Man of Steel (spoilers)

[Black Eye Guy]

Anyone seen the movie yet? I just got back, I really liked it.

The massive fights were epic, probably more so then The Avengers. The story was really good, but not excellent (but that might have been, cuz personally I'm a bit bored of origin stories)

I loved the changes they did to Lois Lane, she was badass and felt like a much rounder character then I've seen her before. Leaving out Lex and Kryptonite was an excellent decision, as there was already enough there that had been done before.

I imagine some die hard Superman fans wont be happy with some of the change, same way as they weren't for the Batman films, but I think that to transition from comics to an adult movie you have to clean up some of the comic stuff as they dont work in live action.

I dont know a whole lot about Superman, but I'm guessing the bit at the end (I'm just gonna spoiler tag it cuz this is the first post, but the title says spoilers so you shouldn't read on if you dont want them)

Spoiler

where Superman kills Zod is a massive deal, he has a whole no killing people thing, right

- I'm not sure it came across what a big deal that was for the character, but it did create the darker movie they wanted.

I really hope this leads to a larger universe now, it's overdue!

---------- Post added at 06:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

also the dollhouse reunion was awesome!

 

[kittenpoker]

Haven't seen it yet...but I definitely am eager to.

 

[white avenger]

I grew up with what I prefer to think of as the "real" Superman, and from what I have heard about the reboot, I don't really think that I'm going to be all that thrilled by what they've done. I do intend to see it, and I fully intend to withhold any definite, final judgement until after I do so. But I will say this now. Superman was one of my personal heroes growing up, and I have some very fond memories of running around the house with a red towel tied around my neck when I was a kid, and my dog would answer just as readily to "Krypto" as he would his real name. So, if they've messed my Superman up, there will be dire consequences.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I grew up with what I prefer to think of as the "real" Superman, and from what I have heard about the reboot, I don't really think that I'm going to be all that thrilled by what they've done. I do intend to see it, and I fully intend to withhold any definite, final judgement until after I do so. But I will say this now. Superman was one of my personal heroes growing up, and I have some very fond memories of running around the house with a red towel tied around my neck when I was a kid, and my dog would answer just as readily to "Krypto" as he would his real name. So, if they've messed my Superman up, there will be dire consequences.

I dont know a lot about the mythology, but they have made a few changes. But from what you just said there there is a scene you'll really like in there!

 

[Taake]

---------- Post added at 06:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

also the dollhouse reunion was awesome!

Ooh tell me more about this... Which actors? I have zero interest in the movie beyond this so if you spoil me that's completely ok.

 

[iShower4free]

Ooh tell me more about this... Which actors? I have zero interest in the movie beyond this so if you spoil me that's completely ok.

Harry Lennix (Boyd), and Tahmoh Penikett (Ballard) were both in it. I dont think I saw anyone else from it though.

---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------

I love the movie personally although I dont know much Superman back ground other than Smallville which I know isnt accurate at all mythology wise. Movie though I thought was excellent. The battle scenes with the kryptonians were so great and the acting, specially Shannon's (Zod) acting. The music was amazing, the graphics as well, and the story line while not academy award winning was quite good compared to other comic to movies.

---------- Post added at 08:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------

Oh and I just realized that Laura El in the movie was the kryptonian in Smallville who follows Lois back from the future, I forget her name and am too lazy to look it up. The who time I was trying to figure out what I recognized her from lol. Oh and I loved the fact that they introduce Emil Hamilton and then a minute later the actor who played Dr. Emil on Smallville was there as a different soldier haha, I laughed when I saw him but no one else did :-/

 

[Robb Stark]

I seem to be in the minority here so far, but it didn't blow me away. I thought it was way, way too long, it dragged at times and got a bit repetitive. I'm a little tired of every superhero franchise facing a dark reflection of themselves in the first movie installment (think about it, it's pretty crazy how many times it happens). All the Krypton stuff at the beginning I had a hard time caring about, and thought it was a good ten minutes longer than it needed to be (for instance, why do I care if Jor-El gets stabbed to death by Zod? He's about to blow up anyways).

