Superman Returns (spoilers)

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

According to imdb.com trivia, Zod was going to make an appearance in Returns, but Singer only wanted Jude Law and when he passed, that part was written out of the script.
I think it would have setup a sequel that would have had Zod and Supes duking it out. I think now a sequel will probably have some sort of Doomsday plotline, with a subplot of Supes teaching the boy how to use his powers.
Or, maybe, Zod does get worked in instead of Doomsday.
But I'm fairly sure that Doomsday will make an appearance and so will a Supergirl character by Superman Returns Again and Again.
In the books, Superman didn't start getting his powers until he was five or six and they gradually came in. So, in that regard, it makes sense.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Doomsday was a creation of the scaled-back, powered-down, mullet-haired Superman of the 1990s -- when Superman was "Prettygoodman" instead of Superman, with his powers continually being reduced and downgraded until he was getting beat up by random punks on the street.

My guess is the next villain will be Brainiac -- an alien cyborg character who will combine the traits of the Borg (kidnapping and "assimilating" species across the galaxy) and Darth Vader/Dr. Doom (in appearance), who of course will team up with Luthor as his contact man on Earth.

Since in some aspects Singer appears to be trying to go really old-school and recall the original Siegel/Shuster Superman of the 1930s and 1940s (with the smaller 'S' emblem etc etc.), maybe the Ultra-Humanite might be a possible villain -- but the "bald psychotic mad scientist" is a little too derivative of Luthor, so they might just pass that one by.

Eve-Marie Saint's line -- "the universe is a big place, you don't know if anyone else (from Krypton) might be out there," sets up the appearance of Supergirl in SR-III.

As well, probably, as the return of Zod (either a distinguished, late-60s Terence Stamp, or a younger substitute like Law). By SR-III, the kid will be in his teens, and ready to start using his powers.

On some spoiler sites, I've read that the ultimate plan for Warner/DC is to do three movies in both the Batman/Superman franchises, concluding in about 2012, then finally aim for a combined Batman/Superman movie in about 2015.

Of course, that assumes that neither franchise tanks in the interim.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Very mediocre...

Spacey is good. Routh and Bosworth are mediocre/bad.

Effects are good, script is not...

I expected more. It's not even close to being on the same level as either Spiderman movie or Batman Begins...

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Superman Returns was a good movie, but Batman Begins was a better movie (but not great). Nolan has made some good movies like Insomnia and Memento. Singer made The Usual Suspects (never thought X1 and X2 were that fantastic).

However SR didn't seem as cheesy like some of the stuff in Spider-Man (Anybody else notice that Ashy Larry accused Spider-Man of stealing pizza?). I rewatched those and there are some cringe-worthy moments. There were some in Batman as well.

Spider-Man 2: Random blond that screams her head off when Octavius approaches. Cheesy. Also, Raimi totally ripped-off the shirt-rip from Superman I.

Batman Begins: Nice coat. Bleh. Does it come in black? Who cares? Paint the damn thing and be done with it.

Superman Returns: Richard noting that, like Superman, Clark is about 6'3" with a solid frame ... okay, enough of that running gag.

Unfortunately, Hollywood seems to think we enjoy those stupid scenes.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Wife and I watched the original Superman the other evening.

No contest.

Special effects might not be as impressive, but script, plot, performance, casting, etc. were all superior. Reeve's Kent was hilarious.

And yes, it's quite fitting to compare everything, since it's very clear that this new film is meant to buil,d on what came before, not restart it with different types of people populating the narrative.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Saw it in an IMAX with 3-D after watching the original on HBO Saturday morning. The original is OK, though I prefer Supe II.
As for Returns, I thought it kicked complete ass. I'm not a fanboy, so I wasn't bothered by too much, though I thought it kind of odd that no one else said "Hey, Superman came back and Clark came back on the same day" etc.
Anyhoo.
The 3-D sequences (his running through the cornfield, the plane crash, the boat) were phenomonal. It was like looking through a live-action viewmaster.
I liked Routh a lot. He didn't do too much. I mean, he's Superman, the ultimate Mr. Clean. If he started emoting, that just wouldn't be him.
Bosworth did nothing for me.
Parker Posey, the indy queen, selling out a little bit. They shoulda given her more to do.
To be honest, I liked the kid thing. Trying to humanize him a little bit. There's no major law against that. Though I have to disagree with the whole "he's just learning his powers thing" in the original, he lifted the truck from killing his soon to be dad when he was like, what 3?
Will go back again.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

SPOILER WARNING...


Oh, how I despised this movie.

I wanted to like it. Really, I did. But it was just so overwrought with plot holes and wooden acting from everyone not named Kevin Spacey that it was a bore.

The movie took its best shot early, the scene where Superman saved the plane. How could that scene be topped? Unless he redirected nuclear missiles into space, there's really nothing that isn't a complete letdown. Oh, he's in Paris? Great. Now he's in China? Don't care.

Also, are we supposed to believe he's impervious to a boulder of kryptonite? We saw fragments of kryptonite bring him to his knees.

Finally, and this was my biggest peeve with the movie, was the less-than-subtle references to "Superman as Jesus, Jesus as Superman." His father said, "I sent my only son to earth." Gee, where have I heard that before? "The world needs a savior." The constant father-son references. What topped it for me was the scene in space; Superman is floating, arms outstretched, head tilted to the left. Christ, could they be more blatant?

This movie isn't nearly as good as the first two Spider-Man movies or Batman. And, at 2:45, there was a half hour that could have been trimmed. Easily.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

I went with my 7-year-old nephew last night and he loved it.
My reasonably smart sister, didn't catch the Superman is Jesus imagery, not until I told her. She then told me I had too much time on my hands.
She was bothered slightly by Kate Bosworth, "too young." And then the whole if he didn't have powers when he was top of the rock, how could he then fly the whole thing off into space?
A reasonable question.
As for me, it made it my second viewing. How many people caught the Sir Richard Branson cameo? But on the repeat, the script came across as a little weak. It needed one more whiz bang Superman shows off his powers scene. Singer said it was a "chick flick" and he's right. My sister was captivated by how Lois had two men and that she didn't or couldn't decide on which. The chick flickiness of it also explains why the super powers weren't on display more.
I think Superman Returns, Again will be better, I gotta figure that Singer has a story arc in mind and it seems like I have read that elsewhere, where he has a three-part story.
Here's my best guess, Zod returns in SR-II and he is the leader of Doomsday-like character. Huge fight, but for the romantic, Lois finally makes up her mind and picks Superman who then promptly dies, or at least gives the appearance of death at the end of the fight with Doomsday. Also some backstory on Luthor trying to kidnap the boy and it turns out he has a female guardian angel, Supergirl, who has a little backstory of her own.
In SR-III, Supergirl and Lois raise the boy, while a Brainiac-like character and/or Luthor revives Superman and in the process creates a Bizzaro Superman. SR-III has Superman, Supergirl and the boy duking it out with Zod, Doomsday and Bizzaro.
Keeps Spacey in all three and I do have too much time on hands.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Bizarro was the fucking stupidest of all the fucking stupid ideas they ever had in the comics.

Go with General Zod, go with a more psychotic Luthor, go with Otis bent on revenge after 20 years Deliverance-style in the Alabama wilderness, whatever, but no, no, no Bizarro. They already did that shit in SM-IV, by far worst of the original series.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Totally disagree.

Reeve is still, by far, the gold standard.

This guy had no presence compared with him.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Miss Tessmacher!!!!

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

Valerie Perrine, even at 62, would probably make for better eye candy than Parker Posey. Since the only function of that character is eye candy, why not?