Superman Returns to us, Superman is the greatest superhero, but does the public think the same?

[sf2]

I loved Superman Returns...but even so, I found many, many problems with this movie. And the fault lies entirely with Singer and his screenwriters. They simply do not have a handle on the Superman of today's world.

Lex's portrayal was a version of the character that's been dead for 20 years (Spacey deserved so much more to work with), Lex's plan was sliiiightly insane...not fitting for the genius he's supposed to be, there was virtually no relationship between Clark and Lois (even in the Donnor movies, they had a much closer relationship,) and it didn't bother me that much, but I do concur that the action in this movie was not really fitting for the comic book crowd, and worst of all, (as exemplified by Singer's recent statements about the pregnancy and the kid) the director did NOT take the time to solidify or establish any kind of back story for this film.

He said the Donnor films were a vague history, but the vague-ness was SO vague that it constricted his own vision. Speaking of the kiss, "Oh I just ignored that part and assumed she remembered sleeping with him..." You can't do crap like that...you have to know what has gone on in this universe before...and not pick and choose certain bits and pieces of the past to make your own story work.

I hope that's why the film underperformed...that Singer messed up the character and not so much the public's view of the character. But even so, it's obvious that the general public prefers their pirates and mutants over Superman. Which is a shame. But hopefully, that's all Singer's fault.

(I still think Superman's the greatest superhero though... )

ya, i gotta agree with you.
But the question is did WB & Singer know about these?
because from what horn had said, he thought SR didn't do great because of the lack of huge action to appeal to the young male audiences.

 

[Anita18]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

I found the conflict between Bats and Supes in DKR was really quite interesting - way more interesting than anything that happened in SR, LOL. In DKR, Supes is boy-scoutesque to a fault. He lets the US government walk all over him, because he doesn't want conflict between him and the people he's protecting. "We must not remind them that giants walk the earth," he says. Meanwhile, Bats doesn't give a crap. "The world only makes sense when you force it to...We could have changed the world. Now look at us. I've become a political liability, and you..You're a joke."

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

 

[casketmouth]

I can't agree with you hear old buddie, Joker has not been as overused as Luthor. And the problem is, is that Lex doesn't have any superpowers and Superman does so it makes for boring previews... atleast. (still haven't seen the movie yet) Thats why I'm in no hurry to see the movie, no supervillian. Lex has been in four Superman movies, give him a rest WB!

and keep havin the idea of not watchin it, go watch 'The Dark Knight' when it comes out and watch batman begins until then. At least you'll get what you pay for on that spectrum.

 

[WormyT]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I'm DEFINITELY one of those who says this movie was for teen girls.
It was marketed that way and a lot of people I know who loved the movie are girls who've never read a comic in their life. A lot of people like it but it seems like a lot of non comicbook reading girlie girls fell in love with the romancein it (which is weird to me because i thought it didn't work). personally I don't mind romance as long as it works. Spiderman-iffy, LOTR-definitely, SW (solo/leia) definitely worked.
[/QUOTE]

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

This is very strange that a comic reader would say this. Right now the All Star superman comic has superman even more powerful than he is in the movies and more intellegent too, yet it portrays perfectly how brains beats brawn everytime. And besides Luthor, in the regular Superman books Superman faces characters like Darkseid and Metallo who pound Superman to a pulp on their best days. Lets not forget that Superman was literally beaten to death by Doomsday. All these characters could easily be introduced on screen if we had a director with the B@lls to do it. Singer unfortunetly is living by the Donner code which is keep everything completely grounded. This works for Batman because it's the real world but Superman is pure fantasy/sci Fi. Hes an alien, therefore needs more alien villains and adventures beyond Smallville and Metropolis.

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

That would be very cool. Give the city people a voice like in Alex Ross's Marvels and Astro City. We never get any sence of the worlds view beyond "Yippee hes back" and "oh god hes everywhere at once"

 

[Steelsheen]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

I found the conflict between Bats and Supes in DKR was really quite interesting - way more interesting than anything that happened in SR, LOL. In DKR, Supes is boy-scoutesque to a fault. He lets the US government walk all over him, because he doesn't want conflict between him and the people he's protecting. "We must not remind them that giants walk the earth," he says. Meanwhile, Bats doesn't give a crap. "The world only makes sense when you force it to...We could have changed the world. Now look at us. I've become a political liability, and you..You're a joke."

