Noteworthy Superman dates to remember...
September 1: Traditionally recognized as the birthday of Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent's adoptive father.
September 5: George Lazenby, Jor-El in the Superboy TV series, born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia in 1939.
September 6: Justin Whalin, Jimmy Olsen in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, born in 1974.
September 8: The Super Friends cartoon show makes its debut on ABC-TV in 1973.
September 10: Filmation's The New Adventures of Superman animated series premieres on CBS in 1966.
September 12: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman makes its debut on ABC-TV in 1993.
September 13: Artist Mike Grell (Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes) born in 1947.
September 15: Jackie Cooper, Perry White in the Superman films, born in 1922.
September 16: Tommy Bond, Jimmy Olsen in two serials, Superman and Atom Man vs Superman, born in Dallas, Texas in 1926.
September 16: Writer Kurt Busiek (Superman & Action Comics) born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1960.
September 16: Steve Younis, owner of the Superman Homepage, born in 1971. :)
September 17: Bryan Singer, director of Superman Returns, born in New York, NY, USA in 1965.
September 17: Writer Roger Stern (Action Comics) born in 1950.
September 18: James Marsden (Richard White in Superman Returns), born in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1973.
September 22: Traditionally recognized as the birthday of Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl.
September 23: Writer Peter David (Supergirl) born in 1956.
September 24: 'Smallville' Season 10, Episode 1 'Lazarus' airs on The CW at 8.00pm.
September 24: Tommy Bond, Jimmy Olsen in two serials, Superman and Atom Man vs Superman, dies in 2005, aged 79.
September 25: Christopher Reeve, star of the Superman films, born in New York, NY in 1952.
September 26: Writer Louise Simonson (Superman: The Man of Steel) born in 1946.
September 28: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse available on DVD & Blu-ray.
September 28: Traditionally recognized as the birthday of Lex Luthor.
I mostly enjoyed SR, and I though when it was a great that a new generation got to have a Superman and Brandon Routh was for me a great choice and I hope that he will be given another shot at playing Clark/Superman again. I thought Kevin Spacey was perfect casting for Lex Luthor and using some of Brando words was a just right. I mean who else is better playing Superman father then Brando? And for older fans of the original Superman:The Movie it was just perfect to hear his voice again.
I wasn't too keen on Lois Lane in SR, and I think they should have done what they did in Superman: The Movie made it all about Superman only and made more action without the love story and leave that for the next movie. Overall though I really enjoyed Superman Returns and it was the best that we could have hoped for in such a big return like Superman. I want a Superman sequel with Brandon and Kevin back.
But please leave JLA movie in the trash can please, it the worst idea I have ever heard of who cares about having all the hero in one film it just won't work and I won't be interested in it.
Edited by Steve Wright on February 10, 2009 10:29am
Hey everyone, just wanted to say Superman Returns, is my favorite movie (5/5 stars)
Hopefully Singer gets another shot (85% sure he will) making a sequel to Returns, a more action packed one, with phenomenal fight scenes.
it errs... me big time that the film industry still has problems emulating his heroic attributes, fully, technology aside for a while. The good work in movie advancement still fails to capture the feel in the comics... is that because it is more personal, in your hands, flipping the page? The fact of the matter is that as human beings we die off, to be replaced by the new fans, so the movies have to begin again for their sake, to sate their appetite of- What can this age produce- If only there was a foundation of sorts to harbour a new type movie company, solely dedicated to pumping out a continuous stream of his stories--just like comics, i had some ideas, but they fall behind the times real quick.
I saw the Dark Knight yesterday and I couldn't help but compare my experience with that of my viewing of Superman Returns.
To be fair, a more appropriate comparison would be SR to Batman Begins, but even in that case, it's no contest: Batman Begins by a landslide was a better movie. And, I am EXTREMELY BIASED as a Superman fan.
That said, I want to address some point made earlier, particularly by MildMannered79, as well as some others, regarding SR. (Note - I've seen maybe two episodes TOPS of Smallville and grew up with the CR movies).
First, even coming from someone who gives SR a "generous" B-, there's no doubt in my mind that a proper foundation has been laid and no critical changes need to be made other than potentially eliminating some unnecessary characters (i.e. Cyclops, the Kid, and Parker Posey, at the very least) and bringing in new writers (which I believe has already occurred).
Second, I think MM79 makes a great point about "Change." Initially, I thought to myself, "As someone who grew up with the CR movies, maybe I didn't like SR b/c I'm so used to CR's version." But, after watching The Dark Knight, I realized, it's NOT the change, itself, that bothered me. It's that they DIDN'T MAKE THE "CHANGE" WORK.
