How will the New Film Standout?

[Daybreak_st]

I have to wonder how the new film will stand out among the mass of Superhero films gracing the big screen in the next two years. Just look at the constant comparisons between SR and BB being only 1 year apart and both sharing the goal of restarting their respective franchises.

Now we have a plethora of Superhero movies coming out in the next two years, Thor, Captain America, Avengers, Green lantern, Batman, Spiderman Reboot...and Superman.

My question is how can Superman expect to stand out in the crowd of films coming out? Do you think the filmmakers will do something special to make it stand out as different from the other films?

I'd say the two things he has that a lot of other films don't is mass recognizability. I mean everyone knows who Superman is. Now that can help or hurt. While people may see advertisements for other films and think "that looks unique or different" or "hey cool they finally gave thor or cap a movie", the reaction to Superman may be different, more like "another one? why?" "we've seen it before" "no one will ever beat Chris Reeve", I've heard all of those before when mentioning the new film to people at work. So that's one thing that may work against it.

The other thing that he has is a recognizable supporting cast, perhaps the most recognizable of any superhero. The nice thing about that is people are fans of lois lane, they may be curious about Jimmy or Perry or Ma and Pa kent. so you have inherent interest in the project. The bad thing about this is we've also seen plenty of portrayals of these characters in animation and live action so there are bound to be comparisons. Just look at the role of Lois Lane. It pretty much made Terri Hatcher a household name in the 90s and continues to influence her career. You have several great lois performances in the black and white days, now you have Erica Durrance who's doing a great job on Smallville. And who could ever forget Dana Delany's voice on the STAS! That's quite a role to live up to. Now the other supporting players may not be as vital but imagine what the new film needs to live up to and potentially surpass.

Obviously the same will happen to whoever is cast as Superman regardless of his "look". So while GL, Thor, Cap A and any of the other films don't have any direct movie to live up to the new Supes film does. Not only the comparisons to the past but with films like Thor coming out a year before (and if you've seen the trailer you know what i'm talking about) and the new supes film coming out on the tail end of all these other films, i'm just not sure how it's going to live up to expectations and comparisons.

Do you think Superman has an inherent edge b/c he's well known or will the filmmakers just have to blow away audiences to cement the Big Guy's place in cinematic history again?

 

[SuperJ]

With as much riding on this film, I have to say that Snyder and Co really need to knock this out of the park.

This next Superman film needs to "establish" itself as this era's Superman film. Just as Nolan's Bat films established themselves as this era's Batman cinematic experiences.

As to how to set itself apart. First, don't suck.........lol.

Second, Snyder's film needs to move firmly beyond the Donner films. It needs to take the Superman films in a new, fresh direction that still respects the source.

Look at the trailers for Green Lantern and Thor, and look at the Sci-Fi elements they are introducing in those movies. I mean, the designs for Asgard look cool as h***. Krypton needs a new look, too, beyond the lifeless, cold crystals established in the Donner films.

 

[darkzombiemutt]

man, i really like the fortress look in the movies though. I may have a hard time swallowing a different take on that. But, you never know, they could come up with something cooler.

 

[El Payaso]

Great visuals.

 

[Superman2007]

They really need to nail down a definitive characterization of Clark Kent. They need to make the audience care about him. Explain why an individual who could do or be anything in the world and make tons of money, would decide to be a journalist and help people in any way possible. And they need a villain who has is compelling and threatening. Getting those two things right will set the film apart from so many other Superman films that have come before.

 

[Wheels]

I agree with everything SuperJ said. My worst fear for the movie however, is that people will not see this movie no matter if it's good or not. There are so many comic movies coming out, that people may get burnt out. I hope not...

 

[GreenKToo]

I think that the last film's director AND wb were hoping the name superman alone would sell the film, and I guess it kinda did at the first, but it quickly dropped off when it was known that there wasn't a whole lot of action in it.
This reboot will need to bring something new to the table in much the same way as the matrix did...but what that should be I can't say.
I do know that this time they can't depend on the name ''superman'' alone selling it.

 

[SuperJ]

I agree with everything SuperJ said. My worst fear for the movie however, is that people will not see this movie no matter if it's good or not. There are so many comic movies coming out, that people may get burnt out. I hope not...

and, that's shameful because Superman is the "icon" of heroes........

 

[Superman2007]

I agree with everything SuperJ said. My worst fear for the movie however, is that people will not see this movie no matter if it's good or not. There are so many comic movies coming out, that people may get burnt out. I hope not...

