I don't think it's necessarily that... I think most people are looking for a 'fun, and upbeat' time... whether it's a CBM or FAST 6, or whatever type movie, the GA wants to be entertained.. not constantly bombarded with 'real life, gloom and doom, all serious and no play' scenarios... people go to the cinema mainly to 'escape reality' not get thrown back in with some extra heavy doses to boot..
Now that most of my friends have watched MOS, most of them aren't that impressed... most thought it was 'boring, terrible character development'.. but they still give it a pass because of the action... even the action gets old, because it's the same thing, repeated over and over again...
Take Ironman 3... most people enjoyed it not because it's smart.. but because it's funny as hell and it was just a lot of fun.. and there aren't all that much action anyways...
Don't get me wrong... not all movies have to be shallow fun... but there's also a 'too much of a heavy, gloom too'...
Somehow I think we r a bit sadistic. We wanna see superman sacrifice for us. Like zod holds the innocents as ramson to make superman surrender. Then beat the crap outta him. Only then we would say it's emotion related n has depth. The marvel winning formula.
IMO, Batman comedy, or light mood, is "questionable" and must be handled carefully, as well as with other comics like X-Men. In Superman, as in Spider-Man or Fantastic Four, a lighter mood is a necessity.
His script for Batman Begins was damn good primarily because there was quality control at hand with both the Chris and Jonah Nolan seeing it through to the end.
I'm not saying he had free reign here, because there's no telling what happened behind the scenes, but this script was all over the shop. Was very very erratic.
Goyer's not a good writer..period...he got lucky by having connections with Nolan. That's it. With Nolan's reduced role here...Goyer was out of control. Nolan even said it directly in an interview..the challenge was editting the script with Goyer. Goyer's an idea, big picture guy...not a great screenwriter.
1 - Man of steel
2 - Superman the movie
3 - Superman II
4 - Superman III
5 - Supergirl
6 - Superman returns
7 - Superman and the molemen
8 - Superman IV the quest for peace
1 - Man of steel
2 - Superman the movie
3 - Superman II
4 - Superman III
5 - Supergirl
6 - Superman returns
7 - Superman and the molemen
8 - Superman IV the quest for peace
Finally ready to review. I'll throw in some spoiler tags for certain scenes.
Man of Steel is a good, solid film. It ran 2 hours and 20 minutes and didn't feel it at all. I kept wanting more.
The movie is a combination of Superman the Movie, Superman II with bits of John Byrne's run, Secret Origin, some 90s Supes stuff, and Birthright blended together. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the first 45 minutes to an hour was pretty much Superman the Movie redux. Not saying that as a bad thing, but there were plenty of familiar beats with occasional changes. It could be why some critics were quick to compare it to the older film.
The movie was pretty predictable, being that it was an origin story for Superman, and it is one of the reasons why I had preferred a film with an established Superman over re-telling the origin. But over time, I understood why the origin had to be told again. It's been 35 years since it was done on film, and this is a new generation, and not all of them are going to go back and watch Superman the Movie.
Henry Cavill nailed it as Clark Kent/Kal-El. I had concerns about his acting even though I thought he was good in his previous work, all of them were put to rest as I watched. Some have commented that he was lacking warmth, and while I agree about that in some scenes, it felt like that made sense. He felt like Morrison's New 52 Superman come to life, as he was more authoritative than before, particularly when speaking with the military. When conversing with Lois and Martha Kent, the warmth was there.
Amy Adams delivered as Lois. The romance between her and Superman wasn't focused on too much, but hinted at, and that was fine with me. I wasn't expecting a lot of focus on that, and really didn't want it. She was a true go-getter from the moment she appeared. The new approach with their dynamic was a surprisingly well-done change, and I'm curious to see how it develops.
Lane and Costner were great as the Kents, especially Costner, who delivered a warm portrayal of a father wanting to protect his son's secret.
Russell Crowe as Jor-El was great, like the approach taken, especially the AI portion.
Faora was killer. Scariest female henchmen ever. Hottest too.
Michael Shannon's General Zod was definitely a show-stealer, coming across a misguided, yet dutiful soldier willing to achieve victory at any cost.
