Review: ‘Justice League’

Hot off the wildly successful Wonder Woman solo film, Warner Brothers has released their first DC team-up film, Justice League, bringing together the biggest names in the comic giants universe. A once slam dunk project has been plagued with bad press, a sad and unexpected tragedy that forced Zack Snyder to leave the directors chair and lukewarm fan expectation that have stunted the excitement surrounding the film and has left the finished product in a tailspin. Does Justice League have enough to win over audiences and prove once and for all that the DC Cinematic Universe is back on track?

Following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, our heroes are learning to exist in a post-Superman world. Crime and uncertainty have swept over the world like a tidal wave and Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) is looking towards the coming storm. Fearing something bigger is upon us, Wayne looks to put together a team of extraordinary superheros to defend the Earth from the unknown. Already having fought besides Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) before, the two recruit Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) to defend the three ancient mother boxes from falling into the hands of Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) who intends to use them to destroy the Earth.

Justice League, on the surface, is a fun film with some enjoyable moments, but beneath the surface lies a total mess with a lot of flaws, amateur editing and a convoluted story that is painful to watch. Let’s first tackle what the film got right. Wonder Woman continues to be a bright spot for the DCCU. Gal Gadot is absolute perfection as the Amazon warrior, portraying the character with strength and charm, and providing the leadership this team so desperately needs. Jason Momoa was not my first choice for Aquaman, but after seeing him in this film, I have a better sense of the overall direction they are taking the character. Momoa‘s Aquaman is morally conflicted, but in tune with the sheer power of his legacy and the child-like nature of his personality which makes for amusing screen time. Henry Cavill continues to shine as Superman. Cavill understands the character and what it takes to don the tights and it’s nice to have him anchoring this franchise, along with Gadot, to hopefully help right this ship in future films.

And now, the bad. Ben Affleck’s Batman takes a huge step back in this film. While they try and lighten up the caped crusaders persona a bit, the entire transformation appears unnatural and painful for Affleck, who appears more awkward around his new super friends. Ezra Miller‘s take on Barry Allen falls short of expectations. The beloved character is relegated to comic relief in the film with the filmmakers electing for an immaturity angle which becomes tiresome not long after the bit begins. Warner Brothers election to rush this film to market instead of completing the origin films of each character beforehand, limits the amount of time the filmmakers can spend on setting up the characters in the film. With a short run time, horrific editing and a sub-par script, Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon (who reshot and rewrote some of the film in Snyder’s absense) left the audience handcuffed to just “buy in” to their explanations of the “why’s” and roll with the finished product. Lastly, the inclusion of Steppenwolf as the films protagonist made sense for his link to what we hope will be the inclusion of Darkseid in the sequel, but the election of a full CG portrayal was a horrendous decision. The character has some qualities that could have transitioned to the big screen, but all of that was lost from scene one when we were introduced to an amateur CG depiction that looked like cutting floor fodder from Warcraft.

Overall, Justice League misses the mark in a big way. We can only hope that Geoff Johns can take creative control over all of the DCCU and give back to fans the films that they rightfully deserve.

Stars:

2 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Yes. One mid-credit and one post credit

Trailer:

Review: ‘BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS’ we all know a few.

BloodSuckingBastards.Poster We’ve all been there at one time or another. Sitting in a cubicle, or the like, wanting  desperately to staple a co-worker’s mouth shut or just whiteout our own eyes. But we think, hey, if I work hard enough, I’ll get that  promotion and maybe, just maybe, this won’t suck as much as I think it does. Welcome to BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS, where all  your daydreams and nightmares come true.

