Some thoughts on Superman (the movie, not Shaq or Dwight)

[indeedproceed]

So the rumor I'm reading from completely uncredited sources on IMDB comments sections is that Time Warner has to get going on a Superman movie by 2011

I read all that because Superman returns was on today.

I went to movie theaters to see this movie, haven't watched it since. It had all the parts to succeed. Fantastic supporting cast highlighted by Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor (is there a possible better choice on paper?), Parker Posey as Luthor's comedy relief, a great Perry White whose name escapes me now, and Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen in the part this actor was basically born to play.

The director Bryan Singer has some serious cred with "The Usual Suspects", and he also directed X men, X2, basically a solid director.

Then there is Brandon Routh, who after a second watching really does a pretty solid job as superman. Obviously nobody can compete with Christopher Reeves in the first 2 supermans, but at least we didn't get the brooding emo Tom Welling version of the iconic superhero. I'm kind of playing him down, but he really did a really really good job.

But the screenplay...I mean, I just don't know. It flat out doesn't work. It seems so forced, tedious even. I could go on about why I didn't like it, but I won't. I'm no superman buff, I never read the comics or graphic novels, so my beef is not a fanboy one. In fact beyond the movies I never really dug superman, he was always too one dimensional to me. He is a god without flaws beyond kryptonite, and to me that's not interesting.

But I did love Christopher Reeves and Gene "HACK MAN" in the early 80's. Brandon Routh for the most part really came through in that regard.

So what is next for this franchise? Well if history is any teacher, they'll wait until we forgot about this mediocre film and reboot the franchise. I just think that's the wrong wrong wrong idea. I'm sure JJ Abrams or some other trendy hollywood flavor of the month will whip out a screenplay sometime late next year magically out of nowhere, and the movie will be released in 2012. I jsut really think that's a horrible idea. Back to basics, stick with Routh, ditch Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane and figure out some way to effectivly use Spacey as Lex Luthor. just do it right this time, guys.

[bopna]

All the franchise needs is a really nasty baddy, enough with this Lex luthor wants land or that sort of crap that makes the franchise weak in terms of story and screenplay...what this movie needs is action from start to finish,heck even Hancock was that much better in terms of action and superpowers thatn the man of steel..also ditch the love angles for Supes, reboot this character to a whole new level ala Batman.

[dark_lord]

marvel > dc....all day!

[indeedproceed]

marvel > dc....all day!

True.

[nickagneta]

Superman is just a lame super hero story. An alien from another planet comes here and has powers above and beyond anything that is conceivable for a human to do. The only thing that is possible to weaken him or even remotely hurt him is a piece of rock from a world that exploded light years away and we have to believe it can now somhow be harnessed or found here on earth. Add that to the fact that we now have to believe that a pair of glasses and some pathetic acting can make him become soooo incognito that no one can notice the resemblance between Superman and Clark Kent.

The only way to make the story interesting is to have him be in love with Lois Lane, constantly put her in danger somewhere and put Superman into a moral dilemma. Save the woman he loves or do something that helps the great good(save the world, stop a bomb from exploding, yadda, yadda, yadda) because there's no believable way to hurt or kill him.

[indeedproceed]

Superman is just a lame super hero story. An alien from another planet comes here and has powers above and beyond anything that is conceivable for a human to do. The only thing that is possible to weaken him or even remotely hurt him is a piece of rock from a world that exploded light years away and we have to believe it can now somhow be harnessed or found here on earth. Add that to the fact that we now have to believe that a pair of glasses and some pathetic acting can make him become soooo incognito that no one can notice the resemblance between Superman and Clark Kent.

The only way to make the story interesting is to have him be in love with Lois Lane, constantly put her in danger somewhere and put Superman into a moral dilemma. Save the woman he loves or do something that helps the great good(save the world, stop a bomb from exploding, yadda, yadda, yadda) because there's no believable way to hurt or kill him.

Well said. I don't have a problem with watching the movies, but all the reasons you stated above I never even tried to read the comics or anything.

[Dybdal]

Completly off topic but now we are debating re-filming an old film franchise, i would KILL to see a new Ghostbusters movie.

Oh yeah and what Nick said, Superman has never interresed me.. he's lame and is too one dimensional

[indeedproceed]

Completly off topic but now we are debating re-filming an old film franchise, i would KILL to see a new Ghostbusters movie.

