Superman Returns Would the movie had been better if (about the ending)...

[LostSon88]

One of the biggest complaints I have heard about Superman Returns is that after NK is thrown into space (basically the climax of the movie), it feels as if the movie has no idea where to go from there...

When I was watching it and it came to Superman in the hospital I had this feeling that they were going to end the movie on a cliffhanger with Supes dead and never touching upon what happened to Luthor (I came in pretty much spoiler-free).

Obviously that didn't happen, but when I think back, I think it would've been a more powerful ending for the movie with Supes "dying" and leaving what happened to Luthor a mystery...IMO, it would've been shocking and would have left the audience wondering about the sequel...

Thoughts?

 

[Lightning54SC]

i liked how it ended but i too wish they had a climax like BB but this movie did go from a 6 to a 9.5 on my list...it didnt get a 10 from me just due no cliffhanger

 

[Mee]

i liked how it ended but i too wish they had a climax like BB but this movie did go from a 6 to a 9.5 on my list...it didnt get a 10 from me just due no cliffhanger

Begins has probably the best comic book movie ending, hard to top.

 

[Lightning54SC]

Begins has probably the best comic book movie ending, hard to top.

it could have been if superman had a cliffhanger that would have made all the trolls happier im sure

 

[Boiiinng]

My initial thought after the movie is that Superman should have "died" and it should have ended with Jason being the future. However, it's obvious that WB/DC no longer has the balls to tackle that story in another medium again so they opted for the 20 minute Spielberg ending, and I say that mainly because they showed the doctors unable to revive him because of his impervious nature and yet a couple of scenes later he's got a 40-beat heartrate. If he shorted out the defibs how the heck did they revive him?

 

[LostSon88]

Well they did remove that shard of kryptonite from his back...obviously it just took some time for his body to recuperate back to 100%.

 

[Conundrum]

I felt the same way. When the camera started to zoom out from Lex's final scene, I thought the film was going to end on a cliffhanger vis-a-vis the fate of Superman. I didn't like the idea, but everything after Lex's final scene seemed to make the movie drag.

Ending the movie on a cliffhanger, maybe something similar to Spidey 2, where Superman needs to respond to an unknown crisis could have worked. I think that, as part of the audience, a film has a point where it feels like it should end, and that came about 20 mins before it actually did.

 

[LostSon88]

I kinda felt the same way, I mean I still love how the movie ended (the Superman speech to Jason was great) but there was a point after Superman was sent to the hospital where I felt, "Okay...um...they really need to start wrapping it up." cuz I could tell that the audience was gettin' kinda antsy.

I mean typically after the climax of a movie it should start to wind down, by then the audience is pretty much 'spent' emotionally and are ready to go. Wid SR, they pretty much added another 20 min of sub-plot.

This is kinda the problem some people had with the LOTR: Return of the King. (I didn't though)

 

[sag002]

i liked the ending. shutting everything down in one shot.

 

[danoyse]

I was a bit iffy with the hospital scene (Superman in an ER with the suit on just looked a little silly)...but I think the introduction as Jason as his son made the ending a lot more interesting, rather than go the usual route and introduce a new villian.

The scene in Jason's bedroom was one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

 

[J.Howlett]

Cut the doctors trying to reviving Superman and cut Lex and Kitty's little coda and the ending would've been perfect.

After we pan down to see Superman lying in the crater and it fades to black, they should've cut right to the Daily Planet Headline close up "Superman Is Dead."

Because in that scene, we see the television montors and know he's in the hospital in critical condition and that there is a vigil outside. You don't need the doctor's reviving him scene in the film.

 

[LostSon88]

That would've been good J, only the only thing I would change is that after it zooms into Superman in the crater cue some dramatic music and FADE OUT...and that will be the end.

That would've given people a "WTF? Is he dead?" kinda reaction, leading into Superman IV.

 

[danoyse]

Oh, I would have left in the scene with Lex and Kitty on the island. That got a great response from the audience both times I saw it.

After all, he did get an island.

 

[J.Howlett]

True, but it does bog that ending down a bit. Having them last seen in the helicopter I thought was enough.

Now, we'll have to waste time possibly explaining how he got off that island in sequel.

As a matter of fact, you could've cut Lex's beginning scene was well. It's not really important how he got the money. The film already explains how it got out of jail. That's all you need to know.

Cutting that beginning out would've given plenty of room to the Smallville scenes that technically need to be in there that would give the overall theme of loneliness more power to it than it already has in the film now.

 

[Billy Batson]

I was a bit iffy with the hospital scene (Superman in an ER with the suit on just looked a little silly)

SUPERMAN in the HOSPITAL?
I can not BELIEVE THIS CRAP!
You guys really enjoyed this movie?
I'm out of touch, I don't get it, I just don't get!

 

[danoyse]

True, but it does bog that ending down a bit. Having them last seen in the helicopter I thought was enough.

Now, we'll have to waste time possibly explaining how he got off that island in sequel.

Well, the first movie had an entire opening explaining villians that didn't reappear until the 2nd movie. It can be done.

 

[J.Howlett]

danoyse,

True. But, I don't want them to spend too much time on the sequel trying to figure out how he got off the thing. Him and Kitty in the helicopter, making a getaway, is just a faster way to end it and get to the most important moment in the film.

I mean, it's fine. Spacey is great but the ending does have a Return of the King type feel...but not nearly as bad.

 

[danoyse]

danoyse,

True. But, I don't want them to spend too much time on the sequel trying to figure out how he got off the thing. Him and Kitty in the helicopter, making a getaway, is just a faster way to end it and get to the most important moment in the film.

I mean, it's fine. Spacey is great but the ending does have a Return of the King type feel...but not nearly as bad.

They also explained how he got out of jail in a quick scene between Clark and Jimmy. Getting off the island doesn't have to be all that elaborate.

 

[Galactical]

What the heck did lois whisper to superman...

 

[J.Howlett]

danoyse,

I mean, again, it works fine. I just would've cut it...being an inspiring editor and all.

 

[LostSon88]

What the heck did lois whisper to superman...

"You're my baby's daddy."

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yeah, pretty much.

Cliffhanger?

I think we were left with one. We still don't know the future of Jason, we still don't know what will happen between Lois and Richard, and Lois and Superman, and Lex WILL eventually get off that island.....what would he plan next?

 

[Boiiinng]

Well they did remove that shard of kryptonite from his back...obviously it just took some time for his body to recuperate back to 100%.

He had a flatline.

 

[LostSon88]

No really?

He was DOA...then they removed the kryptonite. He was still I guess by human standards dead, BUT since the shard of kryptonite was removed, his body slowly began to recover (Heart Rate 40, member) but because of the lack of exposure to the yellow sun, his body took that much longer to heal up...

 

[Clouseau]

when I think back, I think it would've been a more powerful ending for the movie with Supes "dying" and leaving what happened to Luthor a mystery...IMO, it would've been shocking and would have left the audience wondering about the sequel...

Thoughts?

that's interesting... i never thought of that idea...

i'm with the crowd who didn't like the ending they used, but i have mixed feelings over how else it could have ended...

i would almost have been happy if they'd even just ended when they showed that he'd left his hospital bed, but the more i think about it, the more i kinda like this cliffhanger idea...

i'm just not sure, though... might have to think about this a little more now...