The True Believers must speak out

Rating: 4/10 (16 June 2007)

OK......... ten pages, and nothing good yet.
We true believers, the real fans of the comic book, the ones who know and understand the stories of the comics, have a few things to say.
This movie is yet another example of Hollywood's lack of sense. I enjoyed Lord of the Rings thoroughly, I enjoyed the Spiderman series for the most part, I enjoyed Batman Begins to its core, but this movie portrays the greatest blunder of Hollywood has ever made.
You see, what draws us nerds into science fiction and fantasy is at least our appreciation for the science or the "properties" of the powers of various persons, always wondering how possible these powers might be. But what keeps us around is the sheer greatness of the unfolding drama. They are simply great stories. Granted, they often involve corny villains and silly logic, but we do not regard these as much. There are actually some incredible stories to be told in these comics. What we mean when we say "does it do it justice?" is, "is the story as good a story as it should be?" Are these movies as moving as the stories they are supposed to represent? Or are they a mere show for the disillusioned audience who know nothing of Galactus' true power? or Phoenix's? What I'm trying to say is, if Hollywood would actually take the time to read and understand what has made the stories so popular, then their movies would be more than just a bunch of action and worn-out romance/villain/solution plot. Hollywood fails to UNDERSTAND the basics of the marvel universe.
There is one complaint i have against this movie. I had up to 20 in some others, but I still sang their praises.
The Surfer CANNOT "tell" Galactus he is done. The Surfer humbly requests that Galactus spares this planet. There is no massive heave of power or grand rebellion. The surfer has plenty of balls enough to stand up to Galactus enough to plead for one being's life. And Galactus, not wanting to have a resentful herald, tells him to find another herald for him, and he will go. There is no "It is over, for both of us." Galactus is one of the three GODS of the marvel universe. if you fail to portray Galactus correctly, you fail to make a good story. The drama behind this story is not that "though they are small, they prevail." The drama is quite different and more subtle. The drama is that "EARTH IS DOOMED." No matter how much heart they have in them, they are forced to face the inevitable fact that there is absolutely nothing they can do to stop Galactus from eating Earth. It is only in the Surfer's EXILE to earth and Frankie Ray's appointment as Herald that Earth is saved. I suppose there is yet hope with another movie, but we are damn tired of waiting for "the next movie." If Galactus is screwed up, then there are too many other stories down the line that will be screwed up.
What Hollywood needs to start doing is incorporating the different superheroes in each others movies. This is the most important thing in comic books. The Marvel Universe, and the DC Universe, and even both of them together, are The Most Detailed and Complex Stories of All Time. One of the reasons Lord of the Rings is so popular is because it is so extensive. Comic books are so ten-thousandfold. Holly wood needs to understand this.
In conclusion: I call Bruce Timm to the stand. Bruce Timm, I honour you. Although Justice League and Batman and all that (even Static Shock) are not necessarily completely on target with the comics, you have successfully understood the nature of each and every character, and the nature of the comic book story. This is what has made them so damn popular. They're damn good stories. I exhort you to force yourself into the next comic book movie (DC i guess) and show Hollywood what a REAL comic book movie is like. Show them that they can actually have a decent plot and have actually interesting characters. Let the world know that we nerds and geeks actually have something going here. SHow them that *SHOCK* comic books are worthy of a place among Charles Dickens and J. K. Rowling and Homer. And your movie will outsell anything Hollywood can put out. Bruce Timm, you MUST make a movie. Do it for me. Do it for all of us. Do it for the sake of true beauty and for the sake of true art. Do it so we can read Paul the Apostle's words "whatever is noble, honourable, and just" and think about the movie we just saw.
It's about quality, ya'll.