# Osage at the Cineplex: MAN OF STEEL (Warner Bros./Syncopy/Legendary Pictures/DC Comics)



## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

[img]http://www.moviehousememories.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Man-of-Steel-Theatrical-Poster-Courtesy-of-Warner-Bros.-Pictures.jpg[/img]*WARNING: VARIOUS PLOT SPOILERS ABOUT THIS FILM -- JUST RELEASED TODAY IN U.S. THEATERS (FRIDAY JUNE 14) -- INCLUDED BELOW; PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T YET SEEN THIS.*

Just got back from seeing, in the first showing of its opening night, the long-awaited re-reboot of DC’s most beloved character in their arsenal, and I have some mixed feelings about it, my friends, that I’d like to share here with you. First, let’s begin with talking about the critical negativity bestowed upon _Man of Steel_’s predecessor, Bryan Singer’s _Superman Returns_ – I don’t understand why this film was so defecated on by critics and fans upon its launch and subsequent re-runnings on home video. It was designed to be a “continuation” story of sorts, with Singer feeling – rightfully so – that he didn’t need to go into the entire “birther”/origin story, instead concentrating on a plot that revolved around Kal El hearing that scientists had found remnants of Krypton and his search for parts of his home world, thus “abandoning” Earth for awhile only to return and be our protector once again. While horribly mis-cast in many areas – Lois Lane primarily – the film was far from a disaster, rather a bit long-in-the-tooth in terms of villain choice by the way of the tiring Lex Luthor angle (Kevin Spacey). I thought it was wise for Singer to go with a “continuation” plot rather than a reboot of sorts, even though the film was attempting to re-introduce a new generation to the characters made so lovable and believable by the Christopher Reeve films that came before it (to this day, _no one_ will play the role like the late great Reeve); of course, in the midst of this was Warner Bros.’ interest in resurrecting a franchise nameplate in the wake of the comic film adaptation craze and once Christopher Nolan had a hit on his hands with _Batman Begins_, there seemed to be no stopping Warner, Syncopy, Legendary Pictures and DC Comics’ live action division. What I would have done, personally, though if I were directing _Superman Returns_ was to attempt to actually offer the roles of the classic characters in the story – Lois, Lex and Perry White – to the actors that _portrayed_ them in the classic _Superman_ films…that is, I would have tried to get Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman and even Jackie Cooper to reprise their roles because this was, after all, a “continuation” story and the only one not around to reprise a role would have been Reeve. I mean, we did get a cameo by the great Marlon Brando as Jor El – even “speaking” to Spacey’s Luthor as a holographic image in the iconic Fortress of Solitude – so why not get the other main stars to reappear? It would have made logical sense in that they all simply would have gotten naturally older, and Singer could have somehow woven their characters into the current time period – specialized makeup could have also made them appear a bit younger than they are in real life. It seemed to me, at least, that Kate Bosworth playing Lois in _Returns_ didn’t make any chronological sense; Bosworth is younger than Margot Kidder ever was even during 1978’s _Superman_ and yet it was supposed to be years after the events of _Superman II_…this didn’t make any sense to me. Though, it was wise for the filmmakers behind _Superman Returns_ to completely ignore the events and timeline of _Superman III_ and _Superman IV: The Quest for Peace_, two of the most laughable motion pictures ever put to celluloid. 

And so I never understood why _Returns_ was considered such a disappointment by many; sure, it didn’t have the charm that the Reeve films had, but it did follow the “flying intro credits” formula like the classics before it, making it instantly recognizable as a _Superman_ film, and Brandon Routh looked good in the revamped, modernized costume – further, the effects weren’t cheesy or offputting (especially compared to the old films and the limitations of the technology of the time), Spacey portrayed a pretty creepy and sinister Luthor and there was a nice, “retro” throwback feel to the color timing, suggesting a bygone period from perhaps the Reeve films’ days, especially in the shots including the _Daily Planet_. Still, the film didn’t really see all that much Supes “hand-to-hand” combat action, the plot centering more around our hero attempting to squelch the damage Luthor had done to Metropolis by way of the “new continent” he had created offshore (one of the film’s shortcomings). 

