Frank Pepito
  • Home
  • Portfolio
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact Me

BLOG

"Man of Steel" was Super, boy!

7/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
This has been a hard blog to write. This is my fifth attempt to write something down about Man of Steel without it meandering into an overly long diatribe.

Three weeks after first seeing it, I still love Man of Steel! I’ve seen it twice now and wouldn’t mind seeing it one more time in theatres before owning it on Blu-ray. But not everyone has enjoyed the movie. I talked to some of my friends who were disappointed with the film. It was almost like we’d seen two different movies, when really we were seeing one movie two different ways. And even some of the online feedback from the comic book world thought the film went too far with one scene, arguing that it was a decision the world's greatest superhero would never choose to do.

Enjoying the movie as much as I did makes me want to defend the film. That’s not to say my opinion is better than anyone who didn’t enjoy the movie. But as much as I got out of listening to my friends tell me what they didn’t like about it, I hope folks who didn’t enjoy Man of Steel will be open to what I have to say about it. And if you are among those who have decided to wait until later to see the movie, this blog is spoiler free unless you click on some of the links below.

First, to be fair, I’ll list some of the reasons my friends gave me for why they didn’t enjoy Man of Steel, presented in about the order it was consistently given to me.
  • Too much destruction, typical and fatiguing since that’s been depicted on such a regular basis in action films of late
  • Illogical choices made by some of the characters in the film
  • Superman didn’t spend enough time being the hero for the people of earth, being shown performing more rescues of innocent bystanders or taking the larger battle away from populated areas
  • Too serious and not enough humor; it wasn’t fun
I can see why these points would distract them from enjoying the film. And I can’t argue against two of the points. But I do have something to say about each.

Picture
The Level of Destruction – It is overwhelming in this movie! It goes to a degree never before seen in a superhero movie. And it is clearly provocative in the way it’s depicted. That said, there’s a part of me that chose to view the film only within the context the story being told in this film and not bring to it outside notions, including the events of recent tragic, true-life events. And choosing to do that, I only saw what the film showed: a no-holds barred fight between two and more super-powered beings taking place on our world. It happened in a small town and then a large metropolis. And it was devastating! By contrast, it was nothing like the fight shown towards the end of 1981's Superman II, and in the context of this film, it couldn’t be. That doesn’t mean, however, that the visuals won’t disturb some sensitive viewers. The distinct visuals in the film were certainly a calculated risk on the part of the filmmakers. But in my eyes, it’s exactly what could result if such a fight between creatures took place here. So I accepted it.
Picture
The Lapses in Logic  - Yeah, this movie is not perfect, and this is one point I can agree with whole-heartedly! And for me, they all involve Lois. Risk falling off a narrow ledge to follow a stranger into an ice cave? Decide to snap a picture of something that could easily be as malevolent as it is a curiosity? Shout out someone’s name and reveal someone’s identity within earshot of others? Fall so easily in love with an alien? And then, there’s the moment Lois is brought up to the spaceship, more as a plot device than anything else. And does she really need to be in the plane delivering the package? Also, can’t deny Jonathan Kent’s last scene being a WTF moment, at least the first time I saw it. So here I saw the same film my friends saw. But I still thought the many strengths of the film far outweighed its obvious weaknesses.
Picture
Superman Not Being Superman – So, where were all those super rescues we have all seen before, most notably in the Christopher Reeve films and Superman Returns? Those little scenes during heightened action and the world crumbling around the innocent people west of the San Andreas Fault and huge metal objects raining down in Metropoiis that remind and re-inforce the idea to the audience that this is why he is the world’s greatest superhero Superman? Well, my answer to this is two-fold. First, I go back to when I previously said that I chose not to bring in previous notions with me when I saw this film, and that includes the idea of the Richard Donner-directed Christopher Reeve films and Superman Returns. This isn’t those films, so I think it’s unfair to expect moments from any of the former films to naturally be in this one. It’s akin to saying “This movie sucks because it didn’t show kryptonite or Lex Luthor.” But I acknowledge that this film didn’t show more than three scenes of Superman doing that ol’ Superman thing of an actual rescue of or prevention of harm to innocent bystanders. Those moments were the soldier in Smallville, Lois in the skies over Metropolis, and the family at the end of the battle. That’s all I can recall. Was that enough? No, at least by many people’s accounts. Superman should be shown saving people and making rescues; that is the expectation when watching a Superman movie. But that leads to my second argument, that this Superman in Man of Steel really isn't Superman. Not the Superman the movie-going audience has always seen in every other such film. Not yet anyway. By the end of this movie, we’re not even sure that Superman is even called that by the world at large. All we know is that the military knows he’s good and has called him Superman, but we’re not yet shown what the world at large truly yet knows about this visitor from a stranger planet who was sought out these other stranger visitors who freaked everyone out by hacking into the world’s communication network to send a bizarre and troubling message around the world. To my mind, a more appropriate title for Man of Steel could be Superboy, a story about the hero who finally came out to reveal his true nature but has yet to earn the credit of being the world’s greatest superhero. Yeah, Man of Steel is a Superman movie, but if you think about it, he’s not really Superman, at least not yet. This first time out, he had a lot of things to process during his coming out party, and it’s easy to argue that he made a lot of tactical errors with everything he decided to take on on his first day at work. And seeing it this way makes it very plausible to me that this "rookie" Superman, while having heroic qualities, is yet to become the hero folks expected to see the first time at bat.
Picture
It Wasn’t Fun – This one took me longer to understand, but I can see it now. I didn’t spend a lot of time laughing when I watched Man of Steel. The only audibles I uttered during the movie were “Wow” and “WHOA!” and that happened frequently. Then I got the notion to re-watch Batman Begins. Batman Begins was written by David Goyer, who co-wrote the story and wrote the screenplay for Man of Steel, so I watched the film to compare it against his newest origin script. And I discovered, much to my surprise, that I laughed out loud a lot as I watched the supposedly darker, heavier film called Batman Begins. And those moments were always courtesy of Michael Caine’s Alfred and Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox. Their moments brought levity and genuine humor to the film, which was pretty nearly absent in Man of Steel. A friend pointed out that in The Avengers, there’s major destruction and carnage too, but it was somehow easier to accept and avoid any somber overtones because the heroes had funny moments during the action. Can’t argue with that. Trouble is there are no characters like Alfred and Lucius in Man of Steel to introduce that levity organically into the situations. So maybe on balance, Man of Steel could’ve earned more points by lightening it up here and there. But that’s not the story they chose to tell, and I can’t hold it against them, being someone who enjoyed and appreciated the risks they took to tell their story and felt they were successful with it. With the way this film ended tho’, it’s a sure bet that in the sequel, the offices of the Daily Planet will provide fodder for humor and levity as characters dance around secrets and lies.

