Weeks of waiting have finally come to an end with the news that Disney has a reached a deal with 21st Century Fox. $52 Billion is what it took for Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox. Should we be happy? I will tell you why I am.
The Deal with Fox
Disney is acquiring the following assets from Fox:
Fox Film and TV Studios
Fox Television, including FX
Regional Sports Networks
Majority stake in Hulu
Star and Sky channels
National Geographic
It is understandable that you are beginning to hear people talk about the fact that Disney is becoming too powerful, but there is also chatter about Disney destroying the brand of some of the assets. For that I say bull! Disney currently owns, ABC, ESPN, Freeform, LucasFilms, Maker Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Miramax, the Muppets, and Pixar. Did you know that? Think about the content that is played on those forms of media. Does it all fit the “Disney brand”? Didn’t think so. That is right, all that Shondra tv raciness is on a station that is owned by Disney.
Why this is a good move
If it is one thing that Disney respects more than anything else is branding. If Disney wanted to destroy a brand it would have done so already in many ways. That is what not happens, far from it. Let’s take Marvel Entertainment for instance, Marvel Comics, their television shows, comic books, and movies all have their own brand that is separate from that of the Disney brand. You don’t see Mickey Mouse hanging around ESPN when they deliver sports. Disney will take care of the brand that is truly Fox related, but anything that needs to go to a proper location will do so. Case in point, the X-Men and Fantastic Four.
What will happen now
I expect Disney will do the following:
Form another television group to include Fox Television and FX, or merge that into the current Disney-ABC Television Group
Move all of the Marvel assets under the Marvel Entertainment umbrella
Utilize Hulu to become the streaming vehicle for all programming under the Disney Umbrella
This will allow each group to maintain its brand while providing a means for Disney to continue its normal programming through its normal channels.
Is there anything to be concerned about
There are things to worry about with any acquisition. There may be show creators who decide to not be a part of the Disney umbrella and leave. Some shows may get discontinued due to lower ratings per the Disney standard. Content will undoubtedly get moved to another location, which will make the consumer decide on switching. All that being said, the track record for Disney allows me to be calm and trust they will do the right thing with the newly acquired assets.
At this point all we can do is wait and see. As consumers we always reserve the right voice our concerns and based on experience, Disney will actually listen.
How hasn’t weighed in on this topic? Frieza, Cell, and Buu. Each of them have respectively had a shot at the Z fighters during the DragonBall Z saga. Each one of them caused their on path of destruction, but only one of them can be declared the toughest opponent. The one villain who gave the Z Fighters the most pain and heartache is none other than the first major villain, Frieza!
How could I possibly select Frieza?
Okay! Let’s work in reverse and I will explain to you why Frieza is the toughest opponent in DragonBall Z
Majin Buu
Majin Buu appeared in the final arc of DragonBall Z after the wizard Babidi manufactured battles on Earth to resurrect him. Buu took many forms throughout that saga. The first was fat buu, a ruthless but kind enemy. Next was super buu, the intelligent one, who manipulated the Z Fighters to ultimately getting the upper hand. The last one was kid buu, who was not the strongest, but most maniacal of the versions. The Z Fighters had a hard time fighting buu; however, they were probably at their most disjointed state. Consider that:
Vegeta was more focused on fighting a returning Goku.
Gohan failed to train seriously in the past seven years.
Goku was dead and only had a limited time on Earth.
Buu wouldn’t have been able to get past his “fat” stage under normal conditions.
Cell
Cell appeared at the end of the Android Saga as the last creation of Doctor Gero as the fail safe measure to destroy Goku and the Z Fighters. He obtained his perfect form by absorbing Androids 17 and 18. Additionally, he had the abilities and techniques of all the other fighters giving him the upper hand. Cell is definitely the more popular opponent, but toughest? Hardly. Again there are a few circumstances surrounding Cells rise to power. Forget the obvious element in the story pertaining Vegeta’s pride and folly of allowing Cell to obtain perfection. The Z Fighters were getting ready to do battle with him. There really was no contest once the battle began. In fact, Goku decided to spar with Cell just to show Gohan how to beat him. How is that considered to be the toughest opponent?
