Friday, July 9, 2010

Apocalypse Thoughts - What Shouldn't Be In The Movie


With the DCU movie Superman/Batman:Apocalypse (based on the new Supergirl origin story by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner) scheduled for a September release, I figured it was time to take a look back at the original arc from Superman/Batman #8-13.

In particular, I figured I would reread the story and see what I hope will be in the movie but more importantly what I hope won't be in the movie.

I tend to be a curmudgeon, so I figured I would do the 'what shouldn't be in the movie' post first.

As always, I would love to hear what everyone thinks. I bet there is stuff that irked other people. And I promise, there will be a 'what should be in the movie' post so we can celebrate the strong parts of the story.

So in the order in which they appeared in the story, here are the top 5 things I hope I don't see.


1) Naked Kara - Didn't it just seem gratuitous? I never understood why Kara had to be in her birthday suit in her spaceship. But because of that, we got to see some peekaboo shots of her throughout the first issue of the arc as she emerges from the water, wanders around Gotham, and awakens in the Batcave. I really really hope to not be subjected to this sort of stuff in the movie.

Luckily, from a comic point of view, this was retconned when Gates/Igle showed Kara's "real" escape from Argo City.

2) Batman's trust issues - I understand that Batman is paranoid and that he wouldn't automatically assume Supergirl was who she claimed to be or accept her into his life. But this storyline went a little overboard. He didn't believe her. He thought she was dangerous. He grilled her with questions, interrogating her. He wondered if the message sent with Supergirl to Earth said she would bring trouble to the world rather than be a treasure to it. Even after some time interacting with her, he simply didn't believe she was who she said she was. It felt overdone in many places.

I won't mind this in a small dose because it makes sense. But let's not have it permeate the plot like it did in the comics.


3) Thong straps - I suppose this is similar to #1, but I hope that I don't get an eyeful of Supergirl's underwear in the movie. In the comic, they say Lois bought her this outfit ... Lois! And how can Clark just calmly walk beside her. If that was my little cousin, I'd be pretty uncomfortable. Does that make me too old-fashioned?

Anyways, keep the hip-hugger jeans if you must, but let's not see the thong straps.


4) The death of Harbinger - Not many current fans know or understand who Harbinger is, let alone the casual fan who might pick up the movie. I don't think she is a known enough character to even introduce in the movie. from a dramatic perspective, there will be no emotional punch gained from her death if people have no prior understanding of who she is.

I like Harbinger. But I hope she isn't in this movie at all.


5) Superman's speech as he fights Darkseid for the last time - I was cringing when I read this speech the first time and I still cringe when I re-read it. Is Superman really going on and on and on with Darkseid about the majesty of a home run? The thrill of being asked to the prom? The joy of slow dancing. Do you think Darkseid has an inkling about what any of that means?

And even if he did ... would you ever talk about going to the prom while you slug it out with Darkseid? Ever?

(cringing)

While in some other instance Superman might actually say that speech, it just doesn't work here.

And now a bonus ...

What I fear won't be in the movie.

1) Wonder Woman and Paradise Island - I hope it isn't true. I hope I'm wrong. I would love to see Wonder Woman in this movie. But when the voice of Wonder Woman wasn't announced and when she and the Amazons weren't mentioned at all in any of the promotional material, I wonder if Diana is simply being written out.

The movie could work if Batman trains Supergirl (as opposed to training happening on Paradise Island - and the text says 'Batman takes her under his wing'). I assume that Barda and the Female Furies will remain in the movie since the New Gods are all over the Blu-Ray release promo. Maybe adding Wonder Woman and Paradise Island would be too much for this; keeping to that rigid 75 minute run time might not work if the Amazons play as big a role as they did in the book.

I really hope that I am wrong. I liked how the Trinity were all involved in Supergirl's origin.

I guess we'll find out in September.

20 comments:

Nikki said...

Wonder Woman and Barda are in it, they are in the promo poster posted at world's finest. The army of rampaging doomsdays are also in it.

I hope Harbinger is in it. It can be done on multiple levels, for the average viewer she is Kara's first friend.

Anonymous said...

The thong and the nudity and the genre "Kara as a Sailor Scout" style I can do without. I actually don't mind Superman's speech to Darkseid since it reveals something of his inherent idealism something he struggles to communicate to his cousin...or he ought to in a well run world.
Frankly though, I can do without the notion that Wonderrrr Womannn is the President-for-Life-of-All-Superheroines with full authority to shanghai Supergirl to PI for "training". it was a presumptuous and arrogant move IMHO two things I don't think should be associated with Wonder Woman. If Superman dragged Donna Troy off to the Fortress for "training" Themiscyra would go to war bet on it.
Frankly I can do without Superman's deference to Bruce and Diana they are both prima donnas in their own way, it'd be a lot healthier for the DCU if he told them to back off a little more often.
Even better if Supergirl told them to "back off"...

John Feer

Gene said...

I too can do without naked Kara. Loeb and Turner explained how they wanted her arrival on Earth to be similar to Superman's, completely naked. I don't have to be the father of a daughter, or a father at all to be creeped out by an underage girl running around nude in Gotham.

