The odds were stacked heavily against THE RHYTHM SECTION, I can’t imagine what the deeper motive behind that production was. The books seem to be an okay-ish series in a middling part of a totally overcrowded subgenre. Was anybody waiting for them to be turned into an adaptation? I didn’t detect a significant fanbase, let alone a huge one.
Then it was always going to be at best Bond’s little sister. Once again the game is killing, once more the motivation is revenge. How was that going to be anything but standard meal ticket fare? Yes, there’s an obvious theme of catharsis included in the tale - but that doesn’t make it more poignant or relevant.
The complete breakdown comes even somewhat cheap. People go through all kinds of terrible losses and disasters, the vast majority doesn’t end up as complete dropouts and addicts (provided the drugs are not prescribed as part of a lobby policy…).
It’s not Lively’s fault the film turned out as it did, there was simply not enough substance to begin with. And what little there was we’ve seen in numerous iterations before, from Fatih Akin’s IN THE FADE to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, with a bit of NIKITA as side dish here.
What was the distinguishing element of RHYTHM SECTION? Oh yes, produced by Eon. But that alone is not enough.
Batman fans are feasting right now. Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Batman, WB Games Montreal’s game, Jeffrey Dean Morgan rumoured to be playing Flashpoint Batman, and now my favourite Batman Michael Keaton in talks. Hopefully that leads to a Batman Beyond type film. It’s always been a dream, but now it’s closer to becoming a reality.
I’m feeling more ‘batigued’ by all this. This seems like they’re going down the route of the comics and animated films and trying to force Batman into everything (the Justice League Dark animated movie being the worst offender). After botching Batman’s introduction the DCEU didn’t start getting good until they started moving into new territory. Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam! were all hugely entertaining and I was looking more to seeing more from those characters as well as giving the spotlight to characters we haven’t seen on the big screen yet. Instead WB is being it’s usual reactionary self; “We’re losing them. Quick, throw more Batman in there but make sure it’s one people already like.”
Also, since this latest story is based around the Flash film I’m guessing Keaton and Morgan is an either/ or situation.
It’s based on the book Flashpoint, which does have a huge role for Batman, but some butterfly effect madness has meant its now Thomas Wayne rather than Bruce. I can see them changing that just to simplify the story, then using Keaton also helps them put a bit more distance from BvS and Justice League.
Depressingly, after the Wonder Woman movie was successful, DC decided to do what they had been doing with Batman with Wonder Woman, so she is now crowbarred in to as many comics as possible including, you guessed it, Justice League Dark.
Rumours seem to suggest that’s the case. Will be fun to catch up with how the years of all those bonkers-gothic Tim Burton villains we’ve missed have effected Bruce. Surely a few screws loose!
Though if they do have Keaton playing his dad, which would be plausible enough, it’d be similarly interesting to encounter a Bat-Keaton who wasn’t motivated by his parents’ murder. Therefore not as somber and introverted, but instead loving his job with that Betelgeuse energy.
However, to make it interesting it needs to be a completely alternative motivation, rather than a similarly tragic event standing in for The Joker and his folks (haven’t read the book, but I guess this has already been fleshed out there!)
Could it be the success of the excellent Spider-verse cartoon, with its many incarnations meeting and working together that gave someone the brainwave of doing it with Bats. Hollywood does love to copy a successful template rather than risk something new.
If this movie works maybe the next loony tunes / fun move from DC might be contriving a story in which two versions of Batman meet and have to work together. Like one of those fun 3 doctor whos episodes.
Great idea to have Martha vs Thomas. But is being motivated by grief too familiar a territory if you’re going to the trouble of reimagining? Does sound like an interesting read nonetheless.
Funnily enough I’ve just started reading that run and I’m quite enjoying it. The inclusion of Wonder Woman doesn’t even feel that forced as she is at least routed in the magical side of DC.