapon, "Hail Mary" assault to destroy weapon.

Grant Morrison once said that whenever a comic book writer/artist does a run on an established franchise they are essentially doing a "cover" version of what others have done before (For example, everybody that does a run writing Batman does a Batman Vs Joker story). What makes The Force Awakens fresh is how it finds unique riffs to play within the same old melody. One of the more subtle shifts is, whereas Luke Skywalker longed for a destiny greater than that of a farm boy, Rey and Finn are both, in their own way, running away from adventure and excitement (a Jedi craves not these things!).  While Luke ran towards his destiny headlong into to those twin suns, they find themselves rather reluctantly drawn towards theirs.

Also, the old mentor figure?  The New Ob-Wan? It's Han Solo! This was a brilliant decision to play against expectations and is far more appropriate for a 70-something Ford to be tackling. How sad would Ford be if he tried to be the same old arrogant, nerf-herder? They give the character real weight (don't worry,he's still a scoundrel--- but he's a bit wiser and, in many ways, a very different person from the man he used to be).

Speaking of weight, this probably carries the most emotional weight of any Star Wars film to date (successfully, at least--- Episode III should have been this powerful but was held back from doing so by a mediocre script and wooden acting).  I don't want to spoil too much--- but It's something most people have been guessing at anyway.  But the moment is fully deserved and accomplishes what it needs to in the film.

Lastly, on a lighter note--- it's funny! It's probably the most legitimately witty of all the Star Wars films!  It plays with the audiences own knowledge of the franchise in a winking way which doesn't endanger the film's suspension of disbelief (a tough trick if you think about it).  The story's more meta-textual elements are made possible by the fact that, to Rey and Finn, the events and characters depicted in those films are just as much a legend to them as they are to us--- and it works!

The Force Awakens is easily the best in the series since The Empire Strikes Back and, in time, it may even be viewed as an equal to that film, the best in the series and my all-time favorite movie.

Favorite TV 2015

Supergirl-  A lot of fun. Not too deep but a promising step in the right direction for female supercharacters.

Agents of SHIELD- I'm not a fan of this more cynical, damaged Coulson (wasn't part of the reason Fury picked him to be in charge the fact that he wasn't cynical?)--- hopefully, this is just a character Arc and he'll emerge as an older, wiser version of his old self.

Parks and Rec- I was wondering how the show could possibly top last seasons finale in terms of making a graceful exit but the final seasons entire premise of jumping ahead 3 years made it work brilliantly.

Game of Thrones- Perhaps not a strong as last season but the show has actually made it past the books in some respects of the story so that made some revelations from this season particularly noteworthy.

The Flash- This is my Junk Food.  It's not breaking new ground like Daredevil and Jessica Jones but it's still fun with tons of fanboy moments this season.

Master of None- Aziz Ansari's brilliant new show is funny and sweet and picks up where his wonderful book, Modern Romance leaves off.





Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt- My favorite new comedy, hands down!  How can you not totally crush on Ellie Kemper? It's exactly like 30 Rock except for the plot, story, and characters (this makes more sense than you might think; trust me).  The same razor-sharp wit and fast and furious punchlines. The most quotable show of the year. "Troll the respawn, Jeremy!"

Daredevil- Yes! This! Finally something to wash the taste of that terrible movie out of my mouth! This is Matt Murdock as he should be portrayed--- dark, gritty, and the most tortured hero of the Marvel Universe (cinematic or otherwise). Kudos for everyone for nailing the show and making it what it should be: a gritty crime noir in which the Wilson Fisk is portrayed with just as much complexity as Daredevil. D'Onofrio's Kingpin is terrifying; a big (but not green) rage monster that makes the Hulk look zen by comparison. Also: Scott Glenn as Stick? Brilliant!

Better Call Saul - For a spin off of what might be the greatest television drama of all time that started as a joke on that show's DVD commentaries, Saul far exceeds expectations on every level. Odenkirk gives his greatest performance ever and is supported by an all around stellar supporting cast including Michael McKean and Jonathan Banks reprising his (now twice Emmy nominated) role as Mike Ehrmantraut. Time will tell whether it will reach the same level of greatness as Breaking Bad but, if not, thus far it's still pretty great in its own right.







Jessica Jones- Yes! This!  If Daredevil was the first prestige-difficult-man-as-superhero-drama then Jessica Jones has at last given us the 'Difficult Woman' version of that and actually surpassed that show in terms of overall quality (not an easy thing to do when you consider how great Daredevil already was).  It serves as a bookend to Supergirl's rose colored 'girl power' take on superheroines. The women on this show are still strong but they're also flawed--- an important part of making a character truly relatable and compelling for the audience.  On top of all of that, it tackles some of the most difficult of women's issues without preaching to the audience.  David Tennant's Kilgrave is the most terrifying villain to emerge from the MCU yet---- not easy to do when you consider D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk set a pretty high standard.

Favorite Music 2015

10. Star Wars - Wilco-  I don't think it's one of their best by any means, but, considering I got it for free, I can't complain about the price.

9. No Cities to Love- Sleater-Kinney- 90's Riot Grrrls come roaring back without losing any of their ferocity.

8. 25 - Adele- At first, I thought it had one to many ballads--- but then I realized complaining about too many ballads on an Adele album is like complaining about to many sweet riffs on an AC/DC album....

7. Tetsuo and Youth - Lupe Fiasco- not as solid as Food Liquor II but perhaps Fiasco's trippiest
release yet.

6. A Head Full of Dreams- Coldplay- A welcome uptempo return after the plodding, low-key Ghost Stories (an album which seemed play into every naysayers perception of Coldplay that I almost felt they were trolling everyone); It's their strongest since Viva La Vida!

5. Kauai- Childish Gambino- Technically this came out late last year but I didn't get it until early this year, Donald Glover keeps getting better in his musical alter ego.

4.Dodge and Burn - The Dead Weather- I'm a fan of anything Jack White does; this might be his most diverse set with The Dead Weather: Key Track: closing torch song "Impossible Winner"

3. To Pimp a Butterfly- Kendrick Lamar- I am just now getting into him but Lamar has more depth and lyricism than pretty much any rapper since Nas.

2. What A Terrible World, What a Beautiful World- The Decemberist- this is the first release by the band that I purchased immediately upon release.  Old school fans may decry it's not "as good as their earlier stuff" but, screw that, it's their most accessible batch yet.

1. 1989- Ryan Adams- I would like to emphasize that, once again, this is MY PERSONAL FAVORITES not an objective best of list (To Pimp a Butterfly is obviously of a far greater cultural importance) and this was the album I most enjoyed this year.  Adams turns dance-pop into acoustic ballads and reveals their underlying sorrow and turns "Style" into a U2-ish anthem.  Plus, I love the rewrite of the lyrics to "You got that daydream nation look in your eyes"