Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) (spoiler version)

 (SPOILER WARNING!!)

Now that the DVD has come out and just about everyone who wanted to watch this movie has seen it, it's time that I make do on the promise I made to actually review Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with spoilers. And I've also decided that from now on, I'll be writing non-spoiler reviews of films/tv to the best of my ability; although some will also have spoiler-filled versions written out for them eventually.

I should also bring up that I'm not really doing this post in the standard "pro/con/conclusion" style that I adopted for writing my reviews; I'm just going over the parts of the film that either I didn't go fully in depth upon due to spoilers, or what I didn't even discuss because of said spoilers. But with that limitation gone, I can go full-tilt into discussing them without issue.

So with that out of the way, it's time to get into spoiler territory, starting from the minor things and working my way up to the big reveal along with the main criticisms I can name.

The first thing I wanted to discuss was the simple genius of how both Sonic and Knuckles' stories are surprisingly good parallels to each other. Both have lost everyone that they loved when they were children, ended up becoming isolationists due to their respective journeys, and coped with their own tragedies in admittedly unhealthy ways. In Sonic's case, he was basically forced to keep running out of fear that his power would be misused; meanwhile with Knuckles, he dedicated his entire life to finding the Master Emerald and returning the Echidna tribe to a position of power. And if he had to kill Sonic to do so, then that's just what he would do. Not only does this allow us to understand Knuckles' position as the initial anti-hero, but it also gives Sonic the chance to connect to Knuckles on an emotional level with how they both lost everything the exact same way. It also does a great job at explaining Knuckles' general naivete and lack of social awareness without making him look like an idiot, an issue that has been prevalent with his depiction in other media as of recent years; especially seeing as how he is still smart enough to at least be suspicious of Robotnik's actions regarding the Master Emerald, even if his focus is still on retrieving the Emerald for himself.

Compare this to, say, the likes of modern Sonic media that features the echidna:

... What? Just because I don't dislike Boom doesn't mean it's without flaws.

I'm admittedly mixed about the way that they introduced G.U.N (The Guardian Unit of Nations) into the film; establishing that they were assembled in the time since Sonic defeated Robotnik and making it their mission to deal with possible extra-terrestrial threats. On the one hand, this is probably the best way they could explain G.U.N's existence in this universe without going all-out with Robotnik's grandfather (not yet, at least). But on the other hand, their introduction was ultimately rushed and made them look like incompetent idiots; namely, them using Rachel's wedding as a means of trapping Sonic, despite the fact that they had no way of knowing that Sonic would be there with Tom and Maddie, on top of how they keep Sonic imprisoned even after they learn that Robotnik is back and after a powerful source of energy. I understand G.U.N is traditionally short-sighted, but never to the extent of being imbeciles as showcased in this film.

Also, how the hell were they able to assemble so quickly as to have one of their agents posing as Rachel's fiancé and set-up an elaborate trap for Sonic using a phoney wedding? I personally would've had G.U.N being an initially defunct organisation following a failed operation (hinting at the Space Colony Ark) but Commander Walters reinstated it as a blacks ops division to keep an eye out for Sonic should he get out of control due to his immense powers. Having them be brand new in this universe basically forces the film to rush through their introduction without really establishing in-depth what they are capable of as a military organisation.

Then again, G.U.N's inclusion in this story is also an indication of arguably the biggest flaw of the film; the pacing. At several points, it can go by really quickly, to the point where some details go over the audiences heads and doesn't allow them to really process what's happening; we see this with the backstory of the Master Emerald and the sudden introduction of the Chaos Emeralds as part of it, all of which is an obvious set-up for the introduction of Super Sonic. Because of how quickly they go through some of these elements, there are various story points or character interactions that get unceremoniously shoved in without giving the viewer time to breathe.

At other times, conversely, it can just as suddenly grind to a halt either for a silly dance fight in Siberia, several scenes of Tom and Maddie in Hawaii attending Rachel's wedding, Knuckles explaining his backstory in the middle of the fight, or confirming that Agent Stone does indeed have an unrequited crush on Robotnik with him making his face in the foam of a cup of coffee. And it is especially apparent in the Hawaii scenes, as it hardly ever feels like that part of the story ever connects to the central conflict of the story until we reach the mid-point. And again, the segue between plot A with Sonic and plot B with the wedding feels like it happens so sporadically that it feels like there were things cut out of the finished film in order to get things into place for the climax. Because of that, the narrative can feel somewhat slapdash in it's execution even if the overall writing is still generally solid.