If it's good people will see it. Nothing can stop good "word of mouth". If Batman Begins can survive Batman & Robin, Superman will certainly be able to survive Superman Returns...especially with the "From Executive Producer Chris Nolan..." credit.

 

[Ultimate_Superman]

If it's good people will see it. Nothing can stop good "word of mouth". If Batman Begins can survive Batman & Robin, Superman will certainly be able to survive Superman Returns...especially with the "From Executive Producer Chris Nolan..." credit.

However Superman Returns was received much better by the fans than Batman & Robin. The main problem most people had with Returns was that they liked it when they should have loved it. So really it is not that much of an uphill battle for this movie as people may think. The real problem for this movie is that a lot of people have a very hard time connecting with Superman.

 

[GreenKToo]

First thing i'd do is get a top notch cast...you know, the kinda cast that would make the public wanna see it regardless of what kinda film it is..once you get them in, blow them away with some spectacular action and a brilliant story. Do that and wom will take care of the rest.
We need TDK level of casting for this film first and foremost tho.

 

[BH/HHH]

Great visuals.

Said it for me

 

[KalMart]

However Superman Returns was received much better by the fans than Batman & Robin. The main problem most people had with Returns was that they liked it when they should have loved it. So really it is not that much of an uphill battle for this movie as people may think. The real problem for this movie is that a lot of people have a very hard time connecting with Superman.

I don't think the struggle lies in connecting with Superman as it does in being wowed and excited by him...and/or what he does...which is where SR failed, hence its (generously-speaking) lukewarm reception. The game has changed, not just with comic-movies, but movies in general. It doesn't matter that other characters aren't as powerful as Supes is, if their movies are more fun. The more entertaining and engrossing the movie is, the more that people will find ways of connecting with the character. Not to say that he should just be a mindless action machine...but really...most people going to see a Superman movie are mainly attracted by the prospect of seeing Superman being Superman the hero, not so much by what makes him tick inside, etc.

He can be treated as a pretty straight-forward, simple and uncomplicated individual. If what he does as a Superhero thrills the audience, then that 'simplicity' will play that much better...it's not like they'll automatically need a character that's complex/brooding/conflicted or what have you. Being a nice, principled guy can be as refreshing as being a conflicted loner is intruiging...because neither is really that interesting in a movie if you're not entertained by what they actually do. One man's wooden and lifeless could be another man's subtle and understated...the difference being that the latter man likely got a more kick-ass movie.

So how well the new Superman movie will stand out will depend, I believe, on how well, and how originally, they deliver the superhero part of it. Because that's really the area in which Superman...and his concept...has fallen behind, despite being the original whatever.

 

[The Guard]

You asked for this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpkvPp4qWsY

 

[The Batman]

i tell you how it wont standout....by doing the tired "origin" formula fans seem to want so much...how refreshing would it be if this movie opened with a fully realized Superman?

I just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, and they didnt need an hour to tell you how Indiana Jones became an adventurer. Yet you can still become attached to his character. Why fans think every comic movie needs the 45 minute origin approach, i dont understand.

Also, they shouldnt be afraid to make Superman look impressive. People love the fact that Batman is a genius who could also own ninjas and SWAT teams. In britain, people love the fact that The Doctor from "Doctor Who" is a genius who knows everything. Dont be afraid to make Superman powerful as hell...just give him interesting threats, and have the type of imagination that most superman stories today lack.

 

[KalMart]

i tell you how it wont standout....by doing the tired "origin" formula fans seem to want so much...how refreshing would it be if this movie opened with a fully realized Superman?

I just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, and they didnt need an hour to tell you how Indiana Jones became an adventurer. Yet you can still become attached to his character. Why fans think every comic movie needs the 45 minute origin approach, i dont understand.

Also, they shouldnt be afraid to make Superman look impressive. People love the fact that Batman is a genius who could also own ninjas and SWAT teams. In britain, people love the fact that The Doctor from "Doctor Who" is a genius who knows everything. Dont be afraid to make Superman powerful as hell...just give him interesting threats, and have the type of imagination that most superman stories today lack.

The other thing is....some fans don't want a Superman story to become too 'dark' or what have you. I don't either if it'll amount to little more than window-dressing. But....I think they should push the envelope more in terms of conflicts. TDK presented Batman with some horrible and impossible choices....I think that approach could be ultilized well in a Superman story as well. For example...if Braniac is controllign the world's technology...what if he's threatening to cut off all life-support systems in a US hospital, and crash an airliner over China, and disengage a high-speed train's brakes in Europe all at the same time? Yes, STM incorporated that a bit with Lex/missiles...but still, even Superman can't do that all at once. Dramatically, Narratively, action-wise, I'd be very intrigued by what he would do.

