Director Chris Renaud believes the essence of the Despicable Me franchise lies in its animated form. The franchise veteran, who helmed the original installment alongside Pierre Coffin in 2010, opened up about his “personal” thoughts on a live-action remake of the Minions film.
“God, I hope not. That’s my answer,” the 57-year-old filmmaker said when asked about a possible live-action feature of the fictional yellow creatures originated by Illumination Animation and Universal Pictures, per an interview with Film Hounds magazine.
The far-fetched idea of the live-action Minions did not sit well with Renaud as he pointed out that he hasn’t been “privy” to conversations around the live-action future of the franchise, if there’s been any, and is certainly “not very appealing” to him.
He insinuated that the animated world of the Minions presents far greater potential than what could be done in a real-life scenario.
“But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated, and it allows us to get away with what we get away with,” Renaud, who also directed Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, noted. With this, he referenced scenes– where a minion is locked in a vending machine, or Gru emerging alive from an explosion after he attacks Vector– that only seem to work as cartoon ideas.
Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter echoed Renaud’s stance on a live-action remake and hesitantly said the idea itself bothered him in a June interview with Time Magazine. He referenced the 2007 animated film, Ratatouille while explaining how animated ideas do not work in real. Moreover, the idea of remakes does not appeal to him as Docter is mostly fond of making original and unique features.
Chris Renaud’s wide-spanning work in the animation industry ranges from filmmaking and designing to working as a storyboard artist and a voice actor. He teamed up with French animator Pierre Coffin, 57, to build the billion-dollar blockbuster Despicable Me franchise. The latter also serves as the primary voice for the Minions besides his directing duties.
The duo also directed Despicable Me 2 in 2013 before Renaud returned to direct the fourth installment in 2024. He served as the producer for the spinoffs, 2015’s Minions and 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Now, plans for a third sequel for the Minions spinoff are reportedly brewing. In July, Illumination and Universal Pictures announced that Minions 3 is eyeing a scheduled release date of June 30, 2027, and will be helmed by Pierre Coffin. He will be directing from a script by Brian Lynch, whose previous works include The Secret Life of Pets and the 2015 Minions spinoff.
The latest installment, Despicable Me 4, hit theatres on July 5, 2024, and has crossed the billion-dollar mark (USD 5 billion) in global ticket sales, per The Hollywood Reporter. This feat has etched the franchise in the history of animation films.
The Despicable Me franchise primarily follows the journey of the supervillain-turned-loving parent, Felonius Gru, brilliantly voiced by Steve Carell, as he leads an army of minions while parenting his three adopted daughters– Margo, Edith, and Agnes. The film features an ensemble cast of Will Ferrell, Miranda Cosgrove, and Kristen Wiig.
An Australian teenager of Samoan heritage has been announced as the star of the upcoming live-action version of the hit Disney movie “Moana.”Watch the trailer for “Moana 2” in the player aboveSeventeen-year-old Catherine Laga’aia has been cast as the eponymous heroine of the movie, which begins filming this summer.The movie will celebrate “the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in a spectacular adventure,” according to the announcement from Disney, which added: “Catherine Laga’aia will be voyaging to Motunui and beyond as the adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people in Disney’s upcoming live-action Moana.”Laga’aia’s IMDB profile shows just one other listing – for three episodes of the TV series “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” which also starred Sigourney Weaver.She is no stranger to showbiz, however, as her father is Jay Laga’aia, a New Zealand-born actor who starred in two of the “Star Wars” movies.Disney announced the casting online, saying Laga’aia will appear alongside Dwayne Johnson as Maui, the larger-than-life demigod for whom he provided the voice in the original 2016 animated feature. He is also one of the movie’s producers, alongside, among others, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote much of the original movie’s soundtrack.In a statement included in the announcement, Laga’aia, who lives in Sydney, said: “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites.”My grandfather comes from Fa’aala, Palauli, in Savai’i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”Her proud father took to social media to announce the news, too, posting on Instagram: “My family and I are so pleased to share this news with the rest of the world. My daughter Katie can finally share the news that she will be taking on the role of Moana in the live action Disney movie along side Dwayne Johnson and Lin Manuel Miranda.”Set for release in July 2026, the movie also features New Zealand actor John Tui as Moana’s father, Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams as her mother and Rena Owen as the storyteller Gramma Tala.Directing is Thomas Kail, whose previous credits have included “Hamilton” on Broadway and Disney+.News of the live version was announced by Johnson last year. He said on Instagram that “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace, mana and warrior strength.”The animated “Moana” was a smash, making over $680 million at the box office and the most-streamed movie of 2023, according Nielsen tracking. The sequel, “Moana 2,” is set for release in November.Auli’i Cravalho starred as Moana in the original film, along with Rachel House, Nicole Scherzinger and Temuera Morrison.Disney has successfully reimagined several of its animated classics as live-action movies, beginning with “Beauty and the Beast” in 2017, followed by “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” in 2019 and “The Little Mermaid” last year.