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

good post

i always felt that some of Supe's best qualities are also his biggest flaws: his idealism, his philosophies and his compassion. it becomes a flaw because this can be manipulated by his enemies into forcing him to act one way or the other. there's been a lot of great stories about this that would work so perfectly on the big screen, not to mention resonating with public consciousness and sparking some sort of discussion/ debate for those who likes that sort of thing.

 

[Kabuki_Jo]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

I found the conflict between Bats and Supes in DKR was really quite interesting - way more interesting than anything that happened in SR, LOL. In DKR, Supes is boy-scoutesque to a fault. He lets the US government walk all over him, because he doesn't want conflict between him and the people he's protecting. "We must not remind them that giants walk the earth," he says. Meanwhile, Bats doesn't give a crap. "The world only makes sense when you force it to...We could have changed the world. Now look at us. I've become a political liability, and you..You're a joke."

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

Nice post, Anita.
My wife shares your opinion.

 

[ultimatefan]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

I found the conflict between Bats and Supes in DKR was really quite interesting - way more interesting than anything that happened in SR, LOL. In DKR, Supes is boy-scoutesque to a fault. He lets the US government walk all over him, because he doesn't want conflict between him and the people he's protecting. "We must not remind them that giants walk the earth," he says. Meanwhile, Bats doesn't give a crap. "The world only makes sense when you force it to...We could have changed the world. Now look at us. I've become a political liability, and you..You're a joke."

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

Lotsa interesting ideas, and still Singer would have been flamed by the fanboys if he did any of that.

 

[ultimatefan]

I resent statements like, "SR was made for teenage girls" since I'm a girl who was immensely disappointed by the direction SR took story-wise (or rather, mostly due to the lack of believable conflict). Then again I've never been one for "chick flicks," LOL. I despise the things.

I was talking with a guy from work who was also a comic book fan, and he thought that SR was good for what it was. He didn't think that the screenwriters could have done much better. Despite being familiar with the Superman mythos, he didn't think that the character itself lent to a good movie premise, because you can't really throw a good conflict at Supes. He's nigh invulnerable, except for kryptonite. He's got all these crazy powers, like superstrength, flight, heat vision, cold breath, etc, etc. What couldn't the guy overcome, honestly? The only believable conflicts you could give Supes would be emotional or mental ones. I agree with the fact that Supes would easily overcome any physical conflict (except for kryptonite, but the audience would SO see that coming), but I don't think that the emotional conflict in SR was the best that Singer could do.

I found the conflict between Bats and Supes in DKR was really quite interesting - way more interesting than anything that happened in SR, LOL. In DKR, Supes is boy-scoutesque to a fault. He lets the US government walk all over him, because he doesn't want conflict between him and the people he's protecting. "We must not remind them that giants walk the earth," he says. Meanwhile, Bats doesn't give a crap. "The world only makes sense when you force it to...We could have changed the world. Now look at us. I've become a political liability, and you..You're a joke."

Maybe instead of having the Lois-doesn't-love-me-anymore emotional conflict that SR had, they could have had Supes saving someone who ultimately goes on to do horrible things. In doing right, things get worse, and Supes starts questioning himself. That would be a whole lot cooler. Or heck, actually follow through with the premise that we were actually given for SR - the public shunning Supes upon his return. People thought that that would be unbelievable, but it isn't unbelievable at all for a lot of people to hate you for your abilities. They could have gone "The Incredibles" route and have people start suing him for saving them and/or causing property damage while rescuing someone, LOL.

Lotsa interesting ideas, and still Singer would have been flamed by a lot of fanboys if he did any of that.

 

[Alonsovich]

Lotsa interesting ideas, and still Singer would have been flamed by a lot of fanboys if he did any of that.

