Superman Returns Is Superman's Boy Scout Image The Reason Beyond Lackluster Ticket Sales?

[BatFitz]

Same thing happened with Batman Begins last year...people with summer movies like the one's that have more style than substance...Batman Begins had both of those and excelled great at it...yet the general public ate up Fantastic Four.....and this year, Superman Returns, great story, great visuals...yet people are eating up Pirates

 

[Red Mask]

Fantastic Four didn't do as great as Batman Begins! Although it was more fun to watch the characters interact with each other.

 

[kg576094]

I think the main problem is what most people want is a Smallville movie - a superman who doesn't fly or wear his old suit as well as fighting a mutant every week, in another words action sequences matter more than story
this movie is sadly made for the older audience

 

[Red Mask]

Could be. But everybody knows what Superman looks like. It's been around for decades. And when I watched it, I noticed lots of older people were falling asleep. So if people were expecting Smallville, then WB's already ruined the franchise. Too many versions to approach.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

And why exactly does everything need to be badass? Like Underworld or it's as dumb sequel? Lots of badass but no sense/brains or dignity? Superman doesn't need to be badass. He needs to be Superman and that's not who he is. The whole badass bandwagon only works for the dumb teen crowed(not all the teen crowed, just the dumb ones) The ones that think Underworld, Aeon Flux, Equilibrium, Mortal Kombat and the Matrix Trilogy is the best example of filmmaking.

Dude....I didn't say he NEEDED to be. I'm just pointing out that he's not, and it hurts his image for today.

Equilibrium was ****ing awesome too. The only reason that film didn't get the credit it deserved was b/c it was on a crappy budget. It was like a Farenheigt 457.

But, it's not just about action either......it could just be the look of a character. It could be the make up, or the presence of that character just in general. Or, it could be certain scenes. Batman smashing a guy's head into a bathroom mirror WHILE the guy is pissing. Simply badass.

I'm just saying that Superman cannot be badass, b/c being badass means you kinda have do be the badguys at times.....or do things that are pretty rough. Superman can be cool. Not badass. And, it's a tough image to work with this day and age. That's all I'm pointing out. Not saying it's bad or that he needs to change. But, the boyscout image has hurt just a little.

 

[EverLovinThing]

I think the more edgy content of films like Batman Begins and Hulk (whether you like Hulk or not) have kind of "upped the ante" for movies of this type. The younger moviegoers now expect to see the "badass" quotient. To be honest, I think some of the parents who bring their kids to these films are somewhat irresponsible. When I saw SR, there were two kids (brother and sister, about 7 and 5) with their mom sitting next to me. During the beatdown scene, they were freaking out, and deservedly so, it was pretty vicious. In fact, it seemed out of place to me within the framework of the rest of the film.

Now here's the dilemma, as an ADULT moviegoer, I loved it. Just to be clear, I'm not trying to climb up on the soapbox here. I have a three-year old son and he loves superheroes. As much as I'd like to take him to see the movie whose commercials inspire him to scream "Superman!" at the top of his lungs, I can't. It just wouldn't be right. The problem is, lots of kids do go to these films, and they've become accustomed to a different type of hero. For a lot of them, I fear that Superman is no longer "cool" compared to the other film characters out there, and to be honest I find that sad.

 

[Red Mask]

But Superman is so powerful. At Yahoo one user complained how he didn't punch any of the crooks he fought. Logically, a punch from Superman already kills normal people. Trying to explain how he controls his strength just complicates it. Should he look like he's not trying so hard, should he just smack the crooks, etc. Depicting him more as a savior is better, although tough. If he kept punching Luthor all the time it would seen as unfair.

 

[KaptainKrypton]

Superman in general is passe' for some people's taste. I've taken eight different people to various showings who are the general public (non-geeks). They all thought it was great. However, every one of them didn't really give a rip about Superman before that because they kept telling me the same things regarding his overabundance of powers and how guys like Batman, X-men, and Spidey are just cooler and more identifiable and as my sister-in-law bluntly stated..."less dorky." It's my distinct opinion that even if Steven Spielberg made this movie and Reeve himself rose from the great beyond to reprise the role it still would've underwhelmed financially. Every one of my friends who reads comics leans towards the more human, urban heroes and thinks Superman is lame.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Well, one of the reasons you need to give Superman a villian as strong as him, is to FORCE him to literally fight. To force him to get gritty, b/c otherwise........there's no reason he would. The guy he's fighting NEEDS to be as strong as he is. Making him hit someone REAL HARD is something that would help, I think.

That's why I'm hoping Metallo and/or Brainiac are in the sequel.

 

[KaptainKrypton]

Well, one of the reasons you need to give Superman a villian as strong as him, is to FORCE him to literally fight. To force him to get gritty, b/c otherwise........there's no reason he would. The guy he's fighting NEEDS to be as strong as he is. Making him hit someone REAL HARD is something that would help, I think.

That's why I'm hoping Metallo and/or Brainiac are in the sequel.

Very true. I would like to see Superman finally throw down with someone with much fanfare, but I'm in the camp that would take a good story and no fight scene over no story and all the fight scenes you could want (ahem...X3). I do feel that if the sequel has a more physical protagonist, it'll really help to up the ante. Plus, it'll just look cool.

 

[Syncos]

My view on SR, for anyone willing to listen:
Routh was a good superman, but a horrible Clark Kent. Everything about scenes with Clark were just kinda painful for me to watch.

As for the 'boyscout image', we've got a scene with superman's alter ego sitting in a seedy bar having a beer, in a story were (assuming) superman nailed Lois without revealing himself, before leaving her to go on a space adventure, i mean, c'mon. It's not completely 'stay in school and drink your milk... Winners don't do drugs!"

Acting was good. I really enjoyed the superman saving people, thing. It was a nice stray from "OMG a SUPERPOWERFUL villian is here I MUST have a HORRIBLY CLICHED battle to SAVE THE DAY!". I think it would have been better if he was shown stressing to save people. I mean, when the city started comin down, big blue was just kinda flying through town, savin some people as he went. There should have been more panic in his eyes, he should have been trying to save EVERYONE at once, because that's what he expects of HIMSELF, even if it isn't possible.

However, the pacing was bad. There were poor plot points, and the love triangle thing was horribly, horribly done.

My .02
- Syn

 

[Frodo]

Well I liked SR but it had too alot going against it . I think one of the factors that hasn't been mentioned is Smallville .

The question I heard the most was , " Is this a Smallville movie"? or "Why aren't Welling and the guy who plays Lex in it". When I would tell people that it wasn't related to SV there was usually disappointment .

I think having SV still on the air effected whether people wanted to actually go out and see SR . They may have felt why pay money when I can see the same thing for free .

Has anyone else had similar reactions concerning SV?

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Well, I think you CAN have both a great story..and have enough action sprinkled around it. Batman Begins, for example, had action sprinkled in the beginning.....tons of development.....and then the later half the action was kicked up a notch while still keeping a story going.

Obviously, you don't want to make Superman's sequel into an action film....you want it to be a drama with action. Good story, and enough action to keep people wanting more. And, adding a physical threat is the way. Plus....it'll wash away a bit of that invincible image, if Superman takes a few hits WITHOUT it being a green rock.