Frieza
Here is one thing I decided to wait until now to mention. Cell and Buu were both beatable in their first form. Frieza not so much. Even in his first form Frieza had the capacity to destroy all the fighters easily. He changes forms more so out of anger and an attempt to intimidate rather than necessity. By the time Frieza got to his final form there really was no contest. Frieza lost because of his pride. By toying with the Z Fighters he allowed Goku to become Super Saiyan and ultimately defeat him. As Frieza stated in the saga, he had never trained a day in life up to that point, which means he had pure power on his side.
I know it may be tough to believe, but Frieza, the destroyer of Planet Vegeta, is in fact the toughest opponent in DragonBall Z.
By now we are all aware that Disney is in talks with Fox to acquire its studio and television assets. Many people are excited about the fact that the X-Men will now be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I am more excited for the appearance of Doctor Doom.
Just who is Doctor Doom?
Victor von Doom was tortured in his early life when Mephisto killed his mother. His father died soon after that. Doom was so obsessed with the thought of saving his mother that he studied science and magic to beat Mephisto. Reed Richards and Ben Grimm met Doom while at State University. Doom ignored a warning from Reed Richards out of arrogance and his face was scarred after the project exploded during a trial. Doctor Doom returned to Latveria, scarred and embarassed, determined to attain the power he truly wanted.
Doom in the Cinematic World
If I had to choose the biggest misstep in 21st Century Fox’s portrayal of the Marvel Characters it would Doctor Doom. The reason for this very simple. Movies play to specific archetypes in order to establish a sense of comfort with the audience. For instance, the villains in comic book movies tend to move towards an over the top, spectacle of a campaign to cause destruction. There are some exceptions to the rule, but you can almost tell when a writer or director has no idea of who the character is when you see this representation.
Doom is not an over the top cackling fool who cracks jokes and fawns over a woman. Doom simply wants power and believes he is superior to all who appears before him.
Portraying Doctor Doom with Respect
Doctor Doom is as much a Marvel villain as he is a Fantastic Four Villain. Consider that Doctor Doom:
rules Latveria.
Is rivaled only by Reed Richards in terms of intelligence.
Has been considered for the title of Sorcerer Supreme.
Has Diplomatic Immunity.
Comparatively has similar results as a ruler like the Black Panther.
Is able to go toe to toe with the strongest in the Marvel Universe.
It is clear to see that depictions of Doom as a rich business tycoon or lab assistant bent on destruction because of a broken heart is insulting. This is not to say by any means that the movies have must portray Doom exactly like the comics, but there is much more that can be done.
How Marvel should introduce Doom
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an established world with known characters and sub-characters that we understand as an audience. This makes it very easy to introduce Doctor Doom into this world. The way I would approach it is through the Black Panther.
King T’Challa will meet the new ruler of Latveria, Victor Von Doom, as both would have a seat in the United Nations. Doom would realize that the magical artifact he seeks is currently sitting in Wakanda. T’Challa of course would forbid anyone from just coming onto his land and so eventually Black Panther would square off against what he believes to be Doctor Doom. Black Panther would win but discovers what he was fighting was nothing more than a Doom Bot, orchestrated to learn more about the land and vulnerabilities. Doom stole what he needed from the Black Panther during the battle.
This movie ends with the introduction of the Fantastic Four as T’Challa expresses a set back in scientific discovery with his science team who just happens to be collaborating their United States counterparts who resides in the Baxter Building.
I will be excited to see Disney acquire Fox Studios and happier to see Doctor Doom in the MCU. It would be about time!
We are at the 118th episode and the Tournament of Power has final added some emotional context to it. The fate of Universe 6 has been of note for the past two to three episodes with all of that universes saiyans being eliminated and the remainder left to represent Champa and the crew were Namekians. Meanwhile, Universe 2 was winning the hearts of the crowd with their abundance of love.