One of my friends had commented that the Daily Planet and its staff felt unnecessary. For awhile I thought about that. The DP didn't play that big of a role, but it was needed to establish Lois' place of employment, and Clark's place of employment. Plus the characters of Jenny, Lombard, and Perry White are our viewpoints of ordinary citizens dealt with the events. This was very evident during the battle of Metropolis, with everyone fleeing, Jenny getting trapped in the rubble and Perry trying to save her. All three actors did well there.
I thought the CGI was done really well. The whole transition between the real actors and CGI doubles was fine with me, wasn't distracted by it at all. The action as expected was fantastic.
I LOVED the flight scene. LOVED. The spectacle, the look on Superman's face. The cinematography of that whole scene was perfect.
When I first saw the film, the pacing had problems that felt jarring, moving a little too fast and not allowing some scenes to breathe. It was the same problem I had when first seeing Batman Begins. When I saw a 2nd time, the pacing felt much better.
A lot of times when events in the comic book movies that feel out there and unexpected occur, I always consider if A) it works in the context of the film) and B) if there's precedence for it in the comic book history of the character.
Superman killing Zod was unexpected, and while I would've preferred another way, the way it was done was executed well, as Superman was put into a corner and had to make a choice between the life of the family or Zod's. Zod had pretty much told him he wouldn't stop until every human being was dead. There's no Phantom Zone to use. Zod's intense focus and training was helping him adjust to his abilities quick, making up for his inexperience and he was going toe to toe with Superman, who had never faced off against a villain of equal stature before. What really did it for me was Superman's remorseful reaction afterwards. Cavill sold it so well. I can name 3 Superman stories off the top of my head in which Superman has killed, 2 of which are considered the best Superman stories ever told. Superman does not like to kill, but he's regrettably willing to do it if there's no other choice.
However, the collateral damage in Metropolis is something that bothered me. There was no moment of him taking time assure the citizens or there helping to reduce the destruction. In Smallville, Superman at least told everyone to get inside and lock the doors. In Metropolis there wasn't anything. Now I'm not going to say he killed thousands of people in the fight. The buildings they crashed into could've been evacuated just how the Daily Planet was. And I won't say he didn't care. He clearly cared about the people, otherwise his final decision with Zod wouldn't have happened. But showing that in Metropolis would've gone a long way. It may have looked like a small nuance on paper, but on the big screen, it would've helped out a lot.
It definitely did feel like two films in one, a cerebral story the first half and an action fest in the second. The transition was fine for me though.
Other issues I had included what I call "Goyer-isms". David Goyer bought a lot of the issues he brought with Batman Begins. The repeating of lines, "A good death is its own reward" which was the new "You better learn to mind your surroundings". Or the constant use of saying the theme. "Hope" or "change the world", which was the new "Fear". And honestly, just putting Superman in the position to kill felt like a Goyer decision. It was executed well so I can't complain about that, but why put him in that position to start out with? And then the use of certain words in the film, at least the ones spoken by the teenagers. Funny thing is, the approach was to make it feel like this was taking place in the real world, and in the real world, teenagers do speak in that way. That actually made me sad seeing it. It felt like a sad commentary about the world. Maybe it was intentional to help show the kind of society Superman will have to work in and inspire change. I don't know, lol.
But yeah, "Goyer-isms".
Lois freely calling him "Clark" when there were people in close proximity. They likely didn't hear her, but come on! I was like, "Shut up, Lois!" And the "I'm from Kansas, I'm as American as it gets." was an unnecessary and ridiculous line. Why say that? It was to emphasize Superman's Americana obviously, but it was a dumb thing to say since the military were digging around for him. After the big battle in Smallville, you would think he would try to keep a low profile again. David Goyer's a great ideas guy, and I would want him working on an outline, but never the actual script, just as it was done for The Dark Knight. Hopefully that will be the approach taken the next time.
The whole dream sequence was unnecessary. They could've cut to Superman chained and Zod could've explained his plan to him. Felt like a Snyder-ism.
The movie definitely set up a lot of avenues to take for a sequel.
