With the marketing campaign steaming ahead for Man of Steel and the excitement grows more frenzied, I find myself agreeing that this is the Superman movie we have all been waiting for. But what, exactly, makes for a great Superman movie? What parts do we need to make it a great jaunt through Smallville and Metropolis?
First and foremost, we need some action. The novelty of Superman is, after all, his abilities. We want to see him display his powers in dizzying displays of the fantastic. Let's see him fly faster that speed of sound with the vapor cone exploding around him as he breaks the sound barrier. He should pick up a semi with ease and his heat vision can blast away in twin red beams. Most of all we want to see Superman punch someone. He needs to pull back that mighty fist and slam it into some one's face, causing them to explode through wall after wall from the force of the punch.
This was something that Superman Returns was lacking and why it is considered to be boring by so many people. Superman flew around and performed feats of speed and strength but he didn't go toe to toe with anyone. For today's movie going public, a good fist fight is something that is needed and from the trailer, were we saw Superman punching someone repeatedly in the air while flying up on them to punch them again, it looks like Man of Steel has the action we all crave.
Expensive CGI eye-candy action movies are good but a Superman movie should be about more than just eye candy. While action is a welcome necessity, the movie needs more gravitas than enormous explosions and cool visual effects. Superman needs an emotional element so we care about him and his struggle. Past movies have used Lois for a large part of that element by showing Superman's humanity with his longing for her. From all the articles, interviews and trailers for MoS, it sounds like the emotion of the movie won't hinge on the Lois and Clark dynamic but with Clark trying to figure out how a truly extraordinary person can fit into a world full of cynicism. It will be a journey shared by the audience, seeing how he overcomes his challenges to become Superman, and that will pull us into the story more than any huge explosion.
Along with a great emotional journey, Superman needs obstacles. His powers make such things a bit tough on the story so that's why he needs to butt heads with a mighty villain. We have seen Lex Luthor challenge Superman mentally but to stay with the aspect of action beyond super feats, we need a villain who can hold their own in a fist fight against Superman and challenge him physically. Man of Steel previews have shown that the Kryptonian, General Zod, is the main bad guy, much like Superman II. But this Zod seems infinitely more menacing and maniacal than the cold, quiet Zod of Superman II. From the trailer footage, Michael Shannon's Zod displays more emotion than Terrance Stamp's Zod.
People are ready for a great showdown and Zod can provide it. It would have been great to see some other powerful bad guys from Superman's rouges gallery such as Metallo, Brainiac, and Darkseid but Zod is more than apt for the challenge. Zod would probably win a flat out fight against Superman due to his military training so it will be exciting to see what means Superman uses to win the day. I know I'm on the edge of my seat to see exactly how their fight plays out.
This may be my favoritism towards the Reeve movies, but Superman should be accompanied by a great score. John Williams' music for Superman is an integrated part of our culture to the point that people who haven't seen the original movie know what the music represents. While I'm old school enough that I would have enjoyed this music to be part of Man of Steel, I'm also liberal enough to know that Man of Steel isn't the same movie as Reeve's Superman. It needs its own feel and atmosphere and the best way to bring that is through new music. Hans Zimmer took over the composing reigns for MoS and WB gave us a taste of what Zimmer is capable of with the music on the newest trailer. Its somber piano notes followed by rich bombastic percussion mixed with what could be considered the new theme for Superman brings goosebumps to my arms and a shiver up my spine. That is some serious stuff and it goes well with what the movie is trying to accomplish. I have yet to hear the full score but I think we are in for a treat. Zimmer has said he didn't set out to replace or best John Williams' score from the earlier movies, he just wanted to make something that worked within the confines of Man of Steel. From the 3 minutes of music that was with the trailer, I think he just might accomplish that. At least, I hope he does. I've already got my deluxe copy of the score on preorder from Amazon.
