BvS Henry Cavill IS Superman - - - - - - - Part 21

[mithravishnu]

t:

 

[Lantern Venom]

The only problem I have, is purely physical. I never liked the depiction of Superman having extreme muscle, it's not like he has to hit the gym, but his height always was important to me in relation to other characters. This is why Christopher Reeve was so perfect in my eyes, he was athletic but not super muscular, while still being just a bit taller than everyone else.

I feel the exact opposite, even though your view is probably more popular than mine. All of the Supermen that came before Cavill, Reeve included, looked like slightly larger than average men engaging in cosplay. Reeves, Reeve, Routh..etc all acted quite well, but I could never buy into the illusion of seeing a super-powered humanoid alien.

Cavill went the extra mile when it came to getting into shape. He didn't just get trim, he added the bulk that characterizes Superman in the comics. He looked extraordinary, even without the costume. Then he was put in a suit that looks functional rather than cheesy. When I see him, I see someone who looks like they just walked off the pages of the comics.

 

[Young Superman]

t:

Awesome!

 

[Baneis8feettall]

Cavill looks like Superman more than Reeve.

 

[BH/HHH]

They both look like Superman, there have been many different looks of Superman in comics, animation, movies etc. They all looked like Superman.

 

[Boy Scout]

I always thought Reeve only had a passing resemblance to the character that was exaggerated by fans. Cavill looks more like Superman than any actor before him.

 

[Baneis8feettall]

Didn't they changed Superman looks in comics a little bit more like Reeve after the movies?

I like Reeve's square jaw and high cheek bones. Very comic booky and makes him look strong.

But yeah, Cavil screams Superman to me whenever i see him on screen...and i'm not even a MOS fan.

 

[BH/HHH]

Cavill looks like he stepped off the comics page but so did Reeve. Byrne's Superman was especially inspired by Reeve but it also looks a lot like Cavill, which is incredible really given Cavill didnt play the character until decades later and would have been a small child when Byrne did MOS.

Didn't they changed Superman looks in comics a little bit more like Reeve after the movies?

I like Reeve's square jaw and high cheek bones. Very comic booky and makes him look strong.

But yeah, Cavil screams Superman to me whenever i see him on screen...and i'm not even a MOS fan.

Yes but he still resembled the character as it was.

Both look like they walked off the pages of the comic.

 

[samsnee]

Here's the thing. I'm trying to remember anything about his performance in MOS and I can't. Nothing really stuck with me except for the "if the world ever found about me" line, which was used a lot in the trailers. I don't think he was terrible in the role but nothing about his dialogue was memorable. Then I see this new clip of him saying "The bat is dead" and it makes me think it will be the same wooden performance.

 

[Vaibow]

It's all down to the suits, a good suit can lift a character. Cavill wouldn't look half as imposing, in my opinion, in Reeve's suit, simply because it doesn't highlight his muscle.

However, Reeve's suit given the under layers and slight sculpting Cavill had would looks like perfection, as the manip above showed.

 

[Ghostcrow13]

Here's the thing. I'm trying to remember anything about his performance in MOS and I can't. Nothing really stuck with me except for the "if the world ever found about me" line, which was used a lot in the trailers. I don't think he was terrible in the role but nothing about his dialogue was memorable. Then I see this new clip of him saying "The bat is dead" and it makes me think it will be the same wooden performance.

I think it's quite hard to play Superman, you have to be understated, which might make you unmemorable.

Like others have said how could have said 'the bat is dead' any different?

To me he seemed angry but was trying to contain it, to me that is Superman.

 

[Jekecy]

Like others have said how could have said 'the bat is dead' any different?

To look at this from another way, are people making the case there is only ONE way to say any given line?

 

[Ghostcrow13]

To look at this from another way, are people making the case there is only ONE way to say any given line?

Good point, however I guess my question is more, how would people have liked him to deliver it.

 

[Boy Scout]

I think it's quite hard to play Superman, you have to be understated, which might make you unmemorable.

Not necessarily. What I think an actor really needs to have is charisma. Cavill has proven himself to be charismatic in interviews and such, but for some reason isn't able to carry that over into his Superman performances. I thought he was fairly wooden in MOS, and what we've seen of his Superman so far looks like more of the time. Ironically, I thought he did a pretty good job of playing Clark Kent.

I think he might be having issues with putting on an American accent. His nonverbal acting is usually solid, but once he has to speak, there's a bit of decline in acting quality.

BUT...I'm totally willing to wait until March to see how he does. I'm rooting for him.

Good point, however I guess my question is more, how would people have liked him to deliver it.

I'm an actor, but even I can't really think of a better answer than "better." It's often hard to articulate how someone can bring more life to their performance. That might sound like a cop out, but it's all I've got.

 

[Mad Love]

Cavill's Superman is suppose to be that way. What you think is wooden is him being reserved, controlled, plain and direct. This is wooden?

[YT]WYkvRm_Zokk[/YT]

He had charisma with his 50s American accent in Man from UNCLE.

 

[Ghostcrow13]

^ This is what I think as well, for me a wooden performance is one where you are struggling to understand the characters emotions and motives from the looks on their face and their voice.

