Power Ranger Short Film, a Rated R Film?"

I'm sure many of you have seen this fan film of the Power Rangers. There are a lot of opinions about this film. There are some actual actors of Power Rangers themselves who have stated their opinion, some good and some bad. Now I'm going to give my David Effect opinion about the short film. Plus there is talk of the actual reboot project getting an R rating. I'll give my view on that soon.



The Short Film:

Right out the gate, I'm going to say I liked this film. It gave the cheesy franchise a different look. The concept of one of the Rangers wasn't happy with the end result and turned on them. I like that, it gave a realistic view that not everyone has accepted the heavy responsibility. Reminds me of Man of Steel, which is probably why I liked it. The twist at the end was really good too. I wish there was more morphing in it, but it was just a short film. The scenes with Zack were really cool. Now, yes this film was darker than I would have done it. I mean, it got really dark. I know this is Power Rangers, but even in this world, there is an ugly side of war. So I get where they went with this. Should the reboot be this dark? I don't think it should. Should it be rated R? I'll get to that.



A Rated R Film?

We already know my view on rated R films from my previous post. In case you humans haven't read it, here you go. It doesn't need it. All an R rating would do is give them more of a reason to make it gory and unnecessarily violent with a lot of man cheeks and boobs. We don't need that, especially in a Power Ranger movie. I think it should be Starship Troopers meets Man of Steel meet Guardians of the Galaxy. GOTG had a good balance of action, comedy and seriousness. It can be done, you'll just need to right kind of people, writer and director........like me! Not that I'm a director or anything, but I know what this reboot needs.

Spiderman in the MCU, it's about time!!

This announcement doesn't come as a shock to me. There was a reveal during the whole Sony being hacked situation that Sony was in discussions with Marvel Studios for adding Spiderman to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For those who know me, this has been a discussion I've had since Sam Raimi Spiderman. I knew this would happen eventually. I mean the MCU works and it would make sense that Spidey would show up, I mean he worked with everybody in the 616. So if this works, we could possibly have FOX follow suit. What could this mean for us as fans? I'm glad you asked, ha!



Secret Wars:

Now if you're like some of my friends you'll ask, "Which one?" And in all honesty, I'll just say either or all of them. It doesn't matter. This would just open the door for the biggest crossover to walk the planet. I could see this being three movies, it would be great. You'll get to see Hulk do squats with a mountain, yeah!!!




Secret Invasion:

This would actually fit perfectly into the cinematic universe. This took place during and after Civil War. So this would fit right in. This would be a good way to introduce the Skrull into the MCU and possibly more Kree after the Captain Marvel movie. Possibilities humans, think outside of the box!





House of M:

I sing the praises of this story pretty often. It's just a good story. With the introduction of the twins in Age of Ultron. This could also be a good opportunity to bring the X-Men into the MCU with this concept. I mean think about it. House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion are actually all connected. This is a gold mine here guys. It'll even give the spotlight to some characters we haven't seen yet, like a real Gambit, Cloak and Dagger, Wonder Man and so many more Marvel characters.





Dark Phoenix Saga/The Trial of Jean Grey:

Now I know you'll say that this is an X-Men thing, However, Dark Phoenix affected everybody. So much that when young Jean Grey came from the past. It raised a red flag to the Avengers and many others. Hence the Trial of Jean Grey story arc. So this opens a large opportunity. With the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, space travel and aliens will no longer be an issue.





Onslaught:

There are so many reasons the Marvel Universe almost died. And Onslaught is one major reason why. I know this is also a X-Men issue, but it affected the entire universe. This is a situation where the good and bad of Marvel had to band together to save......everything!!


I know this is just speculation. However, if Spiderman being integrated into the MCU works. This can open up so many possibilities. I'm getting goofy with what could happen. What ideas do you guys have? Give it to me humans!!!

Supergirl on CBS, will it work?

DC along with CBS has greenlit the creation of a Supegirl series. DC is getting is down with their tv line up. However, will it be a Smallville or a Lois and Clark clone? I don't think it will, They're looking for a mature show that fits along with The Good Wife, Extant and many others that have similar atmosphere.  But will it work? It might, for a couple of reasons.

Not Their First Rodeo:

CBS has proved they could do super powered shows. From The Flash in 1990 to The Hulk in 1978. Now granted The Flash only lasted a season. However, I considered that show a success, it gave us more that just the DC Trinity (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman). It also showed that DC had more characters to put out there for us to enjoy. The Hulk gave us 4 years of success. Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno gave us the serious struggle of being a monster. So if anyone can pull it off, CBS can.

New Villains:

 

There are so many villains that Supergirl actually deals with. From Lucy Lane, Bizarro Supergirl to Worldkillers and Silver Banshee. It will give us something different from the usual Luthor, Zod and Doomsday mess. I hope they don't  put too much Kryptonite all over this show, we don't need another Smallville.

