Sequels Does Superman Returns stay TIMELESS after repeat viewings? Does it hold up???

[TheBlueWolf]

I've seen Superman Returns three times now...the first time, I was a bit stunned, and had a lot of negative things made up in my mind, and well, I came away with this..."pretty good" attitude...aside from the kid thing and a few mis cast issues. BUT, during the 2nd viewing, I actually found it a bit hard to sit through...unlike Superman the Movie or Superman II...or even Superman IV...or any of the Superman Animated Series and JLU...the movie seemed like a choir to sit through, a labor even. Upon my third viewing, I was completely bored with it...it just doesn't have ENOUGH of something to keep you compelled to see it over and over and over again. That is what this movie is lacking. I love Singer, his movies are great. X-2 is my all time favorite comic book movie aside from Superman the Movie and Conan. BUT, the writing was WEAK...it was lacking...to me, it does not get better with repeat viewings, it is NOT timeless...it's not one of those movies that you can just watch over and over.

What do you think???

 

[y2jversion1]

I've just seen it once and although the action scenes and the character portrayals were well done, the film lacks the magnetism to keep a strangle-hold on the viewer's interest.

Maybe it's because of the Donner films that I've been watching and enjoying for almost 2 decades - I mean SR did seem like almost a modernized re-visualization of S:TM with bits of SII in it. I mean it was almost too similar.

It may have been also due to some parts just being too dragged out, like the hospital scene at the end. The screenplay did not seem tight & cohesive to keep the viewer glued.

Batman Begins, for me, has never once got boring during repeat viewings - and when I say repeat viewings, I don't mean 2,3 or 4 times - I'm talking about 30+ times, mostly while it was airing for 2 months on the PPV channel. It is a compact film and is very well paced out and not once has made me lose interest at any point of the film. Heck, I wish it were a bit longer. In fact, every time that scene from the narrow plays, just before he flies down (after he indirectly tells Rachel that he [Batman] is Bruce), the whole scene just makes me say "What a great f**kng movie!" I have not felt the same way while watching SR.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

I watched 'SR' two times in a row, back to back. I have to admit the second time was not as reviting or exciting. But it was still 'pretty good' nonetheless.

 

[SuperDaniel]

I think the real problem of SR is that is too predictable and there`s no climax. WE ALL KNOW SUPERMAN IS GOING TO SAVE THE WORLD AND SOLVE EVERYTHING IN THE END. We all knew Superman was going to save Richard, Lois and Jason in the boat, so the scenes has zero impact. We all knew
Superman was going to save Metropolis so those scenes are just there for the cool factor. We all knew Superman wasn`t going to die. We all knew Jason was Superman`s son. The story simply doesn`t work. Superman in the movie is just the big boy scout who doesn`t fail, who saves everybody.

Singer negleted to show some intelligence. He took out the hero out of the Super in my opinion and foccused too much in the man. There are no great lessons about hope, the ideals of a hero. Its just a romantic story with a stupid villain plot and Superman IS WAY MORE than this. He negleted to show`s society relation to Superman. The theme "Must there be a Superman?" wasnt shown at all. In one scene maybe. Superman`s flight with Lois. But thats not enough.

Now lets take the example of WHY Donner changed the ending of Superman the movie. IN STM originally, if you guys don`t know, Lois wasnt supposed to die. In the end Superman saves everybody, saves lois, arrests Luthor and thats it. So, THERE IS NO REAL CONFLICT!!! There is no Climax.

Lesson number 1 of storytelling( I know this because i took a lot of classes about this). The story has to have a huge point of dramaticity near the end. Something that there is no way back. Everything is going to be wrong.

For example, take Usual suspects and the ending where we discover who is Keyser Soze. Or Forrest Gump when Jenny dies. Or Empire Strikes back when Luke discovers he is the son of DaRTH Vader. Or even Titanic when Jack Dawson saves Roses life and dies. Those are classic examples of great emotional dramas.

Now take Superman the movie. Lois Lane dies in the end. Theres no way back. LOIS IS DEAD!!! Who would ever predict that? Superman saved everybody but the person he most loved. Theres no way out of this? But Superman finds a way! HE IS SUPERMAN. He does the impossible!! He goes back in time(As many of you hate the ending but i don`t), disobeys his father`s words to not interfere, and does it because of Love. Superman becomes human in the end because he has the greatest human emotion. LOVE. He is the human alien.

SR doesn`t have any of this. Its too predictable. Thats why its not a classic.

 

[Mr. Walters]

Superman Returns was hard to sit through once. Batman Begins on the other hand, I watched once and loved it. I went back to see it a second time and got so bored I left the theatre. Only last month was I able to watch Batman Begins in its entirety a second time. So, I saw Superman Returns once and found it hard to sit through. I saw Batman Begins once and loved it but still can't watch it over and over. Saying that, there is no hope ofr Superman Returns.

 

[Spade]

I voted for neither. While it's not a complete bore to watch through and I would give it high remarks, the fact of the matter is what most before me have pointed out- it's the Superman we've grown to become tired of. At the end of the day Superman's still Superman and the world is saved from whatever it needs saving from. I still think drastic change was needed in this film in a positive manner that didn't simply repeat the same formula that made Superman 3 bomb at the box office. It's a small one, but quite the Achilles heel.

 

[Steelsheen]

it has a good "re-watchability" factor. whether or not its going to be a classic only time will tell.

 

[Matt]

Wouldn't time have to pass for it to be 'timeless'. More time than 2 weeks, I mean to say.

 

[Mr. Walters]

Wouldn't time have to pass for it to be 'timeless'. More time than 2 weeks, I mean to say.

Excellent point.

 

[Darknightnomis]

It's gotten better with viewing (5 times so far for me).

 

[Steelsheen]

Wouldn't time have to pass for it to be 'timeless'. More time than 2 weeks, I mean to say.

not even 2 years dude. none of us can say if LOTR is timeless since it hasnt really been too long ago since it was last released.

maybe 2 decades?

 

[Cannibal Feast]

Wouldn't time have to pass for it to be 'timeless'. More time than 2 weeks, I mean to say.

That was my first reaction when I saw the thread title.
Let's bump this thread in ten to twenty years.
Maybe "timeless" was the wrong choice of words.
We are basically just talking about rewatchability.
I saw it twice and loved it both times.
But I'm easier to please than most when it comes to Superman.
It was everything I wanted it to be. It wasn't a piece of trash like Superman IV or Catwoman. They kept the character and the story true to the old movies.
Sure, it's not in line with current DC continuity.
But, with the current trend of remakes and reimaginings I found its faithfulness to the old movies to be a somewhat original and refreshing idea.
How ironic is that?

 

[IAmHe9]

The first time I saw it, I came away thinking it was good. The second time, I came away thinking it was average, even mediocre.