I don't see it. Seems to me like it will be the same old Supes story as done a hundred times before? Not really sure what's going to be so different about this one, that it needs to be told yet again. He works on a rain soaked boat instead of a dusty farm now and Lex Luthor will have a mullet (I hope!) :-)
The trailer is a artfully put together but it's another typical modern Hollywood teaser that reveals absolutely nothing of any substance whatsoever. No way indicative of the final film at all. As is predictably standard nowadays, it leaked in low quality a few days before didn't it? I guess these are mostly to hype up the internet crowd. It just feels like Prometheus all over again to me.
That said - I really like the minimalist mood of the shot at the end though, but in my head I hear loud 'woohoo' straight after. That's the 'I haven't used my abilites for a while so let's go test them out' scene I bet.
Haha, well being follicly challenged myself, I think Lex should be a chrome dome. I think he was originally in the comics?
I agree, artfully put together, which surprised me and I guess what I found interesting about it. Someone on IMDB commented that it reminded them of a Terence Malick film. Having just seen "The Tree of Life" (brilliant- will review it soon) on blu-ray, I agree. I think the whole boat thing, hitchhiking in snowy mountains could be Clark on his way to the fortress...? The end shot, first flight?
For me, Richard Donner and the late Christopher Reeves' Superman is the still the definitive version. I remember watching them as kid and totally believing a man could fly. The Donner cut of Superman 2 is good too, much, much better than Richard Lester's version. I have erased Superman 3 and 4 from memory.
I actually liked Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. It has its flaws I know, it's more carbon copy than man of steel (sorry), but there's loads of Superman references to be enjoyed and Brandon Routh did a good job. I personally think Superman Returns was judged by it's box office return, I think it didn't achieve what was expected because of a little show called Smallville. The target audience for Returns? Teenagers. What did they watch? Contemporary, high school drama's like Smallville that's a million miles away from the Donner and Singers versions.
What worries me the most about the Man of Steel is Snyder. 300 is what is. An interpretation of a comic, itself an interpretation of 1500 year old battle. Visually different. Very violent. Fair enough. I've got it on Bray. Watchmen's immense, complicated, alternate reality story I think was handled really well, even though he skipped the story within the story (Tales of the Black Freighter). Too me it seems Snyder thinks a grown up story means ramping up the violence. Then there's Sucker Punch. On paper it sounded so good. I was so disappointed.
When I heard Nolan was involved, I got my hopes up. But apparently he and David Goyer got the script to a decent standard then handed all creative control to Snyder. I so so hope this is a Superman Begins, I wanna believe again!!
PS. Haven't seen Prometheus yet. Gf too scared! Tut! Was it over-hyped?
just got back off me hols to a teaser trailer for the new Supes movie... so thank you Mr Lavey, but, hmm, yes, I certainly share the Snyder-anxiety, though the whole hand-held camera = authenticity direction is a nice surprise and a clear attempt, perhaps to root the film in 'reality' - or its approximation by Hollywood at least. I was a big fan of Superman Returns because it really felt as if it had been made with genuine love and respect for the Chris Reeve era (films 1 and 2, obviously). I thought it was a rather beautiful film, hampered by odd casting - Lois Lane was ALL wrong, and the emo-kid was too much for me at least, but Brandon Routh was perfect in his big-eyed, weary sadness. Also as an exploration of American confidences in light of 9/11, I thought it was absolutely fascinating and rather poignant; indeed, one of the biggest challenges with re-booting Superman - paragon of 'the American way' is to deal, I think, with our cynicism in regard to America's role as 'saviour of the world'.
Will I go and see it?
Well, I went to see f**king Prometheus, didn't I? (sob)
I agree Phil. "Does he still count for truth, justice... all that stuff?". What happened to the American way? A sign of the times... I liked how Singer approaches this question by asking it in the movie for example Lois' article "Why the world doesn't need Superman".
Oh no, what happened re: Prometheus? I found the original Alien on blu ray in a bargain bucket and Aliens was on TV recently so I'm ready and waiting to see it. Plus my monthly film mag Total Film rated it highly? Over-hyped? Maybe now my expectations have been lowered I'll enjoy it.
Paul - don't get me started on Prometheus; go see it, and let me know what you think. I owe it a second viewing anyway. Superman Returns was an elegiac experience for me - I loved how it seemed, well, sort of humble, in terms of its action scenes, and I think that's what annoyed all the fanboys really; it wasn't quite popcorn. The Avengers dealt with post 9/11 cynicism too; it seemed at the end almost to be a 'the world DOES need superheroes' message - a retort to anti-American sentiment; indeed, the whole idea of a Captain America - the slight squeamishness of that idea to (post)modern tastes - was in the mix too - certainly, when you compare him to Tony Stark, a much more nuanced, contradictory character, ex-arms dealer and all that - almost a personification of all super powers now - i.e. countries that, while trying to be the world's police force, have also knowingly sold weapons to the failed states they're now trying to police! There's probably a dissertation in this, Paul - tracking the rise and rise of post-colonial and postmodern anxiety through the arc of America's depiction of its own superheroes...