Meet Evan Sanders (Fran Kranz), a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) and his slacker best friend Tim (Joey Kern), so he soldiers on in the hope of one day getting his coveted sales director position. Unfortunately, it all falls apart in one fell swoop when Amanda breaks up with him and Evan’s boss Ted (Joel Murray) hands his promotion to his college nemesis Max (Pedro Pascal). And it isn’t just their sordid past Evan has to deal with. After his fellow officemates start going through disturbing changes (which, paradoxically, make them better employees) and bodies begin to pile up, Evan learns the horrible truth: Max is a vampire. And even worse… a vamp with a plan. Evan must find a way to stop the evil brewing amidst the cubicles, expose Max as the bloodsucking bastard that he is, and save his pals before his life and career go from dead-end…to just dead.BSBEmmaFitzpatrickFranKranzJoeyKernIMG_2684

This film can best be described as Office Space meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the film version. But it isn’t a far stretch to say Joss Whedon‘s television series wouldn’t fall into this fandom, as well. Once again, Whedonverse darling, Fran Kranz steals the show. His innocent air is perfect for this role. Wide-eyed naivete leads a pack of misfits on a battle to keep their heads (or necks) intact. Marshall Givens as the badass, Redbull fueled, security guard is an absolute riot. Where has he been? Joey Kern plays Evan’s #2, Tim. He is a king underachiever. Pornstache and all, his nonchalant attitude is the perfect foil to Kranz’s hyperactivity. Emma Fitzpatrick as Evan’s recent ex and head of HR, is quick witted and sassy, She kills it.The opening titles kick some major ass and the film’s pace pulls no punches. If you’re a fan of Shaun of the Dead, BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS is right up your alley. You can catch this film today, September 4th, in select theaters and on VOD.

Directed by Brian James O’Connell and penned by the popular comedy troupe Dr. God and Ryan Mitts, Bloodsucking Bastards recently made its world premiere as the opening night film at the Slamdance Film Festival 2015.

Starring:

Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods)

Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones)

Emma Fitzpatrick (Significant Mother, The Collection)

Yvette Yates (Inherent Vice)

Joel Murray (Mad Men)

Joey Kern (Cabin Fever)

 

Shiny new trailer for all you #Firefly fans from Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion’s new ‘CON MAN” series

If you are a true Browncoat, you will be overjoyed at the upcoming series written and directed by Alan Tudyk. Very clearly poking fun at themselves and embracing the fandom that has kept both Joss Whedon‘s Firefly and Serenity alive and kicking in the minds of millions, Con Man is the perfect way to celebrate two of our favorite sci-fi heroes and all that comes with being part of such a short-lived but much loved series. The trailer below is filled with surprises and some incredible cameos that we anticipate are just the beginning of this hilarious venture. If you didn’t already know, the entire project was crowdfunded on Indiegogo. This is truly the perfect way to illustrate what a big deal Firefly is/was to fans and celebrate the humor attached to it’s nostalgia. While we’re sad that it was cancelled, we’ll gladly open our hearts to Con Man… and still hold out hope for a future reboot… We have a hard time letting  go.

Final Trailer for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is Released

avengers age of ultron

Marvel has released their final trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron and you can view it below!

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.

The movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, James Spader as Ultron as well as Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver and Paul Bettany as Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige.

Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters on May 1.

Coming Up This Week: ‘Buffy’ alum releases new book- Liz’s interview with Amber Benson

Liz Whittemore and Amber Benson

Liz Whittemore and Amber Benson at Midtown Comics NYC

Let’s be honest, a lot, and I do mean A LOT of us are fans of the Whedonverse.  This past Sunday, Liz had the opportunity to sit down with Amber Benson, actor, director and successful author, best known to some from her iconic TV role as Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Amber’s new book, “The Witches of Echo Park” just became available last week. Stay tuned for a special edition of the Girls on Film podcast for the exclusive audio!!

EW’s First Look at Avengers: Age of Ultron!!! Look at that sucker!

Entertainment Weekly’s newest edition , features a first look at Iron Man and Captain America as well as the film’s villain Ultron! The story goes on to give some insight into what we can expect from the film’s direction. After the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was shaken to its core with S.H.I.E.L.D. being disbanded and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes status as a group is left in question.  Tony Stark has taken it upon himself to search for a way to secure the Earth without the need to put back on the Iron Man suit and give the rest of the team a break.  His solution is Ultron, self-aware, self-teaching, artificial intelligence designed to help assess threats, and direct Stark’s Iron Legion of drones to battle evildoers instead. Read More →