TMOS Review & Speculation Thread (Spoilers) - Part 3

[slimshady247]

I'm not really a huge Superman fan, but I still gave it a 9/10. That's not a catch-all excuse.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Superman wasn't strong enough to just get Zod away and subdue him, any way around it more people would have died. He can't just expect Zod to go easily and he can't get Zod to go easily. He was in a tight spot where there was only one option to take that wouldn't lead to many others getting killed.

How did the film ignore it? By showing him struggling before killing Zod? By being totally devastated after killing Zod? By not bringing it up again when the film ended five minutes later? I don't know how much they could have done.

But, as said -- so, with Elite, you're saying your Superman would allow other people to get killed if it meant he didn't have to?

No i'm saying they are ignoring the reasons behind Supes no kill rule in the first place

1. If he kills, he thinks he will have crossed a line that leads to a slippery slope of doing it more. Like the next time, why wait until right at the end of the fight? Just snap their neck the minute they start threatening to hurt people, right?

And also, the idea (that is always quite present on Buffy through Angel and Faiths arc, which I also like) that killing someone changes you. It has an effect on you. And it can be a megalomaniacal effect.

2. Then there is also aspects of how the example effects the rest of the world. The symbol he's trying to stand for doesn't mean much if he doesn't stick to his own principals. And if his actions tell the world that it's okay to kill 'in the right situation', who defines what IS the right situation?

It's such a grey area, that suddenly all this subjectivity comes in and people might start deciding that THEY fit in that grey area too, and should be able to do the same.

But it's so so complicated.

And like I said, I feel like all of that was ignored.

A HUGE part of me right now is seeing Synder and Goyer looking at this right now while writing a scene in MOS 2 where Lex is being interviewed on Good Morning America saying that Superman didn't need to kill Zod and Lois is trying to explain why he had to. And if not, these talks are definitely going to inspire that scene to be there.

That'd be nice, i'd like that

 

[Ultimatehero]

I'm also confused by that post. If anything there are several people let down , by the film , but not on the level of Superman Returns. Another reboot? This is heading for a sequel. No doubt.

Some, but they're just very vocal. I'm looking at stats --

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=459683&page=7

Right now it's 71 who rank it 9+ while 60 rank it below a 9. And 29 rank it below an eight, while 102 rank it an eight and above. To me? That's not divided, that's just a very vocal minority who hated it (while others were just average). As to Kal's theory - we would see numbers like we have with SM3 and TDKR, it would be a lot more divided. Here it's clear where the end of the spectrum is.

I think a lot of that is projection though...as a fan (at a superhero fan site), giving it more props than it deserves because it's their favorite character, and often overcompensating to 'save face' with it, or more forgiving than they would be with other movies. And while understandable and laudable (we all do it in various facets of life), it's also a bit unfortunate.

That sounds more like excuses for those who thought it was just average to make it seem like the majority did as well when the stats show otherwise. Plus, even if some are - there is no way all 71 or 102 are. The numbers of voters are just way too high at this point to be that.

 

[bullets]

I think a lot of that is projection though...as a fan (at a superhero fan site), giving it more props than it deserves because it's their favorite character, and often overcompensating to 'save face' with it, or more forgiving than they would be with other movies. And while understandable and laudable (we all do it in various facets of life), it's also a bit unfortunate.

As a film, comparing it with other superhero movies and big movies in general, it deserves a generous 7/10. But if it makes some Supes fans happy that at least he has some presence in movies, then kudos to that as well. But it was just okay as a movie....and to be fair, there is a lot of just okay out there anyway. That's why it's still refreshing that a movie that's actually really good can stand out...this unfortunately just wasn't one of them. A serviceable player, but not a leader.

That's an unfair assumption. I know people who saw the film and loved it that aren't big on the superhero genre.

 

[iamsilvio]

I think MOS has one of the worst screenplays in many years. People say its an action movie, well do any of you remember die hard 1 or terminator 2. Those are action movies with incredible pacing and tension building scenes! Compare those movies to MOS and you will see that MOS is not a good movie.

 

[D4rkShaDoWz]

I was really skeptical about this film; from hearing Snyder was directing to the first set pic of his costume sans undies. I wasn't really expecting to like it but I loved it. A lot.

I'd like to note that I'm not really a Superman fan besides knowing the character and seeing the movies, animated series and briefly the comics.

