The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread (🚨SPOILERS🚨)

[DCDAVE]

Superman II had its moments. Who can forget Clark after getting his butt kicked by the trucker, going back to the ruins of the fortress then begging his father to give him his powers. Then when it looked like all else was failing then green light of a crystal comes on. Then when it looks like all is lost Supes flies into Metropolis and calls out Zod. I jumped out of my seat and knocked over someone’s popcorn. I had never been so geeked as an 8 year old. Lex said Superman thank God.

 

[dhandler01]

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Adjusted for inflation Superman 2 made: $756 million.

 

[dhandler01]

It was a cliffhanger with the missile that Superman throws in space exploding and freeing the phantom zone criminals. So there was no real ending, basically.

That is a better ending than in the actual film...but still pretty mediocre.

As someone who grew up watching Superman 2 like every other week on cable I just can't get into the Donner Cut. I tried, it just feels...off. I get why objectively it is better, I have heard Donner himself tell me about the choices he made and I totally understand. I just can't get into it. Superman 2 was the film that made me love Superman...silliness and all. I mean even S:TM is silly...Lex Luther is hamming it up the whole movie and the entire plot hinges on friggin real estate. (Poor Otis never got his Otisburg) The only thing I like about the Donner Cut is more Jor-El. Lara felt out of place even as a kid.

The two things I could never get behind in the theatrical cuts were the reversing time flight (which I get now as it is the only way to show Superman travelling through time really) and the memory wipe kiss...which was just obnoxious.

 

[dhandler01]

Supposedly they wanted brainiac for 3 but couldn't get the rights. Not sure how true that is.
And Pryor at the time, was at his peak.
Parts of it are very cringe. I can't watch it.

Superman 3 is the worst Superman movie and it isnt even close. At least Superman 4 has a lot of camp in it and (because of Reeve) is trying to have a message...Superman 3 is a hodge podge of crap thrown together that makes no sense with Richard Pryor added because...reasons? I understand he was popular but I am not sure turning Superman 3 into The Toy or Brewsters Millions is the right tact to take.

Of all the Superman films (and I do mean all of them) in my lifetime it is the one I have seen the least and outside of a few scenes is completely unwatchable.

 

[DCDAVE]

To me Superman 3 and 4 was so bad I don’t even put them in my rotation. I watch Superman, Superman II, and consider Superman Returns Superman III. Come to think about it Superman the movie back in 1978 was really the only well received Supes movie. Wow. Superman is closer to FF4 than I want to admit. For goodness sake, I understand everyone’s concerns when I take off my glasses.

 

[AntonGobbs89]

To me Superman 3 and 4 was so bad I don’t even put them in my rotation. I watch Superman, Superman II, and consider Superman Returns Superman III. Come to think about it Superman the movie back in 1978 was really the only well received Supes movie. Wow. Superman is closer to FF4 than I want to admit. For goodness sake, I understand everyone’s concerns when I take off my glasses.

I’m with you, Returns is Superman 3 to me.

 

[DCDAVE]

I’m with you, Returns is Superman 3 to me.

If you are a Superman comic book fan, this will be a great Superman movie. Gunn has taken the Superman personality and family straight out of the comics. I don’t know how the general audience will react to Big Blue because the general audience nowadays want Homelander or Omni man. I guess some people grew up with Injustice Superman or maybe the elseworld story was more popular then I believed. I guess I must be in the minority that doesn’t want to see Superman laser people and tear villains from limb to limb.

 

[AntonGobbs89]

If you are a Superman comic book fan, this will be a great Superman movie. Gunn has taken the Superman personality and family straight out of the comics. I don’t know how the general audience will react to Big Blue because the general audience nowadays want Homelander or Omni man. I guess some people grew up with Injustice Superman or maybe the elseworld story was more popular then I believed. I guess I must be in the minority that doesn’t want to see Superman laser people and tear villains from limb to limb.

I just want a great movie dude. We’ve had a ton of superhero films over the past 10 years, but imo only a small handful of them have been fantastic. Gunn’s comments about getting the script right gives me hope that that’ll change moving forward starting with this movie.

And yeah the whole “Superman didn’t punch anything” argument for certain Superman films is strange to me. It just begs the question of what does that say about the character that he has zero value to you unless he’s hitting something?