_Man of Steel_, as directed by Zach “_300_ and _Dawn of the Dead_” Snyder, is a completely radical departure from Singer’s _Superman Returns_ – here, I can happily report, fans that have been waiting for rabid, nail-biting fight sequences that seemed as though they jumped off the pages of the comic will be more than pleased. Finally, we get to see the main character in serious, tail-kickin’ fight action never before seen in any _Superman_ feature film, and we finally get an adversary that’s both life-threatening and menacing in Michael Shannon’s General Zod. There are problems, unfortunately, but that doesn’t stop _Man of Steel_ from easily making up for the disaster this summer that was _Iron Man 3_; let me preface my detailed analysis of this motion picture first by saying much of the film was horribly mis-cast and illogically endowed with way too heavy a dollop of science fiction and _Star Trek_-esque overtones. This was something I complained about in the recent reboot of the Spider-Man franchise – Marc Webb, in my opinion, mis-cast that film from beginning to end, starting with the horrible choices of Sally Field and Martin Sheen playing Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Then, there was the problem with Andrew Garfield in the main lead as Parker – what?! We have a skateboarding, mop-headed, geeky freak who can’t even put a sentence together just to satisfy and cater to a demographic of idiotic teenage girls who see this stuff as attractive? Really? Tobey Maguire, in my opinion, was far superior in this role – right down to the facial gestures that looked like they came right off the pages of Stan Lee’s legendary book. Alas, this problem trickles down to Snyder’s _Man of Steel_ in that it’s not Henry Cavill in the lead as Clark/Kal El that’s the issue but rather the supporting players – Michael Shannon as General Zod was an absolutely _awful_ choice, especially when you compare his performance to Terence Stamp’s in _Superman II_, while Russell Crowe as Jor El wasn’t really fitting, either…then, there’s…wait for it…Laurence Fishburne as Perry White? Are they serious? Horrific choice. Honestly. While no one will play the role like Jackie Cooper, at least Frank Langella was acceptable in _Superman Returns_. Also mis-cast is Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Kal El’s Earth parents; in my opinion, it seems filmmakers of these “reboots” simply choose Hollywood chart topper names to get some marquee value without taking into consideration if these people will actually work or make sense in the roles. Yet, in some sense of retrospect, my wife explained it to me like this: Perhaps it’s their way of re-introducing these characters to a new generation that expects folks of the age of the characters like Aunt May and Uncle Ben and Clark Kent’s parents to not really look as “old” as the people that came before them did at this same time/age frame. In this context, the casting kind of makes more sense.

Now, as most of you already know, the essence behind _Man of Steel_ was a complete re-telling of the birth story, so we get Snyder’s take on the origin mythos here – but I had a big problem with this, as the entire opening sequences on Krypton itself are of a much, much darker nature, taking on heavy science fiction overtones that are in complete contradiction with the original _Superman_ films. I understand Snyder had already helmed incredibly kinetic projects like _300_ – and you can definitely feel that influence here – and that Christopher Nolan brought his brooding, dark vision to the story via producing duties, but something felt totally off and “different” from the very beginning of _Man of Steel_. Gone is Krypton’s “hot white” essence and Jor El’s “glowing white” costuming when Brando played the role; here, Krypton is a dark, alien place run by beings that are more equipped to be fighting in gladiator-style events with their armored costumes than escaping a doomed planet. Crowe’s performance as Jor El is okay, but I just didn’t buy him as Kal’s father, especially when you keep seeing Brando in your head in the role. What confused me most of all was Snyder’s source material for the story he weaves here – which _Superman_ comics portray Krypton as such a “synthetic” and “organic” place with so many robotics and alien-esque beings flying about and within? 