Take the Dark Knight for instance. I've NEVER seen the joker with long, curley hair. And, I've never seen Batman on a motorcyle. I thought these two "changes" were lame before I entered the theatre. When I walked about, I had NO PROBLEM with these "changes." Why? B/c they MADE IT WORK. Superman's garbage bag cape and mini plastic logo DO NOT WORK.
Third, and on a similar note, CASTING is critical to these movies. Brandon Routh is fine. Kevin Spacy is fine. The rest was TERRIBLE! Kate Bosworth? I have nothing against her personally but c'mon, she doesn't look ANYTHING like Lois Lane. And, because she doesn't, they had to CONVINCE ME (i.e. MAKE IT WORK) and they failed.
Fourth, I'm not sure what MildMannered79 meant about Transformers not being as "profound" as SR, but Transformers DEFINITELY pulled it off. And, that's a movie they could have easily destoryed.
In conclusion, I think the two MAIN PROBLEMS with SR were (1) the inability to convince the audience that the changes were an improvement and (2) the lack of a truly captivating story. For an example of (2), watch The Dark Knight. While the "tone" of these two movies is somewhat different, there's simply no reason why the writers of the Man of Steel could come up with a story just as captivating. There is plenty of material to work with. And, I hope these new writers are held to that high standard.
Truth, Justice and the American way
I fear that WB may take a leaf out of Batman's book due to Dark Knights success and try to make the next Supes movie a dark tragic story. I hope that this is not the case. If another Superman movie is in development I hope that the WB will see some sense and let Singer carry on with his vision.
My favorite scenes in Returns were the Falling Boeing 777 (don't know if its spelt like that), all the action scenes pretty much and the Clark 'stuff'. I've got other fav scenes but those are the ones that come to mind
I can't wait to see what they do with MOS, how everything will play out is what's interesting me. There are so many ways this can go.Superman: "You said that the world doesn't need a savior, but everyday I hear people crying for one"
I really hope that MOS gets made.
I was so excited waiting for SR to be released, I was going out of my mind. I'm such a huge fan and this was like a dream come true. I had such high expectations that when I left the theatre after I saw it first I was a bit underwhelmed. I wanted to like it but something just didn't click so I turned around before leaving the cinema and bought a ticket to the next show and sat into it again. Over time the film began to grow on me. I realised it was a beautiful film. All the performances- bar one- were top notch. The cinematography was fantastic and the story was ballsy.
Its now one of my favourite fims.
A movie as epic as Superman shouldn't have to "grow on" anyone.
I understand that A LOT goes into the process, but my initial approach would have been to sit around and watch Superman I, II and III for a couple of weeks (at least), over and over and over again, and figure out what made those movies so great to watch (yes, I loved Superman III and like Return of the Jedi, I just can't understand why people didn't like it).
So, pick out the items that OBVIOUSLY worked and then update some other things.
You DON'T throw in a Kid.
You DON'T eliminate Clark and Lois' relationship (heck, this was pretty much the BULK of the original movies).
I don't support a Reboot. They just need some good writers capable of eliminate the Kid and Cyclops and Park Posey, and getting this thing back on track. Hopefully this occurs in the process of Singer "getting all Wrath of Khan" on us.
Truth, Justice and the American way
I really liked Superman Returns. When I went to see it, I said, "Now this is Superman!" They gave him an updated look (which I wasn't crazy about), threw in some new challenges (i.e. the whole Lois and Jason thing), and modernized the effects. I don't understand what's wrong with Jason. He added a new demension to the story. I thought it was a good idea. I didn't like Bosworth as Lois, but then again I've never liked the Lois character. I've never thought she made a good match for Supes. I always liked Lana Lang better. That being said, Superman Returns was a great movie. I am quite upset that the sequel is getting scrapped in favor of a reboot. Superman Returns had great promise. Too late now though. Congratulations to all you haters. You got your wish. SUPERMAN RETURNS ROCKS!!!
Faith is stronger than adversity.
KalEl03 wrote:
I really liked Superman Returns. When I went to see it, I said, "Now this is Superman!" They gave him an updated look (which I wasn't crazy about), threw in some new challenges (i.e. the whole Lois and Jason thing), and modernized the effects. I don't understand what's wrong with Jason. He added a new demension to the story. I thought it was a good idea. I didn't like Bosworth as Lois, but then again I've never liked the Lois character. I've never thought she made a good match for Supes. I always liked Lana Lang better. That being said, Superman Returns was a great movie. I am quite upset that the sequel is getting scrapped in favor of a reboot. Superman Returns had great promise. Too late now though. Congratulations to all you haters. You got your wish. SUPERMAN RETURNS ROCKS!!!
Agreed, KalElL03! SR Rocks!
Also, we Brandon Routh fans are doing a WRITING CAMPAIGN to ask WB to bring Routh back to reprise his role of Superman in the next movie. We firmly believe that he should continue in the role because he Is perfect in the part. If you feel this way, please look on my signature and follow the link to find all the details in order to support our Superman.