But perhaps some fans feel that it exposes a level of ineffectiveness in Superman that takes away from viewing him as super, etc....that the Superman story is supposed to be one of hope, not about harsh realities and what not. I say, don't be afraid to go in that territory and figure out imaginative ways in which ONLY Superman could address them....beyond just 'turning back time'. I think that's at least part of bringing him 'into the 21st century', utilize more contemporary storytelling and dynamics, and make it huge.

And if that really is too much for a Superman movie...or where Superman just 'shouldn't go'...then perhaps he is too old-fashioned, and perhaps the concept has indeed outgrown its originator. I think it can be done without sacrificing the core elements that make him Superman. he doesn't have to get involved with foreign politics or whatever....but step it up in the danger level, make the audience really feel that the world is going to end. I think TDK did that extremely well, viscerally, even though it was just in one city. Superman can as well...just make it much, MUCH bigger.

 

[Daybreak_st]

However Superman Returns was received much better by the fans than Batman & Robin. The main problem most people had with Returns was that they liked it when they should have loved it. So really it is not that much of an uphill battle for this movie as people may think. The real problem for this movie is that a lot of people have a very hard time connecting with Superman.

I think that statement is overused and too generalized. I mean what does that even mean? How many superheroes does a person really "connect with" i mean i have nothing in common with Batman or Bruce Wayne, i'm not rich, my parents didn't die, etc. but i love a good Batman film, both Burton's 89 film and Nolan's take on it. It has nothing to do with how much i can relate to the title character, heck i want to BE the title character! When i saw the first Transformers movie, i'm not connecting with the autobots but i thought they were awesome.

I don't connect with Jason Bourne, Bond, i don't expect to connet with Thor or GL necessarily, i've enjoyed the those movies and expect to enjoy the new ones. I just want to LIKE the title character and be entertained by what they do. I don't understand this blanket complaint of Superman being unrelatable, i mean what superhero is and on what level does a person need to relate to the character in order to enjoy it? I mean of all the heroes spidey is the average guy most people can relate to but i enjoyed Iron Man more than the spidey movies, b/c it was more entertaining and less melodramatic (i still enjoyed spidey but you get what i'm saying).

 

[Daybreak_st]

I don't think the struggle lies in connecting with Superman as it does in being wowed and excited by him...and/or what he does...which is where SR failed, hence its (generously-speaking) lukewarm reception. The game has changed, not just with comic-movies, but movies in general. It doesn't matter that other characters aren't as powerful as Supes is, if their movies are more fun. The more entertaining and engrossing the movie is, the more that people will find ways of connecting with the character. Not to say that he should just be a mindless action machine...but really...most people going to see a Superman movie are mainly attracted by the prospect of seeing Superman being Superman the hero, not so much by what makes him tick inside, etc.

this is a really good point, i completely agree. People want to enjoy these sorts of movies, if thor or some other unnamed character are more interesting to watch than Superman then their movie will do better simple as that.

He can be treated as a pretty straight-forward, simple and uncomplicated individual. If what he does as a Superhero thrills the audience, then that 'simplicity' will play that much better...it's not like they'll automatically need a character that's complex/brooding/conflicted or what have you. Being a nice, principled guy can be as refreshing as being a conflicted loner is intruiging...because neither is really that interesting in a movie if you're not entertained by what they actually do. One man's wooden and lifeless could be another man's subtle and understated...the difference being that the latter man likely got a more kick-ass movie.

I agree with some of what you say here but not everything. Personally i think Clark/Superman is inherently a very interesting person and would like to see him treated as such. He has dual heritage, an awesome responsiblity, fascinating abilities, can go anywhere, and yet often faces down things that could kill him and he's the last line of defense against things that could wipe out humanity. To me that makes him interesting. I say show me his personality, he doesn't need to be dramatic or brooding etc, but he can be interesting. I'd like to see him treated as a thinking man's hero, like Captain America, Reed Richards, and Thor wrapped into one guy. He's a natural leader and represents elevated ideals (like captain america), has the raw power of someone like Thor, but can figure out ways to defeat opponents more powerful than himself without simply relying on his fists. To me that's not just a "simple" guy but an awesome one!

