Doom: the fate of two JL members?

After a not-so-brief hiatus, I return to the geekosphere to find some new info on the upcoming Justice League movie, called Doom. Sounds uplifting. Here are some main points thanks to the almighty Wikipedia:

– Is a loose adaptation of JLA: Tower of Babel, which I can’t tell you anything about since I haven’t read it.

-Dwayne McDuffie adapted and wrote the screenplay before his death.

-Among returning voices are: Tim Daly as Superman, Kevin Conroy as Batman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash, and Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter.

For those of you who watch superhero cartoons (and I’m betting that’s most of you), you should notice an almost-reunion there. Every voice actor from the original Justice League show is coming back…..except Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern (John Stewart) and Maria Canals-Barrera as Hawkgirl. Instead, we’ve got Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan as well as several other members.

Don’t get me wrong. Mr. Fillion is a brilliant actor and a perfect fit for Hal–maybe if he was cast instead of Reynolds the live-action move wouldn’t have sucked.  But now Hal has a live action movie, two animated films, and an upcoming animated series. Why all of a sudden is Hal the only Green Lantern worth seeing?

And when you have a reunion of all the other Justice League actors, why in the world leave out two of the most beloved and well rounded characters?

Green Lantern, John Stewart, was a member of the Marines before being chosen as a Green Lantern. He’s highly strategic and militaristic and is usually focused on developing the team as a cohesive unit. And Hawkgirl, Shayera Hol, is a Thanagarian cop accidentally stranded on Earth. She’s rash, a fighter, sarcastic but fiercely loyal to her team and if you can spot it, she has a soft side.

They had their own relationships with the rest of the team– John and Wally got along oarticularly well, and Shayera and Diana had a oarticular disike for each other after Shayera betrayed the team to the Thanagarians (see the second season finale for more). But perhaps most memorably, the  two had a romantic but also emotional and complicated relationship that developed at the end of the second season and continued to the show’s end. It added a mature and genuine element that is rarely seen in animation.

Neither have been seen since on the big or small screen since. An evil incarnation of Hawkgirl was briefly shown in Crisis; there was no John Stewart in the animated GL film, and a cameo in the live-action one was apparently cut.

After being skipped over in the last Justice League movie,  Crisis on Two Earths, Hawkgirl and John Stewart are overlooked, both individually and together, once again. And how much more so in this film, when the most original JL voice actors will be returning since the cancellation of the show. And when their relationship was very much left unresolved at the end of the series.

Yes, John and Shayera are full characters, and so much more than just their sex or skin colour, but the diversity conversation is also a big part of this. We desperately need better representation of diversity in the animated movies (and is it such a big deal to have two GLs in one JL movie?). We need to see more female superheroes who kick ass, not just Wonder Woman, who remains the only woman with her own movie.

 

But in the end this is about great characters, phenomenal voice actors, who deserve the limelight; an opportunity missed once again. Bruce Timm and the rest of the DC crew, you have a lot to answer for.

So I pose this to you: do you feel the same way? Are GL and Hawkgirl better off ‘untarnished’ in the show? Or do you feel that they are being unjustly overlooked?

Why did DC slim down Amanda Waller?

Green Lantern has been out for a while, and reviews are starting to fill the geekosphere. I’m tempted to go and have my own opinion, it’s the only DC film of the summer, but something’s holding me back.

It may have to do with some interviews highlighting Amanda Waller, portrayed by Angela Bassett:

Now Angela Bassett is a great actress, I have nothing against her as a person or her acting talent. But the conversation can’t end there either.

Amanda Waller is one kickass lady in comics. She’s the head of Cadmus, a leading genetics agency designed to defeat superheroes should they ever turn on the government; she’s a patriot who takes no bullshit, who shoots to kill (often) and makes good on her threats. One of the most intelligent characters in DC, Amanda’s one of few who deduced Batman’s real identity all on her own.

And in the comics and animated shows, she looks like this:

Amanda Waller is also plus-sized. It doesn’t define her, but it’s an important part of her, especially when there’s very few plus-sized women in comics. (Two others: Etta Candy and Arsenic.)

And now, when the first is shown on film, DC slims her down. In an age where women are pressured more than ever to be thin, the superheroes community is saying something powerful, something wrong, about the real range of body types out there and how acceptable it is.

No offense to Bassett, but you know who else could have played Amanda Waller?

Queen Latifah and CCH Pounder, neither of whom need any explanation. Pounder gets extra points as she gave her voice to Amanda Waller in the Justice League show.

Seriously. There was SO much pressure for January Jones to look super-sexy for her role as Emma Frost in those ridiculous costumes. And for this kind of casting, no one seems to bat an eye.