 

[DCDAVE]

I just want a great movie dude. We’ve had a ton of superhero films over the past 10 years, but imo only a small handful of them have been fantastic. Gunn’s comments about getting the script right gives me hope that that’ll change moving forward starting with this movie.

And yeah the whole “Superman didn’t punch anything” argument for certain Superman films is strange to me. It just begs the question of what does that say about the character that he has zero value to you unless he’s hitting something?

There are fans that no matter what are going to hate this movie but there are fans that just don’t see a world that is realistic with a Boy Scout Superman. I believe the Boy Scout is the true Superman. That is what the creators have always been trying to get the world to see. A powerful being growing up in the Midwest with simple parents teaching him the golden rule. Now he is unleashed on the real world. Will he succumb to pressure of society or will return to his hardcore values that his earth parents gave him. That is Superman to me.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

If you are a Superman comic book fan, this will be a great Superman movie. Gunn has taken the Superman personality and family straight out of the comics. I don’t know how the general audience will react to Big Blue because the general audience nowadays want Homelander or Omni man. I guess some people grew up with Injustice Superman or maybe the elseworld story was more popular then I believed. I guess I must be in the minority that doesn’t want to see Superman laser people and tear villains from limb to limb.

These takes are always weird to me because the GA has been in love with a ton of totally conventional straight forward heroes in the MCU and even some DC stuff for ages now. Homelander and Omniman are villains, the points of their respective stories are that they’re wrong lol

 

[flickchick85]

The GA just wants a likable character who’s fun to watch and does cool stuff. Which seems like a low bar, but sadly, is a bar the two previous cinematic iterations utterly failed to reach. The “fun to watch” part especially seems to be where past filmmakers had difficulty.

 

[Lily Adler]

The GA just wants a likable character who’s fun to watch and does cool stuff. Which seems like a low bar, but sadly, is a bar the two previous cinematic iterations utterly failed to reach. The “fun to watch” part especially seems to be where past filmmakers had difficulty.

Among other things.

 

[donuts]

The GA just wants a likable character who’s fun to watch and does cool stuff. Which seems like a low bar, but sadly, is a bar the two previous cinematic iterations utterly failed to reach. The “fun to watch” part especially seems to be where past filmmakers had difficulty.

Not that easy to pull off ,actually.

Many movies fail because characters are blah. Or don't have cool stuff to do.

 

[The Batman]

Lex Luther is hamming it up the whole movie and the entire plot hinges on friggin real estate.

Putting aside how reductive this commentary is, it's a stretch to say the plot of STM "hinges" on Lex's plan.

Come to think about it Superman the movie back in 1978 was really the only well received Supes movie.

While the reception wasn't as strong as STM, Superman 2 was a hit and is generally well regarded. Among other things, it's the main reason why General Zod is a major Superman villain today. I'm not sure why anyone would think that STM is the only well received Superman movie.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Putting aside how reductive this commentary is, it's a stretch to say the plot of STM "hinges" on Lex's plan.



While the reception wasn't as strong as STM, Superman 2 was a hit and is generally well regarded. Among other things, it's the main reason why General Zod is a major Superman villain today. I'm not sure why anyone would think that STM is the only well received Superman movie.

Yeah. The movie's plot is Superman's origin story. Lex is a small part of that.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Yeah, that’s about the most reductive read on S:TM I can think of.

 

[DCDAVE]

These takes are always weird to me because the GA has been in love with a ton of totally conventional straight forward heroes in the MCU and even some DC stuff for ages now. Homelander and Omniman are villains, the points of their respective stories are that they’re wrong lol

I think it’s like the Superman vs Batman argument. Batman is overwhelmingly more popular because he is kinda of a “bad boy” while Supes is a Boy Scout. I always thought of Bruce as a weirdo but I guess again I am in the minority. Cool playboy Bruce is better then dork Clark.

 

[DCDAVE]

Putting aside how reductive this commentary is, it's a stretch to say the plot of STM "hinges" on Lex's plan.



While the reception wasn't as strong as STM, Superman 2 was a hit and is generally well regarded. Among other things, it's the main reason why General Zod is a major Superman villain today. I'm not sure why anyone would think that STM is the only well received Superman movie.