So, are you with me so far? Well, that’s okay if you’re not. Man of Steel and Superman: The Movie are about as equal as Batman Begins is to Tim Burton’s Batman, meaning they’re not! But each has their devoted fans and followers, and that’s okay. And I think all four films are awesome films, for what they are.
Picture
One final thought. One thing I was surprised that was less of an issue with my friends and more an issue with diehard Superman fans was how Superman defeats General Zod in Man of Steel. I won’t spoil it, but here’s a link that summarizes the blog by Mark Waid, writer of a lauded recent update on the Man of Steel's origin Superman: Birthright (Yeah, there are origin reboots happening all the time in the comic books too!). His blog was the catalyst for great discussion on the Internet about the villain's dramatic resolution the week the film debuted. I was shocked at how it ended, but as contrived as that moment played out, the surprise turned again into acceptance. Despite what folks believe “their” Superman would do, in the context of this world and this Superman’s experiences and inexperience, it was plausible to me. And despite what folks say, I believe there was an appropriate response afterwards, if somewhat abbreviated by editing and moving on to the film's final scenes. It may just have been a response too short for folks to realize had happened and/or bought.

So that's my two cents. Thanks for actually making it through to the end here. If you have anything to share, please do below. I'm still interested in hearing what folks think about this film.

But I'm ready for the sequel! And if they go in the direction I’ve suggested, go ahead and titled it Superman.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    All About Me

    A fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman, comic books, Blu-rays, Disney, soundtracks, taking pictures, theatre and...Barry Manilow!

