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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 29, 2021 1:35:21 GMT -5
Kryptonite is radiated fragments from the planet Krypton’s exploding sun. Since the green crystal in the module was far from the destruction of Krypton, it was a safe substance that caused no harm. It’s not the fact they’re crystals that are harmful, it’s their radiation content. That’s what Luthor is talking about when he takes out the page from National Geographic. I believe it was a good notion of theirs to make the world of Krypton crystalline to explain the substance of Kryptonite. It's a good point, but I do wonder what the production meeting was like when the color of the crystal was first introduced--- blue (or any other color) would have eliminated any question in anyone's mind... so I do wonder what the discussion with Donner might have been like. Very little seemed arbitrary in creative choices during Donner's time, so one wonders...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 27, 2021 13:26:39 GMT -5
I can remember watching that scene as a little kid and thinking, “Huh? Why is he putting kryptonite on the ship?” and asking my dad for clarification. LOL! If Brando had his way, I can imagine how hard it would have been for your dad to try to explain why Jor-el onscreen was a talking bagel!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 26, 2021 15:47:15 GMT -5
I thought there were plusses and minuses with Ezri Dax. Liked the character and it created all new dynamics but they had to devote a lot of time to explaining who she was and developing her and only had one season to do it. They had to cram all that in very few episodes. This was on top of wrapping up the entire series and all the other characters. That’s why you don’t see that happening too often with shows that are ending unless it’s for a spin-off. I recall the writers bummed about negotiations because they felt like they FINALLY got Dax setup in an interesting way once they coupled her with Worf.... but I can't think of what other beats would have been missing that they didn't get to play regarding stories for her character. On the flip side.... I think they a pretty great job with wrapping up so many storylines in a nice fashion for that last season. Not too many loose ends left over... and neat to see the 'speculative premiere episode' for another season from the DS9 documentary "What we left behind' from the writers who would have done it!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 26, 2021 15:46:41 GMT -5
The 'sorta crossovers' intrigues me a little. Overall, while I really appreciate the fan serivce of Crisis, I'm still waiting for any Berlianti series to hit me as strong overall as Trek or Buffy or Angel....
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 26, 2021 15:45:06 GMT -5
I was already shocked that Disney was allowed to buy Star Wars, Pixar, AND Marvel--- so, that's why I wouldn't be overly suprised at this point if they were allowed to buy DC ip... I already thought Disney was going to be stopped quite awhile ago..
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 25, 2021 20:39:43 GMT -5
.... then I still want it to eventually lead to SII tv cut extended blu ray! On the more serious side... DC actually being sold to Marvel would mean less superhero films all around, I would think. On the flip side, I'd rather be less than too much mediocre material at this point...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 25, 2021 20:36:31 GMT -5
I read recently that Purcell also quit/or fired from Legends- but just as Routh didn't have great words on how he was let go, that Purcell wasn't happy either. I wonder... what the heck is going on over there behind the scenes of the Berliantiverse anyhow??? Same as Routh I imagine. Money. Except I’m pretty sure Pucells contract has to be coming to an end soon. Of course Routh was recurring on Arrow for a while before he jumped over to Legends so who knows what his contract was for. As someone whose been on the show from the start Purcell probably either wants a raise or to stay at the same pay and they either don’t want him to have a raise or maybe even take less money. The Flash has been going through some of the same issues. Contracts are up after 5 to 7 years and some people are either ready to go or want more money. Flash just lost some cast members but they need Gustin so they’re negotiating for a raise. That’s just standard tv stuff. Remember when Terry Farrell left DS9 after season six, CAM? She either wanted to leave or wanted less days working because the schedule was so tough. Stephen Amiell talked about how difficult the transition is when finishing a contract with producers then starting to negotiate a new one- and then getting a less friendly relationship from that point on. With Terry Farrell it's ironic because the last season got a whole extra dynamic with the new trill because she didn't come back--- a rare case where it helped the storylines by having a regular leave.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 25, 2021 11:46:50 GMT -5
What do you guys think of David Harewood as Manhunter? I have a soft spot for the Phil Morris version from Smallville but I like Harewood. Mechad Brooks is a great Jimmy but it was weird to see Jimmy taller and more muscular than Tyler Holchein. He’s a different Jimmy than the wimpier one I’ve watched and read for a lifetime but I like Brooks. Harewood is great... though I agree, also a soft spot for Phil Morris as the Martian, too- But with Harewood- here's a neat interview with Martian Manhunter & Lex Luthor! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj5x4uPIoNg
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 25, 2021 0:04:51 GMT -5
Between being forced to drop the Suicide Squad story because of the SS movie and the Felicity romance Arrow went off the rails in The second half of season 3 and all of season 4. I thought season 5 was a rebound for them. After that it was up and down. I enjoyed seasons 7 and 8 though. Flash’s best seasons were one and two. But they ran into the speedster villain problem. It was a formula that was kind of overused. But then they had to figure out how to come up with strong non speedster villains for each season and that’s been hit and miss. I thought Legends began to find its voice after season 1 ended. Some characters just didn’t work and as they rotated people in and out of the cast and settled on who they needed most or who worked together best of got better. The shift to more comedy was the smart play. I actually really enjoyed Legends season 1, but oooof, I’m so glad they got rid of the Hawkman and Hawkgirl. They were pretty awful. But I loved the rest of the cast, especially Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell. I read recently that Purcell also quit/or fired from Legends- but just as Routh didn't have great words on how he was let go, that Purcell wasn't happy either. I wonder... what the heck is going on over there behind the scenes of the Berliantiverse anyhow???