Still, much to fans’ delight, we get a dabble into _Superman II_ territory by Snyder in the way of re-introducing the great General Zod character to a new generation of theater goers – instead of yet again Kal El meeting notorious criminal mastermind Lex Luthor once he gets to Earth, we have him meeting and coming into conflict with the legendary Zod, whose presence is what made _Superman II_ such a memorable comic adaptation. It seems what Snyder and team have done here is to borrow elements from Richard Donner’s _Superman II_ while weaving a more modern story, but in so doing, a way-too-thick science fiction overtone gets lathered on, leaving behind the simplicity of the original goofy story. It seems Zod (played by a horrifically-cast Michael Shannon) is the military commanding force upon Krypton and has led a revolt with his constituents in the midst of the planet breaking apart and preparing for its doom. Zod claims his revolt is merely in the best interests of Krypton and will lead to his resurrection of the Kryptonians, but Jor El (Crowe) knows him too well and instead instills his newborn son with all the powers of the planet within the child’s cellular structure. After an effective and exciting hand-to-hand combat sequence between Jor El and Zod where Zod pretty much gets his backside handed to him, the Kryptonian council sends Zod and his followers to a vessel that will forever be trapped inside the Phantom Zone – a concept explored in Donner’s film but radically altered in this version – as a punishment for their attempted overthrow. That appears to be the last action the council ever takes, as the planet Krypton explodes (not before Zod manages to stab and kill Jor El) and Kal El is thrust into space towards Earth and Zod and his people are thrown into the atmosphere as well, somewhere within this “Phantom Zone” that’s never really fleshed out.

A big problem I had during these Krypton sequences early on was the costuming – while of course ridiculous and cheesy, the costumes in _Superman II_ with the huge black boots and shiny black outfits somehow “worked;” in Snyder’s film, these have been replaced by gladiator-esque body armor and oversized shoulder pads that looked equally as ridiculous. Where Krypton was once run by what appeared to be a technologically superior and advanced race has been replaced by a colder, darker more antiquated-appearing variant even though the technology on display here was quite…well…advanced. Where the original _Superman_ of the 70s explored the entire Kal El crashing into Smallville angle, being taken in by his Earth parents, _Man of Steel_ kind of goes back and forth with these elements, suggesting the crash landing by Kal into the Kansas farm but then quickly fast-forwarding to him being grown up and working on a fishing ship. What? Again, I have to ask – which run of the comics ever suggested Clark worked on a fishing boat, or worked as a waiter in a seaside bar as Snyder’s film suggests? In between these scenes, we get flashbacks to Clark growing up on the farm, being raised by Costner and Lane’s characters, while he discovers for himself his developing powers and abilities. One thing I do applaud Snyder for is introducing a sequence that explains how he first “gets” his red and blue suit – in a sequence that makes a nod to the “talking hologram” scenes of previous films in which Clark can communicate with visions of his father, Jor El (Crowe) explains to Kal El who he is and what he should do as Earth’s protector inside some kind of holographic “craft” that appears when Kal El utilizes the legendary S-shaped “key” that accompanied him to Earth in his pod. All of this is a radical departure from what you have seen in previous takes on this material, and I can’t figure out yet if I liked it or not – but what made this sequence so great was that Jor El shows Kal his red and blue suit with the iconic “S” on it, which Kal will use to become Earth’s greatest superhero, of course. Gone are the days of Clark Kent running into a phone booth or putting colored pantyhose on beneath his suit, I suppose; now we know how he actually _acquired_ the costume. 

The whole way Lois Lane gets introduced to the story was a bit hokey – and we even get a mention of Lana Lang, remember her from _Superman III?_ – in that she somehow stumbles upon a story about some kind of alien contraption that was discovered in the ice from a long-bygone era, which leads her to investigate this alien stranger that has been living in different towns, cities and states (Clark Kent)…eventually, she catches up to Clark and discovers who he really is (an element that took nearly two full motion pictures to get to in the previous classic films) amidst news that Zod and his legion have come to Earth, demanding Kal El be turned over to him. This is where things get hairy, offputting and…well...just different as compared to material we already know; first, Zod knew Jor El sent his son to Earth with the last remaining essence of Krypton before he was banished to the Phantom Zone, and for this, he seeks revenge – what Zod’s ultimate plan revolves around is “re-inventing” Earth’s atmosphere so he can “re-create” Krypton on actual Earth. But as Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor explained to us in _Superman Returns_, simultaneous existence of certain bodies, essences and matter can’t occur…can it? And so, Zod plans to re-create Krypton right there on Earth, by, essentially, “paving over” the planet. What’s not shown is what is suggested in Donner’s _Superman II_ – that from the blast of Krypton’s explosion, Zod and his people were blown free from the Phantom Zone, eventually making their way to Earth where they come to not only wreak havoc but find the son of their jailor. 