But for all of the criticisms I can give regarding the films pacing and how the plot threads are interwoven, there is something that, while maybe predictable, pretty much saves the film by the end. And of course, it comes in the middle of the credits:

Admittedly, while I kind of saw it coming, I'm still in awe of this; they're jumping straight into bringing Shadow The Hedgehog, one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise (if not THE most), into the live action universe, with all of the tragedy that it entails. Not only is this such a brilliant fanservice moment with the simple details (hidden files, 50 years, the fact that the military know about it, etc), but it also presents a great world-building engine purely through Shadow's inclusion. From this, we can get expanded lore on Robotnik's family tree, the use of Chaos Energy, potentially the arrival of the Black Arms in future stories, other Mobian characters existing in the films universe; this is such a simple yet genius means of introducing the character and how it affects the rest of the story presented in this version.

Although, I personally would've had the secret hidden file being the blueprints for a bipedal robot that Robotnik could've been working on, with Stone then using Sonic's quill to upload as part of something called "Project: Copycat" as to hint to the inclusion of Metal Sonic instead of Shadow. Who knows, maybe I'll present an expanded version of this idea in another blog. Otherwise, I'm really happy to see Shadow come back, and hopefully not as an emo edge-lord this time (looking at YOU, Sonic Boom).

... I honestly don't know how else to end this; if you haven't seen this film, then do so. Right now.

But until next time, because there always will be one: this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) (non-spoiler version)

You've read the heading correctly. Out of respect for the makers of the film, this review will NOT feature any major spoiler warning beyond what the audience were already privy to prior to the release of the movie. You want to know the full details of what happens in the film? Go see it yourselves if it is safe in your area to do so. I will, however, write up a spoiler-filled version of this review that will be published after the 8th of April, a full week after the film has released over here in the U.K.

Nonetheless, I was certainly interested in seeing where Jeff Fowler and crew would take this series, especially after they announced that they wouldn't strictly follow the exact canon layout of the story presented in the original games that inspire the stories as told in the movies. And with the surprising success of the first film, both at the box office and with the fans, it was all but guaranteed that a sequel would be in the works. Even now, with this film having just come out, there are already plans for the third movie and who from the games will be featured as part of the main cast, not to mention a spin-off TV series following the adventures of a certain red echidna.

If nothing else, I have to give major respect to Jeff Fowler for how he responded to the criticism of both films during production from the fans. He doesn't dismiss what they say as worthless garbage, nor does he take it too personally to the point where it affects the quality of his work. He takes the criticisms on-board, sees how they could improve the movie, and incorporates the best compromises without sacrificing too much of what makes either film good. And given that he is vocally supportive of the fandom and why they enjoy the franchise, that gives him the edge over, say, the Halo TV series wherein the creators outright admit to have never glanced at any of the games... that's not hyperbolic; that actually happened.

But enough with the build-up; let's get into the core story.

Plot:

After the events of the first movie where Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) sent Dr Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey) on a one-way trip to the mushroom planet and decided to stay with the Wachowski's, he has been taking to the streets as the wannabe vigilante "Blue Justice" (trademark pending). While Tom (played by James Marsden) and Maddie (played by Tika Sumpter) are in Hawaii to attend the wedding of Maddie's sister, Robotnik returns to take revenge on the hedgehog and continue his plans for world domination, accompanied by Knuckles the echidna (voiced by Idris Elba) who wishes to hunt down Sonic in his quest to retrieve the Master Emerald. Thus, Sonic finds himself on yet another adventure, only now he is joined by a twin-tailed super-genius fox named Tails (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) as they journey to find the Master Emerald and keep it out of Robotnik's hands due to how powerful that would make the mad scientist.

Pros:

Just like the first film, Jim Carrey absolutely slays it as Dr Robotnik, bringing his signature frenetic energy to the performance and capturing all of the classic traits of the character; narcissistic, power-hungry, deranged, and obsessive with proving his superiority. And seeing him fully embrace the madness and using drones that are more akin to the classic Badniks of the original games was a joy to watch. Carrey's Robotnik is the kind of villain where you can't help but love him purely through the charisma and gravitas of the actor.

