Man Of Steel (film) - Directed by Zack Snyder

[bassman]

Interesting theory, but I think it's just more that the studio didn't know how to make a superman film that stayed true to the core of the comic and took it's history seriously. It's not for a lack of trying, there were dozens of attempts over the years like Burton's Superman Lives and multiple scripts from JJ Abrams, McG, Joss Whedon, etc., but they were always rejected. The better scripts were rejected because Warner Brothers didn't have faith in the mythology of the character and wanted to completely change everything around to make it "modern". For example, they wanted Superman's suit to be black and have him be a stone cold killer.... When the Lawsuit between WB/DC and the creator's families came around, they had to make a decision and have a film out in x-amount of time or they would lose the rights. Simultaneously to that David Goyer mentioned to Nolan just for kicks how he thought a Nolan-ized version of Superman could work. They worked on it, then Nolan took it to WB and they of course jumped at the opportunity as The Dark Knight was the biggest movie in the world at the time. I loved Christopher Reeve and everything he did for the character, but I don't see him as the only man that can play Kal El. He was an icon for his generation, but there's no reason the role can't be picked up by another actor and be just as good, or even greater than what came before.

[bassman]

I managed to weasel my way into an early critics/press screening for tomorrow night, so i'll let you guys know what I think here pretty soon. Doing my best to keep expectations in check, but damn I'm excited.

[Neil]

^^ Christ even I'm excited by that!

[wayzim]

^^ Christ even I'm excited by that! And now I'm excited by you being excited about him being excited - something. Wayne Z

[AcesandEights]

I managed to weasel my way into an early critics/press screening for tomorrow night, so i'll let you guys know what I think here pretty soon. Doing my best to keep expectations in check, but damn I'm excited. So cool, Bassman! Very excited for you I find my expectations starting to cool as opening weekend draws nigh. The curse of so many tepid Superman films weigh heavily upon my soul A good Bassman review, however could turn that all around...

[Neil]

I managed to weasel my way into an early critics/press screening for tomorrow night, so i'll let you guys know what I think here pretty soon. Doing my best to keep expectations in check, but damn I'm excited. Well?

[bassman]

Okay, so I've seen it. I'm just going to go over a few points here and there and it will all be spoiler free.... - This is the least "Zack Snyder" film to date. Throughout most of the film you'd never even guess he made it. - I didn't think about it until after, but I can't recall a single slow motion shot. In fact, the action is incredibly fast and jarring(in a good way). - The photography was quite beautiful at times, but would also get a bit too far on the shaky side for me from time to time... - People wanted a more physical superman and holy-friggin-crap, did they get it. We're talking sky scrapers demolished with single impacts. - They took some liberties with the characters' established history, but there's only one thing I would really complain about(more on that later). - As probably expected, the cast of mostly established actors is great. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Costner and Crowe as Kal-El's fathers. - Henry Cavill does an exceptional job holding his own against these respected actors. - Michael Shannon is awesome as always and steals the show. He's the best kind of villain...you can sort of understand why he makes his choices and almost relate to him. - This film went to some pretty dark places that I didn't expect it to go as a PG13 Superman film. Without spoilers, there is one sequence that's quite disturbing and quite a few curse words. Anyway, I know that's not really a review. Just some random thoughts as I woke up this morning. In all, I would say this is a VERY successful reboot of DC's leading superhero. They found a great way to balance the line between pleasing the established fans and bringing the character to a new audience with a more modern or "realistic" approach. Think Batman Begins. Man of Steel is definitely Superman's "Begins". As of now i'd rate them equally, but it's possible MOS would be just a bit under BB. Probably an 8/10. I'd definitely say it's worth a ticket for even the non Superman fans. I like Snyder's Watchmen, but this really shows he has grown as a filmmaker(or perhaps it was just Nolan/Goyer's script?....)

[Neil]

^^ Nice! So is it the quality Batman reboot of Superman then?

[bassman]

^^ Nice! So is it the quality Batman reboot of Superman then? I'm a bit hesitant to relate them directly after only one viewing, but as of now......yeah, I'd say so. This film should definitely put Superman back as a leading contender for the comic movie race. In a lot of ways it really does feel like "Superman Begins". I'm not saying it follows the same beats as Batman Begins, just that it gives off a similar quality, respect, and maturity. Which is quite amazing for a character often regarded by non-comic fans as the boy scout with no weakness. This should definitely change their opinions.

[rongravy]

I can't wait. I rented the first two originals on dvd, the Donner ones. I loved listening to the commentaries about how much the Salkind's sucked. Getting totally in gear for this, I'm even wearing my "Supe" boxers...

[AcesandEights]

Exciting tidbits...getting amped up for this again. Thanks for no spoilers, Bassman!

[wayzim]

So both Henry and Russell apparently had meet each other years before, though not as peers. http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/06/08...e-in-his-eyes/ and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ve-age-16.html Wayne Z

[bassman]

I can't wait. I rented the first two originals on dvd, the Donner ones. I loved listening to the commentaries about how much the Salkind's sucked. Getting totally in gear for this, I'm even wearing my "Supe" boxers... Even in work print form, Donner's edit of Superman II is fantastic. If the Salkinds weren't such jerks, it would have been amazing to have Donner continue helming Superman films for years. I bet they would've made it up to five films or more.

[Neil]

^^ How did Superman II differ in his cut?

[Trancelikestate]

The Superman II Donnor cut is COMPLETELY different Neil. You owe it to yourself to watch it.