The way in which Snyder handled the Zod-coming-to-Earth thing was cool – television broadcasts, cell phone transmissions and satellites are all jammed, the words “YOU ARE NOT ALONE” splashed across them, indicating, indeed, that a race of aliens have arrived. Next, we hear Shannon’s voice explaining who he is and why he has come to Earth – and that the people of the planet have to hand Kal El over to him. Still, as cool as this element was, the whole “Zod and his people” aspect wasn’t; instead of a free-flying trio of space villains as seen in Donner’s take, Zod and his “legion “ – a squad of Krypton goons highly advanced and with developing powers possibly even superior to Superman’s – arrive on Earth wearing space suit-like contraptions that make them look more like the things that attack the planet in _Battleship_ than anything resembling a Superman adversary. I didn’t like this take on the material, at all, and again I question Snyder’s source for inspiration – was this really how Zod and his followers traveled? With “breathing shields” to “protect” them from Earth’s atmosphere? What about Donner’s version, which suggested they could fly around as easily as Superman, no breathing apparatus needed? There is a moment in the film that suggests Diane Lane’s character tells Clark of when he was young and she noticed his “difficulty breathing,” possibly explaining the “developing a body that can live on Earth” aspect with regard to Superman and Zod, but honestly it was lost on me.

At this point, we see Henry Cavill flying about in the souped-up new cape and outfit – which looks much like Spider-Man’s in _The Amazing Spider-Man_ in terms of dynamic detailing and cellular structure – and we get Snyder’s take on how he gets the name Superman when Lois Lane is talking to him in a military isolation room after he’s surrendered to authorities for being of alien nature. Lois asks him what the “S” on the chest stands for, and he tells her it’s not an “S” at all, rather a symbol that refers to a concept on his home world. She begins to give it another reference, letting him know that on Earth it is indeed an “S” and it will become his legendary new name – just before they’re interrupted. Eventually – and before Kal El can learn what evil Zod is really planning – he submits to Zod and his people, ready to be taken back for any crimes he has been accused of committing prior to coming to Earth. However, once aboard Zod’s ship that escaped the Phantom Zone, he quickly learns of the dark side of this Kryptonian adversary when he’s chained up and restrained, along with Lois. 

In between are some hints and glances at other iconic Superman-esque elements such as the _Daily Planet_ building, run by an awfully-cast Laurence Fishburne, the death of Clark’s Earth father (Costner) at the hands of not a heart attack as suggested by previous films but a tornado in the middle of a Kansas highway, conversations between a quasi-holographic Jor El and his son and more, but the heart of Snyder’s _Man of Steel_ is what fans have been waiting what seems like ions for – incredibly choreographed, expertly CGI-coated fight sequences that rival any comic adaptation out there. Cavill’s portrayal of an angry, rage-driven Kal El who wants revenge on Zod for the death of his father as he clenches his fists and butts heads with the worst from Krypton was super-exciting and kinetic, setting up the downright nail-biting flying fight scenes that totally wiped the floor with anything _Iron Man 3_ could have conjured up; first, Superman comes to blows on Earth will Zod’s female henchwoman (played by Sarah Douglas in _Superman II_ in which her name was “Ursa” but which is totally changed in this one) in absolutely exciting, visceral fight sequences, moving on to meet a giant, “Destroyer-from-_Thor_"-like being also loyal to Zod. As these adversaries beat the ever-loving-super-snot out of each other, the military attempts to converge on Zod and his people to try and stop them from going through with their plan for our planet. The whole military angle was something Snyder also borrowed heavily from Donner’s _Superman II_, though of course here the technology is far more advanced and enjoyable to look at. As these fight sequences came to a close, I was a bit disappointed that there was no hand-to-hand action between Zod and Superman being that Snyder seemed to be setting this up, and that’s what the whole essence behind Donner’s material was kind of built on…but I was rewarded for waiting in the final frame of the film.