Snyder made me empathize with Clark, something I never did before. Cavill was great and I loved him as Supes. The film itself was a tad "dark," not coloring wise but in terms of humor and lightheartedness, it was certainly more dark the TDKR which is strange for a Superman movie.

The action was mindblowing, I was actually blown away by what was going on. FINALLY! SUPERMAN KICKING BUTT AND GETTING HIS BUTT KICKED! We've been waiting forever to see this in action and it's finally here!

I know I'm in the minority here but I liked this way better than Iron Man 3 (which I thoroughly enjoyed too) and all of the Nolan Batman's. Yes, even The Dark Knight.

This is Superman in its glory. Now, bring on the World's Finest sequel with Batman.

9.8/10 (no movie is perfect).

 

[Ultimatehero]

@ hopeful, way too long to quote that. But, I can see what you're getting at. But, I think what they did was pitch perfect because it showed his devastation and knowing they showed that I know they won't just let it go. Plus, that is much better saved for later. There was only five minutes left for the movie to go and to go any longer than that might have been too long because the main crutch of the story had wrapped itself up with strands to follow later.

 

[Motown Marvel]

A HUGE part of me right now is seeing Synder and Goyer looking at this right now while writing a scene in MOS 2 where Lex is being interviewed on Good Morning America saying that Superman didn't need to kill Zod and Lois is trying to explain why he had to. And if not, these talks are definitely going to inspire that scene to be there.

what would be the point of lex doing that? is he going to portray superman as having done the wrong thing? do you really think anyone on the planet is going to care that superman killed the alien that tried to annihilate all life on earth? how is that going to turn public opinion against superman? that would be like trying to convince 9/11 victims that Obama is a jerk for killing Osama Bin Laden.

 

[RoughNTumble]

just saw it and I liked it

but I kinda feel like I don't know who any of the characters are

it really could have used some levity and more character interactions

 

[slimshady247]

Some, but they're just very vocal. I'm looking at stats --

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=459683&page=7

Right now it's 71 who rank it 9+ while 60 rank it below a 9. And 29 rank it below an eight, while 102 rank it an eight and above. To me? That's not divided, that's just a very vocal minority who hated it (while others were just average). As to Kal's theory - we would see numbers like we have with SM3 and TDKR, it would be a lot more divided. Here it's clear where the end of the spectrum is.



That sounds more like excuses for those who thought it was just average to make it seem like the majority did as well when the stats show otherwise. Plus, even if some are - there is no way all 71 or 102 are. The numbers of voters are just way too high at this point to be that.

 

[Ultimatehero]

Keep in mind, just 30 seconds.

INTERVIEWER
So, what you're saying is that what Superman did was wrong? That he should have found some other way of dealing with Zod? What do you say to the people who would have said he had no other choice and that Superman is the reason we're all still here?

LEX
Superman crossed the line once, what's to stop him from crossing the very same line again?

LOIS
He saved lives!

LEX
For now. But, what happens when somebody else gets in his way? What happens then? I am not saying that Zod was in the right. No, what I am saying is on that day we saw that Superman has it within him to kill. And I'm asking you, Lois, (to the camera/audience) I'm asking all of you out there - if Superman can kill, what's too prevent him from killing again? (dramatic pause, playing it up) How safe are we?

 

[Boom]

Just saw it. I'm about to go punch myself in the face.

 

[KalMart]

That sounds more like excuses for those who thought it was just average to make it seem like the majority did as well when the stats show otherwise.

Maybe it does, but it's not in this case. I see it more somewhere between the critical (which in some cases I think is too harsh) and 'peoples' rankings.

Plus, even if some are - there is no way all 71 or 102 are. The numbers of voters are just way too high at this point to be that.

It's also way too early, for that matter.

That's an unfair assumption. I know people who saw the film and loved it that aren't big on the superhero genre.

No, I didn't mean to categorize all fans that way or only people who liked it, of course. And it's only natural to some degree or another...again, I understand it IF/when it is in a place like this. I also think being subjective is important, as well.

Then again, you look at how much money some movies like POTC4 made, and some people are going to like things for different reasons. We're not all judging by the exact same standards, nor should we for that matter.

 

[Motown Marvel]

Keep in mind, just 30 seconds.

INTERVIEWER
So, what you're saying is that what Superman did was wrong? That he should have found some other way of dealing with Zod? What do you say to the people who would have said he had no other choice and that Superman is the reason we're all still here?

