Against the Death Penalty

Social Crusader and Sci-Fi Adventurer

How do you make Superman relatable? 

 

If you answered one of the following below than you may have gotten a closer representation of the American icon after viewing last year’s Man of Steel than the one I believe in.

            Chris Cornell background music brooder

            Budweiser beer drinker

            Getting called “dick spaz” as an adolescent

            Letting Dances with Wolves become Dances with Twister

            Jesus (Gotta hit the audience on the head with that one multiple times. Subtlety is lost on Snyder)

            Smile only once in costume

            Snap the villain’s neck (A little at odds with the whole “He’s really Jesus” thing, no?

            Snap the villain’s neck

            Snap the villain’s neck

                   Neck. Snap.

The Podcast is a Lie Episode 2!

So... I forgot about my post that I was supposed to write up on Saturday. I'll have it up tonight/tomorrow! In the mean time, here's the second episode of our podcast!

Man of Steel: Kryptonite Not Included

I convinced the Wife to go see Man of Steel's midnight release. It took some coaxing but, in the end, we both agreed it was totally worth it.

I'll give my initial, non-spoiler reaction, then post a few thoughts I had that could potentially be spoiler-ish after a marked off section, so no need to fear spoilers from this nerd.

If you're wondering if Man of Steel is better than Superman Returns, the answer is yes. Yes, and you're a fool for thinking anything could be worse.

This was an action packed origin movie that covered a lot of plot details quickly and succinctly while still having time to introduce recognizable and interesting heroes and villains. It could have done more with some of the supporting characters on both sides, but I respect the decision to keep the film at a manageable length for movie-goers of all levels of interest in Superman.

My biggest complaint is that I didn't care for some of the casting of Lois Lane. Lois Lane's character was written very, very well (in my humble opinion), but casting Amy Adams in the role really brought it down. She doesn't pull off a refined, experienced, no-nonsense investigative journalist as well another actress could, and I was also distracted by the decision to change Lois' hair color. As if there aren't enough superheroes with red/orange haired ladies. Even so, the character wasn't ruined, just not as great as she could have been. I may not have liked other casting as well, but Amy Adams was definitely the most glaring issue for me.

Not saying she's a bad actress, just a sub-par Lois.

Henry Cavill as Superman was spot on as far as I'm concerned, and that's the important part, I suppose.

Otherwise, the action in this film was truly stunning. The fight scenes were intense, dramatic, interesting, and still believable (given the scope of the characters, of course). My first thought was that whoever shot these fight scenes NEEDS to be put on a Dragon Ball Z movie ASAP. Some of the fight scenes would have fit a live-action version of the anime series to a T.

Ok, those are my spoiler-free initial reactions.

Arbitrary rating: 9/10 - It's a bird... it's a plane... it's an actually awesome Superman movie!

---------Potential Spoilers from this point on, you've been warned!--------------

Since it is late and I am quite sleepy, I'm simply going to mention a few thoughts on the film.

The last days of Krypton: My Superman lore knowledge is fairly low. I've seen a few versions of Kal-El (later Clark Kent) being put in a mini-spaceship and sent to Earth as Krypton dies a fiery death. The way this was portrayed in the movie was not congruent with my exceptions and slightly unclear on the whole "the planet is exploding but no one is bothering to, you know, leave" part. Maybe I missed it, but I'm not sure why the planet was exploding, why no one left (I know Jor-El was arguing with the council at one point, I must have missed something then -- I hope), and I think the "Phantom Zone" could have been explained a touch better. 

Zod's fate: Again, Superman lore isn't my strong suit, but I'm pretty sure the big guy is against killing, no matter what. Snapping Zod's neck was awesome, appropriate, and done well, but seems out of character with my comic book expectations. Is this a different direction for movie-Supes? Does Superman kill when he absolutely has to? I don't know. I liked it and it makes Superman a more interesting character, personally.

Nobody puts Zod in a corner!

Indestructible man of steel: Supes apparently kills Zod by snapping his neck. Assuming Zod is actually dead and not in a 'Healing Coma,' this would potentially mean that Superman could be killed in the same way. I don't know how suitable they are, but I'm fairly certain there are several characters in the DC universe that could muster up the strength to do so (in the comics, anyway). Makes Superman feel a lot less powerful and a lot more real. This is a good thing for me, who does not particularly like Superman comics, but I wonder how others are reacting? Or do we bank on healing coma?