Superman containing the Codex in his system could lead to some interesting sci-fi possibilities; Superman's lethal actions against Zod sickening him so much that he'll likely choose to avoid killing; This is the perfect segue-way into introducing General Sam Lane, who could influence the government into creating their own weapons to combat against Superman and another alien invasion.
Of course the biggest setup done in this film was Lex Luthor. The LexCorp logo was seen 3 times-an 18 wheeler that pulling away from the front of the Kent house lawn when Clark came home, on the building itself, and a couple of 18 wheelers in Metropolis. The amount of carnage in Metropolis is the perfect way to bring Lex in, with him using LexCorp's resources to rebuild Metropolis, dubbing it truly "his city", and even playing on the public's xenophobia for Superman.
All in all I enjoyed it. The collateral damage stuff, the pacing, and the Goyer-isms did prevent the film from being the best it could've been. But performances, the mostly solid story, spectacle, and action sequences put it an 8 out of 10 for me.
His script for Batman Begins was damn good primarily because there was quality control at hand with both the Chris and Jonah Nolan seeing it through to the end.
I'm not saying he had free reign here, because there's no telling what happened behind the scenes, but this script was all over the shop. Was very very erratic.
Well with Batman Begins, Goyer wrote only the first draft, and Chris Nolan polished it up. For The Dark Knight, Goyer only worked on the outline with Chris, and Jonah scripted it. You can tell the difference.
Goyer's not a good writer..period...he got lucky by having connections with Nolan. That's it. With Nolan's reduced role here...Goyer was out of control. Nolan even said it directly in an interview..the challenge was editting the script with Goyer. Goyer's an idea, big picture guy...not a great screenwriter.
7.5 out of 10. There was a potential masterpiece here, but the screwed the pooch on it a bit. One thing I consider worth noting is this is Zack Snyder's best foray into comic book movies. I'm not a fan of his style at all, and he toned down a bit of the Snyderisms.
Maybe one more rewrite of the script to make the dialogue pop, and tightening up the movie to a more concise 120-130 minutes would've helped.
1 - Man of steel
2 - Superman the movie
3 - Superman II
4 - Superman III
5 - Supergirl
6 - Superman returns
7 - Superman and the molemen
8 - Superman IV the quest for peace
Superman III and Supergirl are better than Superman Returns? That's grasping. Especially Supergirl. Hell the Superman Returns plane sequence alone is better than Supergirl.
Superman Returns is indeed a pretty terrible film, but lets be realistic.
The movie definitely set up a lot of avenues to take for a sequel.
Superman containing the Codex in his system could lead to some interesting sci-fi possibilities; Superman's lethal actions against Zod sickening him so much that he'll likely choose to avoid killing; This is the perfect segue-way into introducing General Sam Lane, who could influence the government into creating their own weapons to combat against Superman and another alien invasion.
Of course the biggest setup done in this film was Lex Luthor. The LexCorp logo was seen 3 times-an 18 wheeler that pulling away from the front of the Kent house lawn when Clark came home, on the building itself, and a couple of 18 wheelers in Metropolis. The amount of carnage in Metropolis is the perfect way to bring Lex in, with him using LexCorp's resources to rebuild Metropolis, dubbing it truly "his city", and even playing on the public's xenophobia for Superman.
Wow! I didn't notice those [BLACKOUT]Lexcorp[/BLACKOUT] logos. I also thought the A.I. system Jor-El had in place could be a foreshadowing of Brainiac.
Also, this was as dark as I want Superman to get. It could've used some lightheartedness, but this was fine. There never needs to be a Death of Superman story on film.
Wow! I didn't notice those [BLACKOUT]Lexcorp[/BLACKOUT] logos. I also thought the A.I. system Jor-El had in place could be a foreshadowing of Brainiac.
The first one in front of the Kent farm I didn't see the first time, but caught it the 2nd time around. Lex was all over this film despite not physically being there...which exactly how it's supposed to be.
Hmm, it did remind me of Brainiac. I wonder how he'll get approached. I would like to avoid the Kryptonian connection that TAS used, and leave Zod as the only Kryptonian threat for the time being, barring Doomsday if they go that route.
