Is the Man of Steel Doomed?

[Lexrules]

I think the "dark & gritty" aspect will only come from Krypton's destruction and society's struggle to TRUST Superman. How do you make Smallville dark? How do you make Superman's relationship (which is showcased in both trailers) with Jonathan Kent dark? How is his relationship with Lois Lane going to be perceived as dark? The ENTIRE Superman story isn't dark, from top to bottom. There will be tons of ACTION with a frightening villain (or VILLAINS) but many, many heroics are set up (tornado scene, young Clark and the bus, etc.) The only dark aspects I see is the plot of introducing Superman to the public, but Superman, the actual character, is going to freakin SOAR!

I have said for me that it would be ok for the things around him to be darker. That is fine IMO. The Character of Clark Kent and Superman must stay true to what the character is. He has and always will be put so perfectly by Brando in Superman the Movie " The Light to show the way"

[zryson]

The dark gritty aspect is evident in the washed out faded colors and tone for the trailer. In some ways it reminds me of the washed out colors and tone for Superman Returns. And the look can have a huge role in how the movie plays out. In many ways its like the Nolan Batman. He's on a quest. Full of doubts and unsure of where he belongs in the world. His past and present colliding. Will he become the symbol the world needs? The problem with the darker take is that its so predictable. Superhero films seem to think they have to be ultra depressing and explain everything to audiences these days because unless they do, how will we the audience understand? Superheroes are supposed to be larger than life. Bringing brightness to our world. Not adding to the darkness already present. As for bigger concerns, the look of the costume and how it plays out on screen but also whether Cavill has the acting chops to bring the subtle differences between Kent and Superman. As I've always said, if you can make Kent believable you have the audience on your side, because Superman is just icing on the cake and by his nature is a larger than life role. But Kent is a different dynamic. We have seen how it succeeds on film (Superman The Movie) and how it fails (Superman Returns).

[LoneNecromancer]

The dark gritty aspect is evident in the washed out faded colors and tone for the trailer. In some ways it reminds me of the washed out colors and tone for Superman Returns. And the look can have a huge role in how the movie plays out. In many ways its like the Nolan Batman. He's on a quest. Full of doubts and unsure of where he belongs in the world. His past and present colliding. Will he become the symbol the world needs? The problem with the darker take is that its so predictable. Superhero films seem to think they have to be ultra depressing and explain everything to audiences these days because unless they do, how will we the audience understand? Superheroes are supposed to be larger than life. Bringing brightness to our world. Not adding to the darkness already present. As for bigger concerns, the look of the costume and how it plays out on screen but also whether Cavill has the acting chops to bring the subtle differences between Kent and Superman. As I've always said, if you can make Kent believable you have the audience on your side, because Superman is just icing on the cake and by his nature is a larger than life role. But Kent is a different dynamic. We have seen how it succeeds on film (Superman The Movie) and how it fails (Superman Returns).

And nothing we've seen about this movie implies that'll happen, and nor did it happen in the Nolan movies.

[zryson]

From a technical viewpoint, the Nolan Bat-Universe was a wonder to behold but it was so over the top in its violence that it becomes depressing. The whole macho element, the leather in overdrive, the gruff voice. I remember seeing the second film with a friend and he said "why is Batman talking that way?" and I told him, because its a gritty dark depressing take on Batman. As for the third film, it was so violent and depressing. A friend rang me shortly after seeing the movie and I asked him his thoughts and he said My God, its so dark. And ugly. It was just a brutal intense film to the extent he couldnt relax for the rest of the night. Not in a good way because he thought the movie was so great, but because it just depressed him so much. But the scope of the movies were incredible. Same with the casting. But its not a movie that I wanted to see over and over.

[zryson]

And the stakes are higher this time around because Superman is the centerpiece of the new films they are trying to build around him. If the big S doesn't soar then the whole franchise collapses and where that leaves Justice League is unclear.

[LoneNecromancer]

From a technical viewpoint, the Nolan Bat-Universe was a wonder to behold but it was so over the top in its violence that it becomes depressing.

...how so?

The whole macho element, the leather in overdrive, the gruff voice.

Yeah. That's Batman. So glad you're familiar with the character.

I remember seeing the second film with a friend and he said "why is Batman talking that way?" and I told him, because its a gritty dark depressing take on Batman.

I thought he was trying to disguise his voice.

As for the third film, it was so violent and depressing. A friend rang me shortly after seeing the movie and I asked him his thoughts and he said My God, its so dark. And ugly. It was just a brutal intense film to the extent he couldnt relax for the rest of the night. Not in a good way because he thought the movie was so great, but because it just depressed him so much. But the scope of the movies were incredible. Same with the casting. But its not a movie that I wanted to see over and over.

Seriously? Violent? As opposed to what? Have you ever read a Batman comic in your life? And I don't even recall seeing much blood in the entire movie.

And depressing, yeah. That must be why Bruce and Selina had a happy ending, Gotham was saved, and Batman becomes an everlasting inspirational symbol of good . Sure. Whatever. I'm not even gonna bother, if you came away with such a drastically different thing from the movie's plot you apparently had some serious predetermined notions about the movie that nothing in it was going to change.

