Superman: Man Of Steel (2013)

[radiator]

Well no one seemed to mind or even notice when [spoiler]Batman killed two people in cold blood[/spoiler] at the end of The Dark Knight Rises!

As I say, I've only read a handful of them, but didn't Superman [spoiler]kill General Zod - or some other Kryptonians in the original comics? Certainly in one comic I read a long time ago (Superman Vs Aliens IIRC), he is haunted by guilt over having to kill - there was a flashback of him opening some kind of box...?![/spoiler]

[Jim_Campbell]

[spoiler]You could all be right (although I believe Superman II has a deleted scene where Zod is led away in chains) but I certainly associate the character with being ultimately reluctant to take lives, and what I've read about the scene in this movie smacks of contrivance to make Superman into a killer. Snyder has given at least one interview in which he is keen to stress that 'his' Superman isn't a "boy scout".

If they're setting out their stall for a franchise here, the baseline level they've established seems unappealing to me.

I'm not going to bang on about it — I'm not going to see the movie so it would be idiotic of me to argue detail with people who have, I just thought that this might be a bigger deal than it seems to be from the reactions I've read.
[/spoiler]

[Sideshow Bob]

As far as memory serves....and I'm getting on a bit now,  so this may not be 100% accurate...but....
Didn't Superman take the Aliens to a deserted World at the end of Superman v Aliens so he didn't have to kill them....and thus 'break' his moral code ??

[JOE SOAP]

[spoiler]To me, that's a deal-breaker. That's discarding something absolutely, intrinsically fundamental to the character. [/spoiler]

I'm more upset Supes doesn't throw a big cellophane S.

[Hawkmumbler]

I think you will find thats the least disapointing thing about it Jim. The more I think about it the more it falls apart.

[Link Prime]

Saw it on Saturday night with the missus.
I pretty much agree word for word with Radiator's critique a few posts back.

My one-line review: A competent visual feast, but utterly soulless.

[Jim_Campbell]

My one-line review: A competent visual feast, but utterly soulless.

My favourite review from the internet so far: "44 beautifully-constructed trailers strung together in the world's most expensive promo reel."

Cheers!

Jim

[von Boom]

Saw this Saturday. This is a pretty decent action film but it didn't live up to Superman. I feel that Cavill's Clark is missing much of the charm of Reeve's Clark so it was missing some much needed heart.

My wife was depressed coming out of the film. She said it was about twenty minutes too long and the [spoiler]needless fight and death of Zod at the end [/spoiler]really ruined it for her.

About the only truly moving moment in the film was [spoiler]the death of Jonathan Kent[/spoiler].

[Recrewt]

Caught this at the weekend - very enjoyable.

The film is not without some flaws but I thought it was good and certainly better than the last superman movie.  Some of the effects fell a bit flat but then others were fantastic and fortunately it did not often fall into the 'transformers trap' where the viewer is unable to keep up with the action.  Also, there was a bit too much 'shaky cam' but that's modern movies for you.

I thought Russell Crowe was especially good - was hoping for more from Kevin Costner though.  Someone also pointed out [spoiler]the age on Jonathan Kent's grave - 46? Hard life in Kansas eh?[/spoiler]

So generally pretty happy, went with the missus and as usual after a movie I asked her what she thought:

So, what did you think?
Hmmmm, what was the last film we came to the cinema to see?
Errr Star Trek Into Darkness.
Yeah, Superman was OK but I preferred Star Trek!

I see what she means, but I still liked Man of Steel.  Looking forward to future sequels and how this ties into the JLA movie.

[JOE SOAP]

"44 beautifully-constructed trailers strung together in the world's most expensive promo reel."

Sounds like Peter Greenaway was a big influence. I hope to be be proved wrong but Watchmen was unfortunately the most expensive fan-film ever made.

[radiator]

There's actually a really nice scene at the end of the movie where [spoiler]Clark Kent is 'introduced' to Lois Lane in the offices of the Daily Planet. They exchange a knowing smile and Lois says "Welcome to the 'Planet".[/spoiler] That for me was the best bit in the film - a sweet and clever bit of dialogue - and the film could have done with ten times more of that sort of thing, and ten times less explosions and people throwing each other through buildings.

[Link Prime]

the film could have done with ten times more of that sort of thing, and ten times less explosions and people throwing each other through buildings.

Something that occurred to me throughout the latter half of the film; with all the furore about [spoiler]Superman killing Zod[/spoiler], I don't think anyone's mentioned the hundreds if not thousands of civilian lives Supes was indirectly involved in taking by throwing Kryptonians through random skyscrapers etc.

[Frank]

its been a while since I've seen it but Superman kills Zod in the original Superman 2

Zod's fate in Superman 2 is more Schrödinger's Cat than Butch and Sundance.

[von Boom]

I don't think anyone's mentioned the hundreds if not thousands of civilian lives Supes was indirectly involved in taking by throwing Kryptonians through random skyscrapers etc.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, but I'm sure if you asked they would say the buildings had been evacuated by then.

Also I thought it strange that so many people running from a falling building had never seen Prometheus.

[von Boom]

Why Man of Steel was bad.