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 16:31:43 GMT -5
Black Lightning has been one of the more consistently good dramatic shows of the Arrowverse but I think because it’s been so disconnected from everything else even post Crisis that it’s hurt it. It’s got WB lowest ratings of the CW superhero shows. Tonight the series finale airs. Batwoman is so hit and miss. Every once in a while they’ll deliver a great episode but it’s rare. Changing lead characters has also thrown things off. It also suffers the same problems most “Batman” shows without Batman shows deal with. That's too bad Black Lightning chose to be a standalone- more and more when I look at old Marvel comic reprints, it's become glaringly clear that they used the crossover early on to promote an unknown title- doing the same for tv and movies was the smart move.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 16:29:47 GMT -5
I guess part of it is they want to keep the illusion that its “all them” filling out the suit but also for those shirtless scenes. It might also be part of the mental process of getting into character. I respect the dedication for wanting to get as close to the superhero physique as possible but by that point most of that muscle is for show not for go. You don’t have to look like that to be able to meet the physical requirements for things like stunts and fight scenes. Considering my battles with resisting carbs, I have zero problem with any actor that wants to take off their shirt on screen if they got it to flaunt it.... after all, they have KEEP dieting and working out to maintain it (lol!)- so, since I'm not willing to put in the work to be shirtless or take a health risk with the steroids, I say they earn it- one way or another! If they want to lie about how they got there... eh.... to me, if that makes them feel better about themselves, fine, whatever ...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 15:56:29 GMT -5
Pretty sure he was taking steroids as well. Testosterone replacement and growth hormone might also explain why his hairline has all but tapped out. He’s an endomorph so it’s easier for him to put on size but he’s looked freakishly big compared to most actors recently. He’s put in the time and work but when you look at competitive bodybuilders who’ve admitted they’ve used there’s no way Cavill isn’t on something. And the older they get it’s even more suspect. Look at Jackman. He was probably glad to stop playing Wolverine because he was worried his heart would explode from all the stuff he was taking. What's a little funny to me is all the work they go through or the health they put at risk.... only to have their costumes end up being partly (or more) all done on the computer!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 15:53:26 GMT -5
I really enjoyed Arrow’s Prometheus storyline from season 4. I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2, but season 3 was a speed bump. Season 4 was so good. The Flash has been consistently good to awesome for 4 seasons. I’m really enjoying Legends of Tomorrow as a Guardians of Galaxy type. Between being forced to drop the Suicide Squad story because of the SS movie and the Felicity romance Arrow went off the rails in The second half of season 3 and all of season 4. I thought season 5 was a rebound for them. After that it was up and down. I enjoyed seasons 7 and 8 though. Flash’s best seasons were one and two. But they ran into the speedster villain problem. It was a formula that was kind of overused. But then they had to figure out how to come up with strong non speedster villains for each season and that’s been hit and miss. I thought Legends began to find its voice after season 1 ended. Some characters just didn’t work and as they rotated people in and out of the cast and settled on who they needed most or who worked together best of got better. The shift to more comedy was the smart play. There's also... * Black Lightning * Batwoman * Supergirl- (though I already own most of those- the Superman connection was too strong not to collect it) But- I haven't started checking out Black Lightning nor Batwoman.... are those worth getting? I wouldn't have started feeling a little panic until the WB rumor on a blu ray shortage in the near future from them...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 0:10:57 GMT -5
