WB's "no joke policy"

[NoLaNitE007]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...os-no-jokes-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice



Several websites have been reporting this and I haven't seen it anywhere on these forums, and felt it was worth posting. It's just a rumor at this point, but I think there could be something to it.
If true, it shows a pretty myopic, wrong-headed view on WB's part. How do you know the appropriate tone for a film that hasn't even been put into production yet?

Sounds like BS to me.

Of course there will be some light hearted humor in these DC films...it just won't be taken to the extreme like what Marvel has been doing.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I'm sure there will be some jokes. That's ****ing obvious. But I think the meaning behind this is that they will be trying to go for a very serious tone. TDKT and MOS had jokes. going forward, we'll get as many jokes as those films had, I'm sure of it.

The jokes ruin the Marvel movies so this is fantastic news.

 

[kedrell]

I laughed at nothing in MoS and I don't recall my audiences laughing either. Like someone above said, maybe some snickering at that lousy "He's hot" line but otherwise nothing I can remember. If DC does this then fine by me, I don't care if they slit their own throats. But I think it's more likely a desire to hold all their films to a super-serious tone that the TDK and MoS movies have had(which I personally don't care for). IMO that alone will hinder them plenty for a long time to come without an explicit "no jokes" rule being in place. I miss the WB/DC mindset that made Superman: The Movie(still their crowning achievement as far as I'm concerned and still one of the best superhero movies ever made).

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I'm calling B.S. on this too.

Especially with the upcoming Flash show looking like serious business, all the time. (That's sarcasm.)

Exactly what I was thinking.

Also, what about characters like Joker and Harley Quinn?

 

[NoLaNitE007]

I laughed at nothing in MoS and I don't recall my audiences laughing either. Like someone above said, maybe some snickering at that lousy "He's hot" line but otherwise nothing I can remember. If DC does this then fine by me, I don't care if they slit their own throats. But I think it's more likely a desire to hold all their films to a super-serious tone that the TDK and MoS movies have had(which I personally don't care for). IMO that alone will hinder them plenty for a long time to come without an explicit "no jokes" rule being in place. I miss the WB/DC mindset that made Superman: The Movie(still their crowning achievement as far as I'm concerned and still one of the best superhero movies ever made).

So it is an official "NO JOKES" policy at WB's or are you making this up based on unsubstantiated rumors again?

Anyway, in my viewings folks LOL'd to the scene where he impaled the *****bag truck drivers semi on light post.

The also LOL'd when she wants to say Superman and is interrupted by Dr Hamilton and also when he breaks the cuffs to approach the General.

There was subtle laughter when Jonathan tells Clark he knows he is alright...and thats not what he meant...after those kids try to bully him by the fence.

Also when the solider girl says...I think he is kinda hot toward the end...

Lois "tinkle" comment has some laughter...especially among the females it seems...but yeah...I would like to see a little more of that type of humor throughout the film...espeicially during the Lois and Clark scenes with some fun, witty, flirtation type of exchanges.

Over doing it like the Marvel films? Nah....

 

[Duran Man]

I guess you could say that WB is killing jokes.

 

[NoLaNitE007]

Once again...sounds like BS to me...

 

[Flint Marko]

Wouldn't surprise me either way. I could see it being true, I could see it being a rumor.

 

[Evil Twin]

Wouldn't surprise me either way. I could see it being true, I could see it being a rumor.

You really believe that Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck are going to be dictated to coming off of Argo (which btw is funny)? That doesn't pass any sort of smell test.

It's not true.

I mean, come on, the promotion for The Flash is anything but dark and humorless.

 

[kedrell]

So it is an official "NO JOKES" policy at WB's or are you making this up based on unsubstantiated rumors again?

Anyway, in my viewings folks LOL'd to the scene where he impaled the *****bag truck drivers semi on light post.

The also LOL'd when she wants to say Superman and is interrupted by Dr Hamilton and also when he breaks the cuffs to approach the General.

There was subtle laughter when Jonathan tells Clark he knows he is alright...and thats not what he meant...after those kids try to bully him by the fence.

Also when the solider girl says...I think he is kinda hot toward the end...

Lois "tinkle" comment has some laughter...especially among the females it seems...but yeah...I would like to see a little more of that type of humor throughout the film...espeicially during the Lois and Clark scenes with some fun, witty, flirtation type of exchanges.

Over doing it like the Marvel films? Nah....

Maybe I wasn't clear but I don't believe there is an explicit "no jokes" rule. I rather think instead it's a pervading desire to keep the humor to a minimum and focus more on being serious. Sorry if that wasn't clear before.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Marvel completely overdoes the joking. Completely. I've come to really resent their tone, it's kinda annoying and they just rely on that now.

You don't have to turn a superhero into a joke just so that audiences will accept that character.

I hope this news is true to an extent. I think there will be minimal humor. Marvel's tone is basically superhero-comedy. Bleh. No thanks. I'd rather go for epic, gritty, and dark. That sounds way better to me

 

[DOBSON10]

I don't believe this rumor but I do like the idea behind it, to an extent. I don't mind a few jokes here and there and certain characters call for more humor than others but overall I prefer the more serious tone. I like the amount of humor that Man of Steel had, it's just that none of the jokes were remotely funny.