Speaking of great performances; Idris Elba as Knuckles! Initially, the announcement of the casting was strange, but the final product pretty much proved how practically perfect it was. This version of Knuckles goes back to basics as a stoned-faced, serious warrior who ends up being manipulated by Robotnik to do his bidding. However, there are several moments where his straight-forward persona actually gives the film it's comedic edge, especially through his interactions with the laid-back, jokey Sonic or the maniacally zany Robotnik. Combine this with his backstory that gives the audience a better understanding of his motivations (more on this in the spoiler-filled review), and Knuckles quickly becomes a major highlight of the movie.

And for the first time since the Adventure games, Tails finally gets to be part of a Sonic story where he isn't useless, a coward, or used for bad comedy/a forced conflict. He is again back to basics as the blue blur's sidekick and eventual best buddy, but the film remembers that Tails is also smart and funny in his own right without having to stand behind Sonic all the time. We see him (and others) use a wide variety of gadgets to aid Sonic in his quest and he provides a new dynamic for the titular character that we couldn't explore in the first film for understandable reasons; this time, we have Tails looking up to Sonic without being a constant fanboy and proving himself as extremely useful, which in turn endears him to us whenever he interacts with Sonic and talks about his past. Tails has always been one of my favourite Sonic characters, so it's great to finally see him in a role that doesn't regress his growth.

Also, he's pretty damn cute at moments.

I also liked the character arc that they gave Sonic in this film, wherein he's still learning how to use his powers more responsibly as well as maturing as an individual through his experiences in the story. He still ultimately makes mistakes, as to be expected of someone who is essentially still a kid at heart, but he learns from them and endeavours to put what he has learned into practice as both a hero and as a friend. This actually works really well as an extension of the previous film, wherein he felt more awkward with his quips due to a lack of social interaction or even having any friends. But now, with the people he's met and the friends he's made, it's the appropriate time for him to learn about how to put them above his own ego.

In general, there also seems to have been an improvement with both the effects and the action in this film. I'll admit that I gave the effects in the first film some slack due to the fact that they had to redesign the protagonists appearance after the major backlash from the fans. However, it was very clear that the effects were somewhat rushed even with the extended release date, though this may have also been because of the studio unfortunately being shut down before the film came out. Thankfully, this film improves on the effects due to a somewhat larger budget and more time to properly develop them. This in turn makes the actions scenes, of which there is plenty more than in the first film, all the more fun as the character designs are great and how they interact with the world around them feels more tangible than just having a cardboard head on a stick for the live-action actors to talk to.

Cons:

For all the credit I can give the human characters for not being anywhere near as annoying or intrusive as other video game adaptations, I've honestly never been a fan of Rachel (played by Natasha Rothwell), Maddie's sister who hates Tom. She was kind of there to act as the expected "doesn't approve of sister's husband for personal reasons" trope and was also used as a source of comedy due to the misfortunes she went through with being tied up in her chair. Unfortunately, they seemed to double down on the character in this film with how it's her wedding that is the main impetus for Tom and Maddie leaving before Robotnik returns, and they continue with her unfathomable hatred for Tom due to her expecting him to ruin her marriage to Derek from "Criminal Minds".

I'm not making that up; look at the cast list.

Frankly, I felt like the subplot with Rachel and her wedding went on for too long and came off as just a form of plot convenience to not have Tom and Maddie around for the stuff involving Robotnik and Knuckles until the end of the second act. I won't fault the actress for this, as she does a good job with the material she is given. And if nothing else, I did get a chuckle out of seeing her and Shemar Moore's interactions during it. It's just that parts of the subplot could've been rewritten to flow more naturally with the script, especially when part of it involves a wedding ring (again, more of this in the spoiler-filled review).

