Movie News: Justice League
mrfusion
Posts: 186
(http://www.aintitcool.com/node/57495)
As Ron Burgundy can attest, like milk on a hot summer day, this is a bad choice. Okay, it's not bad for JUSTICE LEAGUE, but it would be bad for Ben Affleck, who, frankly, is better than this as a director at this point. Variety is reporting that Warner Brothers wants Affleck to direct their JUSTICE LEAGUE movie, and possibly to star in it as well.
With the Whedon announcement on AVENGERS 2 yesterday, WB must be very antsy indeed to get this franchise off the ground. Reports are that Affleck is the only director that the studio is showing Will Beall's script to right now, and he should be talking with the upper management in the next few days about the project, if the article is accurate.
Here's the thing - I think Affleck's too good for this. As a director, he's made some fantastic movies. His next, ARGO, looks to continue with that streak. As much as I'd like to see a good JUSTICE LEAGUE movie, so far the gritty movies that Affleck has made don't seem to have that kind of vibe.
Honestly? WB should build up and have Ben Affleck direct the Batman reboot. Have Affleck direct a new Batman movie with his own personal stamp, away from Nolan's and build from that. Perhaps something similar to the animated series? Affleck's directorial skills would work in that way, in my opinion. Wait a few years and build the roster up. Sure, Marvel did it already with THE AVENGERS, but they were SMART in doing that - it wasn't a gimmick. People had become familiar with the characters, and more importantly, with the actors playing them. I think it would be smart to do the same with JUSTICE LEAGUE. But, if the script works, Ben Affleck may want to go ahead, and if so, more power to him. He's a terrific director, and he's earned a major franchise like this.
Comments
Played straight. No camp. No irony.
Too much to ask?
From Affleck???...yeah that's too much to ask. ;)
I don't recall camp or irony in Good Will Hunting.
You don't have to spend your career writing or directing stories about a particular genre to be able to write or direct a good film in that genre when you get the chance.
Affleck has written good scripts. and he's directed good films. He understands film-making.
Jon Favreau did a pretty good job on his first movie with "capes". So did Joss Whedon.
Why the derision?
I've seen him act in some good and bad films so I think that it will really depend on the screen writing and cast.
Now, I'm not saying that Affleck being a director of a very different tone and style than these sorts of movies is a guarantee of success, because nothing is. Nor am I saying you have to be an outsider to the genre to make it work. Rather, to Wetrats point, the list of people who, on the face of it, seem an odd choice but who succeed wildly past expectations keeps growing.
Put another way- I remember when people were worried that the Lord of the Rings trilogy was being directed by "The Dead Alive Guy". It's always hard to predict what some people are capable of.
His best work as a director is Gone Baby Gone. The Town is also very good, but I think 'Gone is that much better (and I think it helps that the lead, his brother Casey, is a better actor than he is, in my opinion).