OK...its time.....Man of Steel vs Superman Returns - Part 1

[charl_huntress]

There is certainly potential in that sort of story. It's really too bad Singer went in the direction he went.

 

[BH/HHH]

I think the concept of SR has huge potential... but he explored on the wrong direction. Wait... He didn't explore it at all! But putting up another concept!

I agree, a story where Superman leaves for five years only to return to a different wirkd is potentially a fantastic story. The big problem with Singers execution. I think a bookend/continuation to the Donnerverse wasn't a bad idea either however think while he brought back elements i.e. The Fortress, Marlon Brando etc these characters weren't the same as their 1978 counterparts or even further developed versions. I believe this version of Superman for example had more in common with Max Fleischers version that Christopher Reeve's. He didn't say an awful lot and seemed to be more a man of action (or moping). Singers big problem immersing the film in Donner's world was instead of paying homage to the 1978 fiom he diwnright ripped dialogue and scenes from it. What he shouod have done was respected what vame before and further developed the world. I mean he comes back and whats changed really? Just Lois been in a relationship snd having a kid. Why nit bring him back to a world where the public love Lex Luthor? I think that would have been far more interesting than the love quadruple thing we got with Superman/Clark - Lois - Richard. Lois didn't need a boyfriend to feel like Superman ditched her, also wouldn't it have been more interesting to have her grow closer to Clark upon his return? I know I'd have fiund that more interesting aswell. Sinher had so many possibilities of what he could do, introducing a villain e.g. brainiac wouod have been easy, couldn't he have attached himself to Clark's ship? Anyway I'm ra,bling niw but if Singer wanted to rip off Superman the Movie, he should have just pitched a straight up remake to the studio.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

352 353 vs 88. Poll is closed so I had to do it manually.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

What's the point of closing polls? It's not an election with a dead-line.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

What's the point of closing polls? It's not an election with a dead-line.

They close automatically when thread manager rolls over a thread.

 

[sf2]

I agree, a story where Superman leaves for five years only to return to a different wirkd is potentially a fantastic story. The big problem with Singers execution. I think a bookend/continuation to the Donnerverse wasn't a bad idea either however think while he brought back elements i.e. The Fortress, Marlon Brando etc these characters weren't the same as their 1978 counterparts or even further developed versions. I believe this version of Superman for example had more in common with Max Fleischers version that Christopher Reeve's. He didn't say an awful lot and seemed to be more a man of action (or moping). Singers big problem immersing the film in Donner's world was instead of paying homage to the 1978 fiom he diwnright ripped dialogue and scenes from it. What he shouod have done was respected what vame before and further developed the world. I mean he comes back and whats changed really? Just Lois been in a relationship snd having a kid. Why nit bring him back to a world where the public love Lex Luthor? I think that would have been far more interesting than the love quadruple thing we got with Superman/Clark - Lois - Richard. Lois didn't need a boyfriend to feel like Superman ditched her, also wouldn't it have been more interesting to have her grow closer to Clark upon his return? I know I'd have fiund that more interesting aswell. Sinher had so many possibilities of what he could do, introducing a villain e.g. brainiac wouod have been easy, couldn't he have attached himself to Clark's ship? Anyway I'm ra,bling niw but if Singer wanted to rip off Superman the Movie, he should have just pitched a straight up remake to the studio.

indeed. it's logical n sensible story when u think of superman returns. However, he went for a TV melodrama bottleneck story!!! Which is self shrinking and making his return meaningless n no impact.

 

[BH/HHH]

indeed. it's logical n sensible story when u think of superman returns. However, he went for a TV melodrama bottleneck story!!! Which is self shrinking and making his return meaningless n no impact.

You have hit the nail on the head, it did feel very TV, its something I haven't quite been able to understand but with you saying that its finally clicked into place. Dare I say it all felt abit soapish.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

So I've been busy job hunting and stuff and haven't had time to get on here, but my final two cents on Superman Returns....I still like it. People may hate it but I enjoy it for what it is. Sue me

 

[BH/HHH]

Kal El, its all about opinions and you're entitled to yours.

Hey, I still like it aswell, I just don't love it. I don't think its a bad film as some make out for sure. Tbh my fave thing is the making of that's like 3 hours long they did, think its the best making of I've ever seen for a film and I still like Routh.

