Superman Returns

Originally Posted by Interrobang

Irrelevant.

It's not about enjoying things, you dense dolt. It's about you saying stupid stuff to justify your conclusions about how Smallville is better* than the comics. You are acting as if you are knowledgeable when you aren't.

*No, I don't give a shit about your semantics.

Who do you think you are, some police to point out someone's lack of extensive knowledge about a fictional character's many iterations? I didn't say stupid stuff; I said what I like, why I like it, and referenced the things in comparison. That is a well-thought out opinion... The problem is you just don't agree with it, and you can't get over that or leave it alone.

Child.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

You're scrapping the bottom of the barrel now. "Child"? "Knowledge police"?

Do you still have no refution for the fact that you don't know shit but still pretend to?

FELIPE NO

I already conceded you "know more" about Superman's extensive history. But that is not the point anymore. That may be what you are trying to prove, but why? Just to boost your ego?

Superman is a story I have enjoyed and liked for many years. I casually make some comments about what I like in Smallville better than somethings in the comics and you procede to bash me and jump all over me. What gives?

I'm not pretending to be the uber-know-it-all on Superman. I don't care to be either. You can have that, but try being a little more considerate next time. AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF A PISSING MATCH.

Quote:

[YOUR ORIGINAL POST EDITED SO AS NOT TO SHOW YOU BEING AN ASS]
Actually you don't have that story quite right Dayvon.

http://superman.ws/tales2/howluthormetsuperboy/?page=6
This was the story before 1986. In 1986, a writer changed it so Lex lost his hair in adulthood as a result of natural baldness. I don't think that the "metoer shower" is a better explanation. (HERE YOU WOULD SAY WHY IT IS NOT BETTER)

Superman is a alien with unknown biology. One doesn't necessarily make more sense than the other. Either slow progression or immediate power use would be a possibility.

And it was already done in 1986.

Jor-El and the Kryptonian story-plot has been the nexus of the plot for seasons. It's not a minor point. But a major point of the series that really doesn't follow the Superman history (EXAMPLES HERE)
[YOUR ORIGINAL POST EDITED SO AS NOT TO SHOW YOU BEING AN ASS]

Quote:

[YOUR ORIGINAL POST SHOWING YOUR ASSNESS]
Why are you talking about things you obviously have no interest in or knowledge of, Dayvon?

http://superman.ws/tales2/howluthormetsuperboy/?page=6
This was the story before 1986. In 1986, a writer changed it so Lex lost his hair in adulthood as a result of natural baldness. "lol metor shower" is not a better explanation.

Superman is a fucking alien with unknown biology. How does one make more sense than the other? Christ, you're dumb.

And it was already done in 1986.

Jor-El and the Kryptonian shit has been the nexus of the plot for seasons. It's not a minor point.
[/YOUR ORIGINAL POST SHOWING YOUR ASSNESS]

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Being nice to stupid people isn't really the rule here, Dayvon.

Telling me to be nicer still doesn't excuse the fact that you're criticizing things you don't have the prerequisite experience to.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Myself, I never got into Smallville at all due to many reasons. I never liked the "it's a small world" feel of it, where Superman knows almost all of his major characters before he goes to Metropolis.

I never liked the idea that Clark not only knew Lex when he was young, but that he was friends with him.

I never liked the fact that they changed his whole history as a child, that he wasn't the trod-upon "geek" of the town, as well as in Metropolis. In Smallville he is more the "cool kid" who is liked and has many friends. It makes Superman less than he truely is to me. Superman is supposed to be as noble and honorable as he is despite being the lesser liked kid on the block, that he always had to hold his powers in check so as not to show himself to the world. In Smallville he seems to do it all the time, and it makes him far less of a Superman to me.

One question, if Clark were to go to Metropolis in Smallville, would he be the nerdy, underappreciated geek he was in the comics, or would he be the cool new guy who's fun to be around just to make him more "hip" with the times?

