Superman: Man of Steel

[Neon Ignition]

I'm far more wary about this than I was Returns. There's nothing seriously wrong with Returns, it's just too much of a retread love letter to the first film. Hopefully, the studio will try to ensure this doesn't involve the new film becoming 'darker' which would be terrible and hopefully Nolan will keep Snyder from making the film excessive. Snyders certainly capable of doing a very literal screen transition and Zod is the perfect villain to face (hopefully over multiple films) but he also has to make the characters endearing and also make it a big budget, big hit which is where he can often come unstuck.

[Dogg Thang]

I enjoyed his Watchmen, greenscreen, lots of flash and all. But there, the source material was so oozing with substance. He had much more to work with. With Superman, well, I just don't know if the source material was ever stunning (fans of Superman may hunt me down and kill me for that but he always seemed like superhero at its most basic).

And so then that just leaves, well, lots of greenscreen, lots of flash, and zero substance.

Personally, I felt Returns had plenty of substance. Maybe too much for its own good, given the reaction many had to the film. The overall themes, the ideas around a man/god finding his place in the world, or finding his place taken, led to less Superman-beats-the-crap-out-of-something-huge, which it seems many would have preferred.

Rest assured we'll likely get that from Snyder.

[Neon Ignition]

I think with Superman the character has to be approached very carefully. As a superhero he pretty nulls the requirement for any other superhero by being so powerful. The real dramatic edge needs to come from the one's he loves being the one's who are preyed upon as his friends and family are the most vulnerable parts of his life which strangely most interpretations never seem to rely on bar Lois screaming her way into trouble. Given how often it happens, when he loses his powers or is around Kryptonite they should really convey a sense of agony and suffering. He's a character who's invulnerability means he isn't really experienced is physical suffering so experiencing it should be twice as jarring for him, stuff like that should make the viewer connect more with him. He should also never get the girl, I know the Lois thing is a big part of the franchise but there should be a cost to the life he's chosen. Smallville toyed with it but largely dodges the bullet on him choosing to forego relationships because the world needs a saviour more.

[egparadigm]

If I was picking someone from the Mad Men cast, and they wanted to do a George Reeves-type character, this would be my choice:



He might need to lose a bit of weight, although I've never really understood why Superman need be muscular since it's basically supernatural.

[Matt]

Personally, I felt Returns had plenty of substance. Maybe too much for its own good, given the reaction many had to the film. The overall themes, the ideas around a man/god finding his place in the world, or finding his place taken, led to less Superman-beats-the-crap-out-of-something-huge, which it seems many would have preferred.

Rest assured we'll likely get that from Snyder.

Agree. Returns has subtext and symbolism all over the show. It's dripping in it.

The only saving grace here is Nolan is in charge.

I have two great fears, beyond the "no substance" concern. Firstly, every ****ing fight will be shot in ultra sloooooooooooooow motion for maximum Snyder impact. Superman needs to be FAST. The odd bit of slow-mo can be cool.

The other concern is the costume will now feature a cod piece and nipples.

[spagmasterswift]

That bit in Returns where the gangsters turn that HUGE gun on Superman and the bullets bounce of his eyeball or he catches the bullet with his eyelash and blinks it back or summit is TOTAL Snyder. Could be cool. Just leave out the creepy stalker aspect of Returns please...

[rmoxon]

Personally, I felt Returns had plenty of substance. Maybe too much for its own good, given the reaction many had to the film. The overall themes, the ideas around a man/god finding his place in the world, or finding his place taken, led to less Superman-beats-the-crap-out-of-something-huge, which it seems many would have preferred.

I dont remember any of that in Superman Returns.

I remember him feeling sorry for himself alot becuase lois had a boyfriend/husband (or whatever he was) and thats about it, I dont even remember the actual plot (if there was one). It was two hours of horrible soppy Romance. I found it unappealing and I didnt see the point in it really.

The thing about superman is that hes suppose to come across as just that, a super man, hes not actualy suppose to have trouble fitting in society and stuff, he acts bumbling to hide his identity, not becuase hes a pathetic plonker. As you say, its not suppose to be deep, the source material generaly isnt.

Snyder is a good director for it, it will be a far less pretentious film than Retrurns and may even have a plot to boot.

As for people prefering a film where he beats up lots of huge things, well yeah, the potential is there with superman, and indeed todays modern technology, to make a great and spectacular action film, hes the hardest superhero ever created, hes virtualy unstopable, they need to convey that in a film, not have him do nothing but mope about for 2 hours.

[eastyy]

make death of superman into a film = winner

was not that keen on the animated death of superman though

[Kit]

I thought one of the writers already let slip Brainiac and Luthor were the villains for the new film?

make death of superman into a film = winner

was not that keen on the animated death of superman though

Yeah, I'd prefer to see them make Death of Superman too. Maybe break the events up into two films.

[Dogg Thang]

Death of Superman is one of the few Superman comics I've read. Big lumpy brainless guy beats up Superman. The End.

Have I spoiled it?

[MJ]

hes the hardest superhero ever created, hes virtualy unstopable, they need to convey that in a film, not have him do nothing but mope about for 2 hours.

Yet in Returns, Lex Luthor almost defeats Superman for the 1,046th time with Kryptonite.... again.

[eastyy]

really really hated in smallville the conveniently place piece of kryptonite ploy....they used it far to much

thats why i would love to see doomsday vs superman they could really go to town and dont hold the destruction back would be great to see

[Strider]

the biggest problem I had with SUper man Returns is that you never feel he's in danger, so it just appears to be someone going throgh the motions.

Also all he does is lift progressively bigger stuff. Car, shuttle, ship, continent. Bloody rubbish.

[mekanor]

Death of Superman is one of the few Superman comics I've read. Big lumpy brainless guy beats up Superman. The End.

Have I spoiled it?

nope thats about all there is to him dying. On its own it would make a terrible film. A good fight scene to be sure, but a short and shallow film. The death and return of superman story is more about what happens once superman is gone. 4 other guys step in to take his place, but none of them cut it and the superman image begins to be disgraced.

I think it would make a great film if done properly, but supes dying is just a part of it. it would have to happen within the first half an hour of the film and he only comes back right near the end.

[Neon Ignition]

The idea of how the world copes without Superman is interesting but the 4 replacements in his absence were awful and would never be used in a film, also they'd never make a Superman film with so little Superman in it. Plus, Doomsday is a rubbish enemy.

It's like I said earlier, Superman's invulnerability isn't really an issue. Batman, Spiderman etc are all more vulnerable than Superman but I still never feel their life is at risk because it never is. The risk should hang upon those he's trying to save and those he cares about whilst showing how much his chosen path as a hero is costing him. He's an individual with three persona's (Clark-Superman-Metropolis Clark) where he can almost never be his true self either having to hide behind the bumbling reporter character or presenting an unfaltering hero image as Superman. He brings danger to those close around him, saves them but in the end will live to see everyone he loves die of old age around him and ultimately will have to exist alone.

Lex is also often mishandled, he should be more of a morally misguided scientist/engineer rather than rich kid billionaire. And no turning him into a mechanised Cyber-Lex or what not either, that's just embarassing 8yr old concepting.