I thought Lois Lane was quite good, and the movie did a great job both with the look of Superman's heat vision and the power of it. I thought that was well-conveyed. Henry Cavill was fine as Clark Kent/Superman, I had no problem with him (it's amazing how much he looked like Tom Welling at times), and while I felt like he could have brought more warmth to the character, he conveyed the pervading sense of isolation and loneliness Clark feels. The scoring was awesome (composed by Hans Zimmer, who did the Nolan Batman trilogy) all throughout. The story was...alright I guess. I little simple and a little silly at times. There were parts that I felt got more than a little heavy-handed in terms of religious symbolism. The Superman-is-Christ analogies were intriguing at first but became a bit tedious by the end. I guess there's a bit of that "feel" missing here. In the previous incarnations of the franchise, you really got this down-in-your-guts feeling that Superman is the best person in the whole world, someone you look up to not just as a hero but as a person, as soon as you're introduced to him. Christopher Reeves had that, and I thought Tom Welling really had it. I'm not sure if the new Superman does.

Michael Shanon is always a great villain, and he works hard at it here, but I kind of think, despite his talents, he's better suited to a different kind of role. He's not "bad" or anything, it's just that General Zod is supposed to be this commanding, coup leading, well, general. That's just not Shannon, good as he is.

So yeah, I thought it was alright. I think at the end of the day the movie just plain wasn't entertaining enough.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

I *might* watch the movie when it comes out on DVD. Until then I am still unhappy that they gave Superman a beard and chose Amy Adams to play Lois (don't get me wrong, she's a terrific actress. But she's not MY Lois).

 

[Black Eye Guy]

You really got this down-in-your-guts feeling that Superman is the best person in the whole world, someone you look up to not just as a hero but as a person, as soon as you're introduced to him. Christopher Reeves had that, and I thought Tom Welling really had it. I'm not sure if the new Superman does.

He's not supposed to, this was a darker version of Superman. Which I thought wored really well, and had to be done to make DC characters work, if they want to make a shared universe they have to change their characters up a bit.
I never got that feeling from Tom Welling, that guy was the worse, he was always the weakest part of Smalleville, and could have been replaced by a cardboard cutout.

I *might* watch the movie when it comes out on DVD. Until then I am still unhappy that they gave Superman a beard and chose Amy Adams to play Lois (don't get me wrong, she's a terrific actress. But she's not MY Lois).

I don't get why people are going so crazy over the beard, he's had a beard in the comics?

 

[Robb Stark]

He's not supposed to, this was a darker version of Superman. Which I thought wored really well, and had to be done to make DC characters work, if they want to make a shared universe they have to change their characters up a bit.
I never got that feeling from Tom Welling, that guy was the worse, he was always the weakest part of Smalleville, and could have been replaced by a cardboard cutout.

Well, to be fair, the Batman movies are produced by the same people, had a darker feel than any of their predecessors and Batman was still a relatable, deep character. In Batman, you really get why Bruce Wayne is the way he is, you really feel it. With Superman, I thought it was really, really shallow. The comics, the new ones as well, establish exactly why Superman cares about Earth so much, the impact his adoptive parents had/have on him. You understand that even though he's not human, he's really the most human person in the world. No matter how "dark" the character is, that is the heart of Superman. I didn't think that was conveyed very well. Jonathon Kent telling Clark to let a bus full of kids die? Clark not saving his dad from death because people might see him? Sorry, but that was dumb. And by the time the movie climaxed and the time for emotional payoff came, there was no substance to it. I couldn't figure out why Superman cared so much about Krypton replacing Earth because the setup wasn't there.

And really, the rebooted comics in DC right now showcase a darker version of Superman, who still retains the core aspects of what makes him, well, Superman. Everyone gets SO caught up in "this ain't your daddy's Superman! Look how dark he is!" (the advertising and hype pushed that endlessly) but that doesn't automatically make him a good character. Batman was dark, and he (in my totally awesome opinion of course) is the best comic book movie character of all time. Superman had his moments in the movie, it/he wasn't terrible, but for the most part I found really boring. There was no reason to get into his character, no emotional access. I'm all for putting a modern spin on characters and adding or removing things (and actually, the end to his fight with Zod is almost exactly like it is in the comics, and I liked it), for darkening up the character, but if you change the heart of the character, then he's not really the same character at all (not saying Superman went that far, they didn't, but I never went "this isn't Superman", but the core of him wasn't the same, and I didn't like that particular change).

(As for Tom Welling, it's a matter of complete opinion. Obviously people liked him as the lead, or his show wouldn't have run for a decade. Knowing the comics [which Smallville didn't hesitate to depart from at times], Welling was a great Superman, especially in S1-5.