In fact, there are also some other parts of the story that don't flow as well as I think they could have. The overall story itself isn't necessarily badly written, and the general structure of the film is solid enough that I can't find massive hiccups in the narrative. However, the parts where we cut to Hawaii for 5 minutes after at least 15 minutes focused on Sonic's adventure feels a bit jarring whenever they pop up, and they don't really feel all that relevant until the point where the A-plot with Sonic and the B-plot with the humans intersect after about an hour and 10 minutes. It feels more like the humans are more obligated to be included rather than essential to the progression of Sonic's character arc (once again, the spoiler-filled review will have a more detailed breakdown of why I feel this way about the story structure and pacing).

Conclusion:

But regardless of the quality presented with the human sections, this film continues the success of the first film and is generally better due to more time being devoted to the elements necessary for the film to work. And thankfully, it doesn't feel like it's just repeating the same things we had in the first film nor does it feel the need to constantly hit us over the head with pop cultural references to keep the audience engaged with low-hanging fruit for jokes. I still find myself enjoying the characters, being engaged with the lore expansions, and laughing at the moments of comedy that managed to land. And with the inclusion of both Tails and Knuckles, I'm honestly excited and interested to see how the rest of the story goes with this franchise.

Overall rating: 8.5/10 (Highly recommend).

Thanks to everyone for reading; be sure to leave a comment telling me what you think of the movie while keeping the spoilers to a bare minimum. Make sure to share this review on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), and please give me a follow; my Twitter handle is @MediaHood23, my Instagram is @mediahood23, and my YouTube account is Media Hood Reviews. Also make sure to subscribe and ring the bell to notified of when a video goes up.

But until next time, because there always will be one; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

The Batman (2022)

 (SPOILER WARNING!!)

In the midst of the DCEU hurrying to catch up with Marvel with the success of comic book cinematic universes, and failing miserably to the point of a rumoured universe wide reboot via the upcoming Flash movie, we have director Matt Reeves coming in to helm an ongoing and messy production for a solo Batman movie. Initially, the project started out as a part of the DCEU with the writing and production being handled by original star Ben Affleck; Joe Manganiello was even cast to play Deathstroke as the antagonist, complete with test footage leaked on Affleck's Instagram account.

Unfortunately, due to Affleck going through shit in his personal life which included divorce and alcoholism, on top of the messy reshoots fiasco during the production with the Joss Whedon version of Justice League, Ben Affleck pretty much abandoned the production of his Batman film and ended up becoming disenfranchised with the character. In response, DC/WB decided to hit the unenviable "standalone reboot" button and pretty much did the entire project from scratch; this time, the direction would be helmed by Planet Of The Apes reboot director Matt Reeves, who then assisted novelist Peter Craig in the writing for the script, and the role of Batman would be filled by none other that Robert Pattinson, who has otherwise stuck to independent/indie film projects after his miserable time with the Twilight films.

And judging from the behind the scenes information, everything looked to be falling into place for an interesting Batman movie. There was a strong cast in the works that also included Andy Serkis as Alfred and Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, the trailers gave the sense of a dreary Gotham centred around solving the crimes of a Zodiac killer inspired version of the Riddler, and the direction they were taking by focusing on the detective-based and psychological aspects of Batman gave the film a unique edge over the Nolan or Burton films.

Just a pity that the film had to be delayed multiple times due to COVID conditions and the original Deathstroke story just ended up being regurgitated in the shitty Titans show.

Plot:

Bruce Wayne has been operating as the Batman in Gotham for two years by the time the film starts, where he is still something of an urban legend amongst criminals and he has a shaky alliance with the GCPD, including lieutenant Jim Gordan (played by Jeffrey Wright). Recently, a series of murders have gained special attention due to a series of clues and ciphers being left behind by the Riddler (played by Paul Dano), who has been targeting the upper class and seeks to "unmask the truth" about Gotham's corruption. In order to solve the mystery behind the Riddler's identity, Batman teams up with professional cat burglar Selina Kyle, who becomes involved due to the disappearance of her girlfriend Annika. All the while, Bruce starts learning the truth about the legacy of his parents and how the past affects Gotham in the present day.

Pros:

The direction and cinematography in this film is absolutely stellar, and Matt Reeves' ability to create a dark and grim mood helps to give Gotham so much personality, essentially turning the city into a character in and of itself. You aren't just told how much of a crime-ridden cesspool the place is; it's shown to you with a lot of darkened places and suspicious looking people on almost every corner in the city. You get a firm understanding of how much this city has deteriorated with the deaths of the Wayne family, and thus why people are actually looking to the Riddler as a sign of change for this city. Granted it probably could've done without all the rain that it seemed to get night after night, which does make some visuals difficult to make out; but otherwise, Reeves' vision of Gotham is hauntingly stunning.

