That's one sound I never thought I'd hear in the theater after a Transformers movie, let alone a sixth installment in a franchise that seemingly turned to crap long ago. But nonetheless, there was clapping when the credits rolled, and I was part of it. Because, in all honestly, it was a legitimately good film, and a happy surprise.
Forget all the loud, explosion-filled mayhem Michael Bay filled his Transformers series with. Travis Knight throws that formula in the garbage, and rightfully so. What we get from Bumblebee is not a cliched CGI blockbuster, but instead a fun, sweet story that truly places a heart inside of the shell that the Transformers franchise once was. Hailee Steinfeld delivers yet another great performance, and her star rightfully continues to rise in the Hollywood landscape. And, rather than being completely generic and thin, the characters actually behave realistically. If this winds up rebooting the Transformers series, I will happily partake in any potential sequels, if this movie is any indication as to where this franchise will go.
Overall score: 8/10
Bumblebee is better than it has any right to be. If I could critique anything, it'd be the slightly underdeveloped villains, but they were still fun to watch. Other than that, it's just plain awesome, and has a little bit of everything: nostalgia, great action and CGI that's wonderful to look at. I recommend this film not only to fans of Transformers, but anyone who just wants to escape into a world of giant robots and 80s music.
But let's just hope Hailee doesn't become the next Megan Fox.
If all goes as planned, Ruby Rose's Batwoman, who was just introduced in Part 2 of "Elseworlds", will star in her own CW series in 2019.
The series will likely explore a version of Gotham suffering from the absence of Batman and some of his supporting characters. However, in the Arrowverse, heroes don't work alone. Most of them, such as Flash, Green Arrow and Supergirl, have a small team built around them, and it's likely that Batwoman will follow that same trend. Here's who the team should consist of, besides Batwoman herself.
Jacob Kane
Colonel Jacob Kane is Batwoman's father, and one of the most supportive dads in comics. After Kate was kicked out of the military, he helped her do justice in the way that runs in the family. In the show, I could see him as Kate's "guy in the chair", in a way akin to Arrow's Felicity Smoak or The Flash's STAR Labs crew.
Flamebird
Kate's niece has been known by several codenames throughout her career. In the original, pre-crisis continuity, she was the original Batgirl, and was Dick Grayson's main love interest. However, she has more recently been known as Hawkfire and Flamebird. She seems like a given for Batwoman's team, and will probably be her "Arsenal" or "Kid Flash".
Red Robin
Tim Drake, at this point in the Arrowverse, would probably already be assuming the mantle of Red Robin. In recent comics, he has served frequently alongside both Batman and Batwoman, and has even lead the Teen Titans. Perhaps Tim could be one of the guys who wants to help Kate carry on her cousin's legacy.
Spoiler
Stephanie Brown was recently part of a small "Bat-family" team alongside Batman, Batwoman and Red Robin. Spoiler is an interesting, fun character who'd mesh well with the Arrowverse's dynamic. Like Tim or Bette, she's a candidate for "sidekick".
Batwing
Luke Fox is the son of Lucius Fox, one of Bruce Wayne's biggest allies. Luke would likely be Batwoman's technician - that is, assuming Kate isn't just as proficient in the area of tech.
Orphan/Batgirl
Cassandra Cain will already be a part of DC's upcoming "Birds of Prey" movie, but she likely won't be much more than a plot device. Cain has ties to Batgirl, Batman and Batwoman, and she'd be welcome on Kate's team.
What do you think? Should this be Batwoman's team? Comment!
The Fantastic Four haven't had a good film career.
I mean, we almost got the ridiculously awful one from 1994, which was followed by those two mid-2000s flicks that basically were long sitcom episodes, and finally that 2015 atrocity that I hate with a passion. However, with the rights back in Marvel's hands, we might get the first good Fantastic Four movie. Here's my idea on how to do it.
The Cast
What this movie needs is the right cast. While the 2015 one included good actors but was horribly miscast, this one would feature good actors who'd actually be suited for their roles. Here they are.
John Krasinski as Reed Richards
Krasinski has been able to pull off comedy (The Office) as well as drama (A Quiet Place). That combination is exactly what's needed for a character like Mr. Fantastic. Not to mention, Krasinski looks a lot like the character.
Emily Blunt as Susan Storm
This is a painfully obvious choice. Chemistry with Krasinski? Check. Looks like Sue? Check. Acting ability that transcends genre? Check.