CNN —
An Australian teenager of Samoan heritage has been announced as the star of the upcoming live-action version of the hit Disney movie “Moana.”
Watch the trailer for “Moana 2” in the player above
Seventeen-year-old Catherine Laga’aia has been cast as the eponymous heroine of the movie, which begins filming this summer.
The movie will celebrate “the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in a spectacular adventure,” according to the announcement from Disney, which added: “Catherine Laga’aia will be voyaging to Motunui and beyond as the adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people in Disney’s upcoming live-action Moana.”
Laga’aia’s IMDB profile shows just one other listing – for three episodes of the TV series “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” which also starred Sigourney Weaver.
She is no stranger to showbiz, however, as her father is Jay Laga’aia, a New Zealand-born actor who starred in two of the “Star Wars” movies.
Disney announced the casting online, saying Laga’aia will appear alongside Dwayne Johnson as Maui, the larger-than-life demigod for whom he provided the voice in the original 2016 animated feature. He is also one of the movie’s producers, alongside, among others, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote much of the original movie’s soundtrack.
In a statement included in the announcement, Laga’aia, who lives in Sydney, said: “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites.
“My grandfather comes from Fa’aala, Palauli, in Savai’i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”
Her proud father took to social media to announce the news, too, posting on Instagram: “My family and I are so pleased to share this news with the rest of the world. My daughter Katie can finally share the news that she will be taking on the role of Moana in the live action Disney movie along side Dwayne Johnson and Lin Manuel Miranda.”
Set for release in July 2026, the movie also features New Zealand actor John Tui as Moana’s father, Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams as her mother and Rena Owen as the storyteller Gramma Tala.
Directing is Thomas Kail, whose previous credits have included “Hamilton” on Broadway and Disney+.
News of the live version was announced by Johnson last year. He said on Instagram that “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace, mana and warrior strength.”
The animated “Moana” was a smash, making over $680 million at the box office and the most-streamed movie of 2023, according Nielsen tracking. The sequel, “Moana 2,” is set for release in November.
Auli’i Cravalho starred as Moana in the original film, along with Rachel House, Nicole Scherzinger and Temuera Morrison.
Disney has successfully reimagined several of its animated classics as live-action movies, beginning with “Beauty and the Beast” in 2017, followed by “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” in 2019 and “The Little Mermaid” last year.
Netflix’s live-action One Piece proved to be a major hit for the streamer, and now long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise are starting to wonder when season 2 will arrive.
The series marked the first live-action adaptation of the long-running anime and manga series of the same name, created by Eiichiro Oda. Given how beloved One Piece and its characters have become over several decades and Netflix’s mixed history with anime adaptation, many were skeptical of the remake. However, despite some changes from the anime, the series was a charming and faithful take on the beloved franchise.
One Piece season 1 follows the origins of the Straw Hat Pirates, as Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) slowly gathers a full-fledged crew to join him on his mission to find the legendary One Piece treasure and become King of the Pirates. By the end of the season, though, the story is nowhere near being over. Season 1 only adapts about 95 of the published One Piece manga chapters. It may sound like a lot, but considering there are over 1,000 chapters (and counting), Netflix’s One Piece has a lot of ground to cover, including countless arcs and characters that fans can’t wait to see adapted.
Does One Piece season 2 have a release date?
