Special Edition Podcast
Show Notes
Let’s go to prison! The iFanboy Animation Braintrust of Conor Kilpatrick, Paul Montgomery, and Ryan Haupt wake up in a sparse cell, tasked with evaluating the latest home video release from DC Animation. Is Batman: Assault on Arkham worth the time in the pokey, or should we throw away the key?
Running Time: 00:34:56
Music:
“Chain Gang”
Sam Cooke
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The sex scene with Harley really bothered me. I know that this movie is set in the Arkhamverse, but seeing a character that is so personally connected to my childhood do that made me feel. . . gross. It just seems like DC/WB is trying WAY to hard to be “mature.” But their version of “mature” is what a thirteen year old boy thinks what that word means.
Well, of course YOU wouldn’t like that scene.
🙂
She. . . she loves ME, God damn it!!!
*Cries. Eats an entire tub of ice cream while watching The Notebook.*
Normally, I agree with you guys on your reviews of the DCU movies, but for some reason we couldn’t be more different. I really love this movie. From the action set pieces to the character interaction in the suicide squad. I don’t know if is because I am a fan of the games or if is a difference in taste. Everything worked for me. I am sorry that you guys didn’t like it. ;(
Sincerely glad you enjoyed it.
I find it interesting that there isn’t a lot of commentary on the animation at all.
It seems like so much of the acting and emotional expression/directing is attributed to the muted vaseline on the lens anime style that DC seems increasingly bent on.
I thought the story was actually fairly competent.
I was surprised the brain trust didn’t examine this film from the same art perspective that it would a comic.
Very little mention of the actual animation mechanics.
And to be clear the game style animation if Far more expressive than this film.
I actually really really enjoyed it. Best one since Flashpoint Paradox. I was so surprised how MATURE this was. Def not for kids.
The Good:
Suicide Squad
Deadshot
Amanda Waller
Batman not being the main character
The Bad:
Characterizations of every character other than Deadshot / Amanda Waller / Batman
The voice acting
The Joker
The title “Batman: Assault on Arkham” (it should have been “Suicide Squad: Insult to Batman”)
The Ugly:
SEXISM – both main female characters were hyper sexualized in a way that made me cringe.
Verdict:
FAIL – I felt like a High School Football team was forced to write this script in detention for disrupting their English class.
It wasn’t “adult” or “mature” it was just lazy trash coming from an underdeveloped place of creativity.
I am not saying this movie was great.
But
Would you expect a group of killers and assassins called the ‘Suicide Squad’ to be respectful feminists?
They kill people but objectifying women is where you draw the line?
“The NOC list”. Awesome reference. I think I’ll watch Mission Impossible again instead of watching this.
Eh, I didn’t fall head over heels in love with this like Ryan did, but I thought it was okay. Lots of odd choices made and, like you guys, I thought the score distracting and didn’t mesh with the story too well, even though I get what they were going for with it. However, some of the team dynamics and The Joker were enough to keep me entertained enough throughout the film. I was glad to see different character designs, even if I’ve technically already seen them in the Arkham games, if it meant moving away from the New 52 inspired designs of the previous two movies. Having played the three Arkham games, I’d guess this took place shortly before Arkham Asylum.
Also, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Bruce Timm is NOT returning to write/direct Justice League: Gods and Monsters.
http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/128529-dc-animated-movie-update-bruce-timm-not-directing-jla-gods-monsters-and-other-misinformation.html
Yeah, I didn’t think he was coming back to write or direct, I thought he was coming back to produce it. They still haven’t clarified what his role is going to be, exactly, if anything anymore.
While I trust the brain trust usually, this time I have to disagree. I really enjoyed it (except for the music). It was like a caper/action movie with a little caped crusader thrown in. You’re not gonna get much character development in those kind of movies, animated or not. It was fun! Relax and enjoy next time fellas!
I was pretty relaxed. And also bored.
Very disappointed. A passing allusion to the Asylum games with a whiff of DC Kewl 52. Watch the JLU episode Task Force X instead.
Now, “Task Force X”, there was a fantastic animated Suicide Squad story! Darwyn Cooke wrote it!
i thought this movie was fantastic. The characterizations were dead on for all the characters. I love that it was a more adult tone because for the Suicide Squad it should be. I do not get how anyone could think this was a bad movie.
Finally watched this, having finally just seen “Son of Batman,” as well.
My verdict on “Assault on Arkham” ? Meh. Not awful, and I definitely liked it more than “Son of Batman,” but… this movie was still just MEH. This is DCAnimation, for God’s sake! It was once one of the most trusted brands within the umbrella corporate brand. Meh should not be an option, here. This is mildly depressing. Now maybe I should send myself an Edible Arrangement…
While I liked the action-y, heist type plot, and I liked seeing big ole original recipe Amanda “The Wall” Waller, and I like that DC realized that making a movie which (even vaguely) ties to the hugely successful Arkham gaming franchise is smart smart smart… there were just too many rough beats and bits in this movie for me to get excited with it.
My first and lasting quibble: why did Waller need to go through *ALL* this trouble just to get Edward Nygma, a non-powered human locked in a room in a mental asylum? I mean, I get why she wanted him (he knew how to disable her neck bombs) but it’s not like he was at Blackgate Prison; he was in a f–king hospital. Why couldn’t she just send an agent in to take Nygma into her custody, then dump him back in her office, then blow his head off? But instead – she goes through a ridiculous amount of trouble abducting a large group of supervillains / inserting bombs in their necks / exposing her secret service’s true Task Force X secret to them / and sending this loud, obnoxious, showy, undependable band of nutcases into Arkham just to abduct and bring back someone as strong as my dad. It bugged me throughout the whole movie and continues to bug me now.
As for the movie’s use of the obscure “Black Spider”… I just figured that they originally wanted Black Manta for that role, and couldn’t use the character for whatever reason.