Superman Returns Mark Millar's thoughts on the movie . . .

[ToddIsDead]

Yeah, you really should pick it up. It's really quite good.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

For what it's worth, this is what Mark Millar wrote over on his forum about SR:

As for Superman Returns. Well, I have to say...

...I'm a little worried.

Any regular poster here knows how much I dig Superman. Superman is the reason I started reading comics and the reason I wanted to write them too. I have Christopher Reeve's cape hanging in my hall and Frisky the cat stuffed and sitting on top of our dining room piano. I have also waited for nineteen years for Superman to be back on the big screen. I almost wept like a baby when I heard that Bryan was doing this flick after so many scares with Burton, Cage, killer polar bears and scripts based on a 1990s comic-book marketing stunt.

So why am I worried? I dunno. It's my spider-sense. It's just tingling. I liked the first trailer a lot, but that second trailer... It just seemed to lack any moments. There was a lot of everyone except Superman there and there wasn't a single moment that had my hair standing on end as I would have expected. Only a fool judges a movie based on a trailer, but there only needed to be one money shot-- one big moment-- to get me excited and what should have been that moment in the final third of the trailer is this horrible, jarring scene where the needle almost seems to jump and we get Spacey camping it up. Also, there are two big action sequences in this movie; a series of rescues by Superman in the middle and Superman saving people from a huge Earthquake towards the end. I'm not saying he needs to hit somebody, but... with today's special effects and what's expected from a superhero movie I think he DOES really need to hit somebody in the third act. It's what makes Spidey satisfying and Hulk unsatisfying. Superman isn't about his relationship with Lois Lane and their kid. It's about Superman doing 'cool ****' and I worry he's not going to be doing enough in this novie.

I thought Batman Begins would do 800 million and it did 400. I realize this is because the movie, though brilliant, lacked Batman. Similarly, Spidey 2 was a superior movie to Spidey 1, but the first flick had Spidey every eight minutes or so and kids watched it continuously. Kids don't want Spidey 2 or Batman Begins over and over and my worry is that Superman is going to suffer from the same problem. Also, it seems like Superman 5. It seems like the CAPSTONE to a franchise as opposed to a new foundation a quarter of a century after the first movie. Heroes get the girl and have a kid at the END of their adventures. Doing this right at the beginning just feels off and is problematic for sequels. Imagine 'BOND IS BACK... AND THIS TIME HE'S BROUGHT HIS WIFE AND KID' and you'll see what I mean. Incredibles is one of my top 5 movies ever, but the gag there is that it's a family of superheroes. That's not what makes Superman cool. It's a great ending to the franchise, but an unfortunate beginning.

Anyway, I pray I'm wrong because I want to love this more than any of you. I'll open a vein if Superman isn't as big as Titanic, but a Superman movie that starts with Krypton, goes to Smallville, has Clark going to the big city, has Superman saving Lois from a crashing plane, has Superman doing a series of rescues, has Luthor stealing Kryptonite, poisoning Superman and then setting off a huge earthquake seems kind of familiar and oddly pointless. It seems like Superman The Movie PLUS A KID.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but in terms of moments and coolness and all the things little kids wants to see on the screen I have a weird feeling that X3 might be the one that delivers this Summer.

MM​

I pretty much agree with 90% of what he said.

For the record: I greatly dislike Ultimate X-Men.

 

[Ita-KalEl]

I pretty much agree with 90% of what he said.

For the record: I greatly dislike Ultimate X-Men.

LOL and you'll dislike even more XMEN 3 : bad reviews averywhere

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

LOL and you'll dislike even more XMEN 3 : bad reviews averywhere

really? that doesn't bode well..

jonathan Ross liked it. hes a massive comic book fan..so it must be..alright?

 

[KaptainKrypton]

While I like Millar's work and believe he could do great things for a run on Superman, I don't exactly agree with what he said. Who knows, though? In the end, I may end up disliking the movie and will be clamoring for Singer's head on a stick. Then again, I may love it. The point is that I haven't seen it in it's entirety, just trailers of it. Granted, the second trailer is the one that everyone is referring to generally, I feel that trailer showed me scenes of Superman and generally got me excited...However, if I had constructed that thing, it would've played out differently on the screen as I felt the rhythm was a bit disjointed. One of the best trailers of any Superman property I've ever seen was the S:TM re-release trailer from 2001. If the new trailer would've been executed in that style, I probably would've shat myself upon first viewing.

 

[skruloos]

Millar speaks the truth.

He's a savvy bloke.

Speaks the truth or just an opinion you share? Do not confuse the two.

 

[skruloos]

Waid says his favorite superhero movie remains the original Christopher Reeves Superman.

As for Bryan Singer's new Man of Steel movie: "I think it's going to be amazing. From what I've seen of the raw footage, they just get it. I mean, I really had goosebumps."

This is what I was referring to in my post. I don't hold Waid's positive opinion on any higher light than Millar's negative impressions. They're both judging from snippets of things and that really means nothing to me. While it's interesting to hear, it's the same as anyone else's opinions on the trailer. Maybe I've just become cynical but leaked footage and trailers really don't affect me in any way, negative or positive. My outlook on each movie being released has been fairly neutral all throughout. For example, I have just as much anticipation for X3 as I do for SR and I don't even like Brett Ratner as a director. I have my doubts for both films, seen some things that look cool, but overall I'm leaving it to the movie to impress me. I know this place is called The Hype but I think people get caught up in it too much, both negative and positive.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

LOL and you'll dislike even more XMEN 3 : bad reviews averywhere

Eh, reviews don't mean much.