The final item that makes for a great Superman movie is a classic standard of iconic imagery that, while not necessary for the story, it sure looks great on screen. We need to see Clark rip open his shirt to reveal the S underneath. This is an image the fans have to expect after seeing it numerous times in comic books, movies, TV shows and cartoons. The fact that we have seen it so many times doesn't make it a tired trope but makes it a well loved and comforting image. Man of Steel does come at Superman from a new angle, so it could be possible they don't show the great S reveal. If they don't, it will be a minor disappointment, but it won't ruin the movie. However, if they do, it will be a great garnish that will send a tiny jolt of school boy joy up the quivering spines of several fans.
With all these ingredients put into a pot and stirred correctly, the end result should be a fantastic Superman movie that will finally live up to the character. Man of Steel has shown that it seems to be on the right track, giving us all the trimmings of what an audience craves from the film. Hopefully, it will be a visual feast served up fresh and piping hot on June 14th.
What make a great Superman movie in your opinion? Did I leave something out? Let me know by commenting below.
First and foremost, we need some action. The novelty of Superman is, after all, his abilities. We want to see him display his powers in dizzying displays of the fantastic. Let's see him fly faster that speed of sound with the vapor cone exploding around him as he breaks the sound barrier. He should pick up a semi with ease and his heat vision can blast away in twin red beams. Most of all we want to see Superman punch someone. He needs to pull back that mighty fist and slam it into some one's face, causing them to explode through wall after wall from the force of the punch.
This was something that Superman Returns was lacking and why it is considered to be boring by so many people. Superman flew around and performed feats of speed and strength but he didn't go toe to toe with anyone. For today's movie going public, a good fist fight is something that is needed and from the trailer, were we saw Superman punching someone repeatedly in the air while flying up on them to punch them again, it looks like Man of Steel has the action we all crave.
Expensive CGI eye-candy action movies are good but a Superman movie should be about more than just eye candy. While action is a welcome necessity, the movie needs more gravitas than enormous explosions and cool visual effects. Superman needs an emotional element so we care about him and his struggle. Past movies have used Lois for a large part of that element by showing Superman's humanity with his longing for her. From all the articles, interviews and trailers for MoS, it sounds like the emotion of the movie won't hinge on the Lois and Clark dynamic but with Clark trying to figure out how a truly extraordinary person can fit into a world full of cynicism. It will be a journey shared by the audience, seeing how he overcomes his challenges to become Superman, and that will pull us into the story more than any huge explosion.
Along with a great emotional journey, Superman needs obstacles. His powers make such things a bit tough on the story so that's why he needs to butt heads with a mighty villain. We have seen Lex Luthor challenge Superman mentally but to stay with the aspect of action beyond super feats, we need a villain who can hold their own in a fist fight against Superman and challenge him physically. Man of Steel previews have shown that the Kryptonian, General Zod, is the main bad guy, much like Superman II. But this Zod seems infinitely more menacing and maniacal than the cold, quiet Zod of Superman II. From the trailer footage, Michael Shannon's Zod displays more emotion than Terrance Stamp's Zod.
People are ready for a great showdown and Zod can provide it. It would have been great to see some other powerful bad guys from Superman's rouges gallery such as Metallo, Brainiac, and Darkseid but Zod is more than apt for the challenge. Zod would probably win a flat out fight against Superman due to his military training so it will be exciting to see what means Superman uses to win the day. I know I'm on the edge of my seat to see exactly how their fight plays out.
This may be my favoritism towards the Reeve movies, but Superman should be accompanied by a great score. John Williams' music for Superman is an integrated part of our culture to the point that people who haven't seen the original movie know what the music represents. While I'm old school enough that I would have enjoyed this music to be part of Man of Steel, I'm also liberal enough to know that Man of Steel isn't the same movie as Reeve's Superman. It needs its own feel and atmosphere and the best way to bring that is through new music. Hans Zimmer took over the composing reigns for MoS and WB gave us a taste of what Zimmer is capable of with the music on the newest trailer. Its somber piano notes followed by rich bombastic percussion mixed with what could be considered the new theme for Superman brings goosebumps to my arms and a shiver up my spine. That is some serious stuff and it goes well with what the movie is trying to accomplish. I have yet to hear the full score but I think we are in for a treat. Zimmer has said he didn't set out to replace or best John Williams' score from the earlier movies, he just wanted to make something that worked within the confines of Man of Steel. From the 3 minutes of music that was with the trailer, I think he just might accomplish that. At least, I hope he does. I've already got my deluxe copy of the score on preorder from Amazon.
