Superman

[Guest homerjfry]

Well I just got back from watching Superman (I couldn't wait for anyone, so I went by myself) and I thought I would share my opinion with the ever eager world. Spoilers ahead.

I was not a fan of Bryan Singer's work with X-Men. Pretty much the movie sucked. A weak story, too many lame characters and not enough bad assness for my liking. It could have been MUCH better but he ruined what could have been the best comic book movie ever.

When I heard that he was going to direct the sequal to Superman, I was panicing, but then I head that this was his pet project. Pet projects may not have the respect around Hollywood, except for Titanic, but since I loved King Kong I was looking forward to this.

Since I had today off and and to avoid the crowd (and looking like a total fag for going by myself) I went at 1:10 when it was barely crowded, and it still filled up pretty nicely.

From what I have heard from people who don't like Superman, the number one reason they dislike him is because he looks gay with the red underwear. In the Batman vs. Superman debate, the arguments are always Batman is rich and gets laid, while Superman has powers and would blow his load through Lois Lane's back like a shotgun blast. Batman always seems to win. I have always been a firm supporter of Superman in these debates and am always in the minority. I am happy to say that this movie will likey change many people's minds.

He still has the same suit, but they darken it up a bit so it isn't as bright, and make it look more leathery. It looks good. Yes he still has the red underwear (mostly maroon) but you rarely notice it.

From the opening credits, the movie sucks you in. Marlon Brando's voiceover is used as Krypton blows up and we are taken through a acid trip version of a trip through the universe. I think I would probably vote John William's theme as the best theme in movie histoy as it really just gets you pumped up. From the credits to the end, the movie never lets you go. The credits harken back to the Superman movies of old.

Brandon Routh, as many will notice right off of the bat, is a dead ringer for Christopher Reeve. He really has the Superman character as well as Clark Kent down pat just like Reeve did it so many years ago. It makes sense as this movie is a sequal and Superman's look is so iconic that to have him played by someone who looks differently wouldn't work.

Kevin Spacey steals the movie with a hammy, over the top, FANTASTIC performance as Lex Luthor. Simply marvelous performance, that's all I have to say.

Kate Bosworth is really a hotter brunette than a blonde and takes the role of the doe/eyed, confilcted heroine and plays it to perfection. Her babyface kind of makes it hard to believe that she is as old as she is playing, but what the hell, she's great in it. The chemistry between her and Routh is great as well, and they really build up the fact that Superman/Kent have been gone for 5 years and you anticipate their meeting again. Their eye contact really shows yearning, and she really exemplifies the torn woman with her fiancee (James Mardsen) and Superman. Really good stuff there.

The relationship between Kent and Lane is interesting and makes for an ironic look into the double life Kent has.

The cool twist is also interesting, albeit a bit campy, but would totally put Superman ahead in the debate.

The airplane scene is mindblowing. Never once in the whole movie do you question the special effects. The great effects are some of the best ever. The flying is natural and everything is top notch. I heard it cost around $250 million to make, and damn if it wasn't worth it. Fucking amazing effects.

All in all, this was a wonderful movie experience right up there with King Kong and next to Batman Begins, Sin City and Spiderman 2 as the best comic book movies ever. My only complaint is that the plan Luther has really isn't ALL that well thought out, but what is when it comes to villians.

I highly recommend watching it, even if you don't think you like Superman. You will be converted. This is simply a marvelous, well written, fabulous acted, visually stunning comic book masterpiece. I am really happy Singer delivered with this movie.

Things to listen and look for: The headline when Superman is thought to have died is straight off the comic headline when Doomsday killed him. Luthor's last location is ironic considering he wanted to create an island he could sell and ends up on an island nobody wants. Last nice touch, when Superman is all over the world, listen for the news cast to state that he has been spotted all over including Gotham implying Batman needs help cleaning up his city.

I know I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but I friggin loved this flick.

[Clawson]

I've never followed anything Superman but I throughouly enjoyed the movie (and not just because of the boner for Kate Bosworth) since I saw it opening night. Thinking back to it, I'm finding it even better then I did when I just walked out of the theatre.

[Guest homerjfry]

I'm usually the same. I appreciate a movie long after I first see it, but when I love a movie right off the bat, it really must have been good, to me anyway.

And boner is noted and duplicated for my viewing as well...

[GhostMachine]

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I don't mind reading spoilers so I gave this thread a look.

One question I have, though, that I will put in spoiler tags just for the hell of it:

Over at another board in a thread about this, someone hinted at something about Lois' kid, but didn't come right out and say it. However, its something I thought about right off the bat when I heard she was going to have a son in this movie.