Speaking of; Paul Dano's Riddler is a great update to the character. We still get the expected eccentricity and narcissism often associated with the prince of puzzlers, but with a terrifying twist with him being an otherwise faceless sociopath who plans everything ten steps ahead of everyone else. I also liked how they show Riddler being smart enough to figure out Bruce's alter ego, especially with his own motivations being based on how he and other orphans were basically forgotten while Bruce got sympathy for the death of his parents.

(EDIT (11/08/2022): After rewatching the film on DVD, I realised I made a mistake; Riddler never knew Bruce was Batman, him saying Bruce's name to Batman was simply a red herring for both the audience and the title character. It was something that I missed in my initial viewing and hadn't been rectified until recently. I apologise for the confusion and for misrepresenting what actually happened in the film).

Combine this characterisation with an eerie performance from Paul Dano, and you have one of the most intimidating villains in recent comic book movie affair.

But of course, a hero and his villain must be on equal grounds, which Pattinson does extremely well as a broodier, anger-driven, vengeance-obsessed version of the Dark Knight. For most of the film, we hardly see him outside of his outfit, feeding into the idea that he is more comfortable being the Batman than he is the billionaire. This is showcased early on with him being appalled that Alfred called over some company execs to talk with Bruce due to his refusal to have a life outside of being a vigilante. And by the end of the film, upon seeing that his acts of violence is only inspiring more criminals to rise amidst the chaos that the Riddler sowed, he realises that he can't be that kind of person anymore; he has to become a symbol of hope for the city, to actually help people both as himself and as a hero. That's a great arc for the character that I don't recall being fully explored in a live-action Batman film before.

I also loved how they made sure to emphasize something not often seen in Batman movies; the fact that the character is a detective. More often than not in some of the other films, there seems to be more focus put on Batman as a martial artist and vigilante, less so on his actual deductive skills that earned him the title of the world's greatest detective. And even when that's a part of his character, it's either downplayed or his investigations happen off-screen. This film, however, makes it clear right out of the gate that Batman's keen mind and eye for detail are just as essential to him as the cape and cowl. With several scenes of him figuring out the clues found in the Riddler's ciphers as well as him actually finding evidence in the crime scenes, this is hands down the best representation of this aspect of Batman's identity as a hero. He doesn't have superpowers nor is he the strongest fighter in the world; he's the smartest guy in the room and he can easily prove it.

Also, as a side note; thank you Matt Reeves. You made the only Batman movie where he DOESN'T. FUCKING. KILL. ANYONE! I can't tell you how happy I was to see a live action Batman who, directly or indirectly, wasn't responsible for a single death. That is another essential detail about the character that so many films either ignore or stupidly mishandle in a way that makes him look like a hypocritical psychopath (looking at YOU, BvS!).

As for the supporting cast, I really enjoyed what they brought to the table. Zoe Kravitz was a great version of Selina Kyle, which in turn allowed for a lot of chemistry between her and Bruce though their banter and teamwork. She has her moments of being sly and snarky, but she also shows that she can be fierce and angry when push comes to shove; especially upon seeing her girlfriends corpse and learning that Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro) was responsible. I also really enjoyed Andy Serkis as Alfred; he still possesses the caring for his charge that any good version of the character should have by default, but he can also have his moments where he loses his patience with Bruce's obsession over his crusade. The scene that they share in the hospital shows exactly the kind of dynamic Bruce and Alfred should have. Jeffrey Wright made for a good Jim Gordon, and John Turturro made for quite the intimidating Carmine Falcone. But there was one actor who absolutely stole the show:

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, later to be known as the Penguin. Ignoring the fact that Farrell is completely unrecognisable with the fat-suit and make-up the crew made for him, he also gives the kind of performance that this version of the Penguin deserves. This character is snarky, condescending, egotistical, and greedy, with an appropriately loud and bombastic performance from Farrell as he chews every single scene that he is in. Even in moments that are quieter than others, he still commands so much presence purely through his facial expressions. If anyone in the cast deserves recognition for the work they put into diving deep into the role, it's Colin Farrell.