For me it seems clear what Superman is feeling when confronting Batman in the clip. Ie he is angry at Batman for what he perceives to be injustice, but he can't let his emotions get the better of him, cos he is Superman. This is the struggle he was going through in MoS, as seen in the bullying scene.

And personally think if Cavill's delivery of those lines are wooden, then how is Batfleck's 'do you bleed' line any different.

 

[BH/HHH]

I don't think he's wooden at all either, but I guess we all see things differently.

 

[Flint Marko]

Cavill's Superman is suppose to be that way. What you think is wooden is him being reserved, controlled, plain and direct. This is wooden?

[YT]WYkvRm_Zokk[/YT]

I found this scene jarring for a number of reasons, but one of them was how much agency and personality Superman was showing for the first time. He may not be wooden here, but it's almost a different character than what was presented in the rest of the film IMO.

He had charisma with his 50s American accent in Man from UNCLE.

I thought he did a good job in Man from UNCLE. Like The Boy Scout said, I'm rooting for him but have remained relatively unimpressed and "the bat is dead" didn't do much to pacify my concerns.

 

[Boy Scout]

Cavill's Superman is suppose to be that way. What you think is wooden is him being reserved, controlled, plain and direct. This is wooden?

Just because he wasn't wooden all of the time doesn't mean he wasn't wooden some of the time. I could just as easily cherry-pick examples of wooden acting from the movie.

I'm fine with Superman being reserved, controlled, plain, and direct. I just don't think Cavill has done a particularly good job of playing him that way so far.

He had charisma with his 50s American accent in Man from UNCLE.

He wasn't playing Superman in that movie, though, was he?

 

[KillerWolf]

^ This is what I think as well, for me a wooden performance is one where you are struggling to understand the characters emotions and motives from the looks on their face and their voice.

For me it seems clear what Superman is feeling when confronting Batman in the clip. Ie he is angry at Batman for what he perceives to be injustice, but he can't let his emotions get the better of him, cos he is Superman. This is the struggle he was going through in MoS, as seen in the bullying scene.

And personally think if Cavill's delivery of those lines are wooden, then how is Batfleck's 'do you bleed' line any different.

Completely agree.

 

[Boy Scout]

^ This is what I think as well, for me a wooden performance is one where you are struggling to understand the characters emotions and motives from the looks on their face and their voice.

Close. Wooden acting typically refers to a performance that does a poor job of expressing emotion or elicit an emotional reaction from the audience. You can understand the emotion the actor is trying and failing to express, but whether or not they succeed in selling it is another matter entirely.

For me it seems clear what Superman is feeling when confronting Batman in the clip. Ie he is angry at Batman for what he perceives to be injustice, but he can't let his emotions get the better of him, cos he is Superman. This is the struggle he was going through in MoS, as seen in the bullying scene.

I don't know how anyone could possibly interpret that from Cavill's performance, but I'm not going to say you're wrong.

And personally think if Cavill's delivery of those lines are wooden, then how is Batfleck's 'do you bleed' line any different.

This isn't about Affleck, it's about Cavill. But the simplest answer is that Affleck just did a better job.

 

[Tra-El]

I disagree Cavill is wooden as Superman. You can't over-act playing the Superman role. If you do, it will come off as fluff. I always determine the Superman voice in my head when reading the comics and that's what sold me on Cavill is how perfect his Superman voice is that match up well to what I formed in my readings. I think Cavill has a superb Superman voice and most of his attributes as an actor for the role comes with facial expression, which exceeds emotion and I see that a lot in Cavill's performances.

Superman, to me, is full of poise and the ability to be stern in common situations and his interaction with Affleck in the dinner party scene was anything but wooden. Imo, Henry is playing Kal stern and heroic, which are traits that I envision with the character and I'm seeing improvement with Cavill in this area.

 

[samsnee]

Not to turn this into a Marvel vs DC thing but if you look at how Evans plays Captain America, who is supposed to be a Boy Scout like Superman, he really got it on the first try.

 

[BH/HHH]

I still think in that clip he's great, I watch it and I see Superman. Can't ask for more than that.

I disagree Cavill is wooden as Superman. You can't over-act playing the Superman role. If you do, it will come off as fluff. I always determine the Superman voice in my head when reading the comics and that's what sold me on Cavill is how perfect his Superman voice is that match up well to what I formed in my readings. I think Cavill has a superb Superman voice and most of his attributes as an actor for the role comes with facial expression, which exceeds emotion and I see that a lot in Cavill's performances.

Superman, to me, is full of poise and the ability to be stern in common situations and his interaction with Affleck in the dinner party scene was anything but wooden. Imo, Henry is playing Kal stern and heroic, which are traits that I envision with the character and I'm seeing improvement with Cavill in this area.

 

[Tra-El]

Not to turn this into a Marvel vs DC thing but if you look at how Evans plays Captain America, who is supposed to be a Boy Scout like Superman, he really got it on the first try.

Big difference is, Cap has the ethics of war bread into him, so that calls for a different voice and mentality.

Superman is way more controlled and is looked to for inspiration and serves a purpose for a much higher standard. Cap is a Boy Scout in his own right, but he is a soldier. Superman is not. They both have "Boy Scout" mentality's, but in much different ways in their purpose. Cap was also human before. Superman was not so that is another approach that is acted differently. The two characters stand for what's right, but aren't the same like some people think.