LEX
Superman crossed the line once, what's to stop him from crossing the very same line again?

LOIS
He saved lives!

LEX
For now. But, what happens when somebody else gets in his way? What happens then? I am not saying that Zod was in the right. No, what I am saying is on that day we saw that Superman has it within him to kill. And I'm asking you, Lois, I'm asking all of you out there - if Superman can kill, what's preventing him from killing again? How safe are we?

i get the point lex would be trying to make, but thats the wrong way to go about it. if he really wants people to fear superman all he has to point out is all the death and destruction that occurred because superman merely existed. his existence brought zod to their doorstep, who else is going to come after him? how many more people on earth are going to be killed by some super powered being trying to get at superman? what happens when superman's presence draws a threat to the planet that cant be stopped by him? what will stop superman from following in the footsteps of zod and turning his powers against humans? there are plenty of things luthor can exploit to stir up fear and hatred towards superman. but no one on that planet will turn against superman for the reason of him having killed zod as a means to save all life on earth. he's best off exploiting the consequences of superman's presence and the power he's demonstrated being capable of.

 

[antsman41]

Plus, Lex can win over the public by paying for all of the Metropolis reconstruction...

I will say, this felt like a train high on cocaine and the flashbacks didn't flow within like the film like it did in Batman Begins but overall really enjoyed it. Kal-El/Superman was awesome, Cavill is him. Lois ruled, Zod was great... Can't wait to get a more in depth perspective of the Planet while Clark actually works there; Perry/Jenny/etc. Krypton was ****ing neat even though it never let up, Jor-El getting some action was very cool to witness. Can't wait for the sequel... that's what will make or break this reboot and DC film franchise.

 

[Ultimatehero]

i get the point lex would be trying to make, but thats the wrong way to go about it. if he really wants people to fear superman all he has to point out is all the death and destruction that occurred because superman merely existed. his existence brought zod to their doorstep, who else is going to come after him? how many more people on earth are going to be killed by some super powered being trying to get at superman? what happens when superman's presence draws a threat to the planet that cant be stopped by him? what will stop superman from following in the footsteps of zod and turning his powers against humans? there are plenty of things luthor can exploit to stir up fear and hatred towards superman. but no one on that planet will turn against superman for the reason of him having killed zod as a means to save all life on earth. he's best off exploiting the consequences of superman's presence and the power he's demonstrated being capable of.

Exactly, keep in mind screen time on what I just typed out would be ten seconds - the scene would be about three pages to four pages and that's just one scene. All it was meant to address is in the bold. You can start people to doubt it. People believe a bunch of really weird notions due to their fear of the unknown. Just look, although differently, on all the wacky thoughts people have against gay people and what those are founded on. To turn them against, all you need to do is dangle the unknown in front of them and there are many. One of which is - if you can kill once, what's to prevent you from killing again?

 

[Tra-El]

Keep in mind, just 30 seconds.

INTERVIEWER
So, what you're saying is that what Superman did was wrong? That he should have found some other way of dealing with Zod? What do you say to the people who would have said he had no other choice and that Superman is the reason we're all still here?

LEX
Superman crossed the line once, what's to stop him from crossing the very same line again?

LOIS
He saved lives!

LEX
For now. But, what happens when somebody else gets in his way? What happens then? I am not saying that Zod was in the right. No, what I am saying is on that day we saw that Superman has it within him to kill. And I'm asking you, Lois, (to the camera/audience) I'm asking all of you out there - if Superman can kill, what's too prevent him from killing again? (dramatic pause, playing it up) How safe are we?

UMMM....safe enough to kill one of his fellow evil Kryptonian-kind to save an innocent man and his lovely wife and little girls. THAT'S how safe WE are. It will show those others who dare to step in his way that he will go to great lengths if you aren't up to be reasonable in a deadly situation to save the people of who he protects.

 

[Frodo]

I'm not really a huge Superman fan, but I still gave it a 9/10. That's not a catch-all excuse.

Well , I tend to think MOS , is gonna not be good enough for alot of the fanboys, while the general audience is gonna love it.

I saw it with a packed audience with a wide demographic spread, and it got a hug round of applause at the end. I loved it personally , and this is someone who grew up with Reeve.

The ironic thing is that there was this little boy sitting next to me who was about the age I was when I first saw the Reeve as Superman , and he was really enjoying it. To me , that moment said it all. Its about passing the torch, and I think this film will do that for the new generation of kids.