I agree with SpideyFan866, I think DC should stick to more natural sources of comedy instead of trying to add actual jokes. For example, the line where Christian Bale tells Michael Caine that he's going to tell the police it was "all your idea", that's more of a natural conversation where something humorous is said. While it was put in the script specifically to get a laugh, it was more natural and discreet. Where as something like "I just think he's kind of hot" is forced and unnecessary (and also just horribly placed, terrible and not funny in general). To me, that Batman/Alfred line is one of the funniest moments in a comic book movie, because it feels real, not forced, over the top or cheesy. That's the approach I hope they take with most of these movies/characters. Certain characters can have their more flashy over the top joking moments (like Flash or obviously The Joker for example) but I'd prefer they try to keep it more subdued and stay away from the exaggerated humor.

 

[Flint Marko]

You really believe that Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck are going to be dictated to coming off of Argo (which btw is funny)? That doesn't pass any sort of smell test.

It's not true.

I mean, come on, the promotion for The Flash is anything but dark and humorless.

Note how the original article only talks about the movie universe.
Also, with the right amount of money I'm sure they could be told to do whatever WB desires. You really think WB isn't going to have numerous studio mandates with this upcoming film that will lay the groundwork for their cinematic universe? This is most likely going to be a billion dollar franchise, warner brothers is definitely going to have numerous rules and stipulations for the film makers to follow. If you think otherwise, you're kidding yourself.

 

[Flint Marko]

Marvel completely overdoes the joking. Completely. I've come to really resent their tone, it's kinda annoying and they just rely on that now.

You don't have to turn a superhero into a joke just so that audiences will accept that character.

I hope this news is true to an extent. I think there will be minimal humor. Marvel's tone is basically superhero-comedy. Bleh. No thanks. I'd rather go for epic, gritty, and dark. That sounds way better to me

"Epic, dark, and gritty" isn't a one-size fits all tone for any character. That's an idea I've seen here around here for a while and it couldn't be more wrong-headed; it worked for Nolan's batfilms but that's about it. Just because it's appropriate for batman doesn't mean it'll work for any other superhero property. Man of steel suffered from that sort of thinking.

 

[DOBSON10]

"Epic, dark, and gritty" isn't a one-size fits all tone for any character. That's an idea I've seen here around here for a while and it couldn't be more wrong-headed; it worked for Nolan's batfilms but that's about it. Just because it's appropriate for batman doesn't mean it'll work for any other superhero property. Man of steel suffered from that sort of thinking.

See to me, Man of Steel had plenty of attempts at being funny, the problem was that they all stunk and just weren't funny. There were several jokes in the movie it's just that they missed their mark. The funniest part of the movie ended up being a line that probably wasn't even meant to be funny, which was Col. Hardy telling Faora "I don't care what you tell him". Lois had a bunch of attempts at being funny that all fell flat on their face, the "I just think he's kind of hot" line was horrendous, the trucker scene was ok but not really "funny" etc.

 

[Flint Marko]

See to me, Man of Steel had plenty of attempts at being funny, the problem was that they all stunk and just weren't funny.

There were a handful of moments played for laughs, but they were clunky and forced. The "he's kind of hot" line in particular was awful. The rest of the movie was dour and overtly-serious, which I have said many times was only done to make the film appear as if it was cut from the same cloth as TDKT.

 

[Rorschach2012]

"Epic, dark, and gritty" isn't a one-size fits all tone for any character. That's an idea I've seen here around here for a while and it couldn't be more wrong-headed; it worked for Nolan's batfilms but that's about it. Just because it's appropriate for batman doesn't mean it'll work for any other superhero property. Man of steel suffered from that sort of thinking.

I realize this. Yeah Shazam and Flash (to a lesser extent) should probably be pretty light compared to a Batman or Aquaman. Superman can work with that tone though, the tone was not the problem with MOS.

 

[The Endless]

Marvel completely overdoes the joking. Completely. I've come to really resent their tone, it's kinda annoying and they just rely on that now.

You don't have to turn a superhero into a joke just so that audiences will accept that character.

I hope this news is true to an extent. I think there will be minimal humor. Marvel's tone is basically superhero-comedy. Bleh. No thanks. I'd rather go for epic, gritty, and dark. That sounds way better to me

Was Cap turned into a joke? Guardians of the Halaxy was exactly like the comics in terms of tone. And it used comedy as a form of characterization.

The ignorant idea that comedy is a lesser form of story telling is laughable. Its actually very difficult to make it work. Marvel has had more successes than failures in this regard. I advise you to read FILM CRIT HULKS write up of Guardians and be enlightened.

Also the idea that dark and grim and sombre is inherently more mature is the attitude that led to the 90s era comic

Who the hell wants to see a Justice League movie with its own head stuck up its ass? I mean seriously what is with this angsty desperate need for superheroes in colourful spandex to be portrayed so sombre and depressingly? Its pathetic. Superheroes should be fun! They should inspire us and make us wish we could be them. A Justice League movie that doesnt embrace the INHERENTLY silly nature of itself but rather plays it portentous and sduper serious will be a total disaster.

