What's next for "Shared Universe" Films?

Shared Universe franchises are all the rage nowadays. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest-grossing franchise of all time, and it now seems every other studio is aiming to replicate that success. With both Marvel and DC set to release more entries into their respective franchises, there appears to be no stopping the superhero juggernaut which has dominated the box-office for years. But who else is set to get the ball rolling for their own multi-film franchises and, more importantly, will audiences stick around long enough for them to be successful?

Perhaps unbeknown to audiences, a brand new Shared Universe series was started in 2014, with Legendary Picture's release of Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards. Eventually, the rumours of a new Shared Universe was confirmed, with a Godzilla sequel, standalone King Kong film and an eventual crossover pitting the two monsters against one-another all confirmed to be released within the next few years. The idea of remaking King Kong is old hat, with the 1933 original re-imagined in 1976 and 2005. The combination of King Kong and Godzilla is also nothing new, with the two monsters meeting in 1963's Japanese produced crossover. Over fifty years have passed, and to me this remake is way overdue. Despite the fact it will greatly contrast the original film with its superior special effects, audience's seeming dislike of "vs." films will surely work against it. It will no doubt boast huge spectacle and action, but its success will ultimately come down to whether audiences are engrossed enough in this franchise after another Godzilla film and King Kong film. If the upcoming Kong: Skull Island is too similar to 2014's Godzilla, enthusiasm for the big showdown (set for a 2020 release) will drop. As Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have proved this year, critical reception means nothing for Shared Universe films compared to the amount of money they can generate for the studio, and the Godzilla-Kong franchise will have stiff competition from Marvel's dominance of the summer blockbuster season.

Disney's upcoming Star Wars films look to be creating a Shared Universe as well. With the new prequel film, Rogue One, the series could reintroduce previously unseen characters into the sequels to 2015's Episode VII, creating a much larger universe across each new film. Money should be no obstacle for the sequels, given the enormous success of Episode VII. However, an abundance of prequels may become tiring, especially how there already exists a prequel trilogy and a Han Solo origin film has been green-lit. After 10 years absence until Episode VII was released, audiences were quick to make the latest Star Wars film one of the most successful, and so I don't think the plethora of Star Wars sequels will be seen as being as "tiresome" as the next lot of Marvel and DC films.

One genre which I feel could start its own Shared Universe within the next few years is the horror genre. With recent remakes of Frankenstein and Dracula, the opportunity to combine those famous characters may have passed, but who's to say another crossover following in the footsteps of Freddy vs. Jason won't happen soon? If it were to happen, it could possibly involve remaking classic horror cinema that hasn't been re-imagined for contemporary audiences, such as 1987's Hellraiser. What matters is whether the films can remain scary and bring something new to the table, something in which recent horror remakes have severely lacked. Whilst I don't think a horror Shared Universe would be anywhere near as successful as Marvel, DC, Godzilla and Star Wars, it would provide a more radical alternative to the growing list of Shared Universe franchises.

With Marvel's Doctor Strange and Star Wars' Rogue One to see out the year, 2017 could prove to be the defining year for Shared Universe films. Will audiences flock to the cinema to see yet another Spiderman remake? Will Kong: Skull Island be able to match the success of Godzilla? Can DC win back the critics with Wonder Woman and Justice League? All will be revealed in what will be another year packed with these types of films, and I'll be sure to review some of them upon release.

Suicide Squad (2016) Review

"Oh, I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna hurt you really, really bad." - The Joker.

Months after the critical failure of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC's next instalment in their cinematic universe seemed destined to follow in its footsteps. From the tone set by the first trailer, it looked like it took itself too seriously and had all the grimness that made BvS unengaging. DC, not wanting another high-profile flop on their hands, responded to this by re-shooting scenes with more humour injected, as well as two new trailers featuring "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Ballroom Blitz", giving the film a more colourful and fun look. Still, critics have bashed this film just as much as BvS. A fair amount of fans however, seem to view Suicide Squad as an clear improvement. Having recently seen the film for myself, my initial thoughts fall somewhere between the two, but with a more positive overall feeling.

Taking place after the death of Superman, intelligence operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) decides to fight fire with fire, assembling a team of imprisoned supervillains as a "suicide squad" to carry out highly dangerous missions for the government. This rag-tag group includes expert marksman Deadshot (Will Smith), the crazy Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), infamous thief Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), the now pacifistic El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and cannibalistic Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Led by special forces agent Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), the squad is deployed when a mystical being know as Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) rebels against her captivity by the government. With Enchantress intent on wrecking havoc on humanity, the squad must stop her and weave their way past her forces, as well as Harley's psychopathic boyfriend the Joker (Jared Leto), in order to prove that even the "worst of the worst" can do some good.

