Stories by @adamreece

Amanda Waller: Agent of A.R.G.US. (1998)

Amanda Waller: Agent of A.R.G.U.S. (stylized as Amanda Waller: Agent of ARGUS and Amanda Waller: Agent of Argus) is a 1998 American television superhero film based on the DC Comics character Amanda Waller. It was first broadcast on May 26, 1998, on CBS, intended to be a backdoor pilot for a possible new TV series. Written by David Goyer, and directed by Rod Hardy, the film had a $6 million production budget. It stars Whoopi Goldberg as Waller, a retired super spy who is approached to return to duty to take down the terrorist organization CADRE, who threaten to attack Manhattan with a pathogen they have reconstituted known as the Unknown virus. Lisa Rinna plays Doctor Rodriguez, and Sandra Hess plays Vanessa Kingsbury/Shrike. It was released on DVD on September 30, 2008. The film was met with a largely negative reception.

Justice League of America (1996)

Justice League of America is a 1996 American television pilot directed by Jack Sholder that aired on CBS on February 20, 1996. It was later broadcast as a television film. It is based on the DC comic book series of the same name. The film aired on CBS on December 28, 1996. It centers on Tori Olafsdotter, a female meteorologist who gains superpowers and is later inducted into the "Justice League", while the city of New Metro is held for ransom by a terrorist armed with a weather control device. The film is interjected with mock-interviews of members of the Justice League, speaking about life as a superhero in the past tense, preceding the events of the film. Reviews of the film have been negative. Common complaints are the plot holes, poor special effects, and the League members deviating heavily from their comics counterparts. Critics have also said the film tried to be like "Friends with superpowers". Future JLA writer Mark Waid said the film was "80 minutes of my life I'll never get back".

Detective Chimp (1986)

Detective Chimp (released in the United Kingdom as Chimp... A New Breed of Hero) is a 1986 American superhero comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and starring Lea Thompson Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins. Based on the DC Comics character Detective Chimp, the film was produced by Gloria Katz and written by Huyck and Katz, with Steven Spielberg as executive producer. The screenplay was originally intended to be an animated film, but the film adaptation became live-action because of a contractual obligation. While several TV adaptations of DC characters were aired, this was the third theatrical release since Superman & the Mole Men (1951) & Batman: The Movie (1966). Spielberg proposed adapting the comic book following the production of The Sugarland Express (1974). After multiple production difficulties and mixed response to test screenings, Detective Chimp was released in theaters on August 1, 1986. Upon its release, the film was a critical and commercial failure and was criticized for its humor, performances, inconsistent tone, and appearance of the title character, though the effects and soundtrack were mostly praised. In the years since, it has been considered among the worst films ever made, but has also developed a cult following. It was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards (winning four), and made about US $16.3 million domestically compared to its US $30–37 million budget.