    Archives

    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All
    007
    12 Angry Men
    50th Anniversary
    70mm
    Action Comics
    Adam West
    Adventureland
    Alex Theatre
    Alien
    Amazon
    Amy Adams
    Andrea Romano
    Andrew C Robinson
    Andy Griffith
    Angela Cartwright
    Applause
    Aquaman
    Arclight Cinemas
    Ariel Winter
    Artoo Detoo
    Avengers
    Barrie Chase
    Batcave
    Batgirl
    Batman
    Batman80
    Batmobile
    Batwoman
    Beatles
    Bespin
    Best Buy
    Bill Conti
    Bill Finger
    Bill Mumy
    Billy Crystal
    Birds Of Prey
    Blaster Beam
    Blu Ray
    Blu-ray
    Boba Fett
    Bob Kane
    Book Review
    Brad Meltzer
    Brent Spiner
    Brian Epstein
    Bronson Canyon
    Bruce Timm
    Bryan Hitch
    Camp Hollywoodland
    Carl Reiner
    Casino Royale
    Castle
    Christmas Card
    Christmas Carol
    Christopher Reeve
    Cloud City
    Club 33
    Comic Books
    Comic-con
    Comicon
    Crafts
    Craig Huxley
    Creature Features
    D23
    Daniel Craig
    Danny Elfman
    Dark Horse Comics
    Dark Knight
    Dark Shadows
    Darth Vader
    Dave Avanzino
    David Goyer
    David Newman
    David Selby
    Dc
    Dca
    Dc Comics
    Dc Comics
    Dc Guy
    Death Star
    Delta Shield
    Detective Comics
    Dickens
    Dick Shawn
    Digibook
    Disney
    Disney 50th
    Disney California Adventure
    Disney Juju
    Disneyland
    Disneyland60
    Disney Parks Blog
    Diy
    Dr. No
    Dvd
    Earth One
    Egyptian Theatre
    Endeavour
    E.t.
    Fifth Beatle
    Film Music
    Film Score
    Fiona Huxley
    Firefly
    Firehouse Five Plus Two
    Flash
    Flash Gordon
    Floating Cloud City
    Folk Song
    Foodie
    For Your Eyes Only
    Francesco Francavilla
    Frank Miller
    From Russia With Love
    Frontierland
    Gary Frank
    Gene Roddenberry
    Geoff Johns
    George Barris
    George Lazenby
    George Lucas
    Golden Ticket
    Goldfinger
    Graphic Novel
    Half Marathon
    Hall H
    Hawaii Five-o
    Henry Cavill
    Henry Mancini
    Henson
    Hfr
    Hiking
    Hobbit
    Hogan's Heroes
    Hollywood Sign
    Hunger Games
    Ian Fleming
    I Love Lucy
    Imagineer
    Indiana Jones
    Infographic
    Insignia
    Invitations
    Iron Man
    Irwin Allen
    James Bond
    James Horner
    Jeff Bond
    Jeff Heimbuch
    Jerry Fielding
    Jerry Goldsmith
    Jim Aparo
    Jim Henson
    Jj Abrams
    J. Michael Staczynski
    John Barry
    John Javna
    John Williams
    Jonah Hex
    Jonathan Winters
    Julie Andrews
    Justice League
    Kermit
    Kirk
    Kyle Baker
    La La Land
    Leap Day
    Leap Year
    Leonard Nimoy
    Letthewookiewin
    Logo Design
    Lois Lane
    Longlivethebat
    Long Live The Bat
    Looney Tunes
    Lost In Space
    Lucasfilm
    Mad
    Mad World
    Magic Cube
    Main Street Usa
    Man In Space
    Man Of Steel
    Marketing
    Marshall Rogers
    Marvel
    Marvel Comics
    Marvin Kaplan
    Marv Wolfman
    Medal
    Men Of War
    Michael Keaton
    Michael Piller
    Mickey
    Mickey Ears
    Mickey Mouse
    Mickey Rooney
    Middle Earth
    Millennium Falcon
    Minnie
    Monstrous Summer
    Morton Stevens
    Mouseadventure
    Mouseplanet
    Movie Review
    Muppets
    New 52
    Newsarama
    New Year Resolution
    Nine Old Men
    Noir
    Norman Rockwell
    Norm Breyfogle
    Note Cards
    Ohmss
    One More Disney Day
    Paper Engineering
    Patrick Stewart
    Pbs
    Peter Gunn
    Peter Jackson
    Peter Weller
    Pierce Brosnan
    Plush
    Poison Ivy
    Popup
    Pop Up
    Princess Leia
    Prometheus
    Promotions
    Props
    Qmx
    Quantum Mechanix
    Radio Drama
    Relay For Life
    Resolution
    Retailer Exclusive
    Review
    Rick Berman
    Roald Dahl
    Robert Iger
    Robert Wise
    Rocketeer
    Rod Serling
    Roger Moore
    Rolly Crump
    RPG
    Rundisney
    Running
    Sally
    Sam J Jones
    Samuel Goldwyn Theatre
    Scavenger Hunt
    Science Fiction
    Scotty
    Screenplay
    Scrooge
    Sean Connery
    Secret Origin
    Seth Macfarlane
    Shane Davis
    Sheena Easton
    Sideshow
    Skywalker Ranch
    Soundtrack
    Space Shuttle
    Spider-man
    Spielberg
    Spock
    Stan Freberg
    Stanley Kramer
    Starfleet
    Star Trek
    Star Trek Insurrection
    Star Trek The Next Generation
    Star Wars
    Steelbook
    Superman
    Taco Bell
    Target
    Ted
    Thank You Card
    Theatre
    The Black Beetle
    The Case Of The Chemical Syndicate
    The Dark Knight
    The Dark Knight Returns
    The Flash
    The Life And Times Of Ward Kimball
    Theme Song
    Thunderball
    Tim Burton
    Time Tunnel
    Timothy Dalton
    Todd James Pierce
    Tomorrowland
    Tom Skaggs
    Toot Whistle Plunk And Boom
    Top Five List
    Torrance Theatre Company
    Toy
    Trail
    Trivia
    Tumbler
    Tv Theme Song
    Twilight Zone
    Unboxing
    Universal
    Vampire
    Vinyl Record
    Vivek J Tiwary
    Voodoo
    Walmart
    Walt Disney
    Ward Kimball
    Warner Bros
    William Shatner
    Wonder Woman
    Wonka
    Writing
    Yoda
    Zack Snyder

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Portfolio
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact Me