The action scenes, while few and far between, are handled very well. What makes a lot of them stand out is that each one has something visually unique about them. Bruce's first fight is cast in a lot of heavy shadows as he beats up the group of thugs; the car chase between the Batmobile and the Penguin uses a lot of yellows and ambers to give the scene a darker atmosphere; Batman's first encounter with Selina is kept in a small room to emphasize the intimacy of the characters; my personal favourite is with Batman walking through a hallway and the only source of light is the flashes from the thugs guns as they fire. It's a visually dynamic, albeit brief, fight that acts as a great spectacle while also keeping the tone consistent.

Cons:

I think that of all of the praises I can give this film and how it handled the character of Batman, there is only really one issue that can only really be a nit-pick; after the Riddler is found and arrested, the film does kind of slow down a little. As I have brought up before in my review of Denis Villeneuve's Dune (read here), I don't have a problem when a film takes a slower pace in order to tell the story. However, my issue with the pacing in the last hour of this film is that it kind feels like the film should be wrapping up at a quicker momentum. The rest of the film has otherwise kept things steady, allowing the right amount time for scenes to breathe and just letting the story flow naturally. Once the Riddler is caught, however, the rest of the film kind of drags when it felt like it would've been the ample time to end the story in a neat little package. I ultimately liked the final battle between Batman and the Riddler's followers, but it could've been trimmed down a little as to allow the pacing to remain consistent throughout the entire run-time.

Also; I don't care that Barry Keoghan cameos as the Joker. It did absolutely nothing for me.

Conclusion:

But at the end of the day, even with the film slowing down near the end, I think this may be the best live action Batman movie in the longest time. Matt Reeves' direction and vision are excellent as always, and the cast gave strong performances all-around, with a moody tone that doesn't venture into becoming overly pretentious prattle like was seen in the Nolan movies, or unbearable edgelord cringe like was seen in BvS. It hits the right balances of all of the elements needed to tell a great Batman story, while allowing for further expansion of this universe in order to fully realise Reeves' plans for the mythos. Is it a perfect movie? I wouldn't say so. But it's still an intriguing detective story that also happens to be about Batman, which is exactly what was promised to the audience when it was first announced.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent).

Nonetheless, thanks for reading my review. Whatever your thoughts are of the movie, be sure to comment below. I would be extremely grateful if you could share this on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), and make sure to give me a follow as well; I'm very active on Twitter (@MediaHood23) and I will be sure to actually check my Instagram (@mediahood23) every once in a while. Also make sure to check out my YouTube channel (Media Hood Reviews) and please subscribe and ring the bell for any notifications.

But until next time, because there always will be one; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

My stance on current DC/WB.

 (SPOILER WARNING (kind of)!!)

Putting it out here at the start; I did end up watching the Snyder Cut a few weeks after saying I wouldn't. I'm with the majority in saying that I ended up enjoying the movie, but I felt that there were certain moments that could've been trimmed or straight up removed and I never liked Martian Manhunter being in the movie. I'm not doing a full review of it as everyone and they're nan have talked about this film to death; I'm just giving you guys an idea of where I'm coming from when I make this statement:

I am fucking DONE with DC/WB.

I guess I should also give some further context as to my experience with this cinematic universe.

The Movies (Phase 1):

Starting with "Man Of Steel", I do not like this movie. It was ultimately a dreary, lifeless experience in the cinema with dull characters and story elements that made it seem like the studio didn't understand Superman. After at least 8 years since it came out, I have softened on it somewhat, but it still leaves me feeling cold whenever it enters my mind.

With that said, it was a hit at the box office, so a sequel was pretty much guaranteed. But as more information came out in regards to the casting and the insane amount of characters being featured in the story, I became less and less hopeful that the movie would turn out to be any good. Combine all of this with one of the most ridiculously stupid and unwieldy movie titles ever made, and I was all but certain that "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice" would be just as bad as "Man Of Steel".

However, I will admit that I was wrong.