If it's good people will see it. Nothing can stop good "word of mouth". If Batman Begins can survive Batman & Robin, Superman will certainly be able to survive Superman Returns...especially with the "From Executive Producer Chris Nolan..." credit.

Great point. and you're right, look at what word of mouth and "buzz" did for Avatar, a movie about giant blue people.

I think that the last film's director AND wb were hoping the name superman alone would sell the film, and I guess it kinda did at the first, but it quickly dropped off when it was known that there wasn't a whole lot of action in it.
This reboot will need to bring something new to the table in much the same way as the matrix did...but what that should be I can't say.
I do know that this time they can't depend on the name ''superman'' alone selling it.

Yeah agree completely. I think especially now with how dense the market has become with Superhero movies, in particular with the next two years full of films with characters on Superman's power level showing off for audiences like Thor and GL , the new Supes film will have to step it up a notch to make Supes look good. A few simple saves or lifting an island isn't going to impress anyone who's seen Thor face down Ice Giants and fight other powerful characters, or seen GL in action, in space, etc.

With as much riding on this film, I have to say that Snyder and Co really need to knock this out of the park.

This next Superman film needs to "establish" itself as this era's Superman film. Just as Nolan's Bat films established themselves as this era's Batman cinematic experiences.

As to how to set itself apart. First, don't suck.........lol.

Second, Snyder's film needs to move firmly beyond the Donner films. It needs to take the Superman films in a new, fresh direction that still respects the source.

Look at the trailers for Green Lantern and Thor, and look at the Sci-Fi elements they are introducing in those movies. I mean, the designs for Asgard look cool as h***. Krypton needs a new look, too, beyond the lifeless, cold crystals established in the Donner films.

QFT t: very well said sir!

 

[TruerToTheCore]

And who could ever forget Dana Delany's voice on the STAS!

True, I wish I could forget the "Calling-Clark-Kent-Smallville" echo in my head, screams of pain

 

[FOOM]

It already has an advantage of standing out among the other Super-Hero / Comic Book movies; It’s Superman. But will it stand out among the Superman movies? Let’s Hope.

 

[elgaz]

Some good suggestions above.

I think cosmetically, the new film also needs to stand on it's own, with new and creative ways of showing Superman's powers on screen.

For example .....

We've all seen slow-mo effects a million times - and weekly TV shows can even do them pretty well now, never mind $200m movies. It would be nice to see something like slow motion done in such a unique and original way that it would hark back to the impact that the effects in 'The Matrix' had the first time you saw them. Bullet-time was a very new thing back then and has been imitated often since. Surely all those creative minds at effects companies can come up with something new and exciting for the big screen.

I've often wondered, how does it feel for Superman to go into superspeed mode. Does everything seem 'slow' to him in normal mode day to day? Or does he just shift it up a gear when he goes into superspeed? Seeing things from his perspective would be fantastic.

Anyone remember that film, The One? As the two characters got more powerful and faster, they fought at the end in superspeed in some industrial unit while sparks fell all around them in slow motion - it looked awesome.

I have similar feelings on seeing flight, heat vision, superhearing, superstrength and all his other powers portrayed on screen. I think the Donner use of red lasers from his eyes is horribly outdated now. SV and SR did it pretty realistically (heated air giving a ripple effect), but I'd also like to see what the effect is like when Superman ramps up the juice and his eyes glow fiery red.

 

[manofsteel4life]

the things is....i dont think anyone can really connect to Superman, unless you are a really good, and honest person that comes from Afganistan...lol....anyway, imo i think people need to want to be superman, not connect

 

[Steyin]

I think for me, it would help if the film isn't boring. It needs a great deal of action, or rather, adventure. SR didn't accomplish that IMO, I fall asleep/stop watching after the plane scene; I just can't make it through the film.

Aside from that, I agree that visuals will help. Some bright colors, iconic shots/references to the comics and some modernization/re-imagining to Krypton and Metropolis would do some good. This should be a film that isn't afraid to embrace more of the fantastical/alien elements for any sake of "realism".

 

[SuperJ]

one thing that Superman can do to stand out is really embrace the Sci-fi elements of the character.

Superman is, after all, from another planet.

Green Lantern seems to be going in that direction, and it's a good fit for Superman, too.

oh........and please, no more boring real estate Lex schemes complete with bumbling henchmen!! I want Lexcorp Lex da*****!!

 

[El Payaso]

It already has an advantage of standing out among the other Super-Hero / Comic Book movies; It’s Superman. But will it stand out among the Superman movies? Let’s Hope.

That's an option. How will it stand out? Maybe it won't.