How Superman Resolved the Issue of Zod *MEGA SPOILER*

[HighFivingMF]

I didn't mind that he killed Zod but seriously, after Superman killed Zod, they didn't show the family that was almost got killed by Zod. Just sloppy writing.

I don't think reaction shots are much of a writing issue.

It's like saying "they didn't write the colors of the suit bright enough."

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I just really would not look forward to a sequel where a depressed, angst ridden Clark, torn apart by guilt, has to find the humanity that he should have been given by the Kents as a child. I don't want to feel sorry for Superman and his lowly state of humanity...hoping that he finds a way to be as good as I am. I want to be in awe of how he is more human than I could ever be, despite being born on another planet, and I want to spend my life trying to live up to that ideal. But that Superman is not very 2013, is it?

you're panicking about how you fear a sequel that doesn't exist yet(except maybe some bullet points Goyer's written on a piece of paper that nobody's seen) may turn out.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I don't think reaction shots are much of a writing issue.

I'm kinda tired of those shots tbh, so overrused in the Raimi Spidey films that I like them to be minimal from now on.

 

[Heretic]

you're panicking about how you fear a sequel that doesn't exist yet(except maybe some bullet points Goyer's written on a piece of paper that nobody's seen) may turn out.

okay then...I also do not want a Superman movie where he kills, and then goes on with his life as if nothing happened.

You either have to go through the growth arc (which would then end with him becoming the guy we grew up reading...only to be rebooted so we can see the origin again) or you have written him as a guy who has killed and learned nothing from it.

 

[Infinity9999x]

okay then...I also do not want a Superman movie where he kills, and then goes on with his life as if nothing happened.

You either have to go through the growth arc (which would then end with him becoming the guy we grew up reading...only to be rebooted so we can see the origin again) or you have written him as a guy who has killed and learned nothing from it.

You also don't have to have a film about Superman mourning that he killed the entire time to show he's grown. The idea can be addressed, and it doesn't have to do it in a way where you see Superman moping for the entire film. Have you ever known someone who's depressed? They don't sit around bemoaning life every minute. In fact, many times they can seem very normal. The same for people coping with large/shocking life events.

 

[psylockolussus]

I don't think reaction shots are much of a writing issue.

It's like saying "they didn't write the colors of the suit bright enough."

Well if its not a writing issue, its a pacing issue. This movie just moves on to the next scene without out giving those little touches that could improve the movie. They could just show them running, but no they just disappeared.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

okay then...I also do not want a Superman movie where he kills, and then goes on with his life as if nothing happened.

You either have to go through the growth arc (which would then end with him becoming the guy we grew up reading...only to be rebooted so we can see the origin again) or you have written him as a guy who has killed and learned nothing from it.

ever heard the term "balance" the next movie does admittedly face the challenge of balancing Clark's sadness over being forced to kill Zod while also showing him truly grow into the role of Superman.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

They shouldn't dwell on it in the sequel like, "My God, what did I do?" A thing I really liked about this movie was that it moved along. Superman's cry and grasp of Lois was really all that was needed for this film.

 

[Heretic]

You also don't have to have a film about Superman mourning that he killed the entire time to show he's grown. The idea can be addressed, and it doesn't have to do it in a way where you see Superman moping for the entire film. Have you ever known someone who's depressed? They don't sit around bemoaning life every minute. In fact, many times they can seem very normal. The same for people coping with large/shocking life events.

My opinion on this will change is the death is used by Luthor in the sequel as a reason for people to fear Superman. Of course, I REALLY hate the idea of people fearing Superman and making him an outcast (you know, we're supposed to idolize him), but at least we could see Clark grow as a person.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

My opinion on this will change is the death is used by Luthor in the sequel as a reason for people to fear Superman. Of course, I REALLY hate the idea of people fearing Superman and making him an outcast (you know, we're supposed to idolize him), but at least we could see Clark grow as a person.

I could see Lex trying to get people to fear Superman while at the same time raising Luthor on a pedestal being the conflict of the next film, a battle of reputation so to speak. Would be a nice pace change since Zod caused so much destruction in this one already.

 

[Mister J]

I had no real problem with the scene. It was done with weight and it was shown that it had a wrenching effect on Superman before and after the act. It was a measure of last resort to preserve life.

He was practically pleading with Zod against continuing to threaten that family, to which the response was 'never'. This is also a guy that very clearly laid out the only two ways that conflict was going to end. Sans a full-blown Stryker's Island being in existence, some gold Kryptonite happening to be handy or a spare Phantom Drive lying around, I don't really any other feasible options there.

I imagine it'd be referenced in (hopefully) the next film to indicate he'd rather deal with things a different way.

Still surprised by how much a positive reaction that scene gets though. It was practically boisterous tonight.

edit: Turned out to be wordier than I initially thought.

 

[Juicy J]

Even though I feel pretty 'eh' about the movie I gotta say that the ending scene was great. Loved that, and it's one of the main things the films got going for it in my eyes. Glad they weren't afraid to go there.

 

[Asgard]

I agreed with it. It was Superman's only choice to end the threat. Theres no way to send him into the phantom zone, theres no prison that could hold him, and Zod was bad place bent on getting revenge by annihilating the human race.

 

[SentinelMind]

Out of all the concerns I had with movie...this part didn't actually bother me that much. I'll admit I'm not the biggest Superman fan...but him killing Zod seemed somewhat rational if it were presented at last resort. The scene could have been portrayed better, I agree...but if Zod is about to wanton kill people, putting him dow is the best recourse.

I can understand the scene being portrayed as a big 'F U' to fanbase from the director. Bit conflicted, but it wasn't a big deal to me when I saw it, especially since he was struck with grief afterwards. I think having villain die accidentally is kind of a big cop out (hit with glider, falling of a skyscraper)...in a lot of these movies...let's keep heroes hand clean by creating a deus ex moment where villain is defeated.