Thanks! BRING ROUTH BACK WRITING CAMPAIGN: http://www.bluetights.net/theplanet/showthread.php?t=28166
Superman: "You said that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people craying for one."
You guys shouldn't be acting like BR is out of the picture until an official word is released by WB. There has been no official indication of any new casting, and all cast members still have the three picture deal contracts.
copacetic wrote:
You guys shouldn't be acting like BR is out of the picture until an official word is released by WB. There has been no official indication of any new casting, and all cast members still have the three picture deal contracts.
That's what I'm waiting for. I want to know what is going to happen to those contracts. I wonder if Warner will slap those costs onto the next Superman project just as SR was tagged with the costs of the previous failed attempts? Does Warner have anyone that went to business school? Haven't they heard of how "sunk costs" are not to be taken into consideration when deciding whether to go forward with another project or not? Jee-wiz.
http://www.seekin...perity.com
I just wanted to say that I like SR. It wasn't the best Superman movie ever made, but it was good. I also support Brandon Routh as Superman and would like to see him in Man of Steel! I am not very keen on the idea for Reboot and a new franchise!
I loved Superman Returns. I thought it captured the spirit of Superman perfectly while at the same time making him have to adapt in a world that has gotten along without him. It is quite a concept.
I really don't mind the kid. While I don't think Superman should ever have a successor I think it is an interesting concept to explore that I wish the comics would have done much sooner. Brandon Routh is Superman, and truly lives up to the mantle well. Kevin Spacey outdoes Hackman in the evil department, but still has fun unlike Roseanbaum's dry villian. Kate could use work, but I felt that she grew into the role rather well, but she was no where near as bad as people claim.
I believe there should be a sequel, after all Bryan is known for really turning up the heat for sequels. Just go watch X2 again if you don't remember.
wupmasta2000 wrote:
A movie as epic as Superman shouldn't have to "grow on" anyone.
Why not? A movie is still a movie. I can only speak for myself, but there have been plenty of movies that I've not been that keen on at first, but subsequent viewings of them have made me like them immensely. SR is such a movie. A lot of the concepts took a bit of getting used to, but once I did, I found that I loved this movie just as much as BB and TDK.
Art isn't guaranteed to please everyone, but neither is it unable to please people after a certain amount of time has passed, either.
wupmasta2000 wrote:
A movie as epic as Superman shouldn't have to "grow on" anyone.
Why not? A movie is still a movie. I can only speak for myself, but there have been plenty of movies that I've not been that keen on at first, but subsequent viewings of them have made me like them immensely. SR is such a movie. A lot of the concepts took a bit of getting used to, but once I did, I found that I loved this movie just as much as BB and TDK.
Art isn't guaranteed to please everyone, but neither is it unable to please people after a certain amount of time has passed, either.
I understand that movies, even "good" movies, can "grow" on a person. But, an EPIC movie does not "grow" on you. It's good when you see it the first time. Even people who generally aren't into the given genre enjoy the film b/c it is THAT GOOD.
SR doesn't come anywhere close to epic as far as I'm concerned. And, there really is no argument that this movie was EPIC. When was the last time you heard of an EPIC movie having a "rebooted" sequel?
Again, my point was never that no one could ever like this movie, or that one could not convince one's self to like this movie. That's perfectly possible. I even occasionally pop in the DVD and fast forward to the plane crash scene (but can't stand much else after that). All I'm saying is that there is NO WAY one could legitimately call SR an EPIC movie outside of (a) an extreme bias, ( disregard for reality or (c) an attempt at humor (i.e. EPIC movie).
All that said, I pray that the keep Brandon Routh around. He's Superman as far as I'm concerned. If they put the Smallville cream puff in, I may actually avoid the sequel altogether.
Truth, Justice and the American way
wupmasta2000 wrote:
A movie as epic as Superman shouldn't have to "grow on" anyone.
Why not? A movie is still a movie. I can only speak for myself, but there have been plenty of movies that I've not been that keen on at first, but subsequent viewings of them have made me like them immensely. SR is such a movie. A lot of the concepts took a bit of getting used to, but once I did, I found that I loved this movie just as much as BB and TDK.
Art isn't guaranteed to please everyone, but neither is it unable to please people after a certain amount of time has passed, either.
Great post.
And to me, Superman Returns is high art, a beautiful film, and a magnificent tribute not only to the first movies, but also to Superman. I adore this movie. I like it much more than BB or TDK.
Edited by Solaris on November 9, 2008 10:25pm
BRING ROUTH BACK WRITING CAMPAIGN: http://www.bluetights.net/theplanet/showthread.php?t=28166
Superman: "You said that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people craying for one."