I'm hoping the movie is not as campy as the show, and that Routh can fill Reeves shoes at being Clark Kent. That'll tell me if it's a good movie or not.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

You know the nerd geeky guy with glassses is an act when he goes to Metropolis for good. He was not the COOL KID for most of the smallville 5 seasons to let you know. I don't know where you got that from. He is always holding back to not show himself to the world and hence why he was the outsider in his school outside of his VERY FEW friends. And the guy was and still is in constant misery on the show becuase he is holding back.

You won't like the Lex/Clark friend thing if you don't see the downhill progression throughout the whole show, OF COURSE.

So your opinions bear very little weight, for the most part.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Actually, contrary to your beliefs, my opinions matter much to me, since they are you know, MY OPINIONS.

From the episodes that I saw, he was not the picked on, nerdy, bullied kid that he was in the comic. He had girls chasing after him, he was liked by other kids and for the most part, had a completely different attitude than the normal Clark Kent.

As far as misery, I saw him more as whiney/angsty that he couldn't use his powers, more so from the Kent's direction. In the comics he took it more in stride, and wasn't a little bitch about it. He was in control of his emotions, and his powers.

The Lex/Clark thing shouldn't be in the show. I don't agree with it as it stinks of "small world" syndrome, just to include a character people know as an antagonist for Superman to "fight", rather than write a good story about the iconic hero growing up and dealing with real-world problems. It's much like the Elektra movie all over again.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Wow, Kevin Spacey looks so awesome in that trailer. Now I'm looking forward to this movie.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Lord, I thought his general history as a child was pretty much untold, which is why Smallville made a show about it to begin with. I guess I am wrong though.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by BZ

Lord, I thought his general history as a child was pretty much untold, which is why Smallville made a show about it to begin with. I guess I am wrong though.

There are classic Superboy comics that are very different from Smallville. Most of these comics are however, about 25+ years old. So unless you collect or read/find old comics, you wouldn't know anyway.

Since the Superman story reinvention in the 80's, there hasn't been THAT much written about Superman in the pre-Metropolis time. That is why Smallville seems to fill Superman comic history (but really doesn't because the comic and show DONT correlate accurately).

FELIPE NO

I purposely kept myself from watching Smallville in the beginning because I thought it was some gay retelling of the Superboy story made by the WB for teenage girls. And in a way I was right. But last nov. dec. i decided to watch an episode because they were showing the Superman Returns trailer during the episode and I was hooked. The way this season ended was pretty cool. The phantom zone and everything. Yes there are many difference between Smallvile and the Superboy comics and even the 80's Superboy tv series that I barely remember. But it's still a well written show. It brings Superman to an audience that normally wouldn't give a shit about the big boy scout in blue. That being said, I still like the comics more. I hope the movie is as good as I think it looks. I see a little more bit of the epic part than some people see but I may be biased towards Singer's style and his nod to Donner's film. I'm going to hold most of my judgement though until the movie actually comes out on the screen and we can all watch it. Hell it's gotta be better than Superman II, which used to be my favorite of the supes movies until I started watching it just a few minutes ago.

I'm also going to start checking more of John Ottman's stuff out now that I've heard the soundtrack.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Funny ziggy, when the season 5 finale was the worst finale of the whole show in my opinion (bad script). Season 5 had the potential to be absolutely amazing as it was through the first 12 episodes, but it kind of fell off to just good after that. 4 was the worst season, but did have great episodes within it. Seasons 1-3 were just overall great. You just have to ignore the occasional bad script.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Quote:

I'm also going to start checking more of John Ottman's stuff out now that I've heard the soundtrack.