I totally disagree. Superman 2 reception was received very similar to Man of Steel. I loved both movies but you can see by looking at the board’s reaction that both movies were mixed bags. Superman 3 and 4 killed the movie franchise. BVS and Justice League made WB consider bringing in Supergirl to replace big blue. It is what it is. Superman has struggled on the big screen.

 

[The Batman]

I totally disagree. Superman 2 reception was received very similar to Man of Steel. I loved both movies but you can see by looking at the board’s reaction that both movies were mixed bags. Superman 3 and 4 killed the movie franchise. BVS and Justice League made WB consider bringing in Supergirl to replace big blue. It is what it is. Superman has struggled on the big screen.

I'm well aware that Superman has struggled on the big screen. Superman 2 isn't an example of that, at least not in terms of its perceived quality. It says it all that you can only cite "the boards" as an example of the film having a "mixed bag" reputation.

 

[Lily Adler]

Steve Rogers proves a boy scout can work... Especially when he's hot.

 

[Babillygunn]

I think it’s like the Superman vs Batman argument. Batman is overwhelmingly more popular because he is kinda of a “bad boy” while Supes is a Boy Scout. I always thought of Bruce as a weirdo but I guess again I am in the minority. Cool playboy Bruce is better then dork Clark.

I think people find cinematic Batman more relatable more so than they find him more appealing for being a “bad boy.” If you think about it, Bale/Nolan’s Batman is not a “bad boy” in the slightest. And he is almost universally beloved and considered by many to be the best cinematic Batman.

The issue with cinematic Superman is that there haven’t been many iterations that have done the character justice. In order to make him relatable they take the easy road to making him an outsider who mopes around. That’s why Superman and Lois is such an amazing portrayal. That Superman is relatable because he actually has relationships with depth and interacts with people.

Make a Superman who is both relatable and inspiring and the audience will react. Mistake inspiration with “slow motion montage of saving people with an ultra stoic facial expression” and people won’t. Most filmmakers see Superman as a god-man and there is some truth to that, even if it is overly reductive. But filmmakers who focus on the god-like aspects because they show his power miss the boat. The character is in the man.

 

[donuts]

Superman simply hasn't had a KNOCK OUT / CROWD PLEASING movie in (four) decades.

It's really that simple as far as the audience perception of the character goes.

Modern movie adaptations (Superman Returns and the Zack Snyder movies) were divisive and didn't really hit home with the general audience, hence their iffy perception of the character.

 

[DCDAVE]

I'm well aware that Superman has struggled on the big screen. Superman 2 isn't an example of that, at least not in terms of its perceived quality. It says it all that you can only cite "the boards" as an example of the film having a "mixed bag" reputation.

It’s more than the board I am just giving a simple example because the last few pages have been talking about Donner’s movies. Let’s not sugar coat it Superman 2 was just ok for the general audience. Superman for the most part has had a long struggle sense the 80s remember they killed him off, changed his power set, and even gave Supes a mullet. Superman has been saved over the years by the live action television shows, the Justice League Cartoon, ect. For some reason mainstream has not excepted Big Blue. I have a feeling something is different with Gunn’s Superman. I don’t think this is fake hype.

 

[donuts]

It’s more than the board I am just giving simple example because the last few pages have been talking about Donner’s movies. Superman 2 made significantly less than Superman the Movie. Superman for the most part has had a long struggle sense the 80s remember they killed him off, changed his power set, and even gave Supes a mullet. Superman has been saved over the years by the live action television shows, the Justice League Cartoon, ect. For some reason mainstream has not excepted Big Blue. I have a feeling something is different with Gunn’s Superman. I don’t think this is fake hype.

The Empire Strikes Back made less than Star Wars back in the day.

And I think we're being a tad revisionist here.

While Superman was definitely considered the better movie, Superman II was widely regarded as good, as well, and was fairly successful.

 

[donuts]

I totally disagree. Superman 2 reception was received very similar to Man of Steel. I loved both movies but you can see by looking at the board’s reaction that both movies were mixed bags. Superman 3 and 4 killed the movie franchise. BVS and Justice League made WB consider bringing in Supergirl to replace big blue. It is what it is. Superman has struggled on the big screen.

The boards are in no way indicative of how the movie was received in 1980, and then for years and years by the general public.

Heck, there was a time in which Tim Burton's Batman movies suddenly started getting trashed on "the boards."