Oh yeah and what Nick said, Superman has never interresed me.. he's lame and is too one dimensional

I dunno, who would play the ghostbusters...for me, Harold Rambis, Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray made that movie..those three guys could've made a movie about the ups an downs of dog walking and it would've been comedy gold.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I really liked Superman Returns myself. Sure it had plenty of dull moments, but I thought it was a solid job to start off the Superman movie franchise once again.

Rumors I've been hearing for a while now have been that they want to ditch this new reincarnation, and start from scratch again but with a darker story. Batman's current success is highly attributed to that aspect, that the story is dark.

They feel that Superman is too perfect, too nice, etc.

But we'll see. I had high hopes for sequels to the most recent movie, I had thought that they could do some really interesting things with it now that the story had found its base and launching pad.

[Dybdal]

Completly off topic but now we are debating re-filming an old film franchise, i would KILL to see a new Ghostbusters movie.

Oh yeah and what Nick said, Superman has never interresed me.. he's lame and is too one dimensional

I dunno, who would play the ghostbusters...for me, Harold Rambis, Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray made that movie..those three guys could've made a movie about the ups an downs of dog walking and it would've been comedy gold.

Can't agree more, i can see the script now..

1) Get a time machine
2) Kidnap the Original Cast at that time to come to our age and make a third film
3) Let the world see it and thus enter in a era of world peace
...
6) Use the same time machine to send Kobe Bryant to the Dark Ages

ahh bliss, what a world i would create if i were the supreme super lord.. thingy.

[Schupac]

Slightly on topic, I read an analysis somewhere that with most superheros the suspense is "will they beat the badguy and live".  But with superman, that is never the question, superman will always live.  The suspense is "will superman be able to save that train full of people, or will they die" or some such.  That's why superman fans feel there is tension in the stories.

Personally?  Doesn't work for me either.  Superman is too powerful and his foes just don't do it for me.  He reminds me of Eric Cartman in the SouthPark ninja episode, where he just keeps making up powers as he goes along.  It's not fun if he can do too much.  It would be like playing Chess with all your pawns able to move like queens.  It's not fair and it's not fun.

my 2 cents



Anyways, what they need to do is build off of the GOOD DC characters (And yes Darklord, there are some) like the martian hunter or...

...more batman.

That's all I got.

[wdleehi]

To me, the problem was they were too worried about the original movies instead of starting fresh (much like they did with the Batman series)


That and of course the big battle came when Superman lost his powers.  Why? 


No, they need to do a new one where there is a villian that actually has powers to battle Superman.  Someone that could beat him.  (there are plenty to choose from.  Brainiac, Doomsday, Bizzaro, Metallo, Darksied, Zod...)

[GreenFaith1819]

I think what the Superman franchise really needs is to maybe include a cameo appearance by another well-known hero from the DC Universe?

Since it appears that 2011 will be the year for the next Superman movie, why not have him fight Metallo or maybe Zod. With an appearance at the end of maybe Darkseid or Amazo?

This could then lead into an appearance by Wally West (Flash), or John Stewart/Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) at the end of the 2011 movie...sort of like along the lines of what happened with Tony Stark's appearance at the end of the 2nd Hulk movie.

Then the third Superman movie could involve Supes teaming with his comrades to take down Darkseid....or maybe Amazo?

You know that somehow Hulk will either fight the Avengers or team up with them sometime in a major motion picture..probably in a few years...just based off of that one appearance by Tony Stark at the end.

[GreenFaith1819]

And of course with my line of thought the producers would still have to find a way to ensure that it would remain a Superman movie.

[wdleehi]

I think what the Superman franchise really needs is to maybe include a cameo appearance by another well-known hero from the DC Universe?

Since it appears that 2011 will be the year for the next Superman movie, why not have him fight Metallo or maybe Zod. With an appearance at the end of maybe Darkseid or Amazo?

This could then lead into an appearance by Wally West (Flash), or John Stewart/Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) at the end of the 2011 movie...sort of like along the lines of what happened with Tony Stark's appearance at the end of the 2nd Hulk movie.

Then the third Superman movie could involve Supes teaming with his comrades to take down Darkseid....or maybe Amazo?

You know that somehow Hulk will either fight the Avengers or team up with them sometime in a major motion picture..probably in a few years...just based off of that one appearance by Tony Stark at the end.

Marvel is well planned out with the different Avenger member movies and bringing them all together in an Avengers movie.