I love spending my Sunday afternoons firing up the DVD player and re-discovering one of my many films that I thought I loved enough to spend $24.99 to have it forever. This particular Sunday it was that classic from 1987, the live-action Masters of the Universe. And it stunned me how close it was to a recent live-action hit, Transformers.
When Transformers was early in its production, I read an interview with...oh, I forget. It was either executive producer Tom deSantos or writer John Rogers. Anyway, they said that their goal with Transformers was to re-create the fantasy films of the 1980s. And, wow! They pulled it off. The plots of Transformers and Masters of the Universe are strikingly similar.
Granted, the similarities are superficial: waring factions from a distant planet come to Earth, chasing some magical McGuffin they need to tip the balance of power. And, trapped in the middle, are a couple of typical kids from suburbia who hold the secret to the McGuffin's location.
But still, it was enough to make me step back and go, "Whoa."
A popular subject of discussion right now is The Dark Knight, and specifically, "Where do you go for a third film? Who will the villain be?"
It's surprising how, online right now, there's a strong desire to have the Man-Bat. But, director Christopher Nolan has said he'd like to keep his Batman movies a bit realistic. So, I think a scientist who becomes a half-man/half-bat creature when he drinks an experimental formula would be a little too...science-fictiony. Same goes for Mr. Freeze.
I know early in The Dark Knight's production, there was a rumor going around of having Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin. Dark Knight co-writer David S. Goyer has nixed that idea, saying he'd like to focus on some of the lesser-known members of Batman's rogues gallery.
I was recently chatting with a friend of mine over where to go next, and he said that probably the best way to go next would be to have Batman fight himself...bring in a villain so powerful that he utterly destroys Batman, and Batman has to fight to get back up and bring him in. I looked at my friend and said, "Dude, you're describing Bane and his first appearance!" Bane would be pretty cool. It would be neat to see him done right on the big screen, seeing as to how he was one of the many characters screwed over in Batman & Robin.
As my friend and I continued, I also suggested that maybe the next one should be about proteges...bring in Robin, and for the villain, use the Joker's protege, Harley Quinn.
but you know, I kind of hope that they don't do a third one. As we all know, when it comes to trilogies, part 3 tends to suck. Let's go out on a high note!
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