 

[Motown Marvel]

Exactly, keep in mind screen time on what I just typed out would be ten seconds - the scene would be about three pages to four pages and that's just one scene. All it was meant to address is in the bold.

well, thats something different. I'm just saying, no one on that planet is going to turn against superman for what he did to zod. thats the wrong angle for lex to exploit. rather, the power he's demonstrated being capable of during his battle with zod....thats another issue. but whatever, its nothing to worry about yet...

 

[Ultimatehero]

UMMM....safe enough to kill one of his fellow evil Kryptonian-kind to save an innocent man and his lovely wife and little girls. THAT'S how safe WE are. It will show those others who dare to step in his way that he will go to great lengths if you aren't up to be reasonable in a deadly situation to save the people of who he protects.

And you wouldn't side with Lex then.

As said, look at all the bizarre notions that arise against a minority group when their fears of the unknown are tossed their way.

It wouldn't be all following Lex. Lex would chip away at it, in the beginning Lex should be seen as crazy but believe in it 100% and able to get some to believe in him as well. Then as the movie goes on - for more fear to build. It's just another piece of ammo. Even the smallest of ammo has been used against minority groups for the side of 'phobia.' And to me, that's what Lex has - alienphobia.

In the final moment, Superman has the decision to kill Lex and doesn't. Lex was wrong, but Lex thinks it's just an act to get back at him and make him look like a fool. He proves Lex wrong.

ADDING: In short, imagine the field day homophobics had who believe gay teachers shouldn't be allowed near their children because they'll molest them after news of priests molesting young boys came out. Not immediately connected, BUT just enough to spread the fear to some.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Well, I saw it last night.

I didn't hate it. There were a lot of things done well. The film definitely had an epic feel to it. The acting was superb: Lawrence Fishbourne, Russell Crowe and Amy Adams were fantastic in their roles. The violence was a bit "over-the-top" and gratuitous but it was a nice change after the snorefest of Superman Returns.

The best and worst thing of the film? Henry Cavill. As an actor he is brilliant and you can tell he really wanted to take Superman to the next level. But he was also largely wasted in this film...they didn't give his character a lot of dimension. The directors/writers didn't make me really feel for him...there was no emotional core really. I think the sequel will do better because "Clark Kent The Reporter" will be there to juxtapose against Superman--and that will give Cavill more to work with.

There was also very, very little humor...it was almost as if they were trying to say "We take ourselves very seriously". Superman is NOT the Dark Knight.

Saddest part of all? I was in a theater packed with fanboys and fangirls. There wasn't a point where anyone cheered during the film and I thought that was shocking. However, many clapped at the conclusion. The conversations leaving the theater were very mixed. I didn't hear anyone say "That sucked." Some loved it. Most though were indifferent.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

At the end of the midnight Imax viewing last night everyone cheered and applauded I guess everyone there really loved it.

 

[bullets]

Here's my off the cuff morning after rant that everyone is gonna take issue with....

KRYPTON:
It all starts when we are thrown into the middle of a rather important conversation about the planet on the verge of destruction. And for whatever reason the council of elders doesn’t believe Jor-El, even though he is allegedly the planet’s leading scientist. I say allegedly because his quality as a scientist is never really displayed, yer just kinda told to go with that (which is a common problem in this film). But, before we’re even really allowed to come to terms with the plot of Krypton’s imminent destruction, Zod busts in with an agenda and plot of his own that consumes us for the next 10-15 action filled minutes, which seems more of a distraction from when we started with Krypton’s destruction. Zod comes off as a generic 2-D villain that we’ve seen a hundred times before. But once his Krypton arc is wrapped we are jarringly thrown back to Krypton’s destruction with great urgency. This movie often transitions from one idea to the next without concern for its audience or without regard for the ideas themselves. We weren’t even settled with Zod’s arc and Jor-El’s death and Kal-El’s departure when suddenly the planet starts blowing up leaving me to be like, “Oh! We’re doing that part now? Okay.” It just clumsily stumbles from one thing to the next.

