Superman Returns Can Superman Be Saved?

[JamalYIgle]

The visuals so far have bored me to tears and made me cringe at the quality of CG used. The design, characters, storyline, etc. all reek not of inspiration but stagnation to me.



People don't get it. It's not the plot, but the narrative and how you present it. The Superman comics have been revisting Superman's origin story over and over again through the years through elseworlds stories, through artistic impressions, through powerful one-shot series. Go read Superman for All Seasons, Superman Birthright, etc.

It's how you show the character, how you frame the picture, how you develope the storyine, how you can come up with something that is breathaking as if every frame were a masterpiece and every scene is innovative in it's presentation. You can have Superman narrate a morality play, a classic fable, make it an allegory to something powerful or a theme of humanity as something like Superman: Peace on Earth. Do something innovative, risque, moving. Present the whole thing from the perspective of someone unexpected, like from Lex Luthor's point of view as in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel.

The comics have long moved past the prototypical plot progression, the films have that capacity to. In the end, as a comic book fan, that's what I desire most out of a film that sounds like it is dangerously recycling plot points from a 30 year old franchise and reveling in cliches of the Superhero genre. Here we have a chance to start over, to get away from all the Superman movies and TV series that have been with us non-stop since 1978. Get away from all that and present Superman in a diffeent way. Do what the comics do, keep the traditional image and all the anchors and archetypes of the mythos - that's essential because it anchors the viewer, but find new, moving, and involving ways to tell it's story.

However movies exist in a different arena than comics. Films have a much longer shelf life and a much larger audience than comic books. STM is still respected and revered by people around the world as not only the best Superman movie made but as the first serious translation of a comic book. people balked at all of the changes that Donner made, which frankly were a much bigger influence on John Byrne's Man Of Steel miniseries than he likes to admit.
So you find yourself in a situation that most productions don't have. STM is considered movie history. Had Singer made a new movie that completely abandoned the Donner continuity, you would have people unfairly comparing it to the Donner version. I mean, as it is you people spend all this time and energy complaining about the things he did update, starting with the costume. He's already damned either way. He's adding onto a story that's already been told. I mean if you were making a James Bond movie, would you do a new story or do a remake of Doctor No?

You also can't just drop a Superman story on the public, introducing characters that they are unfamiliar with. Adapting Peace on Earth is a nice idea but that would end up being as well recieved as S4. Someone else suggested Action Comics 775? Which while an interesting story really doesn't have the emotional substance you need for the average moviegoer. A return story makes the most sense. it reintroduces Superman to the world. it adds some new elements, it eases the public back into the franchise. As much as I like 100 bullets and Brian Azzerello, You don't want the entire focus of a Superman movie to be told from Lex's point of veiw.Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, works as an idea but doesn't carry a movie.

 

[DorkyFresh]

It becomes more important to push your agenda than to actually have an open mind.

truer words couldn't be spoken...

...i don't see how "so long, Superman" sounds like a GG line. wouldn't "so long, SPIDER-MAN" be more accurate? lol, j/m....but seriously. i'm sure Lex has said "so long, Superman" before in the comics, tv show (Lois & Clark) or cartoons. GG isn't the ONLY character/person that uses "so long" ya know...

i also don't get how Spacey saying "so long, Superman" in a totally calm and collected manner equals GG's uber campy "WE'LL MEET AGAIN, SPIDER-MAN!" i seem to remember a couple of people complaining that Spacey prances around and makes goofy faces, yet when he executes a line with a coldblooded look on his face he's still......campy....


...so Spacey is dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yeah......honestly, no matter what....Singer WILL be criticized.

How good the film is will simply gauge how much he does.

 

[NotFadeAway]

no it doesn't have the same feel because you took the line out of context. If you know the scene and what leads up to that line, then it 's not a corny line. This is indicitvie of the problem I see with alot of people on this board all the time. people taking things out of context,prejudging a movie you haven't seen yet.It becomes more important to push your agenda than to actually have an open mind.

Sorry that we have different opinions. Im sure you have prejudged movies you haven't seen before, as well as everyone else on this board. Im tired of that excuse being brought up whenever someone passes a judgement. Everyone has passed judgement on movies they havent seen before.

 

[JamalYIgle]

Sorry that we have different opinions. Im sure you have prejudged movies you haven't seen before, as well as everyone else on this board. Im tired of that excuse being brought up whenever someone passes a judgement. Everyone has passed judgement on movies they havent seen before.

I must be really different because I don't.I don't Judge movies or anything else until I see it.

 

[NotFadeAway]

I must be really different because I don't.I don't Judge movies or anything else until I see it.

Must be!!