John Stewart will cameo in “Green Lantern” film

If my time has a Kryptonite, it’s IMDb.com. I waste an inane amount of time on there. But while perusing, I was overjoyed to find this casting in the upcoming Green Lantern film, in theaters June 17:

John Stewart will be making an appearance!! Nick Jones Jr. hasn’t had any leading roles yet but looks great for the part.

And no, you shouldn’t be thinking of The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart:

This John Stewart:

While he can be found in GL comics dating back to the 70’s, you’ll probably recognize John Stewart best from the acclaimed TV series Justice League Unlimited. John Stewart is a former United States Marine and the second human Green Lantern (after Hal Jordan) to take up the ring. Stewart (voiced by Phil LaMarr yay) was probably the most militant of the team, thanks to his Marine background; he even becomes a “drill sergeant”  to teach his fellow Justice League members a thing or two about teamwork. John became very close  and eventually had a romantic relationship with fellow team member Hawkgirl (one of the best superhero couples ever, in my opinion anyway), and later with Vixen.

We don’t know yet if this will only be a quick cameo or something more, but you can bet I’m excited to see him. John Stewart is my favorite Green Lantern, and one of my favorite superheroes overall, and I am thrilled that his appearance maybe, possibly, could mean his own film someday.

Woot.

Emerald Knights: standalone film or marketing ploy?

Hey look, it’s a Green Lantern promotion for the live action movie!

*cough* I mean, it’s a sneak peek for the animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights film!

EW’s cover is earth-friendly

Entertainment Weekly boasts its July 16 cover and sneak-peek of Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern, which those geeks bound for the Comic Con in San Diego will probably see much more of. The film will release next summer.

And now I’m going to go against my previous disparaging comments about the lead casting choice: Reynolds looks pretty darn good as Hal Jordan! John Stewart will probably always be my favorite GL (the fact that his name coincides with The Daily Show‘s host notwithstanding) but I can enjoy seeing Reynolds as Hal. In fact, my only complaint is that the article begins with “Fanboys of the world, get ready to go green.” Um, excuse me? What about fangirls? Are you looking at this muscle suit?

Shmeesh, professor! [/Futurama plug]

Hopefully the live action film will surpass the plot-lacking animated film, but we’ll see.

In other news, Edward Notron Jr. will not be returning as Hulk in the upcoming Avengers movie. This not-so-new news still disappoints me; while I didn’t love Incredible Hulk, Norton Jr. filled in the role nicely, and I was looking forward to the continuity. Apparently, Mark Ruffalo may be interested in taking the part, but I’m not all that interested; I’m still waiting to see some more B-listers, like Marvel Girl, Cloak and Dagger, and maybe Katana in the mix.

How do you feel about the recent Marvel movie news?

Green Lantern: First Flight Review

DC needs some love on this blog. So here it is! I finally watched DC Animation’s latest feature film,

Green Lantern: First Flight.

It was pretty good.

First Flight retells Hal Jordan’s first adventure as a Green Lantern, an elite force that protects the universe from –what else?– evil. Along the way, Jordan’s skill and stamina is tested battling lowlife scum, as well as betrayers within the Lantern Corps with much more sinister intentions (catch the pun?)

The animation is just stellar–from the look of Hal Jordan, the rings’ power, the aliens… it’s smooth, believable, and totally enrapturing. The film has its own style, apart and unique from other Green Lantern predecessors. The musical score is superb as well, giving the story a much-deserved larger than life feel.

And let’s talk about the incredible casting (thank you Andrea Romano!). Christopher Meloni (Law & Order ) portrays Green Lantern, giving him a sarcastic edge usually reserved for Green Arrow, but it totally works here. Victor Garber (Milk, Alias) voices Sinestro with eloquence and passion, and John Larroquette as Tomar Ro? Brilliant.

I had several disappointments, however: chief among them, Hal doesn’t make many mistakes. No wait, he didn’t make any mistakes. Every rookie–and every protagonist–should have at least one major screw up. I realize he’s a natural, destined if you will, but it seemed a little too perfect.

Maybe that’s because the movie didn’t explicitly say anything about the fact that Hal’s willpower is what fuels the ring. It is because of this characteristic that Hal is chosen to be the Green Lantern, not every other cocky pilot in the cosmos. I felt that with one or two lines of dialogue we can see how this makes Hal special, and also gives him some room to make mistakes–your first flight into space will probably cause some jitters and other willpower obstacles.

Nevertheless, this is a must for any Green Lantern fan. They have certainly set a high bar for the live action crew, and I say with utmost seriousness… good luck beating this. (And if Justin Timberlake is cast as Hal, don’t even bother. Seriously.)

Go to the official website for a trailer and more info, and pick up your copy at a Blockbuster or any movie store today!!

What are your thoughts about the new Green Lantern movie? Does it live up to all the hype?