Sad that Voyager got so much focus and then ended up being so limp creatively.... but then again, I would prefer most episodes of Voyager to the new Treks. I can’t argue with that. New Trek has lost any real appeal to me. Even Picard. I don’t mind changes and new takes but the quality of the writing and drama just feels...substandard. They’re relying more on style and gimmicks over strong storytelling. I found stuff like Picards speech at the end of The Drumhead more compelling than anything on Discovery. TNG could get it done with only words when it needed to. Even Voyager found deliver the occasional strong episode. It just feels like Paramount/CBS are churning out content to lure people onto the service rather than worrying about the shows being good. Trek never felt that way when it was on tv and before it was behind a pay wall. Now that I’m expected to pay for it my expectations for the quality are much higher. The behind the scenes talent just isn’t there. Even the new characters aren’t as interesting. I’m saying that about a LOT of stuff lately though. The generation before honed their craft. What we’ve got now is fanboys who grew up watching those old shows but who didn’t get forged into the same kind of talent the same way. Agreed- the themes and messages of much of the previous Treks were timeless and deep when well done. Also, the Star Trek future shown in the previous versions showed an optimistic future to aspire to.... but that seems to have been shot down from the Abrams' movie on. Picard is just bizzare now if it's 'Robo-picard' and a supporting crew that bores me to tears (not the actors' fault but outside of Space Legolas, I just don't find them interesting and I'm so sick of every male Star Trek officer having to sport a beard now. Really?). I liked Discovery in the beginning part of season 1, but after Bryan Fuller got pushed out/quit, it just became more and more uninteresting to me. I like the actor who played Pike in season 2, but I need better writing not just good actors to want to follow that spin off series too....
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 0:03:06 GMT -5
Pretty sure he was taking steroids as well. Hmn... well- I think ALL the actors playing superheroes are taking steroids...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 24, 2021 0:01:09 GMT -5
I really enjoyed Arrow’s Prometheus storyline from season 4. I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2, but season 3 was a speed bump. Season 4 was so good. The Flash has been consistently good to awesome for 4 seasons. I’m really enjoying Legends of Tomorrow as a Guardians of Galaxy type. I have to try to grab the worthwhile series if WB is definitely closing up their blu-ray/dvd production next year- but there's so many Berlianti shows now, good to discern which ones are worth the $$$....
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 19, 2021 22:17:30 GMT -5
I want to see MOS again. Haven’t seen it since the theaters and want to enjoy it. I recently saw the theatrical Justice League and enjoyed Cavill in the role a little more the third go around. I actually thought Cavill was ok as Supes- but it was the script (and direction) that let him down... but, would prefer Routh if down to the two...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 19, 2021 22:15:28 GMT -5
It’s no coincidence DS9 got the freedom to do that when Voyager went on the air. All the focus from Berman and Paramount was on Voyager as the flagship series of UPN AND the Trek franchise. They weren’t as concerned about DS9 and it following certain rules anymore. So we got more serialized storytelling. Sad that Voyager got so much focus and then ended up being so limp creatively.... but then again, I would prefer most episodes of Voyager to the new Treks.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 19, 2021 22:12:27 GMT -5
What do you guys think of David Harewood as Manhunter? I have a soft spot for the Phil Morris version from Smallville but I like Harewood. Mechad Brooks is a great Jimmy but it was weird to see Jimmy taller and more muscular than Tyler Holchein. He’s a different Jimmy than the wimpier one I’ve watched and read for a lifetime but I like Brooks. I like Brooks too.... I just don't see him as Jimmy Olsen. At all.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 19, 2021 22:11:13 GMT -5
I know I'm late to the game, but finally saw it. To my giant surprise...
Overall...
I liked it... moreso than all of the other Snyder superhero films. While it's pretty insane that a director would want to re-visualize Kirby's visions into big bugs and bizzare that anyone on the planet would 'gleefully' kill off a character like Jimmy Olsen then turn around and offer Marc McClure a cameo....
I felt like there was a lot more in the story that worked to Snyder's strengths than to his weaknesses here.
Some thoughts:
#1: I was giantly suprised how much was shot by Snyder and not by Whedon. I was certain that all the humorous Flash moments were reshoots by Whedon.
#2: The Wonder Woman/Amazon material REALLY shines by seeing this after the giantly disappointing WW84. It makes sense. He made his mark with "300" and the action and tone is very much like that.
#3: The Batman action sequence in the beginning of the theatrical I thought was Snyder's was actually Whedon's. Go figure!
#4: The whole story construction based around Cyborg's story actually worked really well and was more impactful than the trimmed-down Whedon rewrite- though, to be fair, how could you chop this down to 2 hours?
