All Things Superman: An Open Discussion

[DieSmiling]

I fully support the laws of physics being applied to Supes. I watched S:TM recently, and the scene where Lois is flying with him (by simply holding his hand) is ridiculous, as is catching the helicopter with one hand.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I can't really see how it would fit in, he gets the powers as a child and isn't exactly a genius at this point. Maybe if he explained some of it in an interview when Lois asks how his powers work. Perhaps Zod knows of Kryptonite and explains how the powers and Kryptonite work. Or Lex like the little piece in Birthright.

 

[El Payaso]

I fully support the laws of physics being applied to Supes. I watched S:TM recently, and the scene where Lois is flying with him (by simply holding his hand) is ridiculous, as is catching the helicopter with one hand.

It could be great if Superman tried to hold the helicopter from the landing struts and they broke so people below is aghain in danger and Superman has to grab the thing again.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

It could be great if Superman tried to hold the helicopter from the landing struts and they broke so people below is aghain in danger and Superman has to grab the thing again.

Lol, more great ideas on how to fix the STM helicopter rescue. Lets see.. distrustful, wary citizens.. and now Superman almost botching his first rescue and dropping the helicopter on the crowded streets.

In all seriousness though, if we follow the laws of physics too strictly, that puts a big limit on the size of things Superman can lift. No matter how strong he is, can he still catch a falling plane without tearing right through it? Even the plane save as depicted in Returns wouldn't have worked.

 

[El Payaso]

Lol, more great ideas on how to fix the STM helicopter rescue. Lets see.. distrustful, wary citizens.. and now Superman almost botching his first rescue and dropping the helicopter on the crowded streets.

In all seriousness though, if we follow the laws of physics too strictly, that puts a big limit on the size of things Superman can lift. No matter how strong he is, can he still catch a falling plane without tearing right through it? Even the plane save as depicted in Returns wouldn't have worked.

Yes, that happened in SR. Superman didn't just grab a wing and saved the plane. It was more difficult than that and that only added excitement to the scene so I don't see the harm.

And no, it's not about following physics too strictly, but more than before and explore the possibilities.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

Yes, that happened in SR. Superman didn't just grab a wing and saved the plane. It was more difficult than that and that only added excitement to the scene so I don't see the harm.

And no, it's not about following physics too strictly, but more than before and explore the possibilities.

My point is the scene is fine the way it is and everyone seems to have "fantastic" ideas on how to make it gritty and realistic. I mean, can't anyone give the movie credit for anything anymore instead of holding it to impossible standards and criticizing such petty things as the rudder not breaking when Superman grabs it?

Anyway, I don't support the laws of physics in a Superman movie if it lessens what he can do too much. People say the SR scene was more realistic with Superman having to struggle to catch the plane and accidentally tearing wings off, but the way he finally stopped it would have probably caused it to flatten like an aluminum can and killed everyone inside. Who cares? Superman is supposed to do the impossible. I'd say that's the entire point.

 

[SuperDaniel]

Thats why i like the Byrne explanation that his powers are almost some form of telekinesis, a bio-electric force field generated by his solar cells.

Superman wouldnt be able to do 99% of the stuff he does in the comics in the real world. Even flying fast between buildings. He would creat sonic booms that would smash all the windows and leave a path of destruction on his way, similar to the flight on Matrix Reloaded.

And El Payaso, again you misunderstood Snyder. By calling his movie a documentary, he was obviously joking and answering those people who asked if his movie is going to have crazy cinematography and weird visuals like Sucker Punch or 300. He said his movie would be a documentary compared to those. An extrapolation on the words as he meant that his movie would just be more realistic. However, he even said that Superman would be the fantastical thing in it. So, he is simply saying that Superman would work under the laws of physics and that Metropolis would be like a real world city, etc. No more stupid things like reversing the earth, holding Lois by one hand, etc etc. Its not a concept that is hard to understand. I'd suggest you to go back and read the interviews again.

 

[Zack Snyder]

Does Superman fantasize, imagine or dream that he flies?



It's a start. Better than nothing, but yes, the basic explanation has been there for a while now.



Since when does Marvel hold the monopoly of deep scientific explanation? As far as I know Nolan explained much more everything in Batman world than before so who knows. I remember Snyder saying this was going to be almost a documentary or so. Not that I believe for one second what a director says about a movie he's making but I think Nolan involvement might mean deepest explanations for basic aspect of the character.

I wasn't referencing what Nolan or Snyder might do. I was simply stating in past comics and reading materials, you don't see a lot of scientific basis to explain powers. That is a difference between Marvel and DC imo.

 

[SuperDaniel]

Yes. And Batman is completely different than Superman. Superman is more like Green Lantern or Thor as his mythology has fantastical elements that simply cannot be translated with this realistic point of view that worked for Batman without some kind of compromise. The glasses disguise is one of those things.

People need to stop this realistic crap for everything and accept the character and the way he is.

