TMOS Reviews Thread - Non Spoiler Review and Discussion - Part 5

[Ultimatehero]

I'm anxious to hear your review now. That's an interesting perspective to Superman that I've never considered with my background.

So far, tone wise they seem to really be getting it right. And the one scene and line that gives me the most hope for their grasp on things is, "can't I just pretend that I'm your son?" Plus, these are the guys who did TDKR which is the quintessential orphaned superhero film and the only to really get that right. So, if it continues as it has, definitely going rank up there or be top on my list

TDKR is actually # 2 to me, so my views are different but they really got what Batman was all about to some of us - "Bruce Wayne. Millionaire orphan. We made up stories about you." Then in the end having the orphans leave the bus to enter Wayne Manor, it just hit home that they finally got what Batman (a lot of these heroes) stand for for a lot of us. So, for me that's the film that got Batman right. Superhero action, an orphan hero, and an inspiration.

 

[mace1]

This is a interesting view i found.

by ishded197
Having seen the film, I think audiences will love it and don't think we should care as much about these reviews anyway. But since they are dominating this board, here is a great article covering the range of reviews:

http://www.newsarama.com/18065-early-man-of-steel-reviews-mostly-posit ive.html

As the article points out, all of the reviews are positive or mixed. Rotten Tomatoes has no outright BAD reviews. No one thinks this film is a failure. Most of the "rotten scores" are 2.5/4 or 3/5. This doesn't end up reflecting well on a site like RT that gives films a black and white, up/down score. If 2/3 of the reviews are positive and 1/3 mixed, that sounds like a decent critical reception to me. And this take on the character was always slightly controversial, so I feel like the number of mixed reviews shouldn't be too surprising. As I already mentioned, I've seen the film and think it's excellent and will really resonate with viewers this weekend.

It's telling that most of the reviews that are mixed come from the position that Superman just can't be taken seriously (and yet, something as fantastic like Lord of the Rings can? This says more more about the reviewer than the film. They just aren't willing to accept Superman as a serious scifi epic based on what they have seen before) Most of the "mixed" reviews seem to take the film to task for not feeling like the Donnerverse films in terms of tone. I'm A.OKAY with that! Even the apparently 'rotten' views praise the visuals, the acting, and the first half of the film. Cavill is also getting great praise (deservedly so. He rocks in the movie!) Hardly sounds like a critical drubbing

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

Zod [BLACKOUT]doesn't want to rule the world he wants the land with all of humanity dead[/BLACKOUT]

I still don't see how that is comparable to a Lex Luthor land scheme sorry. I would say that sounds more comparable to the plan of Thanos and Loki. Oh Thanos and Loki you knuckleheads and your land scheme...

 

[gdw]

Well in SR's case, Superman didn't know that she was pregnant, something that people keep forgetting about whenever they bash the film about it.

But yeah, one thing's for sure, I'm definitely debating if I should even see the film in theaters and just wait to see the film on DVD or Netflix since most of the reviewers here (most of whom I agree with on a lot of levels) are having a lot of issues with the film.

There's no way, with his powers, would he NOT know she was pregnant. Unless he flew off before his sperm hit her egg, talk about love 'em and leave 'em, then he would have noticed something with his senses.

Even without know, he still left HER out of no where.

 

[smallville fan]

I have a question. So if critics readily accepted the new modern day Batman movies which corrects flaws of the old Batman movies and praise it for doing so, why is it different that critics do not readily accept the new Superman in Man of Steel(which I feel captures the essence of how Superman was in his definitive stories like Birthright and All Star Superman, I have not seen Man of Steel yet and I have to wait later than the rest of the world to :/) compared to the real stinker of Superman Returns.

 

[Hammer!]

I couldn't disagree more. Several of the Pa Kent and Jor-El scenes stirred more emotions within me than anything in Superman Returns.

Yeah but all those moments were only a couple minutes long and quickly changed to another scene. Ruined some of the moment's emotional resonance IMO

 

[JangoNate]

Getting ready to go to bed and feels like going to bed on a school night with snow in the forecast. Will I wake up to find lots of white (the RT score has improved) or will I fine dreary rain (the RT score has dipped into rotten territory).

Still very excited and already convinced by what I've read that I'll like it. I rewatch the Transformers movies all the time. Doesn't take much for me, just give me riveting action to a moving score (Zimmer knocked it out of the park).