He would've only been criticised (sp?) by the Smallville fanboys. The thing that has alienated a LOT of fans of the character is actually Singer's lack of reference to the world of Superman on the written and drawn page, and instead only referencing one incarnation of the character. This is what has infuriated a lot of fans. What did you guys expect? That fans were waiting 25 years for Superman III redux? If this film would've been done in the 80s it would've been very appreciated. But not now. This film is 20 years late in it's release date.

 

[ultimatefan]

On the topic, the truth is, one thing fans and media have to put off their minds is the notion that "Superman is the most popular superhero". He is one of the better known ones, yeah, but it doesn´t mean he´s still the most popular. People all over the world recognize the "s", but it doesn´t necessarily mean they´ll rush to see him. He was the top superhero for a long time, but things changed in the sixties and seventies with the Marvel age, and then in the eighties with the grim and gritty heroes like the post-Miller Batman, Daredevil, the increasingly wild Wolverine, etc. Even if you take Donner´s highly successful first movie and you compare adjusted by inflation numbers, it wasn´s as popular in US as the first Batman or the first Spider-Man. Superman TAS, even though a popular show, was kicked in the ass weekly by Spider-Man TAS, regardless the fact that in many aspects it was a superior show. Versions like Lois and Clark and Smallville are hardly recognizable in terms of the canon, one is a goofy rom-com, the other a teenage soap opera with some overblown CGI shots here and there. As sad as it is to admit, Superman may still be an icon, but fight or no fight, kid or no kid, he may not again reach the kind of "hot item" status in pop culture he once had.

 

[The Kid]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat? I believe Confusing people with vague history bull and recycling decades old material is the obstacle for this version of superman, not popularity with the kiddies, but who knows what would have happened if superman was restarted fresh with a fun new adventure akin to his comic counterpart more than the cheesy version from yesteryear. What is up with all the talk of the most popular, beloved, and recognizable comic hero ever not being popular anymore? Superman shot himself in the foot twice with superman 3 and 4, but still survived afterwards on tv and comics to this very day.

Yes spider-man came along and is owning the box office but it won't last forever. The King returns to take back his crown and what happens? It's one quirky donner buttkiss sort of film full of heavy handed nods to donner and Jesus christ, oh and a plot twist you can see coming from space, also vague history that'll just confuse you. It doesn't take a team of nasa engineers to figure out why this version of supes isn't being so well recieved as expected does it? Let's be honest here.

 

[Masut]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat? I believe Confusing people with vague history bull and recycling decades old material is the obstacle for this version of superman, not popularity with the kiddies, but who knows what would have happened if superman was restarted fresh with a fun new adventure akin to his comic counterpart more than the cheesy version from yesteryear. What is up with all the talk of the most popular, beloved, and recognizable comic hero ever not being popular anymore? Superman shot himself in the foot twice with superman 3 and 4, but still survived afterwards on tv and comics to this very day.

Yes spider-man came along and is owning the box office but it won't last forever. The King returns to take back his crown and what happens? It's one quirky donner buttkiss sort of film full of heavy handed nods to donner and Jesus christ, oh and a plot twist you can see coming from space, also vague history that'll just confuse you. It doesn't take a team of nasa engineers to figure out why this version of supes isn't being so well recieved as expected does it? Let's be honest here.

You summed it up well, and are right as usual. I admit SR did have these problems, but it's lower than expected performance doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad film. Good films can underperform and not prove popular for a number of reasons non-related to whether the film was of a high standard or not. Not that you said it was, but others may have thought so.

But good post, as usual.

 

[nogster]

i dotn think it was a bad film.
i think it was a bad superman film.

its clear that there are some great moments in the movie and that bryan singer is a talented director. it was very well made, but...it was poor IMO for superman returning to the bigscreen.
too many flaws in the story, the romance had little chemistry, the lex plot was ridiculous and made no sense even for a comic book film. the vague continuation that was more a re-imagining of STM pretending to be a sequel was the wrong decision.
there is IMO too much wrong with the film, too many flaws that i cannot overlook.
superman deserved a better big screen return than this film.
and prior to watching it, i was certain it woudl be fantastic and raise the bar for superhero movies like BB did.
but it didnt. it let me down.