The plot has received a fair amount of criticism, with the idea that focusing on a rescue mission for the majority of the film's running time is nothing new. Whilst it isn't the most original idea, it allows there to be more focus on the characters and their abilities. Again, this isn't the best writing for supervillain characters you'll see, but they are at least memorable and are given a decent amount of backstory. Deadshot and Harley Quinn are given the majority of backstory, and they both push the other members of the squad to the side with their quips and chemistry with one another. That isn't to say the others don't get their moment to shine, but they don't drive the plot forward as much as Deadshot and Harley. At least all the performances are of a good standard, which is by far the film's greatest strength. Margot Robbie steals the film as Harley Quinn, and I couldn't imagine another actress playing this role after seeing her performance. Will Smith adds his usual coolness to Deadshot, which is more than welcome in a film featuring so many super-powered characters. I also liked Cara Delevingne's split-personality portrayal of Enchantress, which adds a more emotional edge to the story, with Rick Flag's relationship with Enchantress' alter-ego June pushed to breaking point by her evil scheme. 

One the most anticipated characters was Jared Leto's Joker, making his first cinematic appearance since 2008's The Dark Knight. After two fantastic portrayals by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, Leto had an awful lot to live up to. He gives a strong performance here, but as the Joker isn't really a main part of the story I don't think I can form a full opinion on his portrayal of the character until I see more of him. The new design was met with a mixed reception, but I felt it worked for the new direction of the Joker being more of a gangster. He has tattoos, jewellery and plated teeth, giving him a modernised look that we haven't seen before. I knew he wasn't in the film too long, but he was in it more than I expected, and all of his scenes with Harley certainly had the feel of a comic book brought to life. I look forward to seeing Leto expand his performance in the franchise's next instalments.

There are some things that bugged me, such as the use of pop songs throughout the first act. For starters, it feels like a rehashed idea for a film featuring a team of comic book characters, as Guardians of the Galaxy already did this to great effect two years ago. Whilst the songs in that film worked, only a few of them do in Suicide Squad. The film opens with "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals, perfectly setting the tone and atmosphere. With its haunting guitar and keyboard, the song is an appropriate companion for the villains, just as the use of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" is the perfect song for the headstrong Amanda Waller. However, the use of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" had me scratching my head, as well as the absence of pop music in the film's second act. The film keeps its fast-paced, fun vibe throughout with plenty of action and character banter, so the absence of the pop tunes is all too obvious. If the filmmakers where adamant they wanted to have pop tunes accompany and reflect the characters, why leave them out in the second act? There's also some choppy editing in places, especially in some of the action sequences. This is a particular pet peeve of mine, as I like to be able to see the choreography and hard work that goes into making them, especially when the film appears to champion a practical approach. The last fight with Enchantress suffers from this, as well as some fairly murky lighting, adding to the confusion.

Suicide Squad is far from perfect, but it's nowhere near as bad as critics are making it out to be. It might not be the most original idea (and the industry is definitely suffering from "superhero fatigue"), but of the other three comic book films I've seen in cinemas this year, this was by far the most enjoyable. The re-shoots have certainly improved what looked like another grim entry in the DC Extended Universe, and by not obsessing over setting up sequels, can be enjoyed as a standalone film. Had it not been released in the year when it finally seems critics are giving up on superhero films, I don't think it would be getting anywhere near the amount of flack its received so far. It boasts a talented cast that delivers on all fronts, and there's never a dull moment. The editing in some scenes and so-so soundtrack moments did not deter the experience of a fun little adventure. Fans seem more pleased with it than critics, but even if your not a fan of comic book films, you still may find enough to enjoy in Suicide Squad than you would in most films in this genre. 

Side note: My opinion on the whole "shut down Rotten Tomatoes" thing is that it's both childish and ridiculous. If you disagree with the critics' opinion on Suicide Squad (like I do), or any other film for that matter, express why you think they're wrong and what you enjoyed about the film. Requesting a critical website that viewed a film you enjoyed in a negative light to be shut down is plain silly, as there are plenty of websites that allow you to express what you love about the films you enjoy.