All Things Superman: An Open Discussion

[TheComicbookKid]

I don't think anyone wants a super-restricted version of physics applied to Supes. I think, for me personally, I want a sense of the world reacting to Superman's abilities.

I loved the part of Smallville about controlling his powers in the early years. I don' t want that to stop just because he's Superman.

It wasn't that he was simply pulling on the plane wing. Realism would say the wing would crumble under his mere touch, but he was pulling back on the wing in a very specific way when it crumbled. That's why he tumbled backwards and the plane when into a nose dive when before it had been spinning downwards.

 

[Sabaoth]

I don't think the average movie goer cares or can comprehend whether what a flying alien does conforms with the laws of physics or not.
Maybe Snyder has found out that applying realism to Superman's feats would result in really fantastic visuals which have never been seen on screen before. If that's the case then bring it on, otherwise, meh...

 

[afan]

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.

Well strength isn't the major power when "catching" a plane. It would be his flight or propulsion that allows him to "carry" the plane. He would match his speed to that of the plane, attaching himself to the plane at a strong enough structure and become it's engine so to speak. Of course the power of flight is totally fanciful, but given that he flys, his propulsion force is sufficient, and he locates a structure on the plane that can withstand the stress, I believe he could successfully keep a falling plane aloft in a real physical world.

The physics shouldn't curtail Superman's powers, but rather dictate how he uses them.

 

[Motown Marvel]

superman has super powers because thats what happens when kryptonian DNA is charged with yellow sun. and superman is gonna do super feats that may not be the most scientifically accurate. thats all the explanation we really need. and if you require more than that to be satisfied, then this probably isnt the type of movie for you.

 

[JAK®]

Like Nolan's Batfilms, this movie won't actually be realistic, it will just pretend it is.

 

[El Payaso]

superman has super powers because thats what happens when kryptonian DNA is charged with yellow sun. and superman is gonna do super feats that may not be the most scientifically accurate. thats all the explanation we really need. and if you require more than that to be satisfied, then this probably isnt the type of movie for you.

Nevertheless it can be done. And it sounds like it will.

 

[DorkyFresh]

Like Nolan's Batfilms, this movie won't actually be realistic, it will just pretend it is.

precisely...realistically, Batman can't glide the way he does without having his waist attached to his cape at all times, but it still looks good and there's enough verisimilitude to believe it could actually work.

 

[Alien Anal]

If people can easily suspend their disbelief for films like The Mummy then i don't think we need to take a Superman movie to the extreme in regards to the laws of physics.

I think the same could be said about Rorschachs mask in The Watchmen.

 

[ElDuderino]

Like Nolan's Batfilms, this movie won't actually be realistic, it will just pretend it is.

Ha, that's a great way to put it.

 

[DorkyFresh]

If people can easily suspend their disbelief for films like The Mummy then i don't think we need to take a Superman movie to the extreme in regards to the laws of physics.

I think the same could be said about Rorschachs mask in The Watchmen.

i would like this film to be on a different level than those 2, personally. the Mummy is a fun movie, but it's too popcorny while the Watchmen has a world full of superheros and an all powerful being that can bend space and time....so while the messages and themes are pretty serious, it's hard to take the WORLD they live in seriously.

i don't need uber realism but the more verisimilitude you inject into a movie the better it becomes. of course, i want to see awesome visuals and entertaining action...but not at the expense of the dignity of the film.

 

[Alien Anal]

I feel like iv seen a lot of people say they want this movie to almost be able to fit into Nolans Batman films. I personally would way prefer a film more like The Watchmen or Sin City that sticks to feeling like a comic book brought to life.

As much as a i love TDK its not the sort of approach i would take with The Man of Steel, and fingers crossed its not what we get.

 

[DorkyFresh]

personally, i don't want it to feel like a Nolan film...because his movies are too dark and brooding. i'd LOVE for it to feel like a J.J. Abrams film. while Star Trek didn't stick to realistic science (far from it) all of the science and phenomenon still felt legit and had a strong illusion of truth.

the Watchmen and Sin City are cool because they DO feel like comics brought to life, but Sin City had a very extreme style in the comics that you absolutely cannot shy away from in order to bring it to live action. Superman, on the other hand, is a hero that is considered timeless...and the original film has lived up to that same description for some time now. i'd love for this movie to be able to aim for the same goal.

 

[Doc Ock]

Like Nolan's Batfilms, this movie won't actually be realistic, it will just pretend it is.

Oh yay.

personally, i don't want it to feel like a Nolan film...because his movies are too dark and brooding. i'd LOVE for it to feel like a J.J. Abrams film. while Star Trek didn't stick to realistic science (far from it) all of the science and phenomenon still felt legit and had a strong illusion of truth.

I loved Star Trek, definitely one of my favorite films ever. JJ is a genius for it IMO. The visuals were great. I loved the fact the science wasn't realistic and...."Star Wars-like?" If Man of Steel is anything close to something like that I will be beyond happy!

 

[Motown Marvel]

Nevertheless it can be done. And it sounds like it will.

i dont think they're gonna be getting down to the physics of how superman's powers work.

 

[Dr.]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every single feat Supes performs has to pass muster with Nasa physicists. It just has to seem plausible to the average moviegoer.

Consider the scene in SIII where Supes freezes a lake, picks it up and douses a forest fire with it. By all means, grant Supes his freeze breath and his power to hoist a great weight in mid air. This is not in question. The problem is picking up a massive sheet of ice by holding it at one end. Even if you flunked out of high school science, that scene should make your eyes roll. And it’s not about being nitpicky on “realism.” A goof like that takes you out of the moment and makes Supes an object of ridicule – or, at best, a kind of tongue-in-cheek kiddie hero who’s not to be taken too seriously.