Ansel Elgort as Johnny Storm
Many of Ansel Elgort's roles have showcased his ability to play the "bad boy"/"anti-authority" type, and he could totally pull that off again. Not to mention he's the right age to play Human Torch.
Joel Edgerton as Ben Grimm
Edgerton certainly looks like Ben, and he has the chops to play him. It just depends on if he can do motion-capture that well.
Joaquin Phoenix as Victor Von Doom
Phoenix has the ability to play many different types of characters, including maniacal, dark villains. Doctor Doom would be perfect for him.
Hugo Weaving as Annihilus
Weaving may have played Red Skull, but all he'd be doing is voicing Annihilus. He certainly has the villain-playing skills, as well as said voice, to play Annihilus. I mean, all he'd have to do is just do his "Agent Smith" through a voice modulator!
The Story
Several years ago, Dr. Reed Richards, his fiancee Susan Storm, Sue's brother Johnny, and Reed's best friend Ben Grimm set out to explore a dimension called the Negative Zone. When the Avengers altered reality to stop Thanos, they were whisked back to our world after spending seemingly just a few days there, and returned with extraordinary mutations. Reed became malleable and elastic, Sue gained the ability to turn invisible and generate force fields, Johnny gained the ability to combust and fly without hurting himself, and Ben became covered in Rocky armor. The four are recruited and trained by SHIELD to infiltrate and invade Sokovia, which is now run by the dictator Victor Von Doom, whom Reed once worked with on the Negative Zone project. Doom, due to his knowledge of that tech, has been able to communicate with an alien overlord known as Annihilus, who is the ruler and leader of a barbaric techno-organic race known as the Phalanx. Reed and his team adjust to their new world - and powers - as they go on this mission, which turns deadly when Doom frees Annihilus. Doom's endgame is to basically just use Annihilus as a pawn to spread his empire across the world - and possibly the universe. The movie would end with Reed and Sue's wedding.
Post-credits scene: Doom, in a SHIELD prison, being visited by Red Skull, Norman Osborn or whoever becomes the next major MCU antagonist.
Overall, this movie would be a fun superhero romp, but not too campy. There'd be plenty of humor built around the team's new powers, as well as adjusting to a world that has changed a lot since they've been gone. Doom would be portrayed as a deep, complex villain, rather than the metal shell that he was in previous adaptations. The movie, given SHIELD's role, would have a sort of spy feel to it, as a callback to the 60s origins of the characters. I'd just want to do as much as possible to make it as different from previous adaptations as can be. If I could compare it to any MCU films, I'd compare it to Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy.
"Avengers 4" leaks have confirmed that there will be a "potentially even bigger threat" than Thanos in the film.
It appears that, while most of the Avengers will go back in time/to alternate realities, Thor and Rocket will go into space to battle this threat. Countless theories have been made as to who it is. Many people think it could be Annihilus or The Celestials. Some even think it could be Galactus, and that Marvel bought him under-the-table in a way similar to Ego. However, I think I know who it is.
Meet The Builders.
The Builders were antagonists in the Marvel Comics story "Infinity", which involved Thanos and is a big hunk of Infinity War's source material. The builders are beings that destroy and rebuild worlds that are "unfit" to survive on their own. After The Snap, I think pretty much every world in the universe would meet their definition of unfit. I believe that The Builders' threat may grow, so some of the Avengers are sent into space to battle them while others travel back in time/to other realities. That'll probably be the movie's main subplot.
At least, judging by the trailers and promo art. Here are some things I'd love to see in the new crossover.
Another Bat-character besides Batwoman
Seriously, even if Bruce Wayne himself doesn't appear, there's plenty of characters who could. Barbara Gordon could, even if that's a long shot. Stephanie Brown and Tim Drake could be more likely for an appearance. It'd be a shame if Ruby Rose's Batwoman is the only BAt-family member we see.
The Justice League form
That's basically happened in every crossover, but the team has never officially been named. Nora West-Allen, however, mentioned that there's some sort of team in the future called "The League". It seems likely, as Superman, Supergirl, Flash, Green Arrow, Batwoman and several others will be united in the crossover. Since the JLA's film career isn't going well, it'd make sense for the team to form on the small screen.
Anti-Monitor cameo
The Monitor is here, so that means the Anti-Monitor can't be far behind. I could see the Anti-Monitor briefly appearing at the end as a sort of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" tease.