Greater DC references: I was enjoying the movie enough to not be hunting them, but I didn't see many references to the larger DC universe. The military enacted "Operation Trident" -- maybe an Aquaman reference, maybe not. And there was a LexCorp logo on a fuel truck during a fight scene, but I didn't catch any other names or references I knew. Considering we're supposed to be getting a Justice League movie eventually, it would have been nice to hear a name drop or two, at the very least. Note: if I missed any, please let me know!

When a rock meets a hard place: It is always interesting to see how a superhero fight is going to be handled when both parties have excessive strength and/or abilities. When every blow can potentially knock an opponent miles away, fight scenes can get both repetitive and slowed down. Man of Steel did not suffer from these problems. In fact, I think this movie had some of the best superhero smack downs I've ever seen. I loved Faora-Ul's fight scenes, even when she was taking out the military. Her enhanced speed being shown with stop-frame like quality was a joy to watch each and every time

Even with my questions and uncertainties, this was an almost perfect super hero movie for me. I want more of this, and I want it now.

What were your thoughts/favorite parts of Man of Steel?

Movies to See in 2013

I don't think I've been to the movie theaters since The Hobbit -- not much has caught my interest, and this is a sad day.

If anyone has been feeling the same, I'm here to ease your concerns that nothing interesting is coming out -- I've found at least one movie for every month of 2013. There are some really awesome things coming up soon and some that I didn't know existed and am really excited about!

April 5th (TODAY!):
Evil Dead: This is a re-imagining of the film series I just recently reviewed. Looks a bit like every other horror movie today, but I'm hoping to find time to see it regardless.
Jurassic Park 3D: For those who enjoy trips of nostalgia literally thrown in their face, this will be a good time. Personally, I imagine I'll be skipping this one, but I respect it enough to include it.

April 19th:
Oblivion: While it's not as exciting as a movie based on the Elder Scrolls game of the same name, I do love me some sci-fi, post apocalyptic settings. And I even tend to enjoy Tom Cruise. The only sad thing is that the setting is awful similar to a novel I am writing :/
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May 3rd:
Iron Man 3: This doesn't need an introduction, but I am hoping it's better than the second film.

May 10th:
The Great Gatsby: A plug for my more literary readers. Or for those who don't want to read the book but pretend they know what they're talking about.

May 17th:
Star Trek: Into Darkness: Basically, can May just be here already?
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June 7th:
After Earth: I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this film yet, but it is another sci-fi, post apocalyptic (kind of) setting. And it stars Will Smith. Another sad note, it's title is awful close to that book I mentioned I was writing before :/

June 12:
This is the End: This looks absolutely hilarious. Some awesome comedic actors, playing themselves, as the world is coming to an end. I'm not one for comedies, but this is a must see on my list.

June 14:
Man of Steel: As long as it's better than the last fiasco, I'm down.

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July 26th: 
The Wolverine: I'm... well, not exactly excited for this film. I do like that we'll be taken to Japan, but after the last Wolverine movie, X-Men 3, and the confusing introduction of First Class into the continuity, I'm not really sure WHAT'S going on with Wolverine. Oh well.
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August 2nd:
300: Rise of an Empire: I think this is a prequel to 300 and about the bad guy, but, hey, I liked 300, right?

August 16th:
Kick-Ass 2: I really enjoy the first one, so I hope the second one can keep it up!
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September 6th: 
Riddick: Yes! I know this series isn't exactly perfect, but I've always enjoyed it!
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October 11th:
 Oldboy: This is an american remake of a Korean film, and as such is on here as more of a movie you go to see and shake your head at.
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November 1st:
Ender's Game: Excuse me while I run around the room like Kermit the Frog because I'm so excited. Oh, and Harrison Ford is in it? Life. made.

I WANT ALL OF THIS!

November 8th: 
Thor: The Dark Worlds: The first was ok, and this stars the Ninth Doctor. Fantastic!
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December 13th:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Yes, I'm still bitter about a tiny book being broken into three films, but I will be seeing this come December.



There. I've planned your movie going experience for the rest of the year. You can thank me now or later, I'm not picky.

What are you most excited about?