It's Not Superman:

I know Kal plays an important part in Kara's life. However, in this story it's not about the Last Son of Krypton, it's about the Last Daughter. I hope they will focus on her life and her life only. There's nothing wrong with cameos or references. It's a smart way to acknowledge and to pay homage to the universe that she belongs to. However, we need to leave her alone. We don't need Batman or Wonder Woman or any of the normal JLA to appear on this. This show is an opportunity to bring in the B, C, D list of heroes and villains. Arrow got it right, The Flash got it right. even Gotham is doing a good job. Follow their example......please!!!!!

Share the Wealth

When we think of characters like Superman, Batman and even Wolverine. We think of their rivals, nemesis, opposition. People like Lex Luthor, Joker and Sabertooth. And with Joker appearing in Suicide Squad and Luthor showing up in Dawn of Justice it makes sense......right? I mean these are staple characters, it's almost expected for them to show up. The problem is, they're always there, they're always the antagonist. There are plenty of other villains for them to face. Let's name a few.

Superman's Rogues List:

Mongul:

The ruler of War World is a great candidate for Superman to throw down with. He's just as strong the Kryptonian and even more maniacal than Luthor. This would definitely bring forth more alien villains into the Superman franchise.

Metallo:

John Corben is another good idea. Kryptonite hasn't been introduced into the franchise yet. This would be a good way to do so. Kryptonite is Metallo's heart, his means of living and is Superman's weakness. It's almost poetic.....almost.

Brainiac:

Either the alien or the Kryptonian computer, it doesn't matter to me. He would also be an awesome choice. He is DC's answer to Marvel's Ultron. Definitely a good thorn in Superman's side. More than Lex has been in recent media.

Batman's Rogue Gallery:

Red Hood:

Jason Todd is the best there was and the best there will be. I still think Timothy Drake is a better Robin. But we're not getting into that right now. He's a great idea for Batman. He was a Robin, he knows Batman better than he knows himself. He's very capable and got some swag.

Bane:

Now when I say Bane. I mean a legit Bane. I mean Cuban Bane. Knightfall Bane who was intelligent and capable of throwing down with......anybody. If you humans doubt the legit of this character. Read Batman: Knightfall and No Man's Land. You get to see how Bane really is.

Deathstroke:

I'm not going to lie. Arrow did a good job portraying Slade. He's been getting a lot of good press recently. And that's a good thing. He looked great in Injustice and in Origins. I think he needs a silver screen debut, it would be epic. Slade Wilson is if Batman and Captain America had a baby. Gross I know but think about it. He has all of their strengths....all of them. Accompanied by Black Mask, it would make for a a great film.

Think about it DC......do it!! You know you want to. Fox has it dialed in with X-Men: First Class and Days of Future Past. You know you could do better than Fox, come on! 

Does an "R" rating make it a better film?

With the reveal of the Suicide Squad cast and the double confirm of Ryan Reynolds returning to play the Merc with the Mouth. Many felt that these films should be rated R. This rating would make these films so much better. However, would it really make it better? I can simply say no, but would that be a me thing to do? Here's why I say so.


What rated R really means:

Let's be real, the rating is really just a boundary for the writers and directors of the filming industry. Most of the time they will get as close to that boundary before a PG-13 becomes R and before R becomes NC-17. However, it doesn't necessarily mean the content will be worthwhile let alone good. So why fill a movie with unnecessary gore, violence, language and nudity? That doesn't make a film.


Consider Your Audience:

I said this before in a previous blog. These movies are made obviously for thousands to millions of comic book fans. It's also however for the millions to billions who aren't. If these films were made with all the crazy content that only comic readers like myself would only understand. Then the other demographic will not be interested and will not give it a shot. This is a industry where they want to make money. So they'll make sure these films will get everyone else not just us.


Things we don't need to see:

Just because these characters have done it doesn't mean we need to see it. Here's an example, Assault on Arkham is a animated film based on the Suicide Squad. There's a scene where Harley encounters Joker. He made it very clear that he physically abused her. He referenced her bruises healed up nicely. Their volatile relationship was made clear without having to see Joker putting his hands on her. Our imagination is really good, things can be implied and our minds can take us there. We don't need everything to be  shown to us in order to understand the situation.


R isn't better:

The Punisher:

When The Punisher starring Thomas Jane came out in 2004. Even though it was R, people hated this film because it wasn't as violent as the comics. If anyone ever read Punisher comics, it can get pretty rough. Apparently this movie didn't have that level of content and many weren't happy.

The Punisher: Warzone

This movie came four years later. Ray Stevenson looked good as old man Castle. This film is R as well and had all the content people were asking for. This is the Punisher everyone wanted and it bombed! Everyone was so unhappy with this film. So it shows that making it R and giving it crazy content doesn't make it a solid film, Warzone proved it along with many others.


Characters That Didn't Need to Go All The Way:

Wolverine:

In the comics, Wolverine is killing.....everything. I mean he cut Silver Samurai's hand off and then gave it back to him. That's the kind of man you get when  you read the comics. However, in the movies, when he slashed through folks, you know that person is dead. You didn't need to see limbs flung about everywhere and liters of blood on the floor to know he's dangerous. And let's keep in mind that you see plenty of Hugh Jackman cheeks in these films and they're PG-13. Just remember that when you're asking for an R rated film.