Superman/Flash race
We already saw this briefly at the end of Justice League, but it wasn't all that much. I'd love to see an extended version of that, just with the CW versions of the characters.
Earth-1 and Earth-38 get merged
This makes sense. It's time for Supergirl and Superman to be a part of the same earth as Flash and Green Arrow. That way, full crossovers can happen more often and easily.
Alternate versions of heroes we know
That'd really be something. We saw alternate versions of Green Arrow and Supergirl in "Crisis on Earth-X", and hopefully we'll see even more. We're already seeing 90s Flash (Probably Jay Garrick) so why can't we see anyone else. Maybe we could finally see Earth-1's Superman and Supergirl. Maybe we could see the Earth-2 Robert Queen version of Green Arrow. Who knows?
The DCEU has sucked for the most part, and it's a shame.
Sure, Aquaman's reviews are pretty good, but other than that, Wonder Woman and most of Man of Steel, the DCEU has been a total failure. Here's every bad decision that doomed it.
Hiring Zack Snyder
Seriously, there's a million other directors out there who'd make a much better superhero film than Zack Snyder. He's overall not a bad director, but he was a terrible choice to make a superhero movie universe. They should have gone with someone more experienced or passionate about comic books and superhero films.
Making "Man of Steel" an origin story
Honestly, we've seen Krypton blow up enough times - on both movies and TV - to know what it's like. Instead of making Man of Steel an origin film, it should have picked up a few years after Kal-El/Clark Kent moved to Metropolis and became active as Superman. It honestly would have made more sense, and allowed the film to be better overall by not wasting so much time on flashbacks and origins.
Going "dark and gritty"
While certain DC heroes, such as Batman, are made for the dark shadows of a cinematic universe, others...not so much. An ideal cinematic universe shouldn't conform to one tone, and the MCU is an example of that. The MCU has comedies such as Thor: Ragnarok and more serious films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier. DC was just going all grim-dark, and it was kinda dumb.
No TV Connection
Now, I'm not even saying that the Arrowverse and DCEU should have been one in the same, even if that would have been cool. I'm saying that the DCEU should have had a presence of some kind on the small screen as well as the big screen. A Nightwing or live-action Teen Titans show would be my first choice, but there's plenty of other, lesser-known heroes who'd be well-suited for a DCEU-set series.
Gaps in between movies
Look, if DC wants to compete with Marvel, they've gotta be prolific. That means that, before the Justice League movie or even BVS, we should have had at least a solo Batman flick and the Wonder Woman movie, and maybe even a Man of Steel sequel and/or a Flash movie. Speaking of BVS...
Making "Batman vs Superman"
Look, Batman and Superman are not enemies. Sure, they've had their differences in the past, but they're friends underneath it all. A Batman/Superman movie should have been a team-up film, used to set up the Justice League.
Making Batman old
Look, I could live with Batman being in his mid-to-late-30s at his introduction. But 43? Seriously, that was a major misfire. I'd rather have a Batman at the midpoint in his career, rather than the "I'm getting too old for this" Bat-fleck that we wound up getting.
Casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
Oh, this was just plain awful. How the young, awkward dude who played Mark Zuckerberg got cast as one of DC's most iconic villains is beyond me. I don't even have to explain why his casting was an awful idea.
Making a "Suicide Squad" movie before Justice League
It's not even that Suicide Squad was a bad movie (even if it was), it's that it was horribly ill-timed. The whole idea was very rushed and didn't make a lot of sense. They should have developed the idea more, and let the heroes be heroes before letting the villains be heroes.
Casting Jared Leto as The Joker
As with Eisenberg, I don't even have to explain why this was a bad idea.
Making Steppenwolf the villain of Justice League
Steppenwolf is just...not meant to carry a movie. He should show up, but along with Darkseid rather than before him. There's plenty of villains that would have been good for a Justice League movie: Brainiac, Vandal Savage, Maxwell Lord or even Doctor Destiny would have been a nice choice. Steppenwolf was nothing but a badly-rendered CGI mess.
Other casting choices
While Will Smith was good as Deadshot, he deserved more than such a small role. Ezra Miller was painfully awkward as Flash, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg performance was nothing but robotic. While Affleck wasn't a bad choice, he certainly is a little old to be playing an ideal Batman.