 

[iShower4free]

Idk if this has been addressed by anyone else but they show how much is pained Superman to kill Zod, how much he really didn't want to. He only did it because Zod was going to kill those humans with his heat vision and he had no other way to stop him. He cried out in anguish after doing and and then held onto Lois while still on his knees. I think they should have added a few tears, but hey that's just me.

And about me earlier post I'm an idiot, Lara is not played by the Kryptonian who follows Lois back from the future :-/ I'm pretty sure it's the chick from Angels and Demons though lol. Trying to not have to IMDB it.

 

[Robb Stark]

Idk if this has been addressed by anyone else but they show how much is pained Superman to kill Zod, how much he really didn't want to. He only did it because Zod was going to kill those humans with his heat vision and he had no other way to stop him. He cried out in anguish after doing and and then held onto Lois while still on his knees. I think they should have added a few tears, but hey that's just me.

This was exactly what I was talking about. I thought that was a really cool scene (have to rave again about how awesome the heat vision was. I thought they absolutely nailed that), but it was the heart of my problem. Why is Superman so broken up about killing Zod? Because the buildup and flashbacks were so odd and unfulfilled, there was legitimate reason as a viewer to understand Superman's anguish in what should have been the most raw emotional scene in the movie. Contrast that with when Batman saves The Joker in "The Dark Knight", how powerful that scene is. I thought the emotional payoff in the final Zod moments could have been much, much stronger.

 

[white avenger]

I don't get why people are going so crazy over the beard, he's had a beard in the comics?

I'm not sure about Superman after about the early 70's, which is when I stopped reading comic books, but the original mythology of Superman was that his hair and beard didn't grow under Earth's yellow sun. There was, I believe, an issue in the 60's where red Kryptonite made his hair and beard grow dramatically, and he got Supergirl and Krypto to combine the full force of their heat vision to burn it off.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Well, to be fair, the Batman movies are produced by the same people, had a darker feel than any of their predecessors and Batman was still a relatable, deep character. In Batman, you really get why Bruce Wayne is the way he is, you really feel it. With Superman, I thought it was really, really shallow. The comics, the new ones as well, establish exactly why Superman cares about Earth so much, the impact his adoptive parents had/have on him. You understand that even though he's not human, he's really the most human person in the world. No matter how "dark" the character is, that is the heart of Superman. I didn't think that was conveyed very well. Jonathon Kent telling Clark to let a bus full of kids die? Clark not saving his dad from death because people might see him? Sorry, but that was dumb. And by the time the movie climaxed and the time for emotional payoff came, there was no substance to it. I couldn't figure out why Superman cared so much about Krypton replacing Earth because the setup wasn't there.
...

(not saying Superman went that far, they didn't, but I never went "this isn't Superman", but the core of him wasn't the same, and I didn't like that particular change).

Yeah I didn't get that at all. Superman as a character has also been completely unrelatable to me, he's the paragon of good, he's beyond human capabilities of good which has made him boring and not a very unrelatable character for me. I found this Superman way more relatable and based in reality compared to the comic book version.

The fanboy backlash for the movie is ridiculousness (and I dont mean you RS, I've read loads of stuff online), the amount of people complaining about the changes to Lois and how she knows who he is, is stupid, it's stupid to think she wouldn't know who she is, the movie is far more realistic and believable then any of the ones before it.

 

[Robb Stark]

Yeah I didn't get that at all. Superman as a character has also been completely unrelatable to me, he's the paragon of good, he's beyond human capabilities of good which has made him boring and not a very unrelatable character for me. I found this Superman way more relatable and based in reality compared to the comic book version.

The fanboy backlash for the movie is ridiculousness (and I dont mean you RS, I've read loads of stuff online), the amount of people complaining about the changes to Lois and how she knows who he is, is stupid, it's stupid to think she wouldn't know who she is, the movie is far more realistic and believable then any of the ones before it.

Fair enough, we just differ. And there are plenty of people who really enjoyed it, so maybe I'm totally out to lunch. I've always liked Superman (the reason it isn't one of my favorite comic books is simply because of the lack of quality villains, the character himself is actually something I've always enjoyed), and the new movie just didn't do it for me.