 

[The Kid]

You summed it up well, and are right as usual. I admit SR did have these problems, but it's lower than expected performance doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad film. Good films can underperform and not prove popular for a number of reasons non-related to whether the film was of a high standard or not. Not that you said it was, but others may have thought so.

But good post, as usual.

It's a decent film, yeah, I've said that before. As a fan film, I view it as worth a watch for a kickass plane scene and I guess some other stuff, but my memory is fuzzy. Like nogster says up there though and I agree this was hehe kinda not what superman deserves after all these years, to me anyway. I'm thinking not only about the film, and the kid, i'm thinking about these other heros, like batman, like spidey, who are mostly I think trying to make it on their own rather than leaning on past franchises and such to give them some vague background. That wouldn't work for them and I believe for superman it's definitely the wrong approach. Because he extends far beyond donner's universe, beyond wigs, beyond brando, zod, beyond reeve, beyond kidder, beyond all that stuff... that my personal thoughts on all this is that it's like throwing all the great ideas for supes that have been built since Lex and Otis first discussed why the number 200 was so relevant to them away, goodbye, gone. And it's very dissapointing to see and know that superman's future on film may never go beyond what was done in the 70s and 80s or that his next adventure will be a custody battle over his kid. Not that they'll really do that, I hope.

This whole continuation of donner's supes is unfortunately not that interesting to me as a fan of superman. I don't know exactly how others really view it in terms of whee this franchise could go, though it's an interesting idea to me to have superman's son take over and have Superman Beyond stories. I personally would prefer to see a new superman since it's a new actor and everything, to play off nolan's begins. Some people say they wouldn't watch an origin again, but they did. This film, I think, down the line will be seen as the origin tale of Super-Jason.

It's true.

 

[Masut]

It may not be the perfect 'Superman' film, but after seeing it, it was the best 'film' I had ever seen. The music was exactly my type. The story was right up my alley, and the overall feel of the film and how it made me react was perfect.

I loved seeing an invincible man being beaten brutally 'both physically and mentally'.

I remember hating the kid before I'd seen the movie, and then strangely loving the whole idea after seeing it on screen. Seeing him run up and jump up to kiss his Father on the head while in the hospital was damn moving in my opinion. And then seeing Superman actually well up with tears while talking to him in his sleep topped it all off.

I enjoyed the complete awkwardness between Superman and Lois, and Superman showing emotion towards a child... his child, and to problems and obstacles he had never previously dealt with.

The 'beating' scene. My god. I've watch gory films, sad films, romantic films, the lot. And not one made that much of an impact on me. Kitty's cries topped it.

And seeing a man who looks like us, but is not, catching a plane and lifting an entire cruiser was pure awe. Oh, and not to mention an entire continent. (Plot hole aside)

As you can tell, this is MY kind of Superman. The film has some plotholes and flaws like every other film, but to me it was insignificant. I am not a blind fan, and I did my fair share of bi***ing before the film was released too. But the film 'made' me love it, I didn't force myself to. I am so eagerly awaiting an extended cut and the DVD, and of course, the sequel.

 

[GarudA]

The fact is simple, the movie was average and was not what the public wanted. One would say maybe it did bad in the USA and somehow one can explain the bad numbers with stupidity, but doing worse overseas was just the nail on the coffin.

 

[Masut]

The fact is simple, the movie was average and was not what the public wanted. One would say maybe it did bad in the USA and somehow one can explain the bad numbers with stupidity, but doing worse overseas was just the nail on the coffin.

The movie being average is not a fact at all. It's an opinion. Just like the movie being great is my one. Just because a majority or group share the same taste in film, and SR not being their type, doesn't make anything fact.

 

[GarudA]

The movie being average is not a fact at all. It's an opinion. Just like the movie being great is my one. Just because a majority or group share the same taste in film, and SR not being their type, doesn't make anything fact.

Yes it is the opinions of many. One can easily see this by the various reviews and opinions from the internet and also from people I know. If you liked the movie that is your choice. Bad word of mouth hurt the movies boxoffice and if you want to deny that then go ahead. $368? Worldwide? So what are the factors for the bad numbers?