Leaving Green Lantern out
Green Lantern, while also not appearing in Justice League, has barely even been referenced outside of Carol Ferris' Man of Steel cameo, and the ancient Green Lantern's brief appearance in the Justice League flashback. Justice League, overall, didn't have enough characters, and the characters that they did use weren't used right. They should have at least added Hal Jordan, if not John Stewart and Martian Manhunter to spice things up even more.
Greenlighting Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie
I'm not saying "Joker" will be a bad film. In fact, I think it has the potential to be great. However, it's still a stupid idea. A Joker movie without Batman is like a Venom movie without Spider-Man: it just won't make sense.
Letting go of Henry Cavill
We don't know why Henry Cavill is gone, but it's likely not his fault. It's truly a shame, because he was the best possible Superman out there besides maybe Tyler Hoechlin.
Putting all Superman-related projects on hold
This might just be their worst decision yet. Instead of pulling the plug on DC's most iconic hero, they should have just recast him and moved on with any future Superman projects. Because, honestly, what the DCEU needs is more Superman.
I've been looking forward to this crossover since before the title was even announced. So, here's my analysis/reaction to this awesome trailer for "Elseworlds".
So, first of all, we see that The Monitor is definitely an antagonist in this situation, and is in fact responsible for John Deegan/Dr. Destiny gaining the ability to rewrite reality. This causes the realities of Supergirl, Flash and Arrow to be altered and possibly fused. Barry and Oliver switch bodies and lives, and Supergirl is imprisoned in the STAR Labs pipeline. Not to mention that her cousin, Superman, is suddenly evil. Also, this "90s Flash" appears to just be Jay Garrick of Earth-3, wearing a cool new suit. No sign of the Smallville characters anywhere, so it's likely that Amell was just having wine club with Welling and Rosenbaum.
The reason for reality being rewritten is unknown, though it likely has something to do with the anti-monitor. Another thing I noticed is that the symbols within that book The Monitor gave to Dr. Destiny strongly resemble the symbols Barry Allen wrote when he came out of the speed-force at the beginning of Flash season four. Also, I really think the Justice League, which could include Flash, Green Arrow, Superman, Supergirl, Batwoman and others, will form here, as Nora hinted at it.
Honestly, there hasn't been an episode that good since season two.
"The Icicle Cometh" had honestly everything that I want in a Flash episode: intrigue, humor and deep drama. The mystery surrounding Caitlin's father was gripping, and the episode was paced more evenly than it has in a while. Also, the buddy-humor with Ralph and Cecile was great. And in addition to all that, it was great to see more of Cicada. And on top of that, Cisco was finally funny again. "My face just went full Weeknd!"
Now, I'm not saying all these characters need to appear in the MOVIES.
Some of them, I feel, should get a Disney+ show instead, but all of these heroes, I feel, absolutely need to appear before Phase 5 of the MCU. Here they are.
Wolverine and the X-Men
Remember what I said about some heroes staying out of the movies? Well, the X-Men are some of them.
However, they absolutely need a Disney show, and they're perfect for it. I feel like the show should explain their origins and build them up during Phase 4 before fully throwing them into the films in Phase 4, in some sort of Avengers/X-Men crossover event.
Nova
If the MCU wants to be as "cosmic-focused" as they say they will be, Nova is absolutely essential. He at least deserves a role in a film, if not a show or movie himself. He's one of the MCU's most underrated heroes, and he deserves the spotlight.
Captain Britain
A Captain Britain/Black Knight movie is rumored to be in development, and I honestly hope the rumors are true. A "Captain Britain" film would allow the MCU to foster its worldwide fanbase, and allow one of its most underrated characters to truly shine. However, I'd also love to see him in a Disney+ show or a future Avengers movie.
She-Hulk
She-Hulk's movie rights are complicated and mixed up with Universal, but Marvel could easily un-complicate them. Once they do that, I'd love to see She-Hulk get a Disney show and/or appear in a future "Avengers" installment. She's never been seen on the big or small screens, and it'd be a shame if we never saw her.
Namor
Marvel Studios has confirmed they will use Namor, and there's plenty of places he could pop up: a solo movie, a Disney show, Black Panther 2 or even a Fantastic Four reboot. Hopefull, he appears sooner rather than later, because he's a truly intriguing character, both as a hero and as a villain/antihero.