However, I agree with your second paragraph. A lot. I have my own criticisms with the movie which I think are valid, but some of the ones I've seen online are a joke. I had no problem with Lois as a character or Amy Adams' performance. Actually I thought she was one of the movie's strengths. I have no issue with an adaptation movie/T.V. show altering the source material.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Theres an interesting article on Geek Tyrant about the ending of MoS, and Zack Snyder said this:

"If it's truly an origin story, his aversion to killing is unexplained. I felt like, if we could find a way of making it impossible for him - Kobayashi Maru, totally no way out - I felt like that could also make you go, "˜This is the why of him never killing again.' He's basically obliterated his entire people and his culture, and he is responsible for it, and he's just, like, "˜How could I ever kill again?'"

This just made the ending much better for me, I already liked Superman killing Zod, it made sense for the story, but having it be the reason for why he wont be killing again, setting up that 'Superman never kills' thing people are going on about is brilliant, I think it give a lot more depth to MoS as an origin story.

 

[iShower4free]

It definitely gave more depth to Superman's aversion to killing because the movie doesn't really cover it at all.

 

[JCoatsworth]

I just got back from the movie theater and I have to say that I'm rather disappointed. It's the first time that I've watched a (live-action... ooh, well, semi-live-action) Superman movie, so I'm not a fanboy or anything that is going to criticize some plot details they altered or whatever. But all in all, there was WAY too much action, in my opinion. It's ridiculous.
I can't go into detail, because I haven't got much time right now. But I'll post something tomorrow or whenever I get around to it.

 

[white avenger]

Ahhhhh, where to begin...

Okay, first the minor details. The new uniform is too dark. Superman is not supposed to be a dark character, and the royal blue uniform with bright red accessories was supposed to symbolize that, likewise the gold shield on his chest surrounding the red "S". Which, by the way, is supposed to be present, minor the red, on his cape as well, and that cape is only supposed to fall to about knee level, not drag the ground behind him. And the texture of the uniform in general makes it look like snake skin. The red shorts, slightly more loose than the rest of the skin tight uniform, served the purpose, originally, of hiding any offensive bulges in that area. Luckily, this new "Pseudoman" doesn't have any problems in that area.

Superman with a beard is totally wrong, because his hair doesn't grow under Earth's yellow sun, and as yet there hasn't been any travel outside the solar system to allow for such growth.

CGI action can be great in moderation, or even to a certain amount of excess in a movie like "The Avengers," where there are multiple characters fighting individual battles. One guy slugging it out with one other guy, even if that "other guy is actually several taking turns, tends to move way over the line from exciting into boring.

And just how many times do we have to see Pseudoman scream in anguish, pain, determination, or just cause he feels like it? And as far as the screaming goes, Metropolis undergoes hundreds of billion dollars worth of damage, and undoubtedly thousands, if not TENS of thousands of deaths of innocent bystanders, and we get another one of those anguished screams simply because "you know who" does "you know what" to "he had it coming." Come ON, now!

And, in summation, the single worst thing imaginable. CLARK KENT DRINKING BEER!!! And Lois guzzling straight Scotch like a sailor? Some things, I can overlook, but that is just too much. Superheroes and their main squeezes drink fresh cold milk and eat fresh hot cookies. Period.

One by one, all of my childhood heroes are being destroyed. James Bond, Tarzan, Batman, now Superman, and the Lone Ranger looms on the horizon. Somebody just shoot me. I can't go on.

I will say, though, that Jor El was one kick ass daddy. He fought like a Roman Gladiator.

And I can't believe that I actually said that last.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

The new uniform is too dark. Superman is not supposed to be a dark character, and the royal blue uniform with bright red accessories was supposed to symbolize that, likewise the gold shield on his chest surrounding the red "S". Which, by the way, is supposed to be present, minor the red, on his cape as well, and that cape is only supposed to fall to about knee level, not drag the ground behind him. And the texture of the uniform in general makes it look like snake skin. The red shorts, slightly more loose than the rest of the skin tight uniform, served the purpose, originally, of hiding any offensive bulges in that area. Luckily, this new "Pseudoman" doesn't have any problems in that area.

...

And, in summation, the single worst thing imaginable. CLARK KENT DRINKING BEER!!! And Lois guzzling straight Scotch like a sailor? Some things, I can overlook, but that is just too much. Superheroes and their main squeezes drink fresh cold milk and eat fresh hot cookies. Period.

Why in the world would you want that, that sounds like some horrible disneyised under 12s Lois & Clark movie version. If the movie wanted to be taken seriously there is no way it could have done these, and sounds exactly like the flop version Superman Returns