 

[herolee10]

Apologies if I've already asked this, but what did you guys like seeing most between seeing Superman raising up from the ocean to destroy the World Engine...or when he was raising up from the ocean while carrying New Krypton in SR?

 

[BH/HHH]

Man of Steel mostly because in Superman Returns him lifting the Kryptonite island was pretty ridiculous, it was a cool visual but even MOS has that beat cause Superman flying up and screaming through the beam of the world engine was incredible.

Now if we were to compare something to the plane sequence that would be a contest.

 

[blumatic]

You have hit the nail on the head, it did feel very TV, its something I haven't quite been able to understand but with you saying that its finally clicked into place. Dare I say it all felt abit soapish.

I always said that SR would be a great TV series. (I make fun when I say a Lifetime series). But the films content did not warrant it's being a summer film.

MOS, regardless of like or dislike, is a big screen film.

 

[blumatic]

Apologies if I've already asked this, but what did you guys like seeing most between seeing Superman raising up from the ocean to destroy the World Engine...or when he was raising up from the ocean while carrying New Krypton in SR?

There was no moment of intensity in the SR scene. He just lifted it up very slowly and let it go.

In MOS, the was a race with time, a battle, and a scene of struggle and triumph.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Apologies if I've already asked this, but what did you guys like seeing most between seeing Superman raising up from the ocean to destroy the World Engine...or when he was raising up from the ocean while carrying New Krypton in SR?

I love both, but I have to go against the grain here and go with the lifting of NK in SR. I just think that scene is so powerful and concludes the movies storyline and themes brilliantly. I have said why on numerous occasions (see the SR appreciation thread if you want to know), but I just its really powerful stuff.

 

[Wildcard]

Man of Steel was everything I wanted Superman Returns to be. Better pacing, more likeable cast, REAL action, etc. Superman Returns had so much potential being that it was the first Superman film in 20 years. But, it just ended up being a massive love letter to the Donner verse & a disappointment all in one. Man of Steel, on the other hand, gives a new take on Superman's origins for the big screen, & for that alone it gets a lot of props. And as much as I love Terrance Stamp's portrayal of Zod, I was glad that we finally got away from the "kneel before Zod" line that's become so heavily overused.

Also, Lois Lane is a crucial piece to the puzzle & Kate Bosworth was absolutely horrible as the character in every way imaginable. That was one of the many things that threw SR off for me. With MoS, I was admittedly worried as to whether or not Cavill & Adams would have chemistry, but I felt their connection was palpable and the chemistry was there.

All in all, MoS just encompasses everything that I feel needs to be shown to portray Superman as who he needs to be. Returns put him in an awkward position where he's more or less a home wrecker that basically abandoned everyone & his duties to search for a planet he already knew was dead.

MoS all day everyday.

 

[doobie]

My perfect Superman movie would be a mixture of SR's atmosphere and visual style and MOS' good likeable characters and good story.

I thought SR had a really magical feel, one that was never seen before in a Superman movie, it felt like a 1930s movie crossed with modern realism. I thought it was very similar to Nolan's feel for Gotham in Begins where everything had a magical DC comic book but at the same time felt grim and real in a well balanced way. Like a city you could believe existing but in the golden age DC universe.

The parts where Superman was flying around Metropolis for the first time and people were looking up at him, they looked believable, like how you would see him flying up the main street if you were coming out of the theater and looked up.

MOS on the other hand IMO didn't have much atmosphere at all, just a basic real world setting like most blockbusters.

However, I hated the cold, emotionally blocked feel of SR and how we didn't really get to closely know any of the characters, just saw them at a distance in this nervous doomy atmosphere. I mean, you can't imagine a Dean Cain style scene in SR of Clark hanging round his apartment listening to music and trying to shave, chatting to his neighbors, there was no time for fun or getting to like the characters (apart from Lex, due to the film's uneven tone. They could have least have made Lex serious and dull too to make it fit).

MOS though had loads of likable characters who acted like real friends. I just disliked how the movie was too fast moving in places to really get to know them all. I disagree with that "it's a Superman movie, you shouldn't want less action" rebut. The characters and interaction are as important at the fights IMO. I just hope the next film lets the now established SM settle in more.

( Also, I don't think SR is that similar to the 70s films, apart from being full of homages and references to them. I think it feels like a cross between the 30s cartoon and the Nolan Bat films. I think it fails for many other reasons than being too reverent to the 70s).