 

[Poni_Boy]

I still don't see how that is comparable to a Lex Luthor land scheme sorry. I would say that sounds more comparable to the plan of Thanos and Loki. Oh Thanos and Loki you knuckleheads and your land scheme...

[BLACKOUT]Superman Returns: Luthor wanted to use Kryptonite to reform the Earth and then sell the new land masses at the sake of millions perishing.

Man of Steel: Zod wants to terraform the Earth and then rebuild Krypton at the sake of exterminating the human race.

The motivation of the villain might be slightly different but it's the same thing to me just on a broader scale[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Ultimatehero]

Legitimate point, understandable Superman wants to learn about his past....MOS will surely explore this as well...BUT...

Superman is an adult..not a teenager....and his inability to consider consequences of his leaving Earth or inability to communicate that to loved ones...is just not excusable. Just because you have needs doesn't mean you can just ignore everyone else's and look clean.

I was actually talking about MOS and in reply to the person who said MOS Clark seems to be more "selfish" than the Superman from SR.

Yeah, leaving and ditching without a word is kind of careless and a plot hole in those regards. But, I can say I'm okay with the kid there. A lot of what adoptees, or at least me and I think Bryan Singer, yearn for is that biological connection. It's the one thing we don't have and many others take for granted. Often an adoptee who has a child says that it's like they finally feel grounded and like there's a gravity there rather than floating up in space. So, Superman getting a son really struck a chord for me and is why I think Singer went there as well. But, leaving without a word didn't really feel true to character.

From what I've seen, this Clark is going through an identity crises, keeps to himself and travels all over in search for his identity (I've so far lived in Long Island, Los Angeles, and soon NYC all in search of "trying to find the place for me" - unsure how many others have gone through this, but this side of the character I can definitely understand), and wants answers to questions a lot if not all adoptees have. And there are some people who have seen this as selfish which I'll never understand. And those bringing up selfish in MOS' case, wondering if it's more their views. Because, as said, Jason's character in 'Place Beyond the Pines' was really relatable to me and one of my friends who's also adopted - but in the theater, IMDB, and here I've heard people calling him "selfish" when all he did was search. Which to me says people might be bringing their own 'beliefs' (no matter how informed they are) into 'searching' movies because they can't really grasp the yearning of it. We don't search to hurt, we don't want anyone to get hurt, we search to heal.

'Place Beyond the Pines' is actually a perfect example. Because for that movie I saw two distinct reactions. People calling Jason a jerk and selfish. While those who don't know either both or one of their parents related to it and stated it really got to them and rung true. It was a clear distinction to me of people who have no emotional stake in knowing that that's like calling it selfish, while those who have experienced it calling it real and great for the film to go there.

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

Yeah not gonna read anymore spoilers Poni Boy sorry...lol. But once see this movie maybe I'll change my tune but for now that connection sounds like a real stretch.

 

[Poni_Boy]

There's no way, with his powers, would he NOT know she was pregnant. Unless he flew off before his sperm hit her egg, talk about love 'em and leave 'em, then he would have noticed something with his senses.

Even without know, he still left HER out of no where.

Since we're going into the fan fic territory I'll throw this out there:

They slept together. Parted ways the next day or a few days after. He met with some scientists who told him they found remnants of Krypton but due to [insert spacial anomaly] he only had a few hour window to reach it before the pathway shifted and he wouldn't be able to follow it. So he had a choice to leave immediately or miss the opportunity. Doesn't mean he didn't make a selfish decision but it's not an outlandish explanation.

 

[Ozymandias]

Anything would have been better than what happened. Wreaked of cowardice to me.

It wreaked of an immature not knowing whether he should listen to his father or say, "Screw it, I'm gonna save him no matter the consequences."

Pa Kent believed the world wasn't ready for Clark's secret to be exposed. That he would be taken away or any number of awful things would happen. The tornado scene is not a showing of cowardice. It's a showing of Clark's uncertainty of his place and purpose in the world and his father's determination to protect him until the world is ready to accept his son.

At least, that's how I interpreted it.