Zod, now fully “adapted” to Earth’s atmosphere and no longer needing his breathing shield, strips to reveal his Krypton-esque black body suit before engaging Kal El in a downright electrifying fight sequence, taking both super beings all over Metropolis as they punch, fling, whirl, throw and pummel each other in ways Donner’s film could never explore – and THAT’S what I, as a fan, was waiting for in this re-imagining of the material. This last fight sequence between Zod and Superman is well worth waiting for, and is right up there with some of the very best comic adaptation battle scenes between hero and villain; further, it represents the first time in this franchise that we get to see a serious, non-comedic take on Superman’s battles with enemies from his home world…an element sorely missing from any other installment. I am glad Snyder decided not to explore the whole tired Lex Luthor thing again, though I know he’s going to have to appear at some point because he was an essential element in the books. Snyder also ends the film on a note that gives a nod to all the classic takes on this material and opens the door for the inevitable sequel – though no villain is hinted at: Clark Kent is now working for the _Daily Planet_ and has donned his glasses, shirt and tie…though I have to say, Cavill doesn’t look at all fitting in this aspect of the role as compared to either Reeve or Routh. 

The biggest problem with _Man of Steel_ as I see it was the casting of Michael Shannon in such as vital role as General Zod – this guy had no menacing quality to him when taken alone…sure, once his threats heat up and he gains super strength to fight Kal El he becomes a formidable foe, but his performance in this role was just downright odd and lacked all the charm that Terence Stamp had when he played him. Shannon is wooden, almost amateurish in his portrayal of Zod, going through the notions as if he’s reading it off a cue card. This could have been easily re-cast using a plethora of other actor choices. Likewise for the choice of using Russell Crowe as Jor El; I don’t see this guy as anything other than General Maximus from _Gladiator_, plain and simple, and in the footsteps of the great Marlon Brando, he didn’t work here. There was also the problem of the way in which Krypton is depicted in Snyder’s vision here; what’s the more accurate rendition as according to the books…the way in which the planet looks in its “hyper bright” variant as seen in the original film(s) or this darker, brooding, alien-esque take? And was Zod in the books ever wearing spiked shoulder pads and body armor as seen here? On the plus side, we get a solid performance from Cavill in the lead role, eventually utilizing his red “laser eyes” as seen in previous incarnations in fights with Zod – as well as Zod using them too, which was a nice nod to _Superman II_ – in addition to the character’s growing, evolving rage as he fights each one of his adversaries, flying faster and faster and with more force as this anger grows. This was handled expertly by Snyder, in my opinion.

As I stated, you could totally feel Snyder’s _300_-esque syrup coating this production – from the way in which alien “creatures” fly around his version of Krypton with large flapping wings to the outrageously kinetic action sequences that grab you by the throat and don’t let go. What I didn’t care for – but what I understand it was done for – was the lack of the traditional, classic opening sequence to every _Superman_ film with the “flying credits” and the iconic score. Instead, Snyder opened the film with the brooding fate of Krypton and Kal El’s birth with a credits-less intro; of course, this was supposed to be a much darker, different take on the material as ever seen before – a la Nolan’s _Batman_ trilogy – but to leave out this essential element made it seem like it wasn’t even a _Superman_ project. The fight scenes, though, especially towards the end, is everything you’ve been waiting for if you’re a fan of the previous work – what Snyder has done here is take the essence of what made _Superman II_, perhaps an even better film than the original arguably, such a great comic adaptation and turned it up to 11. I won’t give away Superman’s eventual control of Zod or how he stops him during that brutal final battle, but it was pretty satisfying; suffice to say, I think you’ll be pleased. 

There were many things that bothered me about _Man of Steel_ – one of which I forgot to mention was the lack of a Fortress of Solitude element -- but at the same time, I think this makes up for the summer’s comic film bomb that was _Iron Man 3_ and it seems like Warner and DC may finally be on the right track for a forthcoming _Justice League_ project if they can ever get _Wonder Woman_ or a _Green Lantern_ sequel off the ground. I think Snyder took way too many liberties in terms of altering the genetics of the Superman mythos in the name of satisfying a modern day audience, as the film takes on way too deep of a dark science fiction/_Alien_ tone at times. Still, this will be a buy when it arrives on Blu…

If you have seen this – or when you do – tell me if you concur or disagree with my findings regarding _Man of Steel!_


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Some nicks and tucks made to overview; thanks.


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## ericzim (Jun 24, 2012)

As always, thanks for a great review Osage. I definitely want to see this movie but will probably wait until the crowds subside.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Hey, Eric -- as always, thanks for reading and for your kind comments and feedback, sir. Are the crowds really bad by you for this release? Surprisingly, opening night wasn't that nutty where I saw it...


