I was there when "Superman: The Movie" was first released and I remember that many in the audience didn't quite understand that scene when he turned back time. Some thought that he actually changed the earth's rotation for a moment while he was cleaning things up and still others just didn't understand what he was doing (of course, I knew he was turning back time and the the Earth spinning backwards was just an illustration of what was supposed to be going on). I think it took many years for everyone to get on the same page with respect to that scene (that doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie, though). The neck snapping scene in "Man of Steel" was pretty straight forward. Zod wasn't going to stop until Superman killed him, so that's what Superman did. He was left with no other choice (in-spite of what many people may think). That scene is more contemporary and not out of the scope if what makes up Superman in the comic-books and graphic novels.
To be honest, the reason I started this thread was because I saw Superman the Movie when it first came out as well, back in 1978. I remember sitting in the audience as an 8 year old and thinking......that's ridiculous. If Supes had travelled back through time and stopped the missiles I could have lived with that, but the way it's portrayed he literally turns back time and undoes everything that's been done.....except the missiles ! It was time travel done really badly - I mean, if it was trying to show that Superman literally could turn back time, well that was wayyy out there, even for the Silver Age Supes.
I get some of the human aspects, that it was about Supes deciding his own destiny, and disobeying Jor El, but really, in a film aimed at kids if even kids like me thought it was dumb, well that's not great writing IMO.
The Neck Snap...well like I said earlier, it made total sense within the context of the plot and the tone of the film - and I went into MOS expecting to hate it, and ended up with quite the opposite reaction.
Anyway,
Originally Posted by TheComicbookKid View Post
Lifting the rock.
Man I couldn't bring myself to include anything from Superman Returns......but yeah, it is not a great resolution - although it is something Superman would do, and probably could do (even in the 80's) chuck something massive and dangerous into the Sun.
I've argued about the whole "contintent laced with Kryptonite," so many times that I just can't bear to have another go at it - but I hated Superman Returns.....so much so that I've been asked by other posters not to keep mentioning it, so I'll stop there.
Anyway, many people I've talked to still love STM, despite the time thing. I'm much the same. But that's part of Chris Reeve's charm as Superman, he kind of makes us almost believe that he could do stuff like that.
I guess I could have included the acid from Superman III or perhaps moving the moon and rebuilding the great Wall with his eye-beams from Superman IV. I guess there's a thread for someone else to make.
Cheers.