Is it Supes' kid?

[Plubby]

I saw this on Wednesday - Im not a fan of Superman in general, I got given free passes to an advance screening - but I'd say its worth the price of admission

Yes, it is his.

[Clawson]

Except they never flat out say it is.

[ACCBiggz]

Except they never flat out say it is.

[Guest homerjfry]

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I don't mind reading spoilers so I gave this thread a look.

One question I have, though, that I will put in spoiler tags just for the hell of it:

Over at another board in a thread about this, someone hinted at something about Lois' kid, but didn't come right out and say it. However, its something I thought about right off the bat when I heard she was going to have a son in this movie.

Is it Supes' kid?

[Plubby]

and the whole superman repeating what his father said to him thing.

[Guest homerjfry]

The fact that she may have known the whole time, can take away from the sqeaky image of Lois Lane and turns her more into a a cold hearted, lying bitch to James Mardsen.

Also, if it is Supes, she must have met Richard almost immediately after Supes left the planet, which leads one to believe, if she really cared for him, why would she meet someone else almost immediately? It's kind of a giant hole in the charcter that is Lois Lane, but what the hell.

[TGC]

Just saw it tonight, and goddamn was it a great movie. Absolutely brilliant. Great effects, great story, great action, very good human drama, and just fun fun fun. See it whether you're a comic book fan or not, see it.

[Guest homerjfry]

Aparantly Roger Ebert hated it. Not that I put much weight in his reviews. He seems to pretty much like shit.

I am probably going to see it again next week so I'll re-review the second screening to see how well it holds up.

[ACCBiggz]

Just saw it tonight, and goddamn was it a great movie. Absolutely brilliant. Great effects, great story, great action, very good human drama, and just fun fun fun. See it whether you're a comic book fan or not, see it.

[GhostMachine]

Aparantly Roger Ebert hated it. Not that I put much weight in his reviews. He seems to pretty much like shit.

I am probably going to see it again next week so I'll re-review the second screening to see how well it holds up.

[ACCBiggz]

To his credit, the first Spiderman wasn't that good.

[apsham]

Come on people, we all know that Lois's womb would never be able to carry Superman's child. For one thing, Superman's powers are increased by the Earth's sun and therefore, if Lois were to get a tan, the kid would kick right through her stomach.

[GhostMachine]

Come on people, we all know that Lois's womb would never be able to carry Superman's child. For one thing, Superman's powers are increased by the Earth's sun and therefore, if Lois were to get a tan, the kid would kick right through her stomach.

[ACCBiggz]

Come on people, we all know that Lois's womb would never be able to carry Superman's child. For one thing, Superman's powers are increased by the Earth's sun and therefore, if Lois were to get a tan, the kid would kick right through her stomach.

Edited July 2, 2006 by ACCBiggz

[Xero Gravity]

Come on people, we all know that Lois's womb would never be able to carry Superman's child. For one thing, Superman's powers are increased by the Earth's sun and therefore, if Lois were to get a tan, the kid would kick right through her stomach.

[TGC]

I would go that far Biggzy. I sat in that theatre and I was a kid again, just like when I saw Spiderman, Spiderman II, and Batman Begins. These three movies, and to a lesser extent the X-Men films, brought the comic books to life. They reminded me how I felt as a young kid reading those books, watching the cartoons, and playing around pretending to be a hero. Are any of them perfect? Well, no they are not, but then I don't go in expecting perfection, i go in hoping to be entertained and forgetting about the real world. All of those films did their jobs on those respects. In fact, the only Super-Hero movie that didn't completely succeed for me was The Fantastic Four, and I didn't even hate it, I just realized they missed so many opportunities to make a far superior film. So, while I realize that Superman was not the greatest film I have ever seen (that is either Shawshank Redemption or Field Of Dreams) and not even the greatest Super-hero film i have ever seen (that is probably Spider-Man or Batman Begins), it was easily the greatest film I will see this year and when I walked out I felt absolutely fantastic.

However, I will agree with people who are saying that much like the first X-Men movie they see this as Singer getting his feet wet and expect much more should he work on a second one. I wholeheartedly agree there. His first X-Men movie was okay, not great, not bad, but there were hints of greatness to come. He succeeded on X-Men II at making a really good X-Men film however. Whatever stumbling blocks he encountered in the first were gone by the second. So I expect the same kind of thing with another Singer helmed Superman film, ie something that will truly blow me out of the water and leave me breathless. It's just like what I expect with Spider-Man III and the next batman film should they get around to making one.