With a bit of imagination, a super feat can be made visually impressive and plausible. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

 

[Alien Anal]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every single feat Supes performs has to pass muster with Nasa physicists. It just has to seem plausible to the average moviegoer.

Consider the scene in SIII where Supes freezes a lake, picks it up and douses a forest fire with it. By all means, grant Supes his freeze breath and his power to hoist a great weight in mid air. This is not in question. The problem is picking up a massive sheet of ice by holding it at one end. Even if you flunked out of high school science, that scene should make your eyes roll. And it’s not about being nitpicky on “realism.” A goof like that takes you out of the moment and makes Supes an object of ridicule – or, at best, a kind of tongue-in-cheek kiddie hero who’s not to be taken too seriously.

With a bit of imagination, a super feat can be made visually impressive and plausible. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

I think this would be just expected, i really dont think we would see anything overly stupid heroic act in a superhero movie these days.. especially if we have nolan and snyder involved.

 

[El Payaso]

i dont think they're gonna be getting down to the physics of how superman's powers work.

What they can do and what they will do are different stories.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every single feat Supes performs has to pass muster with Nasa physicists. It just has to seem plausible to the average moviegoer.

Consider the scene in SIII where Supes freezes a lake, picks it up and douses a forest fire with it. By all means, grant Supes his freeze breath and his power to hoist a great weight in mid air. This is not in question. The problem is picking up a massive sheet of ice by holding it at one end. Even if you flunked out of high school science, that scene should make your eyes roll. And it’s not about being nitpicky on “realism.” A goof like that takes you out of the moment and makes Supes an object of ridicule – or, at best, a kind of tongue-in-cheek kiddie hero who’s not to be taken too seriously.

With a bit of imagination, a super feat can be made visually impressive and plausible. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Absolutely right.

 

[Motown Marvel]

What they can do and what they will do are different stories.

well, no s**t. and im saying, i really dont think thats what they will do. i doubt they'll take it much further than the yellow sun/kryptonian DNA explanation.

 

[afan]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every single feat Supes performs has to pass muster with Nasa physicists. It just has to seem plausible to the average moviegoer.

Consider the scene in SIII where Supes freezes a lake, picks it up and douses a forest fire with it. By all means, grant Supes his freeze breath and his power to hoist a great weight in mid air. This is not in question. The problem is picking up a massive sheet of ice by holding it at one end. Even if you flunked out of high school science, that scene should make your eyes roll. And it’s not about being nitpicky on “realism.” A goof like that takes you out of the moment and makes Supes an object of ridicule – or, at best, a kind of tongue-in-cheek kiddie hero who’s not to be taken too seriously.

With a bit of imagination, a super feat can be made visually impressive and plausible. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Exactly!....as an example in S:TM he stops the flood by creating a rock slide that blocks the water....an impressive and physically plausible feat. The implausible and un inspired solution, tho no less "super-possible", would have been freezing the rushing water with his super-breath.

 

[Zionite]

The only Fantasy elements that should be in the movie should be Aliens and Advanced tech.Everything else should be realistic and Rational.The audience should not have to suspend their belief for anything else but the Aliens and Advanced tech(and the creations of Advanced tech like Parasite and Metallo)

 

[Motown Marvel]

for those of you who dont read comics, today was the release of action comics 900. it featured a short superman story written by david goyer. i wasnt too enthusiastic about it. it was melodramatic and void of.....fun? im all for superman tackling serious and relevant issues, and i can appreciate the intentions of goyer, but that was a boring way to do it.

 

[DorkyFresh]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every single feat Supes performs has to pass muster with Nasa physicists. It just has to seem plausible to the average moviegoer.

Consider the scene in SIII where Supes freezes a lake, picks it up and douses a forest fire with it. By all means, grant Supes his freeze breath and his power to hoist a great weight in mid air. This is not in question. The problem is picking up a massive sheet of ice by holding it at one end. Even if you flunked out of high school science, that scene should make your eyes roll. And it’s not about being nitpicky on “realism.” A goof like that takes you out of the moment and makes Supes an object of ridicule – or, at best, a kind of tongue-in-cheek kiddie hero who’s not to be taken too seriously.

With a bit of imagination, a super feat can be made visually impressive and plausible. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

 

[KRIM]

for those of you who dont read comics, today was the release of action comics 900. it featured a short superman story written by david goyer. i wasnt too enthusiastic about it. it was melodramatic and void of.....fun? im all for superman tackling serious and relevant issues, and i can appreciate the intentions of goyer, but that was a boring way to do it.

I got the same feeling. It was a semi-interesting approach to a veteran Supes, reminded me of what Doc Manhattan would be like if he were proactive. It's a short story though, so I can't really fault Goyer for showcasing a slightly cynical (if hopeful) viewpoint with a tinge of woefulness.

 

[Motown Marvel]

right, im not holding this directly against MOS. it was just interesting to see the potential of where goyer is coming from. it definitely jives with the idea that MOS will be very real world. and the intentions of the story and characterization were noble. but it was so void of anything engaging. im all for supes existing in a real world. but there is such thing as "too serious". i dont want to watch a superman movie or read a superman comic to be reminded of all the s**ttiness in the world today. if you want to tackle socially relevant issues in a superman story, thats totally cool and im all for it. but there are better ways to do it that encompass the fun, myth, and fantasy of superman....even when its in a real world setting.

 

[DorkyFresh]

yeah i'm hoping they realized that the lack of action wasn't the ONLY thing wrong with SR...it was mostly the mood and how drab everything felt. they need to make Superman fun and somewhat lighthearted again, so that way when the skit hits the fan it's much more of an impact.