 

[Victarion]

I wouldn't mind some irreverent graveyard humor. That would fit more with what WB is trying to do. What I find pathetic is setting up a strict dichotomy of "fun" vs "grim and gritty." You can have both. Like Wonder Woman and Aqua Man breaking language barriers with an alien tribe by doing public executions of the tribe's tax collectors, provosts, and other maligned public officials...then going on a pub crawl from village to village, rinse and repeat. Its grim, gritty and funny in a dark sort of way.

 

[The Endless]

You look at the characters in the JL. A alien immigrant. A billionaire vigilante. A ancient goddess. A guy struck by lightning who can now run really fast. A space cop with a magic green ring...

You play that completely straight and dont embrace the inherent absurdity of it but have it screaming "please take me seriously!"? People will laugh for all the wrong reasons.

You dont have to be serious and self important to be respected and taken seriously. As long as your heart is in the right place

 

[DA_Champion]

Just say no to self-deprecating humour.

None of the greatest movies ever made ever denigrate themselves self-referentially.

Aim high DC.

 

[Victarion]

Right, you can use darker humor to play up the absurdity of it. Just don't make the characters aware of it. I want to laugh in disbelief at whatever it is they do, and perhaps wonder if they're really heroes.

 

[DA_Champion]

Does 2001: A Space Odyssey have self-deprecating jokes to wink at the audience and let them know that Clarke and Kubrick agree that the material is absurd?

 

[Rorschach2012]

Was Cap turned into a joke? Guardians of the Halaxy was exactly like the comics in terms of tone. And it used comedy as a form of characterization.

The ignorant idea that comedy is a lesser form of story telling is laughable. Its actually very difficult to make it work. Marvel has had more successes than failures in this regard. I advise you to read FILM CRIT HULKS write up of Guardians and be enlightened.

Also the idea that dark and grim and sombre is inherently more mature is the attitude that led to the 90s era comic

Who the hell wants to see a Justice League movie with its own head stuck up its ass? I mean seriously what is with this angsty desperate need for superheroes in colourful spandex to be portrayed so sombre and depressingly? Its pathetic. Superheroes should be fun! They should inspire us and make us wish we could be them. A Justice League movie that doesnt embrace the INHERENTLY silly nature of itself but rather plays it portentous and sduper serious will be a total disaster.

i definitely want to see a Justice League movie that takes itself completely seriously. The Avengers tone would be too light for what i want to see in a Justice League film.

A comedic tone works with certain properties. But I'll take too dark over too light and comedic any day. There are quite a few Marvel movies that would've benefited from a less comedic tone. It's a common problem i have with their movies. The Thor series needs to take itself a bit more seriously. Age of Ultron is said to be darker, and that's very encouraging. I really enjoyed the Captain America movies and The Avengers the best out of all the Marvel movies. GOTG is also one of the best, the comedic tone worked well there.

Just like Marvel, DC has properties that need humor to work well. Shazam taken completely seriously sounds like a possible failure. There needs to be some moments of levity in all of the DC movies, just not to the extent of the average Marvel film.

 

[Boom]

I'm sure the films will have humor to break up the tension. You can't just have two hours of unrelenting bleakness. That's common sense and basic filmmaking. So if people are reading "no jokes" as "no humor," then I'd wager that that may be overstating it. For all the **** WB gets thrown its way regarding the DC properties, I myself can't imagine its executives actually sitting there demanding "Darker! DARKER! MAKE OUR AUDIENCE ****ING MISERABLE!"

MoS's problem as far as humor was concerned was that the film was written by a guy who, when trying to think of a clever insult for a bully to throw at Clark, landed on "dick splash." The same guy who follows up a scene where Superman snaps someone's neck with a female military officer swooning over how hot he is. Goyer has the sense of humor of a ten-year-old. You couple that with a mature story treatment, and of course the movie is going to fall flat on its face on the comedy front. Chris Terrio, on the other hand, wrote the script for Argo - an Oscar-winning film that, despite heavy subject matter and pretty high stakes, was laced with humor that doesn't lose its shine after one viewing. And that man is now largely responsible for the BvS script, and is supposedly being courted for Justice League. I expect we will see an improvement in the humor department. The kind of humor that doesn't rely on vapid side-characters, an endless assault of one-liners, or other modern-day cinematic equivalents to fart jokes.

WB made two billion dollars off of two Batman films that took themselves seriously. MoS brought in respectable numbers in theaters and was one of 2013's highest grossing Blu-Rays, despite it's apparent over-seriousness. I'm not seeing the evidence that audiences are tired of the "serious" superhero movie. Quite the contrary. Seems to me that people are just fine having some diversity within this genre. I truly do not understand this desire to see everything homogenized that is running rampant all across fan communities.

Start putting out the exact same thing every single time, and just watch as interest plummets.