Much as I'm enjoying the SR score, I wish he'd get more opportunities for real creativity again (see also: ELFMAN). Things like Lake Placid and Fantasy Island were why I decided to follow Ottman's work in the first place.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by BZ

Funny ziggy, when the season 5 finale was the worst finale of the whole show in my opinion (bad script). Season 5 had the potential to be absolutely amazing as it was through the first 12 episodes, but it kind of fell off to just good after that. 4 was the worst season, but did have great episodes within it. Seasons 1-3 were just overall great. You just have to ignore the occasional bad script.

some of the last episodes were indeed crappy. I hate they killed off his dad. I've watched all of season 4 and 5 but haven't had a chance yet to catch up on 1,2 and 3. I see whatever episode comes on HDnet at night on Mondays (i think that's when it's on) but because i cancelled my netflix membership it's been a little harder to catch up. i'd like to actually buy season 1 and just start there but i'm too cheap. The main thing I don't care for is how Lois is already in the mix. God yes she's hotter than the chick that plays Lana but it's messing with the superman story a bit much for my tastes. Granted it's working but its just weird to me.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The one where you know who is killed is not at the end of the season 5 and that one was actually one of the best eps of the whole series. It was 5.12. And I would take Lana over Lois anyday of the week.

Well Lehah he is half right, about the Spacey/Rosenbaum thing. Can't say for sure until I see the movie of course.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Megalith

Going back to the campy version of Lex Luthor is retarded after seeing Rosenbaum's version.

I'm not a huge expert on Superman (again, my only exposure was TAS and the Reeves films), but it seems to me that Spacey's trying to create his own version of Luthor. He might try to retain some of Hackman's campiness, but he's also adding a layer of borderline-psychotic-menace (lol) to the part. Kind of a mixture of both, I guess, which I think is perfect.

I was never able to get into Smallville. *shrug*

I was speaking idiomatically.

Quote:

Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns" got its big press airing last night in multiple screenings. Even though Warner Bros. has been keen to flack positive reviews from the trades and the newsweeklies, there’s a lot more to say about this $300 million epic that opens next Wednesday.

For one thing, I don't know why in the world this edition of "Superman" was adopted by the gay community. Director Singer is gay, and his point of view comes across fairly often, but neither Superman the character nor his new portrayer, Brandon Routh, seem especially sexual in any direction. Singer seems more interested in creating a Christ-like icon out of Superman, which is certainly unique.

But Superman, aka Clark Kent in "Superman Returns" is just as much of a dork as he was in the first two films that starred Christopher Reeve and were directed by Richard Donner.

The early revelation that Lois Lane has a child the same age as the amount of time he’s been away makes absolutely no visible impact on Clark. If he ever slept with Lois in "Superman II," he seems either to have forgotten or not realized the consequences.

(Story continues below)

ADVERTISEMENTS
Advertise Here

The one thing Routh has going for him is that he looks a lot like Chris Reeve. Other than that, his acting hasn’t changed much since his short, cardboard-like stint on "One Life to Live."

Singer is content with using him as sort of a prop, and moving everyone else around him. It’s not that Routh is bad or embarrasses himself. He does neither. But dynamic is not a word that comes to mind, either.

Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane actually fares much worse. She is very bland, lacking any of the zip Margot Kidder gave to the role in the films or Teri Hatcher in the "Lois and Clark" TV series.

She is sass-less, but then again, so is the wearisome script by Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris and Singer. Their dialogue is either suffocating or absent. After all, Lois has supposedly won a Pulitzer Prize. But she's as witty or facile with words as a lump of Kryptonite.

Now, you might think I didn't like "Superman Returns." Not so: The first hour is magnificent, and there is a lot to like in the succeeding hour and a half. But the movie is way too long. Singer apparently thought "more is more," and you can see all $300 million up on the screen.

But a long sequence in the middle, with lots of CGI and some preposterous stuff involving Lois saving Superman, is repetitive and kind of joyless. A woman sitting next to me in yesterday’s screening kept making phone calls during that part.

But the first hour or so just soars, and all works with a real brilliance. It’s enough to offset the rest of the film for better or worse.

That first hour is essentially a remake of the first two Donner films. The only difference is that Superman has been away for five years. But Singer recreates Superman's original appearance on Earth — this time instead of being a baby in a rocket, he's an adult. The wonderful Eva Marie Saint returns as Clark’s mother Martha Kent, and the scenes in Kansas are gorgeously shot.