Thong straps, Lois what were you thinking? Good thing a cop did not stop them while they were in the park. "No officer, she is my cousin..."

I wouldn't mind if Harbinger is in the movie. Her death would add more emotional depth to the movie because like Nikki said, she is Kara's first friend.

Wonder Woman in the movie is a double-edged sword. While I am glad that she will be in the movie, her introduction in the comic was written for shock value at the expense of her character. I agree with John Feer that Diana kidnapping Kara was unnecessary. So I hope how Wonder Woman was originally introduced in the comic WILL NOT be in the movie.

Unknown said...

I saw the trailer before it was taken down, I think we'll see Kara mostly as 'evil' Kara and only as Supergirl at the end of the movie. The Doomsday army appears and that happens on Paradise Island.

I don't think there won't be as much 'fan service' as int he comic, that is very related to the artist of the comic.

Nikki said...

I think we can expect them to arrive on Apokolips 3/4 of the way in. I hope the focus on Darkseid is to allure the young boy demographic and that it will stick to the basic story. That is the problem, they are going after young boys and the comic audience want the origin of Supergirl. I worry that there won't be the character moments we want because it moves from action set piece to piece very quickly.

Unknown said...

On the trailer, I saw clips of: the meteor crashing on Earth, Superman vs Darkseid, Superman vs evil Kara, some clips of Batman, the Doomsday army too.

It is a Superman/Batman film, I honestly don't expect as much on-screen of Kara as Supergirl as in the comic.

Hope that changes in a next release.

Adam Smasher said...

Me? I’m all about the gratuitous nudity. In fact this entire film would be better if everyone ran around starkers.

Jason said...

Amen to the doing without of naked Kara and the thong straps!!! I've always thought those scenes from that first story arc were just so wholly inappropriate.

valerie21601 said...

IF...IF they insist on doing the Kara nude scenes then to as the old saying goes, "What's good for the geese is good for the gander."

Then they should have at least one, male with a hot body running around nude in the story too. For an equal amount of time to equal it out for us women.

But no, I am sure that would never happen. While the men involved with Kara running around nude in Gotham and later exposing their thongs in public. Most likely would never allow a full grown, handsome, man to run around nude in their story.

Manu said...

When I read the comic, I thought the naked sequence at the beginning was a kind of a wink reference to Terminator III and Kristana Loken....

Anj said...

I hope Harbinger is in it. It can be done on multiple levels, for the average viewer she is Kara's first friend.

I suppose that they don't need to go into all of her back story for it to work.

I like the character of Harbinger a lot.

Anj said...

it was a presumptuous and arrogant move IMHO two things I don't think should be associated with Wonder Woman. If Superman dragged Donna Troy off to the Fortress for "training" Themiscyra would go to war bet on it.

Good point.

I think it was handled all wrong ... sort of a kidnapping. Diana could have asked.

Anj said...

So I hope how Wonder Woman was originally introduced in the comic WILL NOT be in the movie.

I wonder just how it will play out.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, I think the Amazonian training will play in the movie:

see part 00:53 in the trailer, there's some snippets of Evil Kara in there,too. But she doesn't have a speaking part yet.

http://www.comicvine.com/supermanbatman-apocalypse-trailer/112-1016/

-ealperin

TalOs said...

I'd love for 'em to just ditch the whole Kara emerging totally nude out of Gotham Harbour's water in favour of her just flying out at super speed already dressed in her Supergirl costume as a nice homage to her arrival on Earth in her '84 movie instead! B-D

Also, please, NO sign of a peeking thong on a mere 16 year old either thanks.

Man I just can't wait for this Sep!!! B-D

valerie21601 said...

Also, please, NO sign of a peeking thong on a mere 16 year old either thanks.


I agree with you there Talos it be like the guys who walk around with their butts hanging out and their briefs or boxers showing on purpose. Too often way too much is showing on these guys.

If they insist on it then they have better have at least one super hero guy running around wearing a speedo to help even it out.

But most likely not going to happen, as they would most likely call it exploitation of men while a girl with a thong is called hot.

TalOs said...

Oh I'm all for 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander' yet when it comes to matters of sexual "cheesecake" nature themes come depictions of both male and female I strongly believe that that should only be used on proper young men and women (i.e. 21 up) and definitely not "tweens" or teens.

Diabolu Frank said...

So that's where Harbinger died! I've been wondering about that since she turned up in R.E.B.E.L.S., but never pursued the matter.

valerie21601 said...

Oh I'm all for 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander' yet when it comes to matters of sexual "cheesecake" nature themes come depictions of both male and female I strongly believe that that should only be used on proper young men and women (i.e. 21 up) and definitely not "tweens" or teens.


I totally agree with you TalOs about the age part.

Darkseid said...

I like how this article is pretty much wrong in everything. Also the movie is great. Most of the stuff in the comics, made it to the movie, there's an epic fight and we don't get to hear Superman stupid list of must-do stuff in your life as a teenager girl. (which is really odd he knows in such in detail).