#5: Bits of Whedon I missed- the Batman sequence in the beginning, the bit where Batman says a bit about Steve Trevor that pisses off WW to get her to punch Bats, the race between Supes/Flash at the end, the 'just save one' pep talk by Bats to Flash, and the 'I don't...NOT miss you' quip by Bats to Supes.
#6: A perfect cut would blend in the nice Whedon touches.... but overall the editing was pretty good, I thought. Zack's major weaknesses I feel are dramatic scenes that fall flat- that end up unintentionally laughable- (there's still bits of those TRULY awful moments- the bit with the doctor telling Dr. Stone his wife is dead and son won't make it is excruciatingly bad in its execution and the not-subtle at all moment where Cyborg helps the woman get rich at an ATM) but for the 4 hours and a lowered bar I thought most of this worked and had a good energy all the way through... splitting it up into chapters definitely helped I think.
#7: Ray Fisher really comes off as a great presence in this film- but given his prominence, it's easy to understand how annoyed he was at the theatrical.
Would be interesting to see a cut that trims the poor bits and adds a few of the Whedon moments I liked. Not perfect, but Chris Terrio/Snyder was definitely a giant improvement over the Goyer/Snyder collboration... not enough of an imporovement to want the Snyderverse restored, but... was enjoyable enough.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 19, 2021 21:08:40 GMT -5
He works, but I still feel like they wasted a fantastic opportunity RIGHT THERE to get Routh instead for the Supergirl tv show and then later series- and borrow all the goodwill from fans for whom "Superman Returns" was their first Superman on screen.... The Supergirl/Arrowverse version of Superman needed to be a different Superman. Supergirl needed its own continuity and fresh start. Casting Routh would have had some people thinking this was tied to Superman Returns. So either he was the SR Superman which would have tied up Supergirls options or he’s a different alternate Superman and you lose his backstory. The way they did it worked out. They have the freedom to do all kinds of things with Superman & Lois that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. We got Hoechlin AND Routh as his original SR version of Superman with that history in tact. And best of all they made sure to let people know he’s still out there and we could see him again someday. Hmnnn.... I would have been totally fine if they just used Routh either early on as Supes in Supergirl- & just figured out a way to uncast his as Ray Palmer or use him after Crisis to reset everything. Especially in re-watching the bit in Crisis with both Brandon and Tyler as Clark Kents in the same frame- the physical requirements (imo) are so narrow that I always picture an actor cast as having to be the most imposing guy in the room physically but exude a sense of humility and sincerity. And be taller than Jimmy Olsen, truthfully. I'm mixed on the tv show- I liked the first half of the pilot, but am hearing mixed reviews on the show as is now... I just am not sure how you can sustain the premise as an ongoing series- but will check it out once it's on blu ray (hopefully).
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 17, 2021 21:30:09 GMT -5
With STM vs. SR: I think the thing is- the main arc is similar (one level) to Wrath of Khan--- the main character is a bit depressed by his place in life- but then finds hope in life at the end from the son he never knew he had and the unexpected realization that he did have a family he never knew about. HOWEVER- with Wrath of Khan- #1: You also had the fiery villain with Khan to juice up the energy every time you ran into him- Luthor seems best as a 'middleman' at least as was used by Donner's version. A hunger for real estate isn't all that interesting no matter how you slice it... #2: You had other characters subplots and arcs that weren't about melancholy woven in: the eager new recruit and an interesting dynamic with Saavik/Spock, the continued bromance with Spock/McCoy/Kirk, you had the exciting starship chess-game like battles, the concept of project Genesis (coincidentally similar to but more interesting than the Krypton- reforming crystals in SR)- There was a lot of OTHER things going on besides just Kirk and his need to get past his middle age depression- so there (imo) wasn't anything wrong with that being an underlying problem to get resolved--- AS LONG AS - there was other interesting things going on to make up for it! In that regard... an interesting super-powered villain might have helped take up the slack- not just a mindless rock, but an actual interesting character to be a counterbalance to Supes I think would have helped give a different extra energy just as the multiple arcs in Wrath of Kahn did. Lex and his cohorts just were not that interesting as a 'b' plot on their own and needed another component- hence--- not any superhero battle, but an interesting one with an interesting supporting villain I feel might have filled that bill! Superman Returns is more Star Trek: The Motion Picture and less Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. TMP was deep and introspective with with the main characters wrestling with personal dilemmas... but dull. No real space battles either. TWOK carried over what worked from the series. It had the heart and passion of TOS while still being a strong