BvS Lex Luthor Casting Thread - Part 6

[Axl Van Sixx]

Superman has portrayed in so many different ways that I'd say that's a little hard to digest. He's been portrayed as everything from a perfect God among men to a flawed alien just trying to fit in. MoS, I think, puts him perfectly in the middle. He's trying to find out who he is & where he fits in, but he's not necessarily complaining every five minutes and accepts who he is.

Even though I enjoyed the movie, from a historical materialist perspective, I'm interested in the fact that this was the particular Superman movie that Hollywood produced in 2013, for better or for worse. Superman has often been represented as a symbol of the United States and I think the fact that the Kal-El of MOS is a more flawed character in some regards reflects the moral shades of grey identified with post-9/11 America.

Thing is, even if the character is different, he's still recognizably Superman. They didn't change any major aspect of the character himself, other than maybe making him a bit more brooding -- but then that's because MOS was the story of an alien trying to find out where he came from and determine his purpose in life.

Personally, I found it refreshing that Snyder & Goyer had the balls to try something different while still remaining true to the character (unlike, say, Tim Burton or J.J. Abrams had they gotten the chance to put their version of Superman on the big screen).

It was a tough balancing act to pull off and clearly they didn't please everybody, but I'm glad they tried and I still think the end product was a solidly entertaining film. It could have been a lot worse.

That's why they probably don't. I mean, don't get me wrong, those movies are classics but they got quite a bit wrong that MoS didn't. For instance, making Superman too powerful almost to the point of being unable to relate to.

Giving Superman the ability to turn back time crossed a line and I've always thought that ending was one of the dumbest I've ever seen in a major movie. You can argue that Superman is supposed to represent omnipotence, but even God himself never pulled off that move in the Bible. It's all a bit much.

While I can stomach movies playing fast and loose with the rules of science, spinning the world backwards to turn back time is just Face Palm City.

I'd agree here, for the most part. There are very few films that are air-tight & have little or minor flaws. In this case, I'd say MoS was good enough to pull me in enough to where I don't pay attention to it's flaws. I just enjoy the ride.

Me too. There's so much to love about the film -- the performances, the visuals, the action -- that I can overlook some problems with the script.

If MOS undermined my faith in Goyer to some degree, it also reaffirmed my appreciation for Snyder.

 

[regwec]

MoS was great for act one, good for act two, and meh for act three. At no point was it any worse than other CBMs that attract little criticism. I expect most of the invective comes from insecure Marvel fanboys.

 

[Wise]

MoS was great for act one, good for act two, and meh for act three. At no point was it any worse than other CBMs that attract little criticism. I expect most of the invective comes from insecure Marvel fanboys.

True. The key to a good movie is to wow the audience in the last act.

The audience saying "Wow this action scene has been going for 40 minutes" doesn't count.

 

[regwec]

The one brief sequence that I thought really was spectacular was Superman and Zod grappling in mid air, after Zod had stripped off his armour. If the finale had consisted of the destruction of the terraforming machine, that sequence, and the neck-snapping denouement, all would have been well. It needn't have taken more than 15 minutes.

But I maintain that the movie has more merits than flaws overall, and I feel more optimistic about Snyder's future efforts as a result of it.

 

[Wise]

The one brief sequence that I thought really was spectacular was Superman and Zod grappling in mid air, after Zod had stripped off his armour. If the finale had consisted of the destruction of the terraforming machine, that sequence, and the neck-snapping denouement, all would have been well. It needn't have taken more than 15 minutes.

But I maintain that the movie has more merits than flaws overall, and I feel more optimistic about Snyder's future efforts as a result of it.

I've said this on here before as well. After the machine is destroyed the tension is gone. Sure Zod would have gone on a global killing spree, but after the apocalyptic rampage of the world engine, it just seems like 'eh'.

 

[MrsKent26]

I've said this on here before as well. After the machine is destroyed the tension is gone. Sure Zod would have gone on a global killing spree, but after the apocalyptic rampage of the world engine, it just seems like 'eh'.

I don't think the tension was totally gone with the Zod fight because I was waiting to see what supes would do with him. But I did find the WE sequence more exciting. That bit where it showed Jenny looking terrified/Perry holding her hand and Superman struggling against the WE was pure magic. The music, the visuals, the acting, the editing...so good. And so superman.

 

[terry78]

It kind of reminded me of Disney's Hercules where the massive climax is him destroying all the Titans but then you have the "real climax" where he storms the underworld and threatens Hades for Meg.

 

[Wise]

It kind of reminded me of Disney's Hercules where the massive climax is him destroying all the Titans but then you have the "real climax" where he storms the underworld and threatens Hades for Meg.

Also Bad Boys 3: Bad Boys in Cuba.

 

[Mysteryman]

LOL!
I see what what you did there.

 

[Loki882]

There was no way that they were going to NOT have Superman and Zod duke it out face to face. Audiences have waited for thirty years to see a proper Superman fight, and we finally have the technology to do one. If they hadn't, then I'm pretty sure that a lot of people would have been disappointed.

 

[Lily Adler]

We didn't get that from the Smallville sequence?

