BvS Batman v Superman - Reviews Thread [TAG SPOILERS] - Part 2

[IncognitoWalrus]

I have to say, I carry the unliked opinion that Superman is a pretty two dimensional boring character. I keep coming back to the question, "why is Clark/Superman a hero?" And the only answer that I can come up with is that he's a good old country boy who was raised good and as such does good. His motivation for being heroic is usually, "that's just the way he is." And I agree that theres a certain degree of charm there and it can be done compellingly, but i suspect that that is at the heart of why filmmakers have a hard time with him.
Superman, to a certain degree, is a product of his time. In the 1940s, he was very Americana... the good man fighting for a noble cause because it's the right thing to do. In this day and age, when people struggle just to know what the right thing is... it's hard to really appreciate a character who knows what to do just because he was raised well.
Of course, if you dig into the literature, there's human weaknesses and insecurities to be found in Clark/Superman... but when you focus on them, a large part of the fan community revolts because it's not the perfect superhuman interpretation that they grew up with. It's a catch 22.

I feel the job of the filmmaker is to deliver the interpretation of an imperfect Superman that's likable and relatable. It's fine to make Superman unable to figure what to do. It's okay to make him uncertain. But if you're going to do that, you better make us like him. You better make us feel for him, so that his problems are not cause for criticism but cause for us to sympathize with him. For a character like Superman, you have to challenge his beliefs to make him interesting to a wider audience (I really invested in Superman though, he's my favorite superhero), and you have to dramatize it well. You can't just discuss Superman's actions on a political spectrum when he's not included in the conversation. That just makes him a plot device for a movie where he's supposed to be the main character. In Civil War, Captain America's constantly pushed, and he pushes back. He's not the most interesting character, but the conflict that arises from his moral fortitude is compelling because of its personal stakes.

I think Snyder went too far with the God analogy. I think a great modern Superman interpretation should be firmly anchored in his human life. This is a guy who goes from saving people from floods and fires to working at his 9-5 job and pining for Lois Lane on a daily basis. He is still, in many ways, a reflection of the common man. There's something poignant to be found in that, if not exactly interesting to many.

 

[Predator jp]

there is no grey area when it comes to rescuing people from natural disaster or plane crush.

 

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