I was just reminded how disappointed I was by the IMAX look. It was filmed with a red camera, and the aspect ratio had widescreen bars, but didn't actually take up the full frame. Kind of felt cheated by that. When I went to a smaller IMAX screen somewhere to watch the movie for a 4th time, I realized, the size didn't change that much because it was still, widescreen, in the end, but not in true IMAX format.
So in other news, it seems safe to assume that Zack Snyder didn't like Gunn's Superman. Not that it's really surprising.
In retrospect, as it has been 4 months since 'Superman' released, I have to say that while neither Snyder and Gunn fully satisfied my expectations for their takes on Superman, I still find Snyder's universe a little more interesting, albeit, frustrating with mixed emotions at the same time. In spite of how divisive Snyder's take on Superman was, I still miss Henry Cavill. Costume designs, the world of Krypton. Themyscria too. Aquaman as well. Well, I liked Snyder's Justice League too, except for how limited Cavill's Superman screen-time was, and not seeing him don the classic suit by the end. I think Apocalypse, Darkseid-Synder got right. The other stuff though, like the absence of Jimmy, I thought was stupid. And Eisenberg...ugh, I'm not going to finish. Hoult did a phenomenal job.
Comparing to how anticipated I was for both of these films, I was much more excited for Man of Steel 13-15 years ago. Gunn's Superman felt a little cheap and simple by comparison. It was new, and going to take Superman more seriously. Red trunks were removed. It got everyone talking.
While I was excited after watching the teaser for Gunn's Superman, particularly for Krypto, after I saw an extended preview of Krypto roughing up Superman in the arctic, I felt a little taken aback. I was never a fan of the kaiju monster. My expectations weren't too high for the film. I liked Henry Cavill. (You're entitled to your opinion)
I think one element I missed about the former DC extended universe was its attempt at realism. Don't get me wrong, Snyder went too far to the point where it felt boring, and just flatout joyless. In spite of that, I still prefer a grounded take on Superman. Just didn't like the way Snyder handled it.
I wanted to explore a world similar to Nolan's Batman, where Superman could be real, and what the world be like, but Snyder didn't show enough of it. In this new DC universe-Gunn's version-all of the realism has been scrapped. It's an established world that is used to metahumans and monsters. For me, that felt a little underwhelming.
To this day, I think Superman: The Movie still stands out as the best interpretation of the character to date. I think Donner's Superman is actually more realistic than people give it credit for. The first reactions of the public to Superman are quite realistic. Yes, people should have started running away after seeing the helicopter coming down, but I think people would be overwhelmed with excitement when they see something like a person in a flying cape catch a woman and a helicopter with one hand. Sure there's some slightly cheesy elements like 'You've got me, who's got you?' which I didn't care for. Firstly, no one knows it's an alien yet. For all they know, they might think it's an android, or he's using some groundbreaking technology.
Officer Mooney's reaction is realistic, and the pilot and co-pilot's reaction to seeing a man holding an airplane wing is priceless.
If I could find a perfect example of tone and how seriously I think Superman should be taken, it would be in the DC animated universe (Superman TAS, and Justice League/Unlimited). It had the right balance.