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## ericzim (Jun 24, 2012)

Osage_Winter said:


> Hey, Eric -- as always, thanks for reading and for your kind comments and feedback, sir. Are the crowds really bad by you for this release? Surprisingly, opening night wasn't that nutty where I saw it...


The first show sold out and I didn't want to wait around for the next one. Next weekend should be better.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Yeah; actually, at my theater, we had tickets for an 8 pm showing but got there really early so they let us into an earlier one instead...


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## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

I watched this on the weekend and will again next weekend. I felt it was a very good movie overall but Zod wasn't quite as menacing as he should have been and I actually thought there was a little too much action in the latter half of the movie. I really enjoyed the story. It's a slightly modified take on the Superman metholigy, but they didn't change enough to mess up a good thing.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

f0zz said:


> I watched this on the weekend and will again next weekend.


Hey, Ozz...thanks for contributing to the thread. You're gonna do a double-dip, huh? I was considering that -- because this film definitely made up for the disappointing _Iron Man 3_ -- but think I can hold out until the Blu-ray eventually arrives...



> I felt it was a very good movie overall but Zod wasn't quite as menacing as he should have been


Did you agree with my sentiments in the overview of the film regarding Michael Shannon's rendition of Zod? We pretty much feel the same way; his performance in this was far from spot-on, especially when compared to the "cool, calm, classy" evil that Terence Stamp played the role with in _Superman II_. I don't care for Shannon as an actor in general, and this was a terrible choice for the role -- he didn't exhibit, I agree with you, any kind of menacing quality only at the very end, perhaps, when he rips off his "space suit" and engages Kal El in the fight over Metropolis...and this is stretching it. This was definitely a low point of the film, but I still think the action more than made up for it...



> and I actually thought there was a little too much action in the latter half of the movie.


Interesting; this was a complaint my wife had too...she felt like the whole film was just fight sequence after fight sequence and at times it felt like that -- but as a comic adaptation fan, I have been waiting for a film that concentrates on the hero versus adversary angle rather than the somewhat sappy love interest plots that are always sprinkled in (and which I understand are part of the comics' mythos). In this regard, I think Snyder succeeded 100 percent...



> I really enjoyed the story. It's a slightly modified take on the Superman metholigy, but they didn't change enough to mess up a good thing.


This has always been a problem for me when watching comic adaptation films -- as a kid I was an enthusiast and reader of so many of these and I get disappointed when filmmakers don't try and at least stick to as close of a tie in with the books as possible. I understand that you have to please modern-day audiences and many of these stories just don't fit in modern-day scenarios -- such as the way in which Jon Favreau changed the plot of _Iron Man_ to concentrate on a Middle Eastern desert rather than the way the original book went in which Stark meets Rhodey in Vietnam -- but I don't like when concepts are taken way out of context.

Example: When Favreau did _Iron Man 2_, he made "Whiplash" (Mickey Rourke) into some kind of weird Russian scientist fusion sort of character that I recalled wasn't really what the character was at all in the original story...why? I understand that filmmaking teams get together during pre-production meetings to discuss research on the comic's history, the characters, the story plots, etc. and they have to sift through many, many issues of the books to make a cohesive story out of all of it...and that this story changes with different writers and artists doing darker or different takes on the material...but, for the most part, there should be a "logical" time line of some sort and a logical take on certain key characters. Why can't filmmaking teams do this? If you're going to do a kick-butt superhero story...do it right.

Alas, we come to _Man of Steel_ and the way in which it fits into this issue -- I am trying to find out if the way in which Snyder told the story was ever explored in any of the comic's run (the dark, menacing, gladiator-esque feel) because I was always under the impression that Richard Donner's vision for the look of Krypton and the suits and such was the accurate take; do you recall any run of the book suggesting this darker, overtly alien aspect of the material where the characters are wearing spiked shoulder pads and such? This seemed VERY out of place to me...though Crowe looked appropriate in that get up from his work in _Gladiator_...:sarcastic:


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## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