 

[sf2]

i think most of us are freaking out because superman has suffered decades of development hell, we can barely take another blow no matter how lightly it is.
n we are jealous of Marvel marvelous success: even a secondary hero can be made huge.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

It wreaked of an immature not knowing whether he should listen to his father or say, "Screw it, I'm gonna save him no matter the consequences."

Pa Kent believed the world wasn't ready for Clark's secret to be exposed. That he would be taken away or any number of awful things would happen. The tornado scene is not a showing of cowardice. It's a showing of Clark's uncertainty of his place and purpose in the world and his father's determination to protect him until the world is ready to accept his son.

At least, that's how I interpreted it.

Agreed.

 

[Street Vendor]

Didn't he leave suddenly, looking for remnants of Krypton? It wasn't that he didn't care about her, he was looking for home. He never left to intentionally hurt her.

If I'm not mistaken the novelization says that Superman didn't know he would be gone for five years. It's been awhile since I've read it though.

 

[DMC40]

there's no way, with his powers, would he not know she was pregnant. Unless he flew off before his sperm hit her egg, talk about love 'em and leave 'em, then he would have noticed something with his senses.

Even without know, he still left her out of no where.

lmao!

 

[8Diagrams(WU)]

Were seeing the Batman Begins effect here where some are getting just used to the idea of a different style of Superman and have to criticize it as a reaction to being outside their comfort zone. In retrospect Begins was the start of something special. Its clear the movie is good and its going to fire a new set of movies.

 

[blumatic]

I have a question. So if critics readily accepted the new modern day Batman movies which corrects flaws of the old Batman movies and praise it for doing so, why is it different that critics do not readily accept the new Superman in Man of Steel(which I feel captures the essence of how Superman was in his definitive stories like Birthright and All Star Superman, I have not seen Man of Steel yet and I have to wait later than the rest of the world to :/) compared to the real stinker of Superman Returns.

We all know Batman Forever and Batman & Robin we awful.

But Batman 89, and Batman Returns and the Dark Knight Trilogy had that same dark tone for the most part. So in a way this Batman was familiar to the critics. Both Jokers were scene stealers, both Catwoman had a sexiness to them.

Man of Steel seems like a departure from the Donnerverse. But the trailers to me look like Birthright and Earth One.

 

[Poni_Boy]

It wreaked of an immature not knowing whether he should listen to his father or say, "Screw it, I'm gonna save him no matter the consequences."

Pa Kent believed the world wasn't ready for Clark's secret to be exposed. That he would be taken away or any number of awful things would happen. The tornado scene is not a showing of cowardice. It's a showing of Clark's uncertainty of his place and purpose in the world and his father's determination to protect him until the world is ready to accept his son.

At least, that's how I interpreted it.

Funny how he didn't balk at making the same decision for others. Was a poorly written scene to me no matter how you try to explain it.

 

[Hammer!]

Were seeing the Batman Begins effect here where some are getting just used to the idea of a different style of Superman and have to criticize it as a reaction to being outside their comfort zone. In retrospect Begins was the start of something special. Its clear the movie is good and its going to fire a new set of movies.

Welcome to phase 1

 

[Snark88]

i think most of us are freaking out because superman has suffered decades of development hell, we can barely take another blow no matter how lightly it is.
n we are jealous of Marvel marvelous success: even a secondary hero can be made huge.

See I enjoy Marvel movies, but i've grown incredibly tired of them.

 

[titansupes]

To the people that have seen this movie:

I understand there are a LOT of fights... But are any of them 'emotional', and do they feel motivated by character/plot necessity... Or are they just there?

 

[db85usa]

Nothing is funnier...or sadder....than someone complaining that someone else posted a spoiler by quoting it for even more people to see.

Yeah, lol I realized I made that mistake long afterwards. I was multitasking and in the middle of work so I did not take the time to come back and edit it.

 

[Poni_Boy]

To the people have seen this movie:

I understand there are a LOT of fights... But are any of them 'emotional', and do they feel motivated by character/plot necessity... Or are they just there?

[BLACKOUT]The one where he's defending his mother does, to me. the others just felt like standard issue motivated superhero fights on a bigger scale[/BLACKOUT]

 

[flickchick85]

The more I hear the specifics of these complaints, the more confident I am that I'll enjoy it. I mean seriously: [blackout]Zod's scheme mirroring Luthor's in SR[/blackout]? That's quite a stretch, imo.