I don't see it. Seems to me like it will be the same old Supes story as done a hundred times before? Not really sure what's going to be so different about this one, that it needs to be told yet again. He works on a rain soaked boat instead of a dusty farm now and Lex Luthor will have a mullet (I hope!) :-)
ReplyDeleteThe trailer is a artfully put together but it's another typical modern Hollywood teaser that reveals absolutely nothing of any substance whatsoever. No way indicative of the final film at all. As is predictably standard nowadays, it leaked in low quality a few days before didn't it? I guess these are mostly to hype up the internet crowd. It just feels like Prometheus all over again to me.
That said - I really like the minimalist mood of the shot at the end though, but in my head I hear loud 'woohoo' straight after. That's the 'I haven't used my abilites for a while so let's go test them out' scene I bet.
Haha, well being follicly challenged myself, I think Lex should be a chrome dome. I think he was originally in the comics?
ReplyDeleteI agree, artfully put together, which surprised me and I guess what I found interesting about it. Someone on IMDB commented that it reminded them of a Terence Malick film. Having just seen "The Tree of Life" (brilliant- will review it soon) on blu-ray, I agree. I think the whole boat thing, hitchhiking in snowy mountains could be Clark on his way to the fortress...? The end shot, first flight?
For me, Richard Donner and the late Christopher Reeves' Superman is the still the definitive version. I remember watching them as kid and totally believing a man could fly. The Donner cut of Superman 2 is good too, much, much better than Richard Lester's version. I have erased Superman 3 and 4 from memory.
I actually liked Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. It has its flaws I know, it's more carbon copy than man of steel (sorry), but there's loads of Superman references to be enjoyed and Brandon Routh did a good job. I personally think Superman Returns was judged by it's box office return, I think it didn't achieve what was expected because of a little show called Smallville. The target audience for Returns? Teenagers. What did they watch? Contemporary, high school drama's like Smallville that's a million miles away from the Donner and Singers versions.
What worries me the most about the Man of Steel is Snyder. 300 is what is. An interpretation of a comic, itself an interpretation of 1500 year old battle. Visually different. Very violent. Fair enough. I've got it on Bray. Watchmen's immense, complicated, alternate reality story I think was handled really well, even though he skipped the story within the story (Tales of the Black Freighter). Too me it seems Snyder thinks a grown up story means ramping up the violence. Then there's Sucker Punch. On paper it sounded so good. I was so disappointed.
When I heard Nolan was involved, I got my hopes up. But apparently he and David Goyer got the script to a decent standard then handed all creative control to Snyder. I so so hope this is a Superman Begins, I wanna believe again!!
PS. Haven't seen Prometheus yet. Gf too scared! Tut! Was it over-hyped?
just got back off me hols to a teaser trailer for the new Supes movie... so thank you Mr Lavey, but, hmm, yes, I certainly share the Snyder-anxiety, though the whole hand-held camera = authenticity direction is a nice surprise and a clear attempt, perhaps to root the film in 'reality' - or its approximation by Hollywood at least. I was a big fan of Superman Returns because it really felt as if it had been made with genuine love and respect for the Chris Reeve era (films 1 and 2, obviously). I thought it was a rather beautiful film, hampered by odd casting - Lois Lane was ALL wrong, and the emo-kid was too much for me at least, but Brandon Routh was perfect in his big-eyed, weary sadness. Also as an exploration of American confidences in light of 9/11, I thought it was absolutely fascinating and rather poignant; indeed, one of the biggest challenges with re-booting Superman - paragon of 'the American way' is to deal, I think, with our cynicism in regard to America's role as 'saviour of the world'.
ReplyDeleteWill I go and see it?
Well, I went to see f**king Prometheus, didn't I? (sob)
I agree Phil. "Does he still count for truth, justice... all that stuff?". What happened to the American way? A sign of the times... I liked how Singer approaches this question by asking it in the movie for example Lois' article "Why the world doesn't need Superman".
DeleteOh no, what happened re: Prometheus? I found the original Alien on blu ray in a bargain bucket and Aliens was on TV recently so I'm ready and waiting to see it. Plus my monthly film mag Total Film rated it highly? Over-hyped? Maybe now my expectations have been lowered I'll enjoy it.
Paul - don't get me started on Prometheus; go see it, and let me know what you think. I owe it a second viewing anyway. Superman Returns was an elegiac experience for me - I loved how it seemed, well, sort of humble, in terms of its action scenes, and I think that's what annoyed all the fanboys really; it wasn't quite popcorn. The Avengers dealt with post 9/11 cynicism too; it seemed at the end almost to be a 'the world DOES need superheroes' message - a retort to anti-American sentiment; indeed, the whole idea of a Captain America - the slight squeamishness of that idea to (post)modern tastes - was in the mix too - certainly, when you compare him to Tony Stark, a much more nuanced, contradictory character, ex-arms dealer and all that - almost a personification of all super powers now - i.e. countries that, while trying to be the world's police force, have also knowingly sold weapons to the failed states they're now trying to police! There's probably a dissertation in this, Paul - tracking the rise and rise of post-colonial and postmodern anxiety through the arc of America's depiction of its own superheroes...
ReplyDelete