It's a little odd to me that they would change things up so vastly for this sequel instead of just creating a new ip. The first game was really good and inevitably creates certain expectations for a sequel, none of which this seems to contain. That's pretty disappointing.
I think we're starting to see filmmakers get it right. Detective Pikachu and Sonic The Hedgehog managed to do it. What worked so well for those was that they made the story and characters front and center. We got nods to the game and the game was still the backbone, but it didn't make up the majority of the movie. And those characters and story were solid. Yes, Robotnik still had elements from the game, as did Sonic, but those things didn't define them.
You can compare that to stuff that tries too hard to be 'video gamey', like Super Mario Bros. and any other number of horrible video game movies. They try too hard and the things that matter in movies become secondary. I agree with Levy to an extent, but I also think filmmakers need to trust their script (if it's good) and the characters. They need to be movies first, and video game adaptations second. Gamers may have expectations about what goes into Uncharted, but those expectations can't define the movie. If it's a good movie, it will be a good movie, regardless of the fact that it sticks to the games. Again, we can look to Sonic and Detective Pikachu. They didn't stick to those expectations, I think, that gamers would have of what an adaptation should have within and they ended up being good movies based on the games.
It is fairly sad that this didn't do better as it's one of the only movies to come out this summer that truly feels like a summer blockbuster worth seeing. There were too many factors working against it and I have to wonder if it might have done better if not for HBOMax's streaming deal. I do think people aren't quite ready to pack theaters yet, and I don't really blame them either. I am hoping we get through this so we can get some normalcy, including watching movies in theaters again, very soon. At the very least, I am just happy theaters are open and I can go see movies again.
@Dvergilio67: That's great, but doesn't really make sense. Both the original SS and Birds of Prey were mediocre comic book adaptations at best and by most metrics we might measure filmmaking by. They also have less audience/critical acclaim to them. By all accounts, James Gunn seems to have made one of the DCEU's best films to date. But I also count some bad movies among ones I love, so no one can ever take away your opinion on a film or your love for it.
@Heazie: Your profile pic doesn't exactly help your case in coming across as some kind of pandemic expert. I get it, you're scared of not having your freedom, so you're lashing out, but the majority of experts are in agreement about what is actually happening. If I want to know facts about something, I usually turn to the experts. But if I ever need to know something about professional wrestling, I'm sure you'll be a good person to inquire.
I played this beta since thursdday and that is the first time I've heard this. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention to the zombie noises or couldn't hear them over gunfire. I guess this is what betas are for: to catch the bugs and stuff like this and get rid of it at launch. However, considering the locations this game takes place in, a racist zombie doesn't really seem very out of place.
He did a good job developing most of these characters, although I am as puzzled as he is ass to why some of these were included. I suppose it makes more sense in the context of the film, but yes, characters like Javelin, TDK, and Weasel don't really make much sense whatsoever on a Suicide Squad mission.
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