Superman Returns

[MFS62]

Elster88 wrote: (*One should not think of Superman as a Peeping Tom. A biological ability must be used. As a child Superman may never have known that things had surfaces, until he learned to suppress his X-ray vision. If millions of people tend shamelessly to wear clothing with no lead in the weave, that is hardly Superman's fault.*)

If its is going to be an either/ or situation, I'd prefer that Superman learn to suppress the laser-like heat beam component of his vision rather then the X-ray part. To us mere mortals, "hot rocks" doesn't mean Kryptonite.

Later

[dgwphotography]

[Edgy MD]

Wow. I'm going to have to stay late now.

[Vic Sage]

the clip is from a long "concert film" which was basically Kevin Smith talking to a college audience for 3+ hours. It's actually pretty engaging, cuz Smith, while not exactly a "raconteur", is a pretty funny guy.

i saw him speak once, in a talk he gave in Hoboken. He makes rambling into an artform, of sorts. Much like his movies, which have little cinematic quality, but are great for stylized conversations amongst interesting characters.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Iubitul wrote: Kevin Smith talking about Superman

Thanks - Impulse2 really enjoyed the clip.

[dgwphotography]

That was a great clip - I hope I get the opportunity to see him speak in person.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I enjoyed the movie. It was nice seeing the exploration of how difficult and lonely it can be to be Superman. I, too, noticed the nod to the cover of Action Comics Number 1. DC movies can't give me goosebumps, but that, along with the theme song playing during the credits, almost did the trick.

Kate Bosworth is way too young to be Lois Lane. I had a similar beef with Katie Holmes in Batman Begins. I have nothing against pretty young actresses, but both Holmes' character and Lois Lane are accomplished women, who need to have had a certain number of years of experience to get to their position. There are plenty of attractive actresses in their mid-thirties would could have been cast.

Another cool scene: when the thug shot Superman in the eye. Routh, by the way, is also too young. I assume that they cast younger actors because they want this franchise to continue for a while, and with a cast this young they may be able to do ten years worth of movies before they have to recast.

The movie, though, was too long. Once Luthor was defeated I started getting fidgety. They could have wrapped things up a bit sooner. I didn't time it, but the film seemed to have a twenty-minute epilogue, which is just too long.

[Vic Sage]

i agree about Lois and Clark being too young, and about the "bullet in the eye" scene... its great.

But the movie DID give me goosebumps... repeatedly. And i can certainly understand why you'd complain about the length of the attenuated ending, but i wasn't bored or fidgety... i was moved by it. Its part of why this is more an "epic" than your standard "summer action pic".

[Elster88]

Do you think that whole story Kevin Smith told was true?

[MFS62]

Finally saw it today.
It was everything I've read here (especially from Vic) and more.
The length didn't bother me at all. In many (most) movies I have found myself looking at my watch and wondering how much longer to go. But I did not look at my watch, or feel the need to, throughout this film.
It was perfect escapist fare for a hot summer day.

Later

[Centerfield]

I watched it last night. The length of it didn't bother me at all. I was completely engaged the whole time. I loved how they kept the Williams music and the "fly at you" 3-D credits in the opening. I like how the movie was treated seriously and wasn't cartoony or ridiculous as some super-hero movies get. Great character development. They gave the character depth he never had before.

As is mentioned in this thread, Bosworth was too young and gave only an adequate performance. At no point did I ever get the feeling she was an accomplished journalist. Routh, who was also too young, was great. He had a tall order to fill...with Christopher Reeve's likeable and engaging performance still in our minds, but he did a great job staying true to that character while making the role his own.

Spacey, I thought, was excellent. One of the best villain performances...and I feel like he even captured a bit of Gene Hackman to him during his scene with Lois Lane. Everyone else was passable.

Unfortunately, the plot was awful. It was full of holes, and at times the coincidences were so far-fetched you have to roll your eyes. The ultimate showdown between Lex and Superman is also a letdown...and I don't think it was explained adequately enough how Superman managed to ultimately succeed.

That being said, I liked the movie. I like the direction it's being taken in. Put in a slightly better plot, and we could be looking at a fantastic sequel.

[Edgy MD]

Stylistically, they do it almost all right. Script-wise, dumber than a box of rocks.

It must be really hard to write a good adventure story about a guy vulnerable to almost nothing --- except ho-hum Kryptonite. The romantic story will work, because of the contrast between his invulnerable body and his vulnerable heart.

Action-wise, well, the guy can bend time and space, so even when he screws up, he can get a do-over.

Damn, that kid looked like a Culkin.

[Edgy MD]

The suit was odd, seemingly made out of a smokey-colored magic rubber, instead of a brightly colored magic silk/spandex blend. It kills for me one of the best things of the admittedly bad Superman III, in which he's corrupted by a variation of kryptonite, and, as his character fades, so does the color of his suit, until he rebounds, rips off his suit, and there's inexplicably (but cooly) another bright one underneath.

How did the Doctors get that suit off of him?

Man, a lot of holes in that script. But I guess it's stylistically a great place from which to re-launch the serial. They also gave Metropolis some of its own character, so it's more than just New York with a different name, and they briefly mentioned another city called Gotham, showing it's clearly set in the DC universe, and perhaps setting up for a future movie in which Routh's Superguy teams up with Christian Bale's Batguy and maybe a few other Justice Leaguers.

[Centerfield]

They can make it smoky all they want, I don't think there is any way to make the suit look cool until they lose the red and yellow. And I know it sounds blasphemous, but they did away with Batman's yellow belt too, so there is precedent for it.

Until then, it's just going to look like he has the same custom tailor as Robin.

[Edgy MD]

I don't think Superman has to look cool. I think it's best (or coolest) portraying him as a dork who has to deal with the notion that cool sailed away for him back in Smallville.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy DC wrote: I don't think Superman has to look cool. I think it's best (or coolest) portraying him as a dork who has to deal with the notion that cool sailed away for him back in Smallville.

I agree. Superman is a regular guy from Kansas who wouldn't know how, or be interested in, looking cool.

The corny uniform is a key part of the package.

[nymr83]

They also gave Metropolis some of its own character, so it's more than just New York with a different name, and they briefly mentioned another city called Gotham,

i thought Gotham was NYC and Metropolis was always supposed to be somewhere in the midwest, most likely Chicagi?

[Edgy MD]

Metropolis was played by New York in the Christopher Reeve Superman. The connection has a long pedigree.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've also heard it described that Gotham is New York below 14th Street and Metropolis is New York above 14th Street.

[Guest AG/DC]

I think Gotham is New York before World War II and Metropolis is New York after.

[Elster88]

Edgy DC wrote: the opening scene of Superman III is wonderful, and it may be the last excellent thing that Richard Lester ever did.

It was awful. Slapstick is not what I want in my Superman movies.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

AG/DC wrote: I think Gotham is New York before World War II and Metropolis is New York after.

I've heard described as:

"Metropolis is New York during the day, and Gotham is New York at night."

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Metropolis was played by New York in the Christopher Reeve Superman. The connection has a long pedigree.

The link had an interesting little snippet about pro-baseball.

Like New York City, it is home to two teams in baseball and football. Of the two baseball teams, the Metropolis Monarchs are Clark Kent's favorite, while the other team, the Metropolis Meteors, is mentioned in 52 as having a rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Okay, so we know the Meteors play in the National League.

But, if the Mets moved to Metropolis, they would be called the Metropolis Mets, or even the Metropolis Metropolitans. So if they met the Los Angeles Angels in the World Series, it will be dubbed the Tautology Series.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You need to narrow that avatar, 3D.