(image: Netflix)
Unfortunately, One Piece season 2 doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet. However, the season is definitely coming, as Netflix gave it the greenlight just two weeks after season 1 premiered. Given that it was renewed during the SAG-AFTRA strike, production wasn’t able to begin immediately. The scripts have reportedly been completed since September 2023, though. Hence, since the strike was resolved, viewers have been curious about when the season will start filming.
According to Zoro actor Mackenyu, production will commence soon. While attending the world championship for the One Piece Trading Card Game, Mackenyu revealed he won’t be able to participate in TCG games in June because he will be off in South Africa filming the second season. If it follows the pattern of season 1, which was in production for eight months, filming for season 2 could wrap by early 2025. Then, it will just be a matter of how quickly post-production goes and how Netflix chooses to schedule it among its other big 2025 releases, such as Stranger Things and Ginny & Georgia.
At the earliest, One Piece could possibly arrive in the summer of 2025. However, a fall release date sounds more reasonable. Ultimately, fans will have to wait for official confirmation from Netflix about One Piece season 2’s release, but further updates should be forthcoming as filming is allegedly due to start soon.
(featured image: Netflix)
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The Last Airbender to Return in Live Action on Netflix in 2024
Nickelodeon’s popular series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, will be making a comeback in 2024 in an exciting new Live Action version, with Netflix taking the reins. After the disappointing 2010 film adaptation, this latest adaptation looks promising, as Netflix has released images of the characters from the Land of Fire. The story follows a young boy who is the last Airbender and future Avatar, tasked with restoring order between the four nations of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. When the previous Avatar died, the Fire Nation seized control, disrupting the peace. Now, the last airbender must discover a way to restore balance. Fans can expect this highly anticipated series to release next year, aiming to stay faithful to the original material.
Netflix’s Commitment to Staying True to the Source Material
Netflix has assured fans that they will use the original material as a guide to create the Live Action adaptation. The platform aims to give a fresh visual dimension to the 2005 animated series. This is not the first time Netflix has revived an anime, as they previously produced a successful live action version of One Piece. For those eager to revisit the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the animated series is currently available on the SVOD platform.
The First Reactions are Very Positive
Since the release of the trailer, fans have taken to social media to express their excitement. Messages such as “Netflix, I trust you, don’t be wrong” and “Oh my God, this is so good. I can’t wait” flooded the official Netflix tweet revealing the Fire Nation actors. Currently, no further information about the story or additional cast members has been disclosed. However, Netflix has hinted that more details will be revealed during GeekedWeek 2023, which will take place from November 6 to 12.
A few weeks ago, the Texas anti-abortion activist Mark Lee Dickson told me that he viewed Donald Trump as the Constantine of the anti-abortion movement: a man who, like the Roman emperor, had been converted to a righteous cause and become its champion.
“There are some who believe that Constantine was a sincere Christian and others who believe that he wasn’t,” Dickson said. Regardless of whether Trump is genuinely opposed to abortion rights, “he was good for Christianity and the pro-life movement.”
But after hearing Trump’s abortion comments on Sunday’s Meet the Press, Dickson, who is one of the architects of Texas’s so-called heartbeat ban, feels differently. He’d been helping plan a big Trump rally in Lubbock. Now he’s worried. “What I want to do is get up onstage and brag about Trump. But at this point, his statements do not represent what we have worked for for 50 years,” Dickson said. “The goal of the movement was not overturning Roe v. Wade—it was ending abortion in all 50 states.”
Trump confounded Dickson and the rest of the anti-abortion coalition when he told NBC’s Kristen Welker not only that a federal abortion ban would be low on his to-do list during a second term as president, but also that six-week abortion bans like the one in Florida are “terrible.” The outrage from the movement was predictably ferocious. “This isn’t just evil, it is absolutely delusional,” the conservative podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey wrote. Live Action’s founder, Lila Rose, tweeted that “Trump should not be the GOP nominee.” In an email to supporters, Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life, said, “Trump just broke my heart.”
Dickson felt equally bruised. If Trump really thinks Florida’s six-week ban is so bad, he mused, “then what does he believe about Texas outlawing abortion from the moment of conception?” If he thinks that’s terrible too, Trump “is going to lose a whole lot of Texas support.”