I thought the initial set up with the destruction of Krypton was fantastic. And I liked the flashbacks to Clark growing up however, I kinda felt like the flashbacks carried on for too long in to the actual film resulting in the middle portion before the fight/finale feeling a little choppy/disjointed.. And the little personal vendetta thing between Faora and Hardy felt a bit unnecessary.
I thought everyone involved were great especially Cavill, Shannon and Crowe. The action was really good, the way they did the fighting was cool and the super speed with the zig zagging looked cool too although, I kinda got to the point where I had seen enough crashing in to buildings and rubble falling everywhere and just wanted to see some punches... Would have liked to see more flying too perhaps as his first flight sequence was done really well and looked cool... But it was good overall, they definitely did a good job in making a more physical Superman film.
I haven't read any Superman comics so I don't really know if it's more faithful but the one thing I did sort of think as something of a negative was him joining the Planet at the end (and it comes back to the glasses as a disguise thing I guess, which I can buy) but it seemed to me that if no one in Metropolis really knew him before, if he was travelling a lot and then he's revealed himself to the public in such a massive way that that surely people would instantly recognise him as Superman... whereas if he was Clark at the Planet before he was Superman, then people would see him as "oh it's only Clark" and not as "the new guy who looks a lot like Superman"... But that's only a minor niggle, I don't think it ruins it or anything.
The first one in front of the Kent farm I didn't see the first time, but caught it the 2nd time around. Lex was all over this film despite not physically being there...which exactly how it's supposed to be.
Hmm, it did remind me of Brainiac. I wonder how he'll get approached. I would like to avoid the Kryptonian connection that TAS used, and leave Zod as the only Kryptonian threat for the time being, barring Doomsday if they go that route.
I'll have to keep an eye out for them on the next viewing.
I like the Geoff Johns route for Brainiac but I prefer the animated series character design, however if my Jor-El A.I. theory is right I'd expect some sort of Krypton link, perhaps Zod corrupted it when he wiped Jor-El's consciousness?
I'll have to keep an eye out for them on the next viewing.
I like the Geoff Johns route for Brainiac but I prefer the animated series character design, however if my Jor-El A.I. theory is right I'd expect some sort of Krypton link, perhaps Zod corrupted it when he wiped Jor-El's consciousness?
Yeah, that's what happened. Zod overrided Jor-El's control in the ship. I don't know if that could lead into Brainiac. I agree about using Geofff Johns' route.
I wonder if Supes salvages the ship when it's over. He doesn't have a FOS. It's just him and his suit as the last remnants of Krypton. I wonder if he might do some space exploration and visit planets that Krypton colonized.
Yeah, that's what happened. Zod overrided Jor-El's control in the ship. I don't know if that could lead into Brainiac. I agree about using Geofff Johns' route.
I wonder if Supes salvages the ship when it's over. He doesn't have a FOS. It's just him and his suit as the last remnants of Krypton. I wonder if he might do some space exploration and visit planets that Krypton colonized.
The only issue with using the Geoff Johns version is that Superman battling probes in Metropolis could seem very similar to the battle of Metropolis in MOS.
Given the sci fi nature of MOS that wouldn't surprise me, but I'd hope he builds himself a new FOS with the tech, I mean there must still be some stuff left in there even when the ship portion jettisoned.
Superman III and Supergirl are better than Superman Returns? That's grasping. Especially Supergirl. Hell the Superman Returns plane sequence alone is better than Supergirl.
Superman Returns is indeed a pretty terrible film, but lets be realistic.
Superman III and Supergirl are better than Superman Returns? That's grasping. Especially Supergirl. Hell the Superman Returns plane sequence alone is better than Supergirl.
Superman Returns is indeed a pretty terrible film, but lets be realistic.
So I just got back from seeing this about an hour ago but I wanted to let it sink in before I came on here.
I'm gonna rate it in 3 stages as I see the film and then do a final rating and ranking.
Opening - Krypton sequence 10/10
This was simply put amazing, I couldn't believe how stunning the Planet looked. I wish there was more Krypton stuff and I truly hold out hope for a prequel film someday. Russell Crowe was amazing as Jor El and is definitely my favourite Jor El ever (sorry Christopher MacDonald but you have to move aside). Zod was truly menacing here and you could see the two were maybe not friends but they defi timely had respe t for each other. This whole sequence was amazing and Ayelet Zurer brought Lara to life in an incredible way. When Zod killed Jor El I truly felt her pain as I did when she sent Kal El away, thank god they've finally given the Lara character some justice.
