Man of Steele

[Crazy4Blue]

Anyone see it yet? Is it any good? Did they change the plot or does it pretty much stick to the original story line?

[blueboss]

Did not see it but it broke opening day records 125 mil
http://movies.msn.com/movies/critics-reviews/

[BigBlueBrock]

Gotten poor reviews, not surprisingly. Superman is a lame character and needs more than Zack Snyder to make him interesting.

[Crazy4Blue]

Gotten poor reviews, not surprisingly. Superman is a lame character and needs more than Zack Snyder to make him interesting.

I agree. I think he's seen as lame by many because he can do anything, so once you figure that out the plot is shot. There really is no human element to him other than he looks like one.

[CitizenBBN]

I was never a Superman fan either, though I will say I've thought about it from a different perspective since the soliloquy about the character in Kill Bill 2, by one of my very favorite actors, David Carradine. Superman really isn't human, never was human, didn't evolve into something through some bizarre radiation etc. It makes him unique in comic book lore. His problem isn't how to cope with his powers like it is for Hulk or an X Man, his problem is how to cope with humans. He's fine, he's just living among creatures far his inferior in more than one way.

IMO the problem is a) that isn't as interesting as a character coping with his powers and trying to find his place in the world relative to what it was, and b) no one has done anything with the character that gives a lot of complexity to it and if it's just a special effects show it's tough to be too suspenseful since he's all but invincible.

It reminds me of a great bit by Robert Wuhl where he talks about the old TV serial. The bad guy unloads the revolver and Superman stands there with bullets bouncing off his chest, but then when the bad guy throws the empty gun Superman ducks.

They just write him too perfect. There's nothing interesting about that kind of character. How do you identify with him, how do you root for him in his struggles? Haven't seen this film, no idea how they treat him in this version.

PS - I feel the same about Westerns. I like characters with more warts, more flaws. Ironically John Wayne, held out as a prototypical "hero" often had characters who weren't 2D cutout perfect. Those were often the singing cowboys who never had to shoot anyone (always shot the gun out of their hands), were never once criminals now turned sheriffs, etc. Wayne's characters other than The Searchers lacked the twisted anti-hero ways of Eastwood's, but to me Superman is more like Gene Autrey or Roy Rogers or something. Maybe the Lone Ranger.

Maybe someone will find a way to write him and be interesting, but he hasn't been for me to date and it sounds like maybe this one missed that mark too. It'll do big business though, if nothing else Superman is an incredibly enduring character.

[blueboss]

IMO it's all about special effects and what new twists and how they are going to display supy's super human strengths , is anyone over 12 going to see it for any other reason? I mean really? The story? The acting? The artistic value?