The final item that makes for a great Superman movie is a classic standard of iconic imagery that, while not necessary for the story, it sure looks great on screen. We need to see Clark rip open his shirt to reveal the S underneath. This is an image the fans have to expect after seeing it numerous times in comic books, movies, TV shows and cartoons. The fact that we have seen it so many times doesn't make it a tired trope but makes it a well loved and comforting image. Man of Steel does come at Superman from a new angle, so it could be possible they don't show the great S reveal. If they don't, it will be a minor disappointment, but it won't ruin the movie. However, if they do, it will be a great garnish that will send a tiny jolt of school boy joy up the quivering spines of several fans.
With all these ingredients put into a pot and stirred correctly, the end result should be a fantastic Superman movie that will finally live up to the character. Man of Steel has shown that it seems to be on the right track, giving us all the trimmings of what an audience craves from the film. Hopefully, it will be a visual feast served up fresh and piping hot on June 14th.
What make a great Superman movie in your opinion? Did I leave something out? Let me know by commenting below.
I'm hoping that the movie's writer throws Superman into a bunch of moral and ethical dilemmas throughout the film - always forcing him to maintain the moral high ground against the villains, even when it's difficult. I thought The Dark Knight and Batman Begins were filled to the brim with this kind of stuff, whether it be the dilemma forced upon the people of Gotham on the ferries / boats by The Joker, Ras Al Ghul asking Bruce Wayne to execute a criminal, etc. I think the best part of the trailers so far was when Costner was talking to 12 year old Clark about keeping his secret, and that maybe it would be better to let some people die rather than have his secret exposed. The whole idea of "sometimes it's okay to do a little evil, if it means doing a greater good for the long term". To me, this kind of thought-provoking morality tale is where I am hoping the movie will decide to go. Supposedly this movie is more grounded in realism than the other Superman films of the past, so that should make it easier for the movie to go in this direction. I don't care that much about how impressive the spectacle of the visuals and battle scenes are, so long as they are only there to support the storytelling, rather than be a replacement for the storytelling. Given the fact that it's the most anticipated movie of the year, and probably contains the most expensive production budget, you know that it will deliver during the action scenes. That's simply a given. I care much more about the quality and depth of the script and storytelling. Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, and Laurence Fishburne always deliver the acting goods in everything they are in, so this movie looks like it will be pretty well cast. The casting certainly can't be any worse than Kate Bosworth in Superman Returns. If you haven't noticed, she hasn't gotten any work since that movie. All in all, I'm focused on the quality of the script, and how it defines Superman's moral and ethical core in our real, modern, 21st century world - similar to what Nolan tried to explore in his Batman films. I believe that the best superhero films to date are the ones that have had the most intelligent scripts: The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man 1, and Superman 1.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing from the trailers that we will see Clark have to face many challenges of doing the right thing even though he know it might expose his powers. I think Clark will fight Jonathan's opinion, which is just fear that his son won't be accepted, because he knows ignoring what he is capable of, his responsibility, is worse than any rejection. But to watch him struggle with that will make for some great viewing.
DeleteI agree that I want depth and storytelling. Superman Returns tried to do that with the "Why the world needs Superman" dynamic. They wanted a deeper, character driven story. Seven years later we can say it didn't work and it was missing better action. That's all I'm looking for. I don't want Superman to be put in the middle of a Michael Bay movie. Not at all.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and keep reading!
Regards,
Jim