In recreating the Donner films, Singer has also used John Williams' original score and the original title design as well. In this case "Superman Returns" is really "Superman III." About 20 minutes in, Clark/Superman must rescue the Space Shuttle and a passenger plane that was boosting it into space. The whole movie is worth this episode, every part of it works.

But that's when a new story kicks in, involving Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor colorlessly imitating Gene Hackman, and Parker Posey doing her damnedest to make a character out of his sidekick Kitty.

But Posey — who looks great and has some good introductory moments — never takes off. For a lot of the film she’s dressed up with no place to go, and you can feel it. Her role is full of missed opportunities for juicy one-liners and observations.

Spacey, sometimes looking like Uncle Fester, works overtime to find new paths away from Hackman's work. Sometimes, but not often, he is successful.

There are some nice touches: The first character you see in the film is a wealthy, dying widow whom Lex is conning into signing over her estate. The original Lois Lane from TV, Noel Neill, does a nice job with the part.

Later Jack Larson, Jimmy Olsen from TV, gets few good scenes as a bartender. Perry White (Frank Langella) does get to say, "Great Caesar's ghost," and in a cute scene the words, "Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it's a plane," are uttered.

In the end, "Superman Returns" is grand, and often aims to be a take on "Gotterdammerung" with the world exploding, flooding, collapsing and repairing itself. There is a lot of melodrama, and many gorgeous shots of Superman flying around the world, into space and brooding about his life's work.

I think the audience I saw the movie with was a little confused. They wanted some laughs, but when the few times came, they chuckled nervously instead.

There was succinct applause at the end, but not the feeling that we’d seen a jubilant triumph. My guess is the movie, which comes out June 28 and will "open" all the way through July 4, will make all its foundational money right away, and come out of the first week in good shape. But $300 million is a lot to earn back, no matter how impassioned comic books fans are about this latest iteration of their hero's saga.

Pretty much saying the actors do not put memorable performances in.

How ya doing, buddy?

The reviews are quite positive so far. 88% on RottenTomatoes. Have to wait for Ebert's review, but i'm sure he will give it a thumbs up.

I can't wait for Wednesday.

Smallville is an interesting series. Clark is excellent, but Lana is a pathetic character. Introducing Louis into the series was great as she is infinitely hotter than Lana. Just wish the show wasn't so generic.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Foshi

I can't wait for Wednesday.

First US showings are Tuesday 6-27 @ 10pm nationwide.

*already there*

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Bought my tickets this afternoon, i mean last night, hell whenever it was, it's all frakin' confusing when you wake up to go to the bathroom and notice the carpet in front of your bathroom is all wet, then realize your toliet is broken. spent the last hour trying to get all the water up. hope i don't have to replace the carpet.

OH Doody!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I got to screen the movie on Saturday night, since my theatre is having a promo screening on Monday. I thought the movie was fantastic. If you were a fan of the first two, then you'll love this one. I didn't think the movie was too long at all.

Double Post:
BTW: I think that review above gives away way too much, and spoils the fun.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by BZ

Pretty much saying the actors do not put memorable performances in.

One random internet entry from an unlinked source review does not undo any movie.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

It's from "FOX411" and written by some guy called Roger Friedman. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200698,00.html

He writes celebrity gossip shit, so I'm loath to take his opinion seriously.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Reviews are merely opinions from people we don't really know, so we can't really judge them to our own likes & tastes.

I'm going into this movie with high hopes; after all, Singer ditched X3 for this, and it seems to be a labor of love from him, so hopefully it pays off.

I have to admit though, when the teaser trailer was released, I had goosebumps all over when I saw it. Just hearing Marlon Brando's speech, the John Williams score, and the shots of Smallville and the Daily Planet all hit me in an emotional way. I felt like a little kid in a comics shop; it all just seemed prefect.

I plan on seeing it at the local theatre opening night, then go watch it in IMAX 3D over the weekend.

Good times :biggrin:

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Interrobang

He writes celebrity gossip shit, so I'm loath to take his opinion seriously.

Jesus Christ - and this guy posted his opinion? What ever happened to good taste or intelligence?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?