IT WAS INFINITELY WORSE! I hate this movie. I absolutely fucking DESPISE this movie. The bad acting, the disrespectful characterisation, the slow pacing, the haphazardly edited action scenes, Jesse Einserberg as Lex Luthor, the poor attempts of conflict, the lazy attempts at setting up the Justice League movie; I couldn't find a single thing about this film that I liked. And I'm also in the minority that thinks that not only did the "Ultimate Cut" do nothing to rectify any of the issues with the theatrical version, but also introduced more gaping plot-holes that resulted in the story making less sense the more that one thinks about it. And the fact that THIS was what ended up being used to kickstart a cinematic universe (not an extended one) is just an even bigger kick to the dick.

This, in turn, made the next mess look like a step-up.

… Okay, a small step-up, but a step-up nonetheless. For every positive I can name, there's something else that detracts from the experience. I can at least say there was something of a straightforward narrative, despite it being undercut by a lack of character development for much of the cast. Some of the action is well directed, but the editing and lighting makes it hard to see. There were several good performances from the likes of Margot Robbie and Viola Davis, but then we had terrible villains like Enchantress and Joker. Throw in an inconsistent tone and a bizarre soundtrack as a means of competing with the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" movies (don't bother denying it), as well as the meddling from the studio that screwed over director David Ayer's vision, and you have a messy, albeit fun, action movie that only really exists to get rid of lesser known characters like El Diablo and Slipknot.

I actually reviewed this movie at length in my early days as a critic (don't read the review, it's shit), so I can only restate what I said there; this movie is good. Good action, good acting, good direction, and 2/3's of a good story. Unfortunately, that also leaves 1/3 of the story that wasn't good and a lacklustre antagonist that muddles the main message the movie was previously going for. Nonetheless, a disappointing ending is much preferable to me than a movie that seemed to actively piss me off with every decision that was made. I can at least recommend this over every other film in the first phase of DC's cinematic universe.

Which, naturally, includes the film that followed, as well as the greatest example of the problem present in current DC/WB.

There's no denying it; the theatrical version of this movie, commonly fan-coined as the "Josstice League", is a hot mess. The colour grading looks terrible, the tone is all over the place, the villain sucks, the cast are phoning most of the performances in the poorly done reshoot portions, the comedy misses far more often than it hits, and there was a severe lack of character development for most of the core cast; if anything, there was more character REGRESSION for the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman. I may not have liked the direction they took Batman in "Batman v Superman: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack", but I at least understood what they were trying to do; meanwhile, Josstice Batman is more akin to Phase 1 MCU Tony Stark, with snarky one-liners and no difference between playboy Bruce Wayne and vigilante Batman.

And it's appropriate that I end my experience with the DC Cinematic Universe by talking about Josstice Wheagon (that's what I'll call it now), as it is arguably the most notable example of DC/WB's biggest problem; the people in charge are absolute scum-fuckers.

Behind The Scenes:

This is pretty common information now, so I'm not really adding a lot to the table; but all of the stuff that happened on the set of the Josstice Wheagon reshoots (and the CW shows, to an extent) pretty much cemented how I would approach the DC Cinematic Universe from hereon out. During the reshoots, Joss Whedon was acting like an entitled, manipulative, stubborn arsehole; refusing to take criticism or make changes to his script based on notes from the cast, taking out all of Cyborg's character arc scenes to reduce him to the token black guy of the team, inserting needless moments of comedy in times of supposedly serious situations, refilming scenes that did NOT need to be refilmed, and being incredibly racist and misogynistic along the way. As an example, when Gal Gadot and her stunt actress refused to do the scene where Flash landed on Wonder Woman's boobs, Whedon took Gadot into a separate room and threatened to ruin her career unless she did the scene. It was gross, disgusting, and incredibly disrespectful towards the actress.

And when he finally responded to everything that was said about his performance, he acted even more like an entitled little shit-stain; having the gall to state that the cast were "rude" to him, stating that Gadot misunderstood what he was talking about due to English "not being her first language", and needlessly claimed that Ray Fisher, who was incredibly disheartened with all of the bigoted shit he had to face on-set from Whedon and the execs, was a bad actor and that his allegations (despite the multiple eyewitnesses to Whedon's disgusting behaviour) were unfounded.