Joker:

Nobody is more volatile and unpredictable then the Clown Prince of Crime. I mean Joker is a very rough character. In the comics he had done things like skin a man, cut his own face off and other crazy things. However, in the movies, you didn't have to see all the stuff he was doing. When he cut Gamble's face in The Dark Knight, you knew it happened, you didn't have to see it. This was even true with Nicholson's Joker, you didn't have to see him spray acid on his girlfriend to know it happened.

The Incredibles:

Here's the thing about this film. Folks died in this movie. However, its just a fleeting thing in the movie, we didn't focus on it. No gore, no language, no nudity. Just a good solid comic book action movie with great characters and story. Now yes, it is a Pixar film. It still shows that it can be good without doing something crazy with the content.

Movies can be great or horrible regardless of the rating. However, adding more content doesn't make it better. Sometimes, less is more in a film. At the same time a bare bones movie isn't great either. Let's keep in mind that an f-bomb, extra blood splatter and an exposed nipple doesn't make a movie great. I hope the guys who write these films consider the characters' foundation are more important rather the mayhem they can unleash. We may like what these guys can do, but we also like what these characters are about, substance people, substance!

Who I Would Be

Every universe has characters I would love to be for various reasons. So here are my choices in each universe.




Marvel Universe:

Falcon:

I would love to be Sam Wilson. One, he's a Wilson, I'm a Wilson. I already have that covered. Two, he is one of the few people who were Captain America's official partner. And actually had the mantle of Captain America passed to him. That's a triple yes for me.


The Patriot:

Both of my characters are connected to Cap......huh. I would love to be Elijah. I mean his grandfather was the first black Captain America. Then he gets the privilege of using Cap's old shield and now has powers similar to his.



DC Universe:

Mr. Terrific:

I would love to be this guy. He's rich, smart and physically capable of taking folks to town. And you gotta love that jacket and the orbs. New 52 version looks ok, I prefer this version.


John Stewart:

I would love to be a Green Lantern. The way my imagination works, I would be unstoppable.



Top Cow:

Ian Nottingham:

Other than his obsession with Sara. Ian is an awesome martial artist/ninja guy. He also can be accepted by the Witchblade which is really cool. And he's ripped, really ripped.


The Darkness:

I love me some Jackie Estacado. Before they made him super serious, he was always making me laugh. I love his powers. They are based on the shadows of darkness. His darklings are also based on his personality. I want little minions based on my personality, it would great and loud.



Benoist:

This dude is major cool. He's a cyborg pit fighter. A tech engineer, one of the experts in his field. And he acts like a typical.....me, ha!

My Favorites of All Time!!

As I walk through this crazy world, I will continue place things on my list of favorites. I think we all will. From movie to music, from food to colors our favorite list will expand. Our all time favorite however, is exclusive to the things we favor over all. These are the things we argue over, show unconditional loyalty to and will support almost no matter what. So here are my all time favorites. I'm sure you won't agree, but their my favorites, so face!!!



Favorite Movie: Man of Steel

I really love this movie. Zack Snyder's take of the iconic hero is really good. One thing DC does different than Marvel is that they automatically accept most of the super powered heroes in their universe. I like how Man of Steel did the opposite of that. A little realism in a fantasy world.




Favorite Videogame: Mass Effect

I have and still play this game. Everything about it like, a lot. From the custom character to the moral choices you man, I love it. I can't wait for the fourth installment to come out so I can play that one on the constant.



Favorite Anime: Dragonball Z

Just saw the most recent DBZ movie and loved it. It reminds me about everything I liked about Dragonball Z. Goku is and will always be my favorite character. I can't wait for the next movie they do.



Favorite Marvel Character: Wolverine

James Howlett a.k.a. Logan is currently dead now. However, in his early days, he was pretty awesome. I loved the mystery of the character's past and everything. Now yes, they've elaborated more on that in recent issues, but he's still cool. Marvel will bring him back, and when they do, he's going to be.......wow.




Favorite DC Character: Robin

Now this is Timothy Drake humans and yes this is his Red Robin gear. However, I personally think he was the best Robin. Batman admitted he would become a better detective than him. He was a better leader of the Titans. I think he should have taken over the mantle of Batman in the Battle for the Cowl story.




Favorite Martial Artist: Bruce Lee

Now there are many good martial artists out there. However, I was raised on Bruce Lee. Chinese Connection is still my favorite movie. This man had revolutionized the martial art world and the film industry in one move. Pretty awesome guy.




Favorite Artist: Michael Turner

Will always be my favorite. I met him when he was fighting cancer.....again. He was a very nice man and loved his fans. His artwork always spoke to me. He's on a short list of people who continue to inspire to write. I appreciate his work and his friends who continue his legacy.




Favorite Book: Ender's Game

Now I never seen the movie, but I know this book. Orson Scott Card is a genius. This is more than just a science fiction novel. There were so man layers to this story, it's one of the greatest.