Things Smallville got right

[bat89]

People always point out the things Smallville got wrong, but what are the things they got right? I would have to say characterization is definitley one!( Erica Durance, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, John Schneider and Callum Blue among others are all the definitive interpretations of their characters) Anything else?

 

[DarkSovereignty]

bizzaro and doomsday (up until the final fight)

 

[Sawyer]

Casting James Marsters as Brainiac.

Also, casting Christopher Reeve, of course.

 

[Johnny]

Toyman and Metallo were great, too.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I'd say most of the villains from the comics is what they got right, like lex, metallo, doomsday, toyman and bizzaro. the villain they totally dropped the ball that i can remember was myxyptlk or however u spell it.

 

[Sawyer]

One of the things I really like is the casting of Jonathan and Martha being younger, so they actually seem like parents, not grandparents to Clark.

 

[SpideyVille]

I always liked how his powers and strength developed his age. Clark going through puberty with super power provided for many funny moments.

 

[DIRECTOR]

Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent.

I missed those scenes with them, but after the new writers came on board, it became too much powers and stuff that they are losing some touchy emotional scenes like that had in the first couple of seasons

 

[bonoferox]

I'll disagree about ED, but casting John Schneider and Michael Rosenbaum were some of the best choices.
Also the near perfect location for the Kent Farm.

 

[Syncos]

Durance is the definitive Lois for me now. I loved that casting, and most specifically, her characterization. Johnathan and Martha were perfect (before Senator things and Red Queens). Lex was incredible, (until they ran out of things for him to do in like season 6). Visuals and uses for powers. Before Smallville, Heat vision was red lazers.

Red Kryptonite, Brainiac, The Legion, The Justice Society, Flash ("impulse") in Run including racing Clark, Morgan Edge, Lionel Luthor (That magnificent bastard), Clark's discovery of his heritage, Kowache prophecies, Sarah Carter as Alicia (so gorgeous.), the list goes on.

 

[LaraLane]

Welling has a very good look, and people argue his voice is bad for Superman but think of the first season. His voice was perfectly fine for a show of "SMALLVILLE" before he becomes Superman. A young look and young voice actually worked out for the concept of the show and I think if he already sounded like a commanding Superman it would of destroyed the point of the series.I felt they got Lana and Pete right as well.The addition of Chloe was a good idea, but it is a shame it didn't lead up to her eventually revealing herself as Lois Lane down the line. I think that was a consideration in her creation but they bailed on it.

 

[zerohour films]

....The addition of Chloe was a good idea, but it is a shame it didn't lead up to her eventually revealing herself as Lois Lane down the line. I think that was a consideration in her creation but they bailed on it.

I've never used one of these before but have felt so compelled from your last sentence that I can't help myself...However I will place it in spoiler tags as not to come off too harsh:

Spoiler

Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but that whole Chloe is Lois concept just makes me sad.

t:t:t:.............

 

[John Locke]

I agree with everything except Chloe=Lois sorry, but I also think Kara(Laura Vandervoort) and Martian Manhunter were also great.

 

[SpideyVille]

Durance is the definitive Lois for me now. I loved that casting, and most specifically, her characterization. Johnathan and Martha were perfect (before Senator things and Red Queens). Lex was incredible, (until they ran out of things for him to do in like season 6). Visuals and uses for powers. Before Smallville, Heat vision was red lazers.

Red Kryptonite, Brainiac, The Legion, The Justice Society, Flash ("impulse") in Run including racing Clark, Morgan Edge, Lionel Luthor (That magnificent bastard), Clark's discovery of his heritage, Kowache prophecies, Sarah Carter as Alicia (so gorgeous.), the list goes on.

I miss the ole Magnificent Bastard

 

[Webhead2006]

for me there is so many things to list that were good and bad throughout the course of the show. But like i said in another thread, there is far more good things they got right then wrong on the show.

 

[The Caped Knight]

People always point out the things Smallville got wrong, but what are the things they got right?

My list
1. The Casting - Tom Welling, Erica Durance , Michael Rosenbaum , John Schneider and Annette O'Toole, John Glover, Allison Mack, Aaron Ashmore, Justin Hartley, Laura Vandervoort, Sam Wither, Callum Blue, Cassidy Freeman, Eric Johnson, Sam Jones III and even thought I'm not fond of her character Kristen Kreuk.

2. The Special Effects

3. The Superman alumni guest staring on the series - Christopher Reeves, Terence Stamp, Margot kidder, Helen Slater, Marc McClure, Dean Cain

4. James Marsters as Brainiac

5. Retelling and re-defining the timeless relationship of Lois and Clark :heart:

6. Reintroducing the Characters from the Superman Mythology, Heroes and Villains.

7. Exploring the Clark and Lex relationship with a much greater depth than it was presented in the comics.

8. The Kent family dynamic and The Luthor father and Son brawl

9. All the homages, tributes to Superman's mythology through out the ages

10. Michael Mckean as Perry White

11. The Guest stars that eventually became Big Stars

12. The Justice League , The Legion of Superheroes, and The Justice Society Of America and other DCU characters

13. All the super hot sexy female eye candy guest stars t:

14. Comic book writers writing episodes Geoff Johns, Jeph Loeb, Mark Verheiden etc...

15. The easter eggs for comic book fanboys like myself

16. The memorabilia that I've collected (Books,Magazines,Cards,DVD's,CD's and t-shirt)

17. The theme song

18. And most of all the memories of watching from the pilot to the Series Finale (Through the Good times, the bad times, the worst of times and those God awful times that seemed like an eternity of torment. Yet always came back to see an episode because I was captivated .)