 

[explode7]

^ Of course it don't but when its bad reviews against SR it means much then right?

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

^^

Not really to me..

ive said this many times..i trust only myelf to judge the movie..you make up your own mind.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

really? that doesn't bode well..

jonathan Ross liked it. hes a massive comic book fan..so it must be..alright?

I keep hearing it's all right....not great.....but all right. Supposedly, the second half is great, but the first half isn't as good. Personally, I have to see it. I'm a huge fan of the X-series.

Speaks the truth or just an opinion you share? Do not confuse the two.

Depends on who's listening, I guess. There is SOME truth though....the kid. I just hate the kid so much. Plus, he is a writer....and writers look at things from a storytelling perspective and he seemed more worried about the FUTURE of the franchise I think. I mean....there's some truth to that, isn't there? From where the film seems to be set....where can it go from there on out? I guess that's the question he's asking. Not a bad question either.

^^

Not really to me..

ive said this many times..i trust only myelf to judge the movie..you make up your own mind.

Exactly. In the end....whatever anyone says.....it means nothing really. It's all up to you.....or us....or them......or....er......individuals. Yeah.

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

Well..i'm not a believer of Ross.. he did have magneto sitting in front of him at the time..

we shall see on the 25th.

 

[explode7]

25th for what???

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

25th for what???

X3..

be honest..you do it on purpose don't you.

 

[explode7]

NO I get it on the 22nd

 

[skruloos]

Depends on who's listening, I guess. There is SOME truth though....the kid. I just hate the kid so much. Plus, he is a writer....and writers look at things from a storytelling perspective and he seemed more worried about the FUTURE of the franchise I think. I mean....there's some truth to that, isn't there? From where the film seems to be set....where can it go from there on out? I guess that's the question he's asking. Not a bad question either.

Not a bad question in and of itself. But at the same time, just like everyone else, he's functioning on limited evidence. We can't imagine how the story can't go on because we have yet to see this story resolve itself. Also, just because we can't imagine how it can be done does not mean it cannot be done. It might require thinking out of the box and that's exactly why I think there are great dramatic possibilities with this storyline. Because this has not been handled in the comics on an ongoing way, because it has not been explored, I can see whre this might bring the Superman mythos into uncharted territory. It all depends on how it's executed.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Not a bad question in and of itself. But at the same time, just like everyone else, he's functioning on limited evidence. We can't imagine how the story can't go on because we have yet to see this story resolve itself. Also, just because we can't imagine how it can be done does not mean it cannot be done. It might require thinking out of the box and that's exactly why I think there are great dramatic possibilities with this storyline. Because this has not been handled in the comics on an ongoing way, because it has not been explored, I can see whre this might bring the Superman mythos into uncharted territory. It all depends on how it's executed.

Of course, that's why it's worries...and questions at this point, and not really full on danger mode.

Not just that though....I'm a comic fan, and an aspiring creator.....and one thing you learn from the get-go: Fanboys are very very defensive. They fear change. It's a fact. So, when something gets changed ever so slightly, they freak. Move the neckline a little higher....they freak. Change the red a few shades darker, they freak. Just examples. So, when you give Lois a son.....well, fanboys do more then freak. I think he's just freaking out in that case.

And I dunno....maybe it has something to do with Batman Begins, too. Since that series re-started....I think alot of people are seeing the benefits of hitting re-start. And, with comic films getting the scope of TRILOGY from the start....people are bound to be skeptic as to where Superman can go from here on out.

I totally agree with you though, I want to see something new....something brave and gutsy. I love the classic stuff, but thinking outside the box is needed. It's all about execution though. That's where it's key.

 

[Ita-KalEl]

Yes, I'll go to see X3.
But don't you find funny that, for the most part of bashers, AICN is right when posts bad opinions on SR, and doesn't count when posts bad reviews on the XMEN3?

 

[DorkyFresh]

the fact that he took Lex's "WRONG!!!" scene out of context was enough for me to not care for his opinion anymore...

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I don't think that it though.

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

I like how alot of people here are treating this guy like a ******* because he is worried about one of his favorite characters of all time.

 

[skruloos]

I like how alot of people here are treating this guy like a ******* because he is worried about one of his favorite characters of all time.

A lot of people? Besides a few people on the first page of this thread, I don't see many people treating him like a "*******" at all. I see a few people disagreeing with him, I see a few people agreeing with him, and a bunch of people who simply don't care about his opinion one way or another.

 

[Marvin]

Millar is spot on

and his comics should be what movies are based on(the guys who made the avengers cartoon caught on)

anyone read his superman pitch (comic run) to DC...
this man get's it

 

[VGPOP]

A lot of people? Besides a few people on the first page of this thread, I don't see many people treating him like a "*******" at all. I see a few people disagreeing with him, I see a few people agreeing with him, and a bunch of people who simply don't care about his opinion one way or another.

Count me in.

I really don't care at all what he has to say. No critic will EVER make me change my mind towards this movie. I have to see it with my own eyes and I will decide if it was a good movie or not.

 

[The Batman]

i gotta agree...

most comic movies are so intent on focusing on the man, they forget about the costume.