 

[regwec]

There was no way that they were going to NOT have Superman and Zod duke it out face to face. Audiences have waited for thirty years to see a proper Superman fight, and we finally have the technology to do one. If they hadn't, then I'm pretty sure that a lot of people would have been disappointed.

I don't think anyone suggested they shouldn't have.

 

[John-An]

There was no way that they were going to NOT have Superman and Zod duke it out face to face. Audiences have waited for thirty years to see a proper Superman fight, and we finally have the technology to do one. If they hadn't, then I'm pretty sure that a lot of people would have been disappointed.

Agreed. the movie will not be the same if there was taken the final scene of SupesvsZod.

I don't think the tension was totally gone with the Zod fight because I was waiting to see what supes would do with him. But I did find the WE sequence more exciting. That bit where it showed Jenny looking terrified/Perry holding her hand and Superman struggling against the WE was pure magic. The music, the visuals, the acting, the editing...so good. And so superman.

I just can't agree with the ones saying that the third act wasn't great. I mean it was long yeah but it was great developed and IMO I didn't felt the "40 mins Wise said", THERE WERE 40 MINS OF EPIC ACTION!! that's the difference, it gives the feel of wanting more but at the same time completely satisfied cause the action was accompanied with epic music and between there were some tension and some great scenes. and I never felt the time while seeing that great action. Those things give us the wow feeling that a great cbm has.
The battle between the two superpowered is pretty unique IMO.
When I first saw it I couldn't know what would happen next, how Superman is gonna defeat Zod, I mean it was unpredictable. For example in the Avengers we already know how the battle will end. If there was only phantom zone sucked all the kryptonians it'll have a deep space and be as generic as some other movies, this act had its own personality and I appreciated that.
That's why I see MOS 3rd act greater.

We didn't get that from the Smallville sequence?

flying and toe to toe? I don't think so.

 

[Lily Adler]

Quiet you!

Again I propose MY ending which is SO SUPERIOR to the film's: Superman and Zod fight on the scoutship. Clark or Zod damages it with his heat vision, mostly the Genesis Machine. As it crashes, Clark has Zod on his knees and Zod tries to stab him like his father. Clark foresees this move and grapples with Zod to the point he breaks off his armor. Zod then insults his father and what he stood for and said even if he destroyed the ship he would never stop in trying to create Krypton. He further states that unlike him, Clark would never have the strength and determination of a true Kryptonian soldier to get the mission done and kill him. Clark then retaliates, as the ship hurdles into mountains near Metropolis, 'I don't have to kill you--' Clark then punches a hole through one of the ship's interior walls, '--but I don't have to save you'. Clark then flies off in the 'T'-pose and the ship crashes in a fiery Michael Bay-esque explosion.

 

[Rowsdower!]

LOL

So anyway... How about that Lex Luthor casting, huh?

New suggestion, just for the hell of it. How about Hugh Grant? I've been wanting to see him play a villain ever since Cloud Atlas, but that movie disappointed me. I think he could have been great there, but they kind of short-changed him. I dunno. Probably a terrible idea, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

That would blow my mind. I haven't seen a Englishmen get blown....away like that since Hugh Grant.

 

[Rorschach2012]

LOL

So anyway... How about that Lex Luthor casting, huh?

New suggestion, just for the hell of it. How about Hugh Grant? I've been wanting to see him play a villain ever since Cloud Atlas, but that movie disappointed me. I think he could have been great there, but they kind of short-changed him. I dunno. Probably a terrible idea, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

I just could never get into Hugh Grant. I can't take him seriously as an actor

 

[Lily Adler]

But he's always so charmingly befuddled.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

LOL

So anyway... How about that Lex Luthor casting, huh?

New suggestion, just for the hell of it. How about Hugh Grant? I've been wanting to see him play a villain ever since Cloud Atlas, but that movie disappointed me. I think he could have been great there, but they kind of short-changed him. I dunno. Probably a terrible idea, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Hugh's pretty well solidified himself as charming and lovable doofus. A really mean, villainous turn could be pretty damn cool. He doesn't seem right for Lex, though. To me, anyway.

 

[regwec]

He'd be dreadful.

 

[terry78]

Who the **** is Hugh Grant?


See what I did there is make a not so subtle reference to his current relevancy in film, ya see.

 

[Wheels]

I don't care how bad the film may or may not be, Hugh Grant and Tom Arnold beating up the Barney knock off in 9 Months is freakin' hilarious.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Hugh Grant?

Nah and I've not seen him in any movies in a while. What's he been up to?




Oh apparently this was taken a few weeks ago. Sign the damn contract Joaquin.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Who the **** is Hugh Grant?


See what I did there is make a not so subtle reference to his current relevancy in film, ya see.

Somebody suggested Greg Kinnear in one of the Ant-Man threads the other day and I immediately thought about you and your sig.

And yeah Grant hasn't done much in recent times. Cloud Atlas, the 2009 movie with the horse and the Mandy Moore one in 06. Didn't realize he was quite that far off the radar but whatevs. He won't be anywhere near this movie unless he buys a ticket.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Hugh Grant is going to co-star with Cavill in Man from U.N.C.L.E. so...maybe that is a sign?