 

[Webhead2006]

that is a good list there man i would agree with it.

 

[Johnny]

Awesome list, Kal-El. Absolutely agreed.

 

[Daybreak_st]

Actually Smallville's done a lot of things right. It has 3 primary problems:

1) Editorial Mandate - No flights no tights, can't show superman or the iconic costume.

2)Budget - you can only do so much on a TV show budget, they do great with most of the visual effects, even crafting a new look for heat vision and x-ray vision, and giving us a taste for what it feels like to move as clark does. But most of the lame fights on this show, things like doomsday etc, i think may easily boil down to budget.

3) Long Drawn Out storylines - this has result in anticlimatic plots, filler episodes, and poor character development.

Now what has Smallville gotten right?

1) The Tone - it feels like a real world metropolis w/o being too realistic if that makes sense, you can see superpowered people inhabiting the world w/o if feeling silly. It also isn't quite as over the top as say spiderman 3 was. I think it could fit into the IronMan type world if it had better effects.

2) Drawing from entire 70 year character history rather than on specific era. A lot has actually been taken from the silver age (various forms of kryptonite, metropolis and smallville being near, the names of Zod's disciples and his wife faora, the version of metallo, etc.)

3) Nice Live action versions of Superman villains. such as brainiac, metallo, (best examples). Also making the Luthor's scholars was great. I could see a movie luthor being a mix bw Michael Rosenbaum and Lionel Luthor.

4) Using the Kents as a sounding board for clark (primarily in earlier episodes of the series)

5) Making a clark a 3 dimensional character, who the audience can relate to.

6) The Lois and Clark dynamic, which may not be as good as Terri and Dean, but at least is setup in a way that allows them witty banter, good interaction, and a little romance.


These are just the things i could think of off the top of my head. This same appoach at least in part would work well for a film.

 

[KalKai]

1) Editorial Mandate - No flights no tights, can't show superman or the iconic costume.

Did you stop watching a while ago, or a long time ago? Because we've seen those, and we'll see them again, obviously.

 

[Webhead2006]

well more so i say blocks on things between seasons 1-5, since season 6 alot of those earlier restrictions minus the whole batman embargo has been lifted.

 

[Brainiac 8]

My list
1. The Casting - Tom Welling, Erica Durance , Michael Rosenbaum , John Schneider and Annette O'Toole, John Glover, Allison Mack, Aaron Ashmore, Justin Hartley, Laura Vandervoort, Sam Wither, Callum Blue, Cassidy Freeman, Eric Johnson, Sam Jones III and even thought I'm not fond of her character Kristen Kreuk.

2. The Special Effects

3. The Superman alumni guest staring on the series - Christopher Reeves, Terence Stamp, Margot kidder, Helen Slater, Marc McClure, Dean Cain

4. James Marsters as Brainiac

5. Retelling and re-defining the timeless relationship of Lois and Clark :heart:

6. Reintroducing the Characters from the Superman Mythology, Heroes and Villains.

7. Exploring the Clark and Lex relationship with a much greater depth than it was presented in the comics.

8. The Kent family dynamic and The Luthor father and Son brawl

9. All the homages, tributes to Superman's mythology through out the ages

10. Michael Mckean as Perry White

11. The Guest stars that eventually became Big Stars

12. The Justice League , The Legion of Superheroes, and The Justice Society Of America and other DCU characters

13. All the super hot sexy female eye candy guest stars t:

14. Comic book writers writing episodes Geoff Johns, Jeph Loeb, Mark Verheiden etc...

15. The easter eggs for comic book fanboys like myself

16. The memorabilia that I've collected (Books,Magazines,Cards,DVD's,CD's and t-shirt)

17. The theme song

18. And most of all the memories of watching from the pilot to the Series Finale (Through the Good times, the bad times, the worst of times and those God awful times that seemed like an eternity of torment. Yet always came back to see an episode because I was captivated .)

Kal, you and me, we're like this!

Every bit, this is my list also.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Kal, you and me, we're like this!

Every bit, this is my list also.

What can I say, Great minds think a like .

 

[Serene]

My list
1. The Casting - Tom Welling, Erica Durance , Michael Rosenbaum , John Schneider and Annette O'Toole, John Glover, Allison Mack, Aaron Ashmore, Justin Hartley, Laura Vandervoort, Sam Wither, Callum Blue, Cassidy Freeman, Eric Johnson, Sam Jones III and even thought I'm not fond of her character Kristen Kreuk.

Omg. Someone catch me, K8 said something mostly nice about the Kreuk.


I think one of SV's greatest strengths has been its cast - from regulars to guest stars, they are almost pitch perfect. C'mon... Martian Manhunter? Zatanna? Ryan? For going on 10 years worth of episodes, they've had very few misses with their casting.

The other, obvious, strength is the depth of character they've given us for a young Clark Kent BEFORE he becomes Superman. They've said from the beginning that was what the show was about, and I think they've covered it well. Seeing the final step taken in this next season will be a perfect bookend to that confused and angry kid sticking his hand in the wood chipper in the Pilot episode.

 

[bonoferox]

Though he's still constantly confused and angry