Middle - the Early Years/discovery 8/10
This is where my issues I had with the film came in, it was a tad slow in these scenes. I do t think they quite got the pacing right and the flashbacks felt kind of forced. But fortunately the content in the scenes was good enough. Personally had it been my film I'd have just had the film run in real time with Clark growing up but I digress.ihave tosay the young actors they got to play young Clark were excellent especially Dylan Sprayberry who I wish had a little more screen time. Still the moments where Clark (Cavill, more on him later) discovers the ship and meets AI Jor El were very well done. The moment where Jonathan died was very emotional especially for me as I lost my Dad to cancer around 9 years ago now. I almost cried at that scene, I have to admit I would have thought Clark would have just saved him but Jonathan told him no so I can see why he didn't but I can see why some take issue.
Meeting Lois Lane for the first time made me thank god that I finally had a movie version of Lois Lane I not only liked but loved. The "are we measuring *****" line had me in stitches, also did anyone else find it funny that Emil Hamilton from Smallville was in that scene with the new Emil Hamilton? I sure did. Watching Clark learn to fly was incredible, I actually think they could have made his failure to fly at first more humorous though. All in all this sequence or sequences rather could have been paces better and fleshed out more (hopefully we'll get an extended edition blu ray). I do think however seeing much if this covered on Smallville it may have tainted my enjoyment of some of this stuff though.
Ending - Superman vs the Kryptonians 10/10
The last hour was just a thrill ride, as soon as Zod and the Kryptonians entered the fray this film reallyhit its stride. When we saw the epic horror esque moment of Zod's you are not alone message I knew we were getting to the good stuff. The action in these scenes was without a doubt the best I have ever seen on film. Henry Cavill was simply amazing especially from the moment he had the suit on, the man simply put IS Superman, he was just unbelievablely good,he had charm, charisma and he even had some great comedic moments. I was thinking too this may have been the first time I have ever seen Superman cough too. Also I don't think that the love story was portrayed poorly at all, infact I really don't get people's problems with it, it's clear that the love story wasn't a part if this story. The kiss felt natural to me too, you really saw throughout how close these two had gotten. Also I was so scared for Jenny in that final scene, I really thought for a second she was a goner but realised as soon as Perry wouldn't leave her she'd be fine. Oh and I definitely think she's a replacement for Jimmy which is fine. Also on Perry, Fishburne played him superbly and I don't think he was underused at all as some have suggested.
The villains were excellent Shannon's Zod was incredible, defi Italy one if the most menacing villains ever to grace a comic book movie. But for the Kryptonians I thought Faora stole the show, she kicked Superman's ass at one point. I don't really get why Jax Ur had a German accent though, but then again why did any if them and why dud they speak English? Lol ah well not important. The battles in Smallville and the epic finale in Metroplos were breathtaking. I was gutted when Chris Meloni snuffed it, he was superb in the film but at least he kind of got the last laugh. Btw did Emil Hamilton die at the end? I was like noooo. The final battle between Superman (which btw git a laugh in the cinema when the army guy named him) and Zod was epic as it gets, the moment where Zod dropped his armour and really clicked with his powers was jaw dropping. Now it's fine to talk the elephant in the room, where Superman snaps Zod neck. Not gonna lie, I loved it a super neck break and he really didn't have a choice. Watching it though, i felt the pain and anguish he felt in that moment. I would have liked a line or two about it between him and Ma Kent at Pa Kent's grave but its not that much of an issue.
Lastly the end, it was everything I'd hoped it would be. When he walked in glasses and all big Curt Swan smile, I just loved it. I really hope it makes enough money to get a sequel as I can see the sequel been even better.
No the film isnt perfect but what film is? Is it the greatest CBM of all-time? Right now I don't know but when I watch it again I probably will. Right now it sits alongside Avengers Assemble, Superman the Movie, Batman Begins and the Dark Knight for me.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