What bothered me is Clark's sort of callousness to public at large...that bothered me far more than him killing Zod.

 

[Smashlilman]

Out of all the concerns I had with movie...this part didn't actually bother me that much. I'll admit I'm not the biggest Superman fan...but him killing Zod seemed somewhat rational if it were presented at last resort. The scene could have been portrayed better, I agree...but if Zod is about to wanton kill people, putting him dow is the best recourse.

I can understand the scene being portrayed as a big 'F U' to fanbase from the director. Bit conflicted, but it wasn't a big deal to me when I saw it, especially since he was struck with grief afterwards. I think having villain die accidentally is kind of a big cop out (hit with glider, falling of a skyscraper)...in a lot of these movies...let's keep heroes hand clean by creating a deus ex moment where villain is defeated.

What bothered me is Clark's sort of callousness to public at large...that bothered me far more than him killing Zod.

It's no more of an F'U' than this at least this shows that superman had a conscience and that he didn't actively kill him just to kill him.
[YT]jUORL-bvwA0[/YT]

 

[Boy Scout]

I didn't like it at all. I was pissed when he did it. I'm shocked that so many people are okay with it. However, I do acknowledge that it worked within the context of the film.

EDIT: Him killing Zod didn't seem to affect him much in the long term. He was just fine afterwards.

 

[stillanerd]

Since this is related to the topic at hand, I thought this was a rather interesting piece EW PopWatch did concerning the ending, although some may disagree with the author's conclusions. For me, the money quote is this:

Back in 1986, Alan Moore wrote a famous story about Superman called “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” that became the swan song for the first 50 years of Superman’s history. Terrible things happen to Superman over the course of the story — seriously, you gotta read it — and in the end, Superman has to make the ultimate sacrifice. Not suicide; Superman is the kind of guy who would give his life to save a kitten from a tree. No, Superman has to break his first rule and kill someone.

The person he kills is incredibly evil and responsible for untold terrifying actions. Much like in Man of Steel, he is immediately comforted by Lois: “B-But you had to! You haven’t done anything wrong!” Superman does not stand for that, though: “Yes, I have. Nobody has the right to kill … Not you, not Superman … especially not Superman.” Having superpowers doesn’t give Superman the moral authority to decide who lives and who dies; if anything, it gives him less authority, since he has so much more absolute power to abuse absolutely. The crazy thing is that, in Man of Steel, his power is exactly what gives him the authority.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/15/man-of-steel-superman-zod-death/#disqus_thread

 

[Heretic]

Speaking of killing...whatever happened to that other guy/robot/whatever that was fighting Superman with the female in Smallville? I know what happened to him...but was it really killed/destroyed that easily? Zod would have shrugged that off.

 

[Asgard]

EDIT: Him killing Zod didn't seem to affect him much in the long term. He was just fine afterwards.

*at the Daily Planet water cooler*
Lois - Clark, how are you holding up?

Clark - Hmn?

Lois - You know, killing Zod. Are you ok?

Clark - Lois, that was 2 days ago, let it go. How come youre not wearing that lace thong I bought you?

 

[SentinelMind]

I guess Snyder/Goyer were trying to say....this new Superman kills baby..deal with it

I guess you could say the directing didn't sell it hard enough that this was Superman's last option..didn't show enough ingenuity for Superman as opposed to being pure brutish force. I can agree with that. But Reeve's Superman clearly does kill Zod in SII...I guess in a light hearted way where you don't see his corpse off screen...so I guess that is ok?

 

[Smashlilman]

I didn't like it at all. I was pissed when he did it. I'm shocked that so many people are okay with it. However, I do acknowledge that it worked within the context of the film.

EDIT: Him killing Zod didn't seem to affect him much in the long term. He was just fine afterwards.

He mourned. He was put into a situation where if he didn't act Zod would have killed innocent people and the only way to resolve it was to put him down. It affected him. I just didn't cripple him. It sounds to me like you want to turn him into an depressed emotional vegetable for the rest of the movie.

 

[Heretic]

Since this is related to the topic at hand, I thought this was a rather interesting piece EW PopWatch did concerning the ending, although some may disagree with the author's conclusions. For me, the money quote is this:




http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/15/man-of-steel-superman-zod-death/#disqus_thread

By giving this scene an extra few seconds to tell their version of
Lois: “B-But you had to! You haven’t done anything wrong!” Superman does not stand for that, though: “Yes, I have. Nobody has the right to kill … Not you, not Superman … especially not Superman.”
it would have saved the scene for me in a big way.

 

[Dispatch Ninja]

*at the Daily Planet water cooler*
Lois - Clark, how are you holding up?

Clark - Hmn?

Lois - You know, killing Zod. Are you ok?

Clark - Lois, that was 2 days ago, let it go. How come youre not wearing that lace thong I bought you?

Pretty sure the dp scene was years after he killed zod.

 

[SentinelMind]

By giving this scene an extra few seconds to tell their version of
Lois: “B-But you had to! You haven’t done anything wrong!” Superman does not stand for that, though: “Yes, I have. Nobody has the right to kill … Not you, not Superman … especially not Superman.”
it would have saved the scene for me in a big way.

I agree with this. I don't have a problem with last resort self-defense killing, but the scene was clearly put in there for shock value "superman is a badass killing machine" statement. The writers didn't sell the build up to that well, and showed their lack of creativity with all the powers he's given.

 

[Cousin Itt]

This scene was messed up.

I talked with a lot of people in the parking lot after the movie and almost everybody was disturbed. People should not leave a Superman movie like that.