 

[GreenKToo]

Some realism is fine, but if they get bogged down in trying to explain the why or how of supermans powers, it would take away the mystery of him. For me it would anyway.

I'm not paying to see realism in a superman film, i'm paying to be blown away watching tremendous action in a fantasy/sci-fi world, so I hope they dont get too carried away with the realistic approach.
I'm not asking for 50' robots in the streets of Metropolis, but I dont want everything explained and grounded to the point of boredom either.

 

[Project862006]

yeah dont compare batman with supes if anyone needs a realistic approach like nolan's batman it is dare devil

 

[BrlntDsgse]

I'm not asking for 50' robots in the streets of Metropolis

I am......that would be T!T$t:

 

[Motown Marvel]

giant 50's robots tearin up metropolis would be the coolest ever. what was the name of that fleischer episode? the mechanical monsters? that was so awesome.

 

[--Zero-Ethic--]

giant 50's robots tearin up metropolis would be the coolest ever. what was the name of that fleischer episode? the mechanical monsters? that was so awesome.

I had that on video tape since I was like 3.

The thing is though, we live in an age where we're riddled with robot films like The Matrix, Terminator Salvation, Iron Man, Transformers etc.
I'm sick to death of them, so I hope we stay far away from that kind of thing unless they play a very small part in the story.

 

[Motown Marvel]

i personally dont think theres been an overflow of robot films. but if they did include some robot action, definitely stay away from steampunk influences in regards to visual aesthetics. take it back to more of the pulp era of robots. and while i also wouldnt want the movie to be superman vs. robots....they could play a role in regards to brainiacs minions or something. like, brainiac sends a fleet of giant robots to attack metropolis. they'd essentially exist for one action sequence.

 

[KRIM]

Robots definitely have a place here. I just don't think we've had the fortune of the effects being up to par to take full advantage of it. Brainiac's the obvious fit, Lex is too if he's somehow compelled to build an army of them. But they definitely shouldn't be anywhere near human-sized.

I want to recapture that magical moment of my youth when I had seen this puny-sized object with great power, just demolish an entire group of robotic behemoths. It was a sight to behold even in cartoon form. Imagine how awe-inpiring that would look in live-action.

 

[Sabaoth]

I think the problem here is that there is a whole generation whose opinions of what Superman is have been mostly informed by Smallville and TAS, for better or worse.
That's why some people are suggesting Billy the-sucker Zane as Lex and
Mercy Graves as a character worthy of even being in a movie.

On another message board, one of these Smallville/TAS Superman aficionados wrote that one of the reasons that people disliked the Donner films was because Donner decided to kill Pa Kent before Clark became Superman!

What is the world coming to?

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I think the problem here is that there is a whole generation whose opinions of what Superman is have been mostly informed by Smallville and TAS, for better or worse.
That's why some people are suggesting Billy the-sucker Zane as Lex and
Mercy Graves as a character worthy of even being in a movie.

On another message board, one of these Smallville/TAS Superman aficionados wrote that one of the reasons that people disliked the Donner films was because Donner decided to kill Pa Kent before Clark became Superman!

What is the world coming to?

I really don't see how you can blame that on the Smallville generation... JK dies in season 5 of Smallville

Lois and Clark was what made me really like the idea of a Superman who was not driven to become the hero because of a tragic loss, but because of the love and support of his parents.

And I would love to see that in the new film.

 

[Zack Snyder]

I really don't see how you can blame that on the Smallville generation... JK dies in season 5 of Smallville

Lois and Clark was what made me really like the idea of a Superman who was not driven to become the hero because of a tragic loss, but because of the love and support of his parents.

And I would love to see that in the new film.

I like it.

 

[SuperDaniel]

So do I.

 

[The Batman]

...a superman not driven by personal loss.

In other words....every single version of Superman since 1938.

 

[DieSmiling]

People need to stop this realistic crap for everything and accept the character and the way he is.

You realzie people are bringing it up because of what the director of the film himself has said, right?

It's not like a bunch of Nolan fans have taken over the board and are demanding "teh realism."

 

[Doc Ock]

I've never been very big on realism. So the more fantasy/sci-fi in Superman the better IMO.

 

[Superman2007]

I want fantastic visuals, but I don't want the film to betray it's own logic.

For example, people had no problem with Superman in S:TM flying, or shooting lazer beams out of his eyes, or saving people when physics says they would be unable to.

This clip from Big Bang Theory shows the pitfalls of holding Superman to the physics in our world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PvwtS0htyk)

People are fine with that....they'll live if you don't exactly explain why and how Superman's powers work the way they do, what they wont believe is how Superman was able to fly so fast he turned back time.

When it gets that ridiculous, people stop suspending their disbelief and dub what they're viewing as outlandish. I don't want any moments like those in the film.

 

[Doc Ock]

Oh yeah, the very idea of Superman flying so fast to turn back time is ridiculous. I don't want flat out ridiculous moments, but I would like a strong feel of fantasy throughout the film. But not so much the film becomes ridiculous.