character piece. SR needed its own TWOK style sequel. That’s what Singer said he was going to deliver but we’ll never know. MOS was Star Trek 09: a big loud dumb cgi action reboot that killed the direction they’d been going in in three movies with the second film being a total clusterf*ck that they couldn’t recover from. Zod was Nero angry that his planet was destroyed. Super smart bag guy who didn’t live up to the original movie version (Luthor/Khan) set in motion a series events that led to the hero dying only for him to be revived later. True- in spirit most of SR was introspective- and closer to STTMP- and needed another element to balance out the (Pretty much) mid-life crisis story of SR.... I didn't feel that the mid-life crisis story was the problem- but for a superhero film or a film that doesn't want to be primarily with that melancholy tone, one critic said that it was a good movie- just not a good superhero movie, and I can understand where they were coming from.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 17, 2021 21:18:14 GMT -5
With DS9, years ago, Marina Sirtis (a controversial figure on her own) said at a convention that she visited her friend Terry Farrell once on set and how it was like being at a funeral, whereas with TNG, it was like being at a party... which I didn't quite get- But then cut to years later and I remember Joss Whedon saying that the leads of a tv show often set the tone behind the scenes- and that Nathan Fillon was the core of what made the Firefly cast fun- and one gets the sense from the DS9 documentary that Avery Brooks took himself (and perhaps a couple of other actors on set) quite seriously- so that being the case, it makes sense why some actors were happy to get out of the contract.... On the flip side- with 1 percent of actors actually able to get work, and the types of work many HAVE to do to put food on the table- acting on a set that doesn't have a family atmosphere is hardly the worst work situation to be stuck with.... Brooks was serious. Ive seen behind the scenes footage where he looked constantly pissed. But he could be fun at times too. I think it was more than that. The cast of DS9 also talked about how strict the higher up executives were and how much bs they had to go through to have any kind of flexible creativity. With Voyager Berman was more hands on and they had a network to deal with in UPN. The TNG cast eventually got the freedom to have more fun on set. I know they’ve all talked about how some directors hated worked with them because they didn’t take the job as seriously as some would like sometimes. Ironically- I feel the quality of DS9 (season 3 on) was FANTASTIC. When they got permission to do a long 'war arc' towards the end of the series- they REALLY were firing on all cylinders, whereas TNG (and the producers openly admitted it) ran out of steam in the last season and went back to open submissions to pump up the story quality before the end. (Though the series finale kicks SO much arse). Sadly, no matter how good some of "PIcard" and parts of "DIscovery" are--- overall they can't hold a candle to what DS9, TNG, or even the last two seasons of Enterprise.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 17, 2021 21:13:34 GMT -5
The Wonder Woman flight suit by McFarlane was actually pretty nice.... but, yeah, the Cavill Superman ones have been suprisingly underwhelming, as one example. I was thinking of hunting down the Kirk and Picard ones by McFarlane, but wasn't as passionate as I thought to really check them out... The golden armor wonder woman is a good piece. The standard Wonder Woman is awful though. Just awful. I saw the McFarlane Trek figures in some store and while I was tempted I passed. The likenesses just weren’t there. I’d love to see a good company get the Trek license and start mass producing stuff. Seems like there’s a serious lack of Star Trek merchandise at retail. I hope the Viacom re-merger changes that. I stupidly COULD have gotten the gold WW84 pieces at $10 from Target early on.... but only after seeing the movie was curious about it & bought it for $20- but it's so nice, I don't mind that much--- Iniitally I would have said I was giantly suprised- given the excellence of so many McFarlane toys- but after seeing the Cavill Superman figures, I know there's no guarantee on the quality just based on the company.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 17, 2021 17:57:08 GMT -5
I definitely prefer the Mezco head(s). It looks like a mini hot toy. The Neca head looks like a plastic mannequin that kind of looks like Christopher Reeve. Comparing the paint work on both up close...isn’t even close. Check out the skin detailing on the Mezco. But we are comparing a $30 retail figure to a $150-ish high end figure. It’s not really fair. But if Hasbro ever got the chance to make a Superman movie figure they’d probably blow Necas out of the water and for a cheaper price. I’d bring McFarlane into the discussion since they’re doing seven inch scale like a Neca but so far their likenesses to DC movie and tv actors has been mostly misses. The Wonder Woman flight suit by McFarlane was actually pretty nice.... but, yeah, the Cavill Superman ones have been suprisingly underwhelming, as one example. I was thinking of hunting down the Kirk and Picard ones by McFarlane, but wasn't as passionate as I thought to really check them out...
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