A few advocates say that, like Rose, they’re writing Trump off. Others have called on the former president to retract his comments. Neither reflex does justice to Trump, who has on occasion demonstrated savvier political instincts than his GOP opponents. What appears to be his current operating assumption—that talking about abortion bans is a turnoff for many voters—is a smart one: Most Americans support access to abortion. Trump is the only real contender among Republican presidential candidates acting in a way that acknowledges this fact. The question is: Will it hurt him?
The MAGA faithful have so far seen nothing to make them withdraw their support from Trump—after each of his multiple criminal indictments, their devotion has only deepened. Trump’s remarks about abortion seem similarly unlikely to damage his standing. In a general election, they might even help.
That’s because of Trump’s unusual capacity for shape-shifting. “He can say, ‘I gave you the Supreme Court,’ but also ‘I’d look for a compromise on a national level,’” Sarah Longwell, an anti-Trump political strategist and the publisher of The Bulwark, told me. He can sound moderate, in other words, “in a way that Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence would not.”
The Meet the Press interview with Welker did not immediately ring alarm bells in the pro-life camp. Although Trump refused to commit to any federal anti-abortion legislation, he did appear to embrace some form of restriction. He said he’d work with Democrats to come up with a number of weeks that will bring “peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years.” Standard fare for Trump: vague, noncommittal, self-aggrandizing. But then he brought up the six-week ban that his main primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, had signed into law as the Heartbeat Act.
“Would you support that?” Welker asked.
“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake,” Trump replied. And, well, that was that.
Right away, Team DeSantis had campaign staff posting assurances that, as president, DeSantis would “NEVER sell out conservatives to win praise from corporate media or the Left.” Other Republican primary candidates jumped into the fray too. “President Trump said he would negotiate with the Democrats and walk back away from what I believe we need, which is a 15-week limit on the federal level,” South Carolina Senator Tim Scott told a crowd in Mason City, Iowa. On CNN, former Vice President Mike Pence accused Trump of wanting to “marginalize the right to life.”
The right-to-life activists certainly saw it that way. “Heartbeat Laws,” Hawkins wrote in an open letter to Trump, “should be an absolute minimum for any Republican candidate committed to protecting many from death by direct abortion.” I spoke with Steven Aden, the general counsel at Americans United for Life. “Any time a leader of a national party throws pro-life conservatives to the curb, it’s extremely disappointing,” he told me. “I hope that his comments were a temporary aberration from an otherwise excellent record.”
One can’t help being a little surprised at their surprise. This is Donald Trump, after all—a man not noticeably wedded to any principle but self-interest, and who, in a previous life, was an abortion-rights-supporting New York Democrat. No one would mistake Trump for a true believer in the vein of, say, Pence. Even Trump’s attempt to throw some red meat to the movement in 2016 when he expressed support for punishing women who sought abortions was clumsy and counterproductive, flouting all of the anti-abortion movement’s best practices. Not that this blunder seemed to faze voters, either.
Trump has continued to exercise stubborn independence on the issue. Last year, he blamed the GOP’s disappointing midterm losses on “the abortion issue” and the extreme positions held by some Republican lawmakers. At the time, this mainly looked like an attempt to shift blame, given the poor performance of several high-profile candidates he’d endorsed; with hindsight, it also begins to look like a foretaste of how he’ll campaign in 2024.
Rose, from Live Action, was disgusted with Trump in November; this week’s comments were the last straw. “He takes us for granted, and treats us like a punching bag,” she told me. “I think that’s a huge error on his part. The pro-life movement is one of the most important voting blocs, especially in Iowa and South Carolina.”
She’s right that because Republican-primary voters are more socially conservative than general-election voters, they are more likely to oppose abortion access. And it’s possible that Trump’s position on this single issue might spur some of those voters to change their allegiance to a DeSantis or a Pence. But Rose’s assumption about the anti-abortion movement’s clout seems wishful. Trump is up by about 40 points in the latest national polls—and by about 30 in Iowa. So far, no signs point to any imminent Republican realignment, let alone one led by the anti-abortion set.