I went into the film not looking for references to the comics or previous films. This is what Snyder said he was going to do, so I expected a "fresh" look. I collected the comics for about 10 years when i was younger and have all the previous films, tv shows and even some of the old cartoons on DVD and Blu Ray. But I took none of this with me into the theater. All I expected was the basics, and that's pretty much what you get with Man of Steel.
The alien theme I think was appropriate. If a guy from another planet came to earth, wore a blue suit with a red cape, could fly and throw cars further than we could a baseball. I'm pretty sure we would all think of his alien origins and worry initially at least about his intentions.
The only issue I had with Zod was that he didn't command my attention. In this film he was shown to be a patriot and a leader. I did see the patriotism in him, but not the leader. I don't think he did a poor job, but he didn't knock it out of the park either.
I hear many say this film was dark but I prefer to think of it as realistic. The previous Superman films were much less serious and in my opinion more like the current Marvel films. DC has taken a different route for their universe, and I enjoy it. Not more or less than the Marvel films (maybe more!), its just different. I've also read reviews about how they expect Superman to be a a more outwardly positive hero. But in this film, he is learning about who he is and what he is here to do. Being Superman has a learning curve. And to compliment that in the film, the people of Earth (mostly the military) don't know what to expect from him either. I would wager that in future films, we will see a more idealistic and "bright" Man of Steel, not just from his actions, but also from the reaction from people around him.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

f0zz said:


> I went into the film not looking for references to the comics or previous films. This is what Snyder said he was going to do, so I expected a "fresh" look. I collected the comics for about 10 years when i was younger and have all the previous films, tv shows and even some of the old cartoons on DVD and Blu Ray. But I took none of this with me into the theater. All I expected was the basics, and that's pretty much what you get with Man of Steel.
> The alien theme I think was appropriate. If a guy from another planet came to earth, wore a blue suit with a red cape, could fly and throw cars further than we could a baseball. I'm pretty sure we would all think of his alien origins and worry initially at least about his intentions.


Of course there should have been some kind of alien-esque theming here -- I am just saying that I thought the excessiveness of the opening Krypton sequences with all the flying creatures and _Star Wars_-esque moving computerized devices and such was offputting and gave it a "wrong" feel. I'm not saying that once he comes to Earth he shouldn't be viewed as an alien with hostile intentions -- but the way in which Zod and his people were represented, with the "space suits" and all, wasn't the mythos I grew up with or read about, at all. Richard Donner claims he got his inspiration for _Superman II_'s look directly from some of the classic runs of the book...



> The only issue I had with Zod was that he didn't command my attention. In this film he was shown to be a patriot and a leader. I did see the patriotism in him, but not the leader. I don't think he did a poor job, but he didn't knock it out of the park either.


As far as I can recall, Terence Stamp nailed the characteristic of this role based on the old books -- the cool, calm yet evil charm bestowed by him was spot-on. Shannon exhibited none of this; his dialogue rendition was ridiculous and wooden, sometimes even goofy while, as we have been saying, he showed no overtly threatening overtones whatsoever...UNTIL he engages Kal in the final fight sequence. Originally, Zod was conceived as not any kind of patriotic monarch of Krypton but an evil military rogue element out for nothing but himself and his followers. So I don't know where Snyder dipped into the well for this stuff...



> I hear many say this film was dark but I prefer to think of it as realistic. The previous Superman films were much less serious and in my opinion more like the current Marvel films. DC has taken a different route for their universe, and I enjoy it. Not more or less than the Marvel films (maybe more!), its just different. I've also read reviews about how they expect Superman to be a a more outwardly positive hero. But in this film, he is learning about who he is and what he is here to do. Being Superman has a learning curve. And to compliment that in the film, the people of Earth (mostly the military) don't know what to expect from him either. I would wager that in future films, we will see a more idealistic and "bright" Man of Steel, not just from his actions, but also from the reaction from people around him.


I agree with much here; this wasn't a "darker" take on the material per se -- aside from the aforementioned opening sequence -- but more "real world grounded" and you can thank Christopher Nolan for that (who produced it)...much like his Batman films, he created a sense of realism and "un-goofy/un-comic like" overtones that served the film well but at the same time eliminated much of the camp I found so appealing in _Superman II_...

At the end of the day, I'd like to know where the material Snyder and Nolan worked with was sourced from, as I'd like to find out if these elements were _ever_ explored in the books...