As a personal taste, I didn’t like the portrayal of Krypton. I didn’t like this overly complicated neo-medieval depiction. It was clunky. And while Krypton had their advanced Etch-A-Sketch technology, they didn’t seem advanced as a society. They didn’t seem any better than humans on Earth, which I don’t like. And for no reason they’re all genetically engineered? It’s a casual idea that serves no purpose, other than to diminish a character like Jor-El. Because now instead of earning his place as a great scientist, he was merely genetically engineered to be that way. Are Zod’s actions really his fault? Not really, he was genetically engineered to do what he does. And it could have been interesting if Zod was made an example of genetic engineering gone wrong, but they never even bothered with a worthwhile idea like that. The whole Kryptonian society almost came off as fascist and cold. But I guess Kal-El will be extra super special because he wasn’t genetically engineered.

Russel Crowe did well enough. But there was no chemistry between him and Lara. Not that there’s any real chemistry between anyone in this movie.

CLARK’S JOURNEY:
This is where things really start to get real messy as a film. I’m fine with flashbacks and non-linear storytelling, but this here was a train wreck. The flashbacks came with no subtlety, the transitions were jarring, and it went on for way too long into the movie. It was like this movie was edited by a 5 year old who was treating their ADHD with crack. There is no movement to the story, it’s just all mashed together at once never really allowing any of it to settle in.

All the flashbacks of Clark being bullied were just poorly written clichés. Young Clark struggling with all these crazy sensations and powers was cool.

I dunno why present day Clark was on his journey, what he was looking for, or why he went where he went and did what he did. He was just aimlessly wandering hoping to find…I dunno. There wasn’t much of a bridge between the flashbacks of him as a kid to him as an adult to prompt his motivations.

I felt Jonathon Kent was a confusing character. He never really imparted his son with any great wisdom or guidance. Clark’s parents are supposed to be the source of his moral compass, but we never really see that being passed on. We see them concerned for his well being and urging him to be cautious of his abilities and to cope with his reality. But there is no great moral wisdom passed on. Clark’s moral compass is mentioned a few times in the film, but we are only told about it, it’s never really on display. Martha’s attempt at guiding her son through hard times was pretty cheesy and forced. Jonathon’s death was almost humorous. Trying to save a dog in the middle of a twister while refusing Clark’s help was pretty anti-climactic and non-sensical. I never really felt much of a connection between the two characters anyways. And before we even get to recognize his death, we are hit with another flashback where he’s alive again, so it’s almost like he never really died, stripping away any emotion one may have been able to conjure over it.

But, Clark finds what he’s looking for. We know this because he tells his mom “I found what I was looking for!” to which her reply sounds like “Oh that’s just great son, we’ll have to put it on the fridge.” But Clark never really gets to discover anything, he just wanders around aimlessly until he inexplicably stumbles upon a…something….where inside a computer Jor-El just tells him everything with an Etch-A-Sketch animation. That’s not discovery. That’s being told. We later find out that the “something” is a Kryptonian scout ship that apparently came to Earth thousands of years ago. The casual mention of this in a single sentence of dialogue introduces a big idea that really serves no purpose. This ship has nothing to do with anything happening in the movie, it’s just kind of there. More messy storytelling.

Lois tracking down her “mystery man” was kinda cool, but her actually discovering him was groan-inducing. Lois knowing who he is from the beginning is going to strip away so much of the fun chemistry that resulted in the traditional Clark/Lois/Superman love triangle. The scene with them at Jonathon’s grave made no sense. Clark has no reason to trust a NEWS REPORTER with everything he tells her. I don’t know what his reasoning was for that, because it made no sense to do so other than to forcefully push these characters along.

Oh, and then there’s the completely pointless scene of Clark talking to a priest. He just shows up to tell this priest the biggest secret in the world. In doing so, he asks the priest for advice but gets up and leaves before the priest even responds with advice. The priest actually has to stop him from leaving to give him the advice that he sought. It was pointless and didn’t make any sense. Why was he in a church in the first place? Was this just a pointless ham-fisted attempt to reference the Azzarello/Lee "For Tomorrow" comics?

SUPERMAN:
There was almost a grand moment when he first dons the Superman suit. It was cool to see him fail at flying, but I wish that happened before he put the suit on. It was awkward seeing that happen in the suit. But once he got flying it was cool. The suit still looks dumb to me though, but I’m not gonna go on that rant again. Cavill does a good job with what he’s given. He’d make a really good Superman if he were working with film makers that actually understood Superman.