Many of Trump’s opponents have imagined that they can beat him by exposing him as a fake conservative, like Velma ripping the mask off a Scooby Doo villain. The problem with this strategy is that it has never worked. Trump doesn’t talk or campaign like a conservative, even when he governs like one. And traditional conservatives, including many anti-abortion activists, have supported him because he promised to appoint judges they favored to the U.S. Supreme Court—and did.
None of this is great news for Democrats. As I wrote recently, Joe Biden’s party would very much like the 2024 campaign to center on abortion. They believe that the path to victory lies in framing Republicans as fanatics who want to ban abortion completely; they’re probably right, given how unsuccessful attempts to restrict abortion have been since the fall of Roe. v Wade—and how salient the issue is for voters who support abortion rights. But Democrats will have a harder time tarring Trump as an extremist if he’s talking mostly about compromise and accusing his own party of extremism. Trump may end up “muting some of the intensity of the issue,” Longwell said, “because he will sound like a moderate in a way that Ron DeSantis, Pence would not.”
That could explain why, since Trump’s Great Betrayal on Sunday, not all anti-abortion groups have adopted the bitter tone of the most zealous activists. Some have done no more than call half-heartedly for clarification—or, in the case of the Susan B. Anthony List, issue a tepid plea for the candidates to please stop attacking one another. In other words, alongside the anger of the movement’s radicals is the realism of its mainstream.
Everyone is keenly aware at this point that Trump is the odds-on favorite to win the Republican nomination. And when he does, he knows he’ll have their votes.
Batman has been gracing the big screen since as far back as 1943. The iconic Caped Crusader hit the big screen just four short years after he was first introduced in DC Comics. Of course, considering it was 1943, the very first theatrical Batman serial was rough. A very young Wilson Lewis played a not very compelling costumed Batman in a plot that was filled with war propaganda and racism. By 1949, Batman had received another far less offensive serial, Batman & Robin. However, the production was pitifully cheap and still didn’t come close to capturing the essence of what we now think of as Batman.
It wasn’t until 1966 that the hero received his first proper theatrical film adaption in Batman. Adam West took on the role and engaged audiences with his campy heroic take on the Caped Crusader. By 1989 Warner Bros. began their initial Batman series which saw Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney take on the role of Batman throughout four films. Sadly, the franchise ended on a sour note when the fourth installment, Batman & Robin badly missed its mark and featured a lackluster Clooney in the role of Batman.
However, that didn’t stop Warner Bros. from giving Batman another go with The Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale. Just a few short years later, Warner Bros. introduced Ben Affleck as the DC Extended Universe’s (DCEU) Batman and also confirmed that Keaton will return as the character in The Flash. Meanwhile, Matt Reeves’ The Batman was released this year in a separate universe from the DCEU. Needless to say, more Batman films are definitely on the horizon. To prepare for them, let’s look back on the 10 best Batman films, ranked from worst to best.
10. Batman Forever
(Warner Bros.)
Batman Forever premiered on June 16, 1995, and marked the third installment in Warner Bros.’s original Batman series. The film was quite different from its two predecessors as it saw Val Kilmer replace Michael Keaton as Batman and Joel Schumacher step up as director in place of Tim Burton. Batman Forever follows Batman as he contends with the villains Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and The Riddler (Jim Carrey) while also balancing his personal life as he takes in an orphan boy named Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell) and pursues a relationship with Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman).
Batman Forever received mixed-to-negative reviews. The drastic shift in tone from its predecessors and the replacement of Keaton with Kilmer placed the film at a disadvantage. It also suffered from being overstuffed and too campy with villains who were way too zany. While Kilmer offered a unique take on Batman, it can’t be denied it was a step down from Keaton’s masterful portrayal. With that being said, Batman Forever is still one of the most fun and entertaining Batman films to watch. While Carrey and Jones were a little over the top, they did still boast an alluring charm and charisma in their performances. It isn’t the best Batman film out there but it’s at least worthy of a watch.
9. Justice League (2017)
(Warner Bros.)