TheFantastic Four
Marvel's First Family would be equally cut-out for a movie or a show. However, I'd particularly love to see them in a film because all the Fantastic Four movies made as of yet have been crap. An actually good, comic-faithful Fantastic Four film would be a real treat to see in Phase Four, and they'd be easy to incorporate.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is probably the most underrated hero in comic-book history. He's almost like what would happen if you fused Batman and Daredevil with Doctor Strange, and it's clear to see why he's a cult-favorite among dedicated Marvel fans. A Moon Knight movie or show would be awesome, to say the least.
Blade
Blade might be better off as a TV series, as he's more violent than most Marvel heroes. "Blade" would make a good HBO show, as it would allow the character to be as brutal as possible, and therefore result in a higher-quality show. If they do make a movie about him, it could be a chance for Marvel to make its first R-Rated movie.
Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer was butchered in Fantastic Four 2, and it's truly a shame. He's a great, intriguing character who's more complex than he seems. A movie about Silver Surfer - or perhaps a Fantastic Four movie featuring him - would be an awesome idea, especially if the MCU is gonna be "cosmic-focused" for the time being.
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman is already rumored for Spider-Man: Far From Home, and I hope the rumors are true. She is truly a great heroine, and both the original Private Investigator version and the gender-swapped clone from Ultimate Spider-Man would fit into the MCU well.
Adam Warlock
He seems like a given, due to already being referenced at the end of Guardians 2, as well as his all-but-confirmed involvement in Guardians 3. He'd do well as an antagonist or a hero, and it'd be interesting to see how he interacts with his evil half, the Magus.
The TV/Netflix Heroes
With the shows ending, it'd be sad to see Luke Cage, Daredevil, The Punisher and even Iron Fist go for good. Cage and/or Daredevil could easily join the Avengers, or perhaps appear in a future "Spider-Man" movie.
As for the Agents of SHIELD heroes, they'd also be welcome on the big screen. Mockingbird is rumored to have a supporting role in "Black Widow", and I'd love to see her join the Avengers. Quake and/or Deathlok would also be welcome on the big screen, as they're fan-favorites and important in the comics.
In addition, I'd love to see at least one "Inhumans" character get a second shot. The Inhumans are more important than you'd think. I'd want to see Black Bolt in an Illuminati film, or perhaps see Crystal join the Avengers.
Honorable Mention: Venom
Venom, as of now, is part of Sony's Marvel Universe, which will unfortunately keep growing unless it fails, which it hasn't. However, Sony has made it clear that, if Marvel wants, Venom 2 can fit into the MCU. However, I feel like Marvel should just make a deal with Sony to use their own version of Venom as part of the O.G. Marvel Cinematic Universe. It'd be a shame if Tom Holland's Spidey never got to fight his true archenemy.
I've been reading them since I was eight years old, and still am today. I love comics because they're like their own universe, showing us a world with heroes and villains and all sorts of different things. But something, for the past two years, has been working its way through the comic-book industry and hurting it from the inside out. That something is political correctness. Here's how it's been ruining comics.
Forced diversity
Now, I usually like diversity in movies, comics and such. I think it's cool to have characters of different races or the opposite gender. A good example of a comic series with diversity is the early-70s "X-Men" revival. That series had tons of great, diverse characters. However, the way comic books have been trying to do diversity is ruining it. Instead of actually developing original heroes of different races, religions, etc. they've been just throwing in random characters, and in some cases killing off a major character and attempting to replace them with a woman or person of color. The people doing this clearly have no respect for the reader's intelligence.
An overwhelming liberal/feminist/elitist agenda
(And yes, that is an actual panel from an actual comic.)
Seriously, this is getting overwhelming. I mean, just look at Captain Marvel right now, okay? That haircut practically screams "Feminazi", and I bet I'd get my ass kicked if I disagreed with her on anything. But that's not even it. In tons of comics, I see tons of crap such as college-aged heroes defending their "safe-space" or Sam Wilson's Captain America punching old Steve Rogers in the same way Steve himself punched Hitler on the cover of that iconic comic book. In what way is that okay? It's not! Comic books have absorbed the ultra-leftist agenda of Hollywood and incorporated that into their stories in a way that just isn't cool at all. Social commentary, like diversity, can be good, but when it's completely shoved in our faces like a turd pie, it's cringeworthy to the max.
Story and plot take a backseat to sending a "message"
This is the same problem I mentioned earlier. Comics are supposed to tell a story and entertain us, but that's hard when half the comics around have an overwhelming political agenda. I couldn't care less what some writer thinks about politics; if he wants to share it, he should use Facebook. But putting it in a comic is basically unfair to anyone who disagrees with him.
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