In the lead up to this movie Zack Snyder constantly made the point that he wanted to show how the real world would react to someone like Superman existing. Okay, that’s cool. But that never happened in the movie. At all. Superman’s arrival was grossly unceremonious. There was an opportunity at a grand entrance, but it doesn’t happen. He’s just suddenly there, standing in front of the military, then in handcuffs. That’s his reveal to the world. Hell, his arrival on Earth in general wasn’t even depicted. What a missed opportunity it was to not even show the Kent’s discovering Kal-El’s ship. And in the future there will be the missed opportunity of Clrak revealing himself to Lois, because in this movie she already knows, which was pretty underwhelming in comparison to what could have been.

This film is full of things that should be amazing and awe inspiring and full of wonder, but you never feel any of that. It just clunkily plods along at an awkward pace that never really lets you experience anything. Yer never immersed in anything. Yer just briskly told stuff and expected to go along with it. It’s like they expect you to rely on yer pre-conceived attachments to Superman to feel awe-inspired instead of actually making the effort to create that emotion in the film itself. Not once did I have a sense of amazement when watching this movie.

And in the lack of people’s reaction to Superman’s existence you realize that there is no connection between Superman and the people at all. The people that Superman is allegedly protecting and saving are so completely absent from this movie. Which really undercuts the importance of the Superman character. And worst of all, there is nothing hopeful or inspiring about this Superman. We’re told that the symbol he wears is a symbol of hope, and there is the All-Star Superman dialogue about him being an ideal for the people to strive towards to join him in the sun, and that’s all great stuff. Those ideas are what Superman is supposed to embody. But none of that is in the film. There’s nothing even inspiring about his eventual “victory” over Zod. Nothing you want to cheer for. If I were one of the people in this film, I would have been pissed at Superman. All he brought to their planet was destruction. I could understand if he had some pre-existing relationship with the people of Earth, where they had a better understanding of him. But no, Zod shows up looking for Superman. Superman reveals himself to the world. The two of them destroy everything and millions die. What about any of this can be seen as inspiring or hopeful? What has he given the people to strive towards?

Also, he was called Superman once in this movie. Once. And it was from some no-name generic military dude. “They’re calling him Superman now.” Who is calling him Superman? Where is that coming from? No one has called him Superman. The whole entire time they’re yelling Clark, Clark, Clark. Um, what about SUPERMAN?! It was dumb.

THE ACTION:
Oh my god, the action. The destruction. There was so much of it that it lost any impact. It just became rubble and noise. How many times do I need to see a build blown to bits before I get numb to the image of it? And how grossly reckless was Superman? He destroyed SO MUCH stuff without any regard for anything. It was insane. He made little to no attempt to avoid destroying everything in his path, in fact he purposely destroyed things. Even the action that would have been cool doesn’t get to be recognized because it’s surrounded by so much stupid action. Yes, it’s great to see Superman fight and punch and get physical. But this was so ridiculously over the top that it was just eye rolling and non-sensical.

THE ENDING:
So, apparently the codex was something super important to Zod and his motivations as a character. Although, despite it’s great importance, what the codex actually is was casually relegated to a single sentence of dialogue. And suddenly Zod is gonna terraform Earth, which is a pretty big idea that just kinda came out of nowhere at the end.

But he’s got this world engine over the Indian Ocean, and his ship over Metropolis. Oh, by the way, Metropolis is in this movie. Not that the great City of Tomorrow is given any sort of recognition, introduction, establishment, or scope. Anyways, the world engine is in the middle of nowhere, unprotected, and in itself not any sort of immediate danger to anyone. Unlike Zod’s ship which is protected by all his artillery and henchmen and killing hundreds of people by the minute. So what sense does it make that Superman goes after the world engine? Why not send the military to blow that up while Superman tends to Zod, his men, and all the people dying? The military has no chance against Zod in Metropolis and is completely incapable of stopping the destruction.

And we’re gonna solve this whole thing by smashing two phantom engines together to create a black hole and suck all the bad guys into nothingness, because apparently that’s what conveniently happens when you smash two phantom engines together. So much smashing in this movie! Oh, but let’s not worry about all the good people down below in Metropolis that might get caught up in the black hole. Phantom Holes only go after bad guys, so it’s cool.

I mean, lets not try anything a little more interesting and serviceable to the characters such as having Dr. Emil Hamilton team up with the Jor-El program and use the phantom engine in Kal-El’s ship to engineer a Phantom Zone projector which can be used to trap Zod and his men back into the Phantom Zone. Instead, lets show off Hamilton’s scientific importance by having him inexplicably realizing he should turn this one thing so he can push a button. How dramatic! And why the hell was Lois on that plane other than to allow her to fall off so Superman can catch her….again.