You don't even sound like you're talking about Nolan's Batman. "Macho" "gruff" "over the top" "gritty dark depressing"- you sound you're like talking about Frank Miller's Batman.

[Mat001]

Wow, its a good thing this polar bear movie wasn't made.

It was only in there because Peters felt that Superman should have that guarding the Fortress and not a warsuit, or the Fortress robots which were in use at the time.

Anyone know what the budget is for this one? I remember seeing articles that were about the one for Superman Returns and they were already calling it a flop because of that even before that film was released.

No one knows. "Superman Returns" had it's own budget, plus the ten years of development tacked on to it. I would assume that Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures opted to wipe the slate clean and not tack anything left over from "Superman Returns", that they want to get back.

I have actually. But just because some are big names doesn't mean they are suited to the role. Time will tell.

Right because Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Glen Ford, Terence Stamp, Maria Schell, Ned Beatty and Trevor Howard weren't hired for their star name recognition and not because they were right for their roles. Nope, that was never the Salkinds and Guy Hamilton's intentions in 1976.

From a technical viewpoint, the Nolan Bat-Universe was a wonder to behold but it was so over the top in its violence that it becomes depressing. The whole macho element, the leather in overdrive, the gruff voice. I remember seeing the second film with a friend and he said "why is Batman talking that way?" and I told him, because its a gritty dark depressing take on Batman.

That's how Batman's been for years. He's talked with a gruff voice. Keaton, Kilmar, Conroy, Greenwood and Sisto have all used it. And the violence being over the top, have you ever read a comic or seen Batman before?

As for the third film, it was so violent and depressing. A friend rang me shortly after seeing the movie and I asked him his thoughts and he said My God, its so dark. And ugly. It was just a brutal intense film to the extent he couldnt relax for the rest of the night. Not in a good way because he thought the movie was so great, but because it just depressed him so much. But the scope of the movies were incredible. Same with the casting. But its not a movie that I wanted to see over and over.

Your friend is a wimp.

[Kurosawa]

Yahoo movies has listed Man of Steel as one of it's Most Disappointing Movies of 2012 (even though it doesn't come out until 2013) because the butchered costume without the trunks makes Superman look "as if he should be on a luge instead of fighting crime."

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/the-mos...16.html?page=7

Yeah, changing the greatest costume in comics to that silly crap they designed was such a brilliant move. Fools.

[zryson]

I have read Batman comics. I grew up reading them but lately the violence is over the top. It's why I find the new Batman movies (the latter two) too dark. Too depressing. If that's what people want from a superhero film, great but that's not what I want. As for MOS, I hope its a good movie but like many I harbor many doubts about it, not the least Cavill in the lead role.

[Mat001]

Yahoo movies has listed Man of Steel as one of it's Most Disappointing Movies of 2012 (even though it doesn't come out until 2013) because the butchered costume without the trunks makes Superman look "as if he should be on a luge instead of fighting crime."

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/the-mos...16.html?page=7

Yeah, changing the greatest costume in comics to that silly crap they designed was such a brilliant move. Fools.

Which is a ridiculous argument because Batman doesn't have trunks on his costume for seven films and it didn't hurt it at all. I don't take anything someone jerkoff on Yahoo wrote and you shouldn't either.

[LoneNecromancer]

I have read Batman comics. I grew up reading them but lately the violence is over the top.

It's why I find the new Batman movies (the latter two) too dark.

I take it you never watched the Burton films, cos those were hardly rays of sunshine either.

Too depressing.

Yes, it's depressing that a hero saves a city, is actually successful in turning it around and then goes on to retire happily. That's more than what we'll ever see for Bruce in the comics who'll just be finding a neverending battle against crime and apparently not making a dent in it.

[Kurosawa]

Which is a ridiculous argument because Batman doesn't have trunks on his costume for seven films and it didn't hurt it at all. I don't take anything someone jerkoff on Yahoo wrote and you shouldn't either.

Every live action Batman costume has sucked.

[Ironman2978]

Every live action Batman costume has sucked.

I don't know. I personally like and would take the Batman costume in Batman/Batman Returns and Dark Knight/Dark Knight Rises over the Adam West or 40 serial Batman costume. But that's just me.

[Kurosawa]

I don't know. I personally like and would take the Batman costume in Batman/Batman Returns and Dark Knight/Dark Knight Rises over the Adam West or 40 serial Batman costume. But that's just me.

I think they're all different kinds of terrible.

[stk]

At the time Batman got his back broken, that was one of the most extreme things we'd seen. And it had shock value precisely because of how rare things that extreme were back then. You had that, Jason's death, and...what else?

But I don't think there is any comparison between that scene and the decapitations, mutilations and all-around sadism we've often seen in recent years.

I look at that picture of Bane snapping Batman, and it looks TAME. Batman isn't having his arm ripped bloodily from his body, leaving a grotesque stump. Batman isn't having his head bloodily punched clean off his shoulders. Batman isn't being tortured to death Hostel-style and he's not being raped from behind by Dr. Light. Bane snapping Batman's back looks like a f*cking handshake at this point.