It actually got to the point where Ben Affleck, who already was going through shit in his personal life due a recent divorce and problems with alcoholism, tried to convince the entire cast and crew to straight up leave, as everything that Whedon had done has left Affleck to become practically misanthropic with Batman which in turn lead to him walking out of the "Batman" film project that he was writing and producing. And with how all of this was also overseen by WB, who basically forced the entire crew to cut the film to exactly 2 hours while giving Whedon entire creative freedom, it basically also means that WB are just as complicit in this with how they never bothered to step in when Whedon overstepped his bounds.

So, TL;DR: Joss Whedon and WB are bad, and they should feel bad.

But it wasn't just limited to Josstice Wheagon being a complete clusterfuck behind the scenes; the CW DC shows were also a disaster in regards to how the cast and crew were treated. The main example comes from what was going on with "Batwoman", and why the lead actress, Ruby Rose, straight up quit after the first season finale. During production, exec Peter Roth supposedly hired a P.I to keep tabs on everything that Ruby was doing both on and off the set, made worse by how Roth would have "young women steam his pants […] while he was wearing them". But this was just the start of the misconduct; at one point, Ruby went through a serious accident that required immediate surgery on her spinal cord due to herniating two discs. And instead of allowing her the necessary time to recover and simply writing some episodes without Batwoman in the story, the execs all but demanded that she'd return to the set 10 days after the surgery due to Roth saying that Ruby "would be costing the studio millions and endangering the jobs of the cast and crew if she didn't return to work at that time". Combine this with WB refusing to adjust the Comic-Con schedule due to how her surgical scars hadn't yet fully healed and Ruby being forced to announce her appearance at the convention, furthermore exasperated when they refused to shut down during the fucking COVID-19 pandemic, and it's really no surprise that Ruby ended up quitting by the time the first season wrapped up filming.

And WBTV had the flimsiest excuses when approached about this; claiming that what Ruby said was "revisionist history" and that they fired her due to on-set behaviour, despite the fact that a stunt double suffered from 3rd degree burns all over their body and wasn't compensated, as well as how similar complaints levied towards producers on other CW projects for creating an unsafe and toxic work environment have cropped up from other actors and crew members before. Furthermore, I seriously doubt that Ruby would lie to her fans about the reasons why she left in order to stir up some shit about a show that she wasn't a part of anymore. And considering that WB has had a tendency to overstep their creative control on their DC projects in the past, I'm not even giving them the benefit of a doubt that they were telling the truth versus the one who was a victim of the studios carelessness and lack of safety protocols.

Conclusion:

It's because of the studios involvement, as well as how badly that these movies and TV shows have been handled, that I've made this choice with any future DC/WB projects coming out; until the studio finally take the time to actually show respect to their cast and crew and stop interfering where they are not wanted, I refuse to watch ANY of their DC movies after Matt Reeves' "The Batman" coming out next month. Because at the very least with the Reeves movie, there is the sign that the people behind it actually know what the fuck they're doing and are doing everything that they can to make the best movie that they possibly could. Is it possible that the movie will flop? With WB's track record, certainly. But it's equally possible that it can be the kick up the arse that WB need to finally understand that what they're doing is abhorrent and wholly unnecessary.

Otherwise, I am perfectly content in keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead, as they have more good movies than bad compared to DC and Disney tries to not to interfere too much in the production process. I'll happily take several Marvel movies where the studio kept relatively hands-free, versus an entire laundry list of shitty decisions caused by forcibly direct studio involvement that results in their Cinematic Universe crashing and burning.

Regardless, this is just where I stand with the current situation regarding DC/WB. If you have your own thoughts about everything that's going on, please let me know in the comments. You can also show your support for my reviews by sharing this on various social media platforms, including Facebook (or Meta, whatever the fuck it's called), Twitter, and Instagram. You can also follow me on Twitter (@MediaHood23) and on Instagram (@mediahood23) if you're interested in a dumbarse Bri'ish twat who likes talking about movies. I also have a YouTube channel (Media Hood Reviews), so please feel free to subscribe and ring the bell for notifications.

Oh, and I guess check out my Facebook page (Media Hood Reviews)? I don't really pay much attention to that one.

But until next time, because there always will be one; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

#IStandWithRayFisher