AND THEN! there is the final battle between Superman and Zod. What a cool video game that was. I love seeing rubbery CGI men wrestle and lay waste to everything in their path. At this point, we’ve already seen multiple cities destroyed. Seeing even more destruction and bombastic noise was nothing more than an annoyance that I couldn’t wait to be over with. Also, I love how Zod proclaims he’s genetically engineered to preserve all things krypton Krypton as his introduction to kill Superman, the last Kryptonian. That makes sense.

THEN SUPERMAN KILLS ZOD! WHAT…THE F***?! I literally sat there in the theater with my hands in the air, surrendered to confusion and disbelief. SUPERMAN DOES NOT KILL! At all. Ever. And the build up to it was so incredibly void of drama. Not to mention this was completely pointless! What does this do for the character other than demean everything he’s supposed to represent?! What does it do? What was the point of this? There is nothing “edgy” or “modern” about a Superman that can’t save the day without killing. NOTHING. There is no reason this couldn’t have been resolved without Superman killing Zod, and there is no reason to believe the film and characters would have been lesser for it. I still can’t believe they did this. This whole movie was nothing short of Snyder/Goyer/Nolan depicting their inability to understand Superman.

And then there is the introduction of Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. Who is literally Superman in glasses. They made no attempt to present any sort of reasonable disguise. And how does Clark get a job at the planet anyways? He has no training or education as a journalist. In none of the flashbacks has he shown any interest in writing at all. He just walks into one of the most prestigious papers and has a job.

And by the way, what the hell are all these people doing? Yer city was literally just destroyed. Completely annihilated. The World Trade Center was destroyed 12 years ago. It still has yet to complete its replacement. The city of Metropolis was just leveled by aliens….and we’re trying to pick up co-workers to go to a basketball game?

MISC.:
All the side characters were fine. They served their minimal purpose, but there was nothing special about them either. And I’m okay with that. This film wanted to focus on Clark/Superman, which they failed to get right. The film was void of emotion and wonder and fun. The chemistry between all the characters was pretty stale. Faora was cool, and served her purpose as the typical hench-woman.

The pacing of this movie was atrocious. And so much of the plotting was completely non-sensical and so many ideas served no purpose. The characters were horribly undeveloped and mis-portrayed. I honestly can’t believe the film was allowed to be made in the form it was. And that so much money was spent on it. And that it was so glaringly flawed on almost every level that no one along the way was like “WAIT A MINUTE!”. How does this happen?

What few good things I can say about the movie are pretty pointless in the face of everything wrong with it.

A Superman that isn’t inspiring and has to kill to save the day is nothing I’m interested in.

I ‘d give it a 2/10.

I don't agree with all of this , but I do appreciate the effort to explain your issues with the film. I did have some of the same minor issues. It seemed way to easy for Clark to get a job at the Daily Planet.

 

[Mace Bloodstone]

I feel so strongly against this film that i'd rather it not be continued, i dont think it has anything worth continuing. But should it continue, i hope its with a completely different creative team.

Sadly I agree.

I just don't understand with all the work that was put into this movie this film that I watched lastnight was the end result.

 

[BaleISBatman4ev]

I think a lot of that is projection though...as a fan (at a superhero fan site), giving it more props than it deserves because it's their favorite character, and often overcompensating to 'save face' with it, or more forgiving than they would be with other movies. And while understandable and laudable (we all do it in various facets of life), it's also a bit unfortunate.

As a film, comparing it with other superhero movies and big movies in general, it deserves a generous 7/10. But if it makes some Supes fans happy that at least he has some presence in movies, then kudos to that as well. But it was just okay as a movie....and to be fair, there is a lot of just okay out there anyway. That's why it's still refreshing that a movie that's actually really good can stand out...this unfortunately just wasn't one of them. A serviceable player, but not a leader.

Agree with you completely. I think the novelty will wear off soon of a sci-fi action heavy Superman movie and the films flaws will worsen. Seriously i think it will be more and more tedious to watch upon re-watches.

Goyer is just not in the same league as Whedon/Nolan/Lndelof as a screenwriter/story teller... and Snyder while coming across as a pretty bright dude only seems to "get" things visually and aesthetically but doesn't quite get how a 5 minute dialogue scene bewteen characters subtly handled can do wonders for character development, empathy and thematically driving a narrative.