Kevin's Watch

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:24 pm**

I read about the backlash against Rotten Tomatoes and I was surprised. As pointed out RT simply aggregates the responses from critics. They have no influence other than they report the results. They also publish links to every single review so the consumer can judge for themselves.

I disagree with critics from time to time but for the most part, whether I agree or not, I take the time to read and evaluate the specific criticisms of films and I have to admit most of the time they have a point. I don't believe in some underhanded conspiracy by critics across the globe secretly agreeing as an industry to give DC films bad reviews and give Disney films good ones which was mentioned by more than one person who lodged a complaint.

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:39 pm**

This is a movie where the antagonist is mostly irrelevant. The focus will be on the team members, how they get along with one another, and which ones will actually live to the end. In that regard it is in the same boat Guardians of the Galaxy was--Ronin and Nebula were flat and generic, being in the movie only as a means through which to gather the team.

Truthfully, I do not know why DC movies have typically failed to live up to their expected promise. Without any other information from which to make a more educated guess I would have to conclude that the "vision" team has failed to understand the characters or how to translate "superhero" onto film. It isn't that difficult--superhero characters are now just normal, flawed humans (or sometimes not human but still flawed) who happen to have unnatural gifts or abilities. Start with a good story first and then add powers.

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:47 pm**

Yeah, but .......... Harley Quinn!

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:03 pm**

Do you mean the actual character of Harley, who is the victim of extreme psychological deconstruction and conditioning at the hands of the Joker, or the wild hellion sex kitten she is in the video games? I know which version the fanboiz prefer.

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:53 pm**

Quint reviews SUICIDE SQUAD!!!

[...] the final product feels like a jumble of scenes thrown into a randomizer program and spit out into an Avid. There's very little rhyme or reason to how the story flows, when a flashback is thrown in or what the motivations of the villains are [...]

What I'm left with is a movie that is beautifully shot, impeccably cast and frustratingly incoherent. It has some kind of energy from the character interactions, but the choppy editing can't really sustain it. I would say I'd be happy to see them keep pumping out these movies just to keep revisiting these characters, but I can't really give this one a pass on the strength of Will Smith and Margot Robbie's charisma. They make me want to, believe you me, but the story just doesn't support it, sadly. [link]

Posted: **Thu Aug 04, 2016 12:02 am**

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:Do you mean the actual character of Harley, who is the victim of extreme psychological deconstruction and conditioning at the hands of the Joker, or the wild hellion sex kitten she is in the video games? I know which version the fanboiz prefer.

I just cant stand her. She's always struck me as existing purely for the Joker, and not being relevant on her own.

Posted: **Thu Aug 04, 2016 4:05 pm**

She was indeed originally merely an extension of him; however, there was sufficient design space from which to create an actual character.

Posted: **Fri Aug 05, 2016 1:34 am**

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:She was indeed originally merely an extension of him; however, there was sufficient design space from which to create an actual character.

A shame they failed at making a good one, then.

Posted: **Fri Aug 05, 2016 7:25 am**

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:Do you mean the actual character of Harley, who is the victim of extreme psychological deconstruction and conditioning at the hands of the Joker, or the wild hellion sex kitten she is in the video games? I know which version the fanboiz prefer.

Alas, mine is an entirely shallow and simple type of viewing so I'm guessing I'm entirely in the funboiz camp!

Posted: **Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:37 pm**

Suicide Squad broke two records: largest August weekend opening at $135 million, beating even Guardians of the Galaxy (which went on to be the second-highest grossing movie for 2014), as well as largest August opening day at $62.5 million.

For all the disagreements over whether DC movies are good and whether the fans should be upset with critics for not liking a movie, the only statistic studios consider as a measure of success is ticket sales. By that measure, Suicide Squad will be seen as a success and thus the studios are likely to greenlight a sequel and/or spinoffs. Yes, they will probably make a solo Harley movie, but there will likely be support characters.

Posted: **Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:47 am**

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:

For all the disagreements over whether DC movies are good and whether the fans should be upset with critics for not liking a movie, the only statistic studios consider as a measure of success is ticket sales. By that measure, Suicide Squad will be seen as a success and thus the studios are likely to greenlight a sequel and/or spinoffs. Yes, they will probably make a solo Harley movie, but there will likely be support characters.

There's no accounting for taste.

Posted: **Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:42 am**

Never understand how box office can be a judgement of a films quality. Success yes - but so many reviews say "people must have loved it - the box office take was huge". None of those people springing on the door have seen the film: at best they are a measure of the success or otherwise of the marketing.

Posted: **Wed Aug 10, 2016 6:24 pm**

When will someone see this and just tell us how it is?

Posted: **Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:17 pm**

Everybody's waiting for someone else to take the plunge first!

Posted: **Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:41 pm**

I'll go Friday.

Posted: **Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:12 am**

I went, and I enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect (except for Margot Robbie), but it wasn't the jumbled mess the critics accused it to be. The antagonist was a bit too easily defeated, given her powers, though. The critics are right about performances of Will Smith, Margot, and Jarod; they were great.

Posted: **Mon Aug 15, 2016 1:44 pm**

I still haven't seen SS and am pretty sure when I do it will be on my television. SS took a 67.3% second weekend tumble at the box office but it still managed to hold on to 1st place. Not quite as bad a BvS's 69%.

I sense a pattern here with Warner Brothers in that they have adopted an approach to their films that seem to suggest that as long as they like them and their core fan base likes them they won't be moved by critics or the public at large to change their "good enough" strategy. The truth is they are making money they just aren't earning a lot of respect. I believe they should be aiming for both.

Posted: **Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:59 pm**

I saw it yesterday. I didn't expect much, and didn't get much, so I wasn't disappointed. Robbie is indeed excellent, but there wasn't much else to talk about.

Posted: **Mon Aug 15, 2016 7:43 pm**

aTOMiC wrote:SS took a 67.3% second weekend tumble at the box office but it still managed to hold on to 1st place.

Most recent movies have been suffering from the dramatic second-week drop this summer. We won't have multi-week winners until later this year.

As I noted, Warner Brothers cares only about box office receipts; as long as a movie makes a profit it is considered to be success, even if a majority of critics and moviegoers wind up disliking it. Warner Brothers still has the wrong creative vision team managing their DC movies, I suspect. If WB would listen to me I would tell them to hire Brad Bird and give him anything he wants in order to make DC superhero movies the way he thinks they should be made.

Posted: **Mon Aug 15, 2016 7:52 pm**

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:If WB would listen to me I would tell them to hire Brad Bird and give him anything he wants in order to make DC superhero movies the way he thinks they should be made.

Damn right!