 

[Masut]

Yes it is the opinions of many. One can easily see this by the various reviews and opinions from the internet and also from people I know. If you liked the movie that is your choice. Bad word of mouth hurt the movies boxoffice and if you want to deny that then go ahead. $368? Worldwide? So what are the factors for the bad numbers?

Numbers mean nothing to me. It doesn't define a film of being poor or great. I've seen a lot of crap rake up high numbers in cinemas.

And the reviews I read in my papers have been extremely positive, and everyone 'I know' loved the film. I seriously wonder why some of you call it crap, when there is stuff being released that REALLY deserves your negative attention.

 

[GarudA]

Numbers mean nothing to me. It doesn't define a film of being poor or great. I've seen a lot of crap rake up high numbers in cinemas.

And the reviews I read in my papers have been extremely positive, and everyone 'I know' loved the film. I seriously wonder why some of you call it crap, when there is stuff being released that REALLY deserves your negative attention.

Did you see the same movie? Because what I saw was a below average movie. Waited 20 years and all got was SR?

 

[Masut]

Did you see the same movie? Because what I saw was a below average movie. Waited 20 years and all got was SR?

*sigh* I can't be bothered with you people anymore. At the end of the day it's me who is enjoying it. Everyone has their own opinions, but don't ruin others moods.

 

[GarudA]

*sigh* I can't be bothered with you people anymore. At the end of the day it's me who is enjoying it. Everyone has their own opinions, but don't ruin others moods.

Then why respond to my comments? Is it not futile?

 

[ultimatefan]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat? I believe Confusing people with vague history bull and recycling decades old material is the obstacle for this version of superman, not popularity with the kiddies, but who knows what would have happened if superman was restarted fresh with a fun new adventure akin to his comic counterpart more than the cheesy version from yesteryear. What is up with all the talk of the most popular, beloved, and recognizable comic hero ever not being popular anymore? Superman shot himself in the foot twice with superman 3 and 4, but still survived afterwards on tv and comics to this very day.

Yes spider-man came along and is owning the box office but it won't last forever. The King returns to take back his crown and what happens? It's one quirky donner buttkiss sort of film full of heavy handed nods to donner and Jesus christ, oh and a plot twist you can see coming from space, also vague history that'll just confuse you. It doesn't take a team of nasa engineers to figure out why this version of supes isn't being so well recieved as expected does it? Let's be honest here.

I didn´t say he isn´t popular anymore, but all signs today point to characters like Spidey and Bats being more popular. Even around comics geeks, how often has Superman been the lead selling character in the last two decades? Were Man Of Steel or For All Seasons as popular and as influential to modern comics as DKR, Year One, Killing Joke? Was his animated series, which was very true to comics canon, as popular as Batman TAS, Spider-Man TAS or X-Men TAS? Was his first movie as popular - even considering adjusted numbers - as Batman 89 and Spider-Man?

 

[Alonsovich]

I didn´t say he isn´t popular anymore, but all signs today point to characters like Spidey and Bats being more popular. Even around comics geeks, how often has Superman been the lead selling character in the last two decades? Were Man Of Steel or For All Seasons as popular and as influential to modern comics as DKR, Year One, Killing Joke? Was his animated series, which was very true to comics canon, as popular as Batman TAS, Spider-Man TAS or X-Men TAS? Was his first movie as popular - even considering adjusted numbers - as Batman 89 and Spider-Man?

It was almost as popular. Adjusted to inflation STM made 378 million.

 

[Frodo]

Superman is still beloved by the public IMO. Look at the popularity of Smallville. If anything, I think SR didn't live up to the public's expectations . From talking to various people , I got the impression alot where left confused and disappointed. I would lay that solely at the door of Bryan Singer.

I think he had more of a fascination with the Donner film then with the Mythology of the character as a whole. Even though SR has some good aspects such as Routh ,and the effects , it didn't capture the public's imagination the same way Spiderman and Batman Begins did.

There's also the Smallville factor. To alot of people Tom Welling is Superman basically. I think as long as that show is on the air , people are gonna compare or expect the film to be related somehow. Maybe once the show is off the air in a year or two it can give the audience time to accept a new Superman .