Justice League premiered in 2017 and marked Ben Affleck’s second starring role in the DCEU as Batman. The film sees the catastrophic threat of the villain Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) arise in the wake of Superman’s (Henry Cavill) death. Batman steps up to face the threat, alongside Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). However, the threat is bigger than just the two of them. As a result, Batman rallies a team of meta-humans to join his fight against Steppenwolf. Among his recruits are Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
Justice League received largely mixed-to-negative reviews. The expectations that came with its huge budget and large-scale superhero team-up also added to the letdown of the film. Justice League took on an unexpectedly light tone that didn’t mesh with the original direction of the franchise that Zack Snyder had established. Additionally, the plot suffered from being predictable and the film held too many empty action sequences. However, the cast of Justice League was delightful and boasted heartfelt performances. It also created some excitement with its superhero crossover and action. While it lacks depth, it’s not bad as a basic, action-packed superhero flick.
8. Batman (1966)
(20th Century Fox)
Batman was the very first full-length live-action Batman film that premiered in 1966. It didn’t have much of a precedent to follow aside from the low-budget theatrical serials from 1943 and 1949. The film is based on the 1966 TV series of the same name and stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Batman sees Batman and Robin team up to confront some of Batman’s most iconic villains including Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and The Penguin (Burgess Meredith).
Batman is, by far, the campiest film on this list. However, the campy tone was both intentional and very well-framed. The cheesiness and campiness are done so well that it makes the film endearing and delightful. Its goofiness has an undeniable charm to it, and West is as masterful as Batman in the film as he was in the TV series. While it doesn’t come close to the maturity and depth of other films on this list, it is a fun and enjoyable film for true fans of Batman and for those who appreciate classic filmography.
7. The Dark Knight Rises
(Warner Bros.)
The Dark Knight Rises was the final installment in Nolan’s trilogy and premiered in 2012. The film takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and sees Batman still in exile after taking responsibility for Harvey Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart) death. While lying low seemed like the best option for Gotham, that changes when Bane (Tom Hardy) arrives on the scene. The mysterious and dangerous villain seeks to finish Ra’s al Ghul’s plan and cause the destruction of Gotham.
The Dark Knight Rises was a worthy conclusion to the trilogy. It was emotionally moving and featured masterful performances and directing by Nolan. However, it was at a disadvantage by following The Dark Knight, which was the best installment in the franchise. Plus, the whole film felt off because the third installment should have included The Joker, but could not do so due to Heath Ledger’s passing. This led to Bane being the primary villain. Though masterfully portrayed by Hardy, Bane fell flat in the wake of The Joker and Two-Face. He lacked motivation and depth, and the plot as a whole was rather messy. However, it was such a well-made film that these flaws are hardly noticeable.
6. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
(Warner Bros.)
After the Joss Whedon-directed Justice League premiered and failed, fans began to call for Zack Snyder’s initial director’s cut of the film to be released. Warner Bros. heeded fans’ desires and released Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021. The film’s plot is identical to that of Justice League, in which Batman (Ben Affleck) recruits a team of metahumans to fight a nefarious villain. However, the Snyder version is nearly double the length, providing more much-needed context, character development, action, and depth.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a much more sophisticated and developed film than Justice League. The visuals are grand, the characters are fleshed out, and the film has a consistent tone. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is very good in comparison to the initial film, but on its own, it doesn’t hold up so well. It is an overly long film with a very basic plot and relies too heavily on action and CGI. Zack Snyder’s Justice League fixed where Justice League went wrong on the characters, but little else.
5. Batman Begins
(Warner Bros.)
Batman Begins marked the start of Christopher Nolan’s reboot Batman series, The Dark Knight trilogy. The film follows a young Bruce Wayne who is still grappling with the trauma of witnessing his parents’ murder when he was a child. While traveling to instill a deeper understanding of the criminal underworld, Wayne becomes acquainted with Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), who views Gotham as a wretched city that must be destroyed. Wayne rejects this philosophy and returns to Gotham under the guise of his Batman persona to prove the city can be saved without resorting to murder.
Batman Begins is a historic movie that revolutionized how film approached Batman. It was the first Batman film to embrace a truly dark and gritty tone. Additionally, Bale offered a masterful portrayal of Batman as a flawed and vengeful human. Batman Begins was serious, mature, with advanced visual effects, and outstanding acting performances. With that being said, the film works well as an origin story but it featured an underwhelming villain and at times felt stiff and underdeveloped. It’s a hard film to rate because, for its period, it was a particularly sophisticated superhero film, however, when compared to its successors, its flaws are more noticeable.
4. Batman (1989)
(Warner Bros.)
Warner Bros.’s 1989 film, Batman, marked the first truly modern Batman film. It ditched the cheap production and campy humor of the serials and films before it and delved into a more nuanced exploration of the iconic hero. The film follows Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton), a man haunted by his parents’ brutal deaths, who fights crime in Gotham under the disguise of Batman. However, when the Joker (Jack Nicholson) shows up in the Gotham criminal underworld, Batman finds himself faced with his most challenging opponent yet.
Batman is a groundbreaking and historic film. Director Tim Burton has a strong style and the product is appealing. The film has a very noir feel to it and the brooding tone that would become characteristic of future Batman films. Meanwhile, Keaton and Nicholson were phenomenal in their performances as Batman and the Joker. At the same time, Batman‘s legacy may be a bit better than its actual quality. The film had flaws, such as shifting from the source material in some areas, choppy dialogue, and suffering from a plot that isn’t too exciting. Despite the flaws, though, it contains a clear vision from Burton and showed viewers everything that a Batman film could be.
3. The Batman
(Warner Bros.)
The Batman premiered in 2022 and is a standalone film set outside the DCEU. The film follows Batman (Robert Pattinson) as he investigates a mysterious series of murders in Gotham. His investigation becomes more urgent as he finds himself dealing with a sadistic killer who targets him with cryptic riddles and clues. However, he digs up more than he intended as he uncovers deep-set corruption in Gotham and a flawed family legacy. These difficult truths leave him struggling with the question of whether Gotham even deserves to be saved.
Matt Reeves’ created a truly intriguing and powerful film with The Batman. Like Batman (1989) it capitalizes on that noir feel and brooding tone. Pattinson’s Batman is a very fleshed-out and humanized character who is conflicted over how to carry on his family’s legacy and whether to maintain his superhero identity. The film also offers a nice dose of comic book accuracy by delving into Batman’s detective role. The Batman has some minor flaws, such as not fleshing out several of its characters and dragging a bit with its slow pacing. However, it captured a clear vision and dazzled with its touching, resonating noir atmosphere.
2. Batman Returns
(Warner Bros.)
Tim Burton and Michael Keaton returned for Batman‘s sequel, Batman Returns, which premiered in 1992. Batman Returns sees Batman pitted against a formidable villainous duo, The Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). The duo becomes a trio when Shreck’s former assistant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), transforms into Catwoman. However, things become fairly complicated when an attraction develops between Catwoman and Batman.
Burton managed to return with a sequel that exceeded its predecessor. While it didn’t quite boast the same legacy as Batman, it further captured Burton’s brilliant vision. The film benefits by being even edgier and grittier than Batman and fully embraces its noir tone. Meanwhile, DeVito and Pfeiffer stole the show with their brilliant performances. Their villains were so masterful that few foes in live-action Batman films have been able to top them. Together, Keaton, DeVito, and Pfeiffer marked one of the best lead casts of a Batman film. There are very few flaws in the haunting and brilliant film, aside from Batman getting a bit overshadowed by his foes.
1. The Dark Knight
(Warner Bros.)
The Dark Knight premiered in 2008 and is one of the greatest superhero films ever made. The film is the second installment in Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. It follows Batman as his reign as Gotham’s protector is elevated with the aid of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). However, Gotham falls into a state of perpetual chaos as a deranged criminal, The Joker (Heath Ledger), shows up and plays mind games with Batman in an attempt to make him forgo his moral code.
The Dark Knight flawlessly meshed an action-packed superhero film with a mesmerizing psychological crime thriller. The Dark Knight is nearly flawless. It is bold and intense, action-packed yet intricate, and features one of the greatest live-action performances of a villain. Ledger stole the show with his nuanced psychological portrayal of The Joker, which can be described as nothing short of brilliant. Meanwhile, the film also featured a very intriguing commentary on ethics and terrorism. What made The Dark Knight so brilliant is how deep it actually goes while remaining an exciting, superhero movie on the surface. It brought something new and refreshing to the superhero genre and few films have topped it since.
