On August 6, DC's new film "Task Force X 2: All Staff Assemble" was released in the United States and launched on HBO, a streaming media platform. Changing the score of previous DC expansion universe works, Task Force X 2 was applauded by fans and audiences. Douban scored a high score of 8.3 on the first day, which almost made this new film sit on the throne of the highest score of DC extended universe movies.
In the comment area, many viewers gave positive comments, thinking that Task Force X 2 is a very qualified commercial work, which can be used for fun while being "good-looking". However, some viewers think that Task Force X is just a typical commercial film, and after deconstructing all the routines, we can find that Task Force X even has this group of "villains". This means that the "initial intention" of DC to expand the universe has changed and it has begun to "have no taste".
The gray charm of fine print
There are many commercial films in Hollywood, and the audience has been tortured by Hollywood routines for a long time. However, compared with the first two works or other works of the same ip, Task Force X 2 has indeed reached the level of "successful commercial film", and its success can not be separated from good "personal design" and every "short story".
The appearance of Task Force X at that time was inseparable from the audience's "aesthetic fatigue". Superman, Batman, Flash and other DC veteran super ip have made the audience feel strange, and the audience urgently needs a different hero to make people shine. At this time, Marvel Comics next door launched a popular "anti-hero" Deadpool, which instantly aroused the audience's love for this "not so perfect" but charming superhero character. Subsequently, the "X Task Force" for DC to expand the universe-X Task Force was born.
These "heroes" are almost villains and outlaws. They went to prison for various reasons, but they went to the battlefield again because the society needed some of their superpowers. It is not ideals and beliefs that support their efforts, but opportunities to "survive" or "reduce their sentences". Most of the tasks they perform are gray tasks hidden in the shadow of the city and society, and they will not attract the attention of the public like Superman, and they will not be accompanied by beautiful women. The conflict and dramatic tension behind the story of Task Force X can be seen.
What's more, compared with the world-famous Gongdou ip, these roles are also unknown and marginalized "18 line" roles in DC expansion universe. The value that can be developed, excavated and added behind is far better than the mainstream role. For example, on 20 16, Harley Quinn succeeded in "out of the circle" with her quaint personality and hip-hop graffiti style makeup, and became a guest in the fields of Cosplay, imitation makeup and Halloween.
Just the right rhythm
Rhythm is the main reason why many DC extended universe movies have been criticized. Facts have proved that until now, the aesthetics of literary films, drama films and commercial films are still two sets of completely different tastes and logics, and it is difficult to have both, and they are compatible and produce chemical reactions. In commercial films, especially superhero films, the excessive use of audio-visual language, editing ideas and narrative techniques of literary films, although endowed with rare depth and artistic value, will inevitably lose a large part of ordinary audiences and commercial markets. Many viewers watch superhero movies just for the sake of "cool" and visual impact, but if you talk about existentialism with him in the movie, it will inevitably lead to negative comments of "incomprehensible" and "mystifying".
As a result, the X 2 task force abandoned the old road of DC expanding the "depth" of the universe and turned to grasp the ideas and rhythm of commercial films. Infinite reversal and anti-routine, combining the excellent proportion of the above dramas and martial arts dramas-moderate relaxation, suitable stimulation and rest space, before the martial arts drama, you should not say too much, fight if you don't agree with a word, make the problem clear in a few words, and create more roles and the relationship between roles and the plot in the saved time.
In particular, the "diversion" of the "title" takes team A as the introduction before the main characters of team B enter the file, and reverses with "the protagonist you think is actually not the protagonist", which brings freshness and surprise to the audience and can also respond to the ridicule of "the world is too small" in commercial movies. It can be seen that Task Force X 2 is almost a first-class industrial product customized according to the audience's coolness and preferences.
Aesthetic feeling is higher than the positioning of commercial films.
After the rolling guide took over, Task Force X 2 was given the texture of Guardians of the Galaxy. In addition to the above-mentioned plot and character design and the "visual sense" of the overall structure of the film, it also has a unique stylized aesthetic color. Quentin's violent aesthetics, the Cthulhu style in Alien, or the ethics in Star Wars, the texture of ancient Greek tragedy, full of punk and dramatic soundtrack, are all enjoyable, far higher than the commercial film's positioning of lens language and art.
First of all, the metaphor of "mouse" runs through the whole film, which is not only a weapon to promote the plot, but also a hint to a "gray figure" like "Task Force X". In the last battle, seemingly insignificant mice condensed into a whole and became the most important breakthrough, which was very "burning" and made people cry.
Whether changing clothes or shaping the atmosphere, the rolling guide also gives full play to the beauty of margot Ruby in this film-a wild, healthy and powerful beauty. Different from Harry Quinn's previous hip-hop punk style, many of Harry's "famous scenes" in this film reveal Harry's elegant, intellectual and poetic side, and the scene of playing with parrots in the sun is full of childlike interest and atmosphere.
In terms of conception and design, this film makes the role of Harry Quinn more and more full. Compared with Harry Quinn and Raptors, Task Force X 2 does not have the so-called "feminism" that is overcorrected, but shows the personality charm of Harry Quinn and women through details.
In this film, a Spanish-style red dance skirt, bloody face and determined eyes in the battle; There are too many shots in this film that Harry Quinn is famous for his lithe posture and fighting power out of the charts, and the combination of these shots is the best proof that Harry is wild, elegant, powerful and intelligent, and it also makes Harry's screen image independent of the stereotype of "clown girl" more vivid.
Some controversies
Although the Rolling Guide has brought fresh blood to DC's expansion of the universe, Task Force X 2 has gained some other sounds. First of all, the style of DC is no longer-it has lost its depth, metaphor, darkness and poetry, and it is getting closer and closer to the "dead end" of popcorn and homogenization. Perhaps in recent years, the audience will still be interested in anti-heroes, but after three years, five years, 10 years? Losing one's own style is like losing one's soul and the capital to settle down. Although the dark style and depth of DC are also controversial, it is at least a distinctive label of DC.
Secondly, some viewers think that the setting and characteristics of "X Task Force" are still not clearly explained in the two series and three works. For the sake of communication effect and conception, although it is an R-rated film, the size of task force X 2 is still limited. Therefore, it is obvious that "outlaws" and "gray people" joined hands, but they were still filmed as family fun. Aside from the violent scenes, it seems to be no different from Guardians of the Galaxy written by PG 13, which is irreplaceable. At the same time, Task Force X 2 is a typical popcorn commercial film, and it is really over-praised to be "on the altar".
Of course, I have to admit that task force X 2 still opens up a new road for DC, an innovative road that can be established after being broken. The second generation singles can innovate through hard work, and even surpass the first generation to become the leader in the series. Violence, aesthetics, humor, tricks and even some realistic metaphors can also find a balance. More importantly, the appearance of task force X 2 also gave DC a shot in the arm to expand the universe. The famous are not necessarily the best. Sometimes, excavating marginal characters and new characters can also bring vitality and surprise.