Brace yourselves: it’s time for a DC/Warner Bros. awkward phase. After reaching its creative, experimental hey day with The Dark Knight trilogy, they’ve graduated from that horizon expanding realist school and now face a difficult stage in the big wild world where miscommunication, unemployment and meeting targets are requirements: not a shock that people will celebrate. Warner Bros must throw down the gauntlet and do battle with Marvel’s movie-churning machine and their first manoeuvre is Man Of Steel.
Why It Could Be Awesome:
An ultra-realistic take on the biggest superhero in the world penned by the writer of The Dark Knight Rises and directed by a beautiful visual and slow-motion enthusiast? What could go wrong? Nerves will be jingling in the executive’s office about the success of this film following the ending of Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the relative failure of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. You know, then, that Warner Bros. will have pulled the stops out to grant audiences the absolute best Superman experience possible.
Aside from the importance of this movie in the Warner Bros cannon, it also just looks incredibly brilliant. The visuals look amazing (very low key for a Snyder film) and the reinvention of Superman and the Batman-esque take on him as a symbol living up to his father expectations looks like it will bring an emotional punch as severe as a steel boot to the scrotum. Probably.