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## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

There is definitely no camp when Nolan is involved. I'm glad that this separates DC from Marvel. For nothing other than keeping the films distinctly different.

As far as the story, I would guess in saying it came from no book. It was totally new.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

f0zz said:


> There is definitely no camp when Nolan is involved. I'm glad that this separates DC from Marvel. For nothing other than keeping the films distinctly different.
> 
> As far as the story, I would guess in saying it came from no book. It was totally new.


the story was mainly taken from "Superman: Birthright" written by Mark Waid. (along with a smattering of other stories)

here's Mark's take on it

http://thrillbent.com/blog/man-of-steel-since-you-asked/


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## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

Might be one I have to read!

I read he review listed on the link. I feel bad for the guy. He has such a confined point if view regarding this character and film that disappointment was the only reaction he could expect. I'm as big a fan as most, but I'm a little more open minded to inturpretation.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

f0zz said:


> There is definitely no camp when Nolan is involved. I'm glad that this separates DC from Marvel. For nothing other than keeping the films distinctly different.


Agreed.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Interesting review and comments by the man responsible for the story on this one; while I disagreed with much of it -- in terms of his thoughts on the resulting film -- it almost seems like an oxymoron to disagree with the guy who wrote the material! Actually, I do agree with what he said regarding the "sci fi" nature of at least the opening birther sequence on Krypton as I pointed out in my own thread; this made "Superman" dip into _Star Trek_ or _Star Wars_ territory and I was put off about it...

It will be interesting to do some more research on the history of the comic and where Zod and his people fall into the storyline...and just how accurate or inaccurate both Snyder and Donner were with bringing this into a film adaptation...


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## Infrasonic (Sep 28, 2010)

I watched Man of Steel last night but before I get into my thoughts on it please *DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE!!*

Also, I haven’t read any Superman comics, I wasn’t much of a fan of the original movies (I barely remember them to be honest) and while I didn’t hate the 2006 film (as it seems most people did) I did think it was a little weak.

With all the disclosures out of the way I have to say I liked the movie, or rather I liked it a lot. I enjoy the darker or more realistic view in the film similar to the latest Batman movies and Watchmen (one of my favorites). I’m glad they didn’t focus much on his younger years and showed only glimpses of his past instead of retelling the whole story again and also kept the love story stuff to a minimum.

Osage, you mentioned that the use of all the body armor didn’t coincide with the usual Kryptonian look and I see what you mean but to me it just didn’t seem to make sense since the armor didn’t do anything! Those laser shots went right through (although it didn’t leave a mark on Superman’s tights) and Zod’s dagger went right into Jor El. 

Another nit-picky item – why for a race that has been travelling through space for 1,000 years can they not leave their planet when it’s about to explode, “I’ve got an idea, let’s send our enemy into space and just sit on this decaying planet until it explodes!”. Genius.

On the acting side you mentioned Michael Shannon did not show much emotion which I guess could be explained by him being bred to be a warrior (the whole no choice at birth thing). I thought he was OK but I do enjoy him a lot more in his Boardwalk Empire role. Again my feelings are not influenced by prior Superman comics/movies so overall I thought they did a good job with the cast.


*Spoiler* 



The one controversial aspect is at the end when he kills Zod, from what little I know about Superman he never killed anyone. Regardless, I’m glad he did it; we don’t need Zod coming back every other movie just to be sent back to the Phantom Zone and escape again.




As you’d mentioned the fight scenes are great, I think they destroyed way more of Metropolis than The Avengers did to NY and I’m looking forward to an awesome BR audio mix when it’s released.

Sorry to make such a long rambling post but I’ll finally get to my point - I’d give the movie a 9/10 and I’m very much looking forward to the sequels.


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## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

I thought it was odd they didn't leave the planet as well. They did make a note in the movie that all esle world travel was stopped for some reason, but I don't recall what.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Infrasonic said:


> I watched Man of Steel last night but before I get into my thoughts on it please *DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE!!*
> 
> Also, I haven’t read any Superman comics, I wasn’t much of a fan of the original movies (I barely remember them to be honest) and while I didn’t hate the 2006 film (as it seems most people did) I did think it was a little weak.
> 
> ...


Infra,

I couldn't agree more with many of your points; thanks for sharing! :T

Indeed, I too am looking forward to the BD release...


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