Both Universes decided to take on Universe 7, a terrible mistake.
On the one side you Goku, Android 17, and Android taking on Universe 2 while Gohan and Piccolo continued the battle with Universe 6.
The Battle for Survival
How did it play out?
Well it was no surprise that Goku would be a target with his energy being depleted, but two things were in play:
The Androids acquired a taste for eliminating Universe 2
Goku is actually ascending, despite what should be his death kneel
At the same time, while the Namekians of Universe 6 revealed that they have the power of the Namekian community within them through fusion, we STILL have not seen the full extent of Gohan’s power, which he was happy to display a taste of now.
Both Universe 2 and 6 gave their all the fight. Universe 2 trapped Goku, 17 and 18 in a Black hole of Love and Universe 6 engaging in a super energy wave. The concurrent Kamehameha wave from Gohan and Goku blew both Universes off the stage in beautiful display that will leave fans of Gohan saying, “ITS ABOUT TIME”, and fans of Goku saying,”HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?”
In the end though, that meant it was time to say goodbye to Universe 2 and 6 and that is when the emotion kicked in. Realizing that Beerus ultimately cheered the demise of his brother was intense. His stoic expression said it all.
The last, and equally powerful, response came from Vegeta who told his opponent to get ready because now he is in a bad mood.
Thoughts on the Episode
This episode of Dragon Ball Super is one of the better ones in an recognizably drawn out arc. Lets hope that with a smaller fight pool that the remaining episodes carry the same weight.
Do you want to watch Dragon Ball Super? You can do so through crunchyroll. Its free to create an account and you can watch all the episodes. Premium options are available.
Its that time of year again. DC has released its latest movie in the DC Extended Universe, Justice League, and fans are going to see it. Whether you loved the movie, or hated it (I’m somewhere in the middle), we all can agree that on the whole DC needs some help in righting the ship that is their extended universe. Putting these movies together are easier said than done, but there is really no reason for DC to continue with lukewarm outings and as such here are 10 things I believe DC can do to improve the DCEU.
1. Maintain the essence of the characters
This should be an easy one for DC. Their characters are iconic and so is the essence that makes them who they are. DC needs to bring that to the big screen. Now, in saying that I am not suggesting that they copy the characters exactly, but the core element of the character should remain. You expect Superman to bring hope to any scenario he is in and you expect Batman to bring the reality. There is nothing wrong with that. Barry Allen is funny, yes, but he is not goofy and completely awkward. In short, go back and look at what you did with Wonder Woman and copy that.
2. Tell a story that fits in the movie world
Fans of the comic books will believe that storylines should be brought to the big screen. That is a fatal flaw for comic book movies. Comic storylines have so many different plot threads and angles that is will be near impossible for one storyline to even fit in the scope of a movie, let alone several. Batman v. Superman failed because it attempted to do just that. Forcing Batman and Superman to fight within the confines of one movie while THEN pitting Superman against Doomsday is way too much. Pick one and go with that. If you need help, choose the plot thread that will lead you to complete your story without needing to reverse past decisions.
3. Remember what was done in previous movies
Suicide Squad placed Batman and Flash in the movie to signal that the Suicide Squad was a part of the DCEU. That was good, you know what would have capped it off. A two to three minute scene in Justice League with Bruce Wayne talking to Amanda Waller talking about either a) the status of the last mission, to see if any member of the squad was available, or b) confirming that he has a team now and that Task Force X should stand down on a more permanent basis. It won’t take much, but it would be tremendous to the fans to see the connection continuing. Also, Flash seemed more in tune with his abilities in Suicide Squad than in Justice League, which is it? Consistency matters.
4. Avoid the spin-offs
Breakthrough characters in good movies don’t always deserve to have their own movie. Sony made this fatal mistake when it thought it would be great to announce a Sinister Six movie. Why? Who would want to go see it? DC is making the same mistake with some of its spin-off concepts. A Joker and Harley Quinn movie? No. This is only to continue to capitalize on the hype that Harley Quinn had in Suicide Squad. In all the incarnations of the Joker, no one thought that while AWESOME, they should have their own movie. This is why, despite the section of fans demanding it, there should not be a Black Widow or Hawkeye movie. There is no purpose behind it and would only serve to be a waste of time.
5. Use secondary characters as the glue
This is one from Marvel’s playbook, but hey, if it works, it works. Cinematic Universes not only contain the superstars, but the secondary characters. Using the latter will solidify the universe. DC has for instance, the GCPD, Daily Planet, S.T.A.R Labs, and Cadmus labs, USE THEM!!! Mentioning a main characters supporting cast or seeing them in a particular movie is a great way to tease the fact that the main character is a part of the universe. It doesn’t take much and people who catch the hints will be extremely excited about the way the universe is shaping.
6. Don’t force the cinematic universe
This goes in line with the previous item. There really is no need to announce that you will have a cinematic universe. I know, us fans will connect the dots and ask for it, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell us you are doing it. Connections should feel organic, either through plot or sub-characters, but don’t waste the moments for the sake of fan fare. If you establish a connection, remember it and enhance it later. Sometimes the little things are far more rewarding. That said…
7. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a moment
With the total sum of the DC characters at its disposal, it is easy for the company to drop several hints to draw in on key moments that will leave the fans talking for months to come. While Batman v. Superman was not good on the whole, people couldn’t stop talking about Batman’s fight scene. That moment is a key that works and sticks with the fans. Imagine if at the end of the big fight in Justice League, Superman goes in for the final blow to “incapacitate” Steppenwolf and out of the boom tube comes a figure with red eyes who pushes Superman back and simply says, “Patience Kryptonian, your time will come” and teleports away. That would instantly capture the attention of all in the audience and signal that the bigger threat is coming.
8. Don’t use the Flash to reboot the DCEU
There are talks that the Flash movie will be Flashpoint, a critically acclaimed storyline in which the Flash goes back in time to save his mother and the result sends shockwaves to the DCU causing a reboot of sorts all the characters. This is a bad idea if even the adaptation of that storyline is shown in theatres. For starters, the flash just learned to use his powers right? So for him to have the wherewithal to go back in time is a bit of a stretch. Second, consider that the reverse flash is the one who ultimately was responsible for killing Barry’s mom, and we haven’t met him yet in the DCEU. Oh, he is from the future as well. See how convoluted it is? There is a lot to unpack in one movie and that is just the consequences to the Flash. The DCEU is not irreparable, attempting to reboot the universe is not the way to go.
9. Trust the popularity of the characters
Outside of Spider-Man, DC has the most well known characters in the mainstream world. This allows for DC to have some flexibility with how they introduce their major characters. Think back to Batman ’89. Tim Burton did not waste time retelling the origin of Batman, he trusted that everyone knew that. The only reason Nolan did was he wanted flesh out Batman’s Year One story and introduce Bruce as a member of the League of Shadows. It is not required to go through the same steps other companies would have to in order to get to the same point. DC should trust that the people know the main characters and focus on introducing the audience to the world around them. This would allow people to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the movies they are watching.
10. Have fun
This is not a cop out. It doesn’t feel like the people affiliated with the DCEU are having fun and that is not good. This is an amazing time where characters we once imagined would never make it to the big screen in this fashion are right there before our eyes. DC has been in the movie game for quite a bit with Superman and Batman, but that may also be a bad thing. Rather than rushing, or attempting to rush, to get x number of movies out, do a few really good ones and see where it goes. Telling the right story with the right heroes and villains is what will make a great movie. Once the fun is there, you will see it in the final product and ultimately it will permeate to the audience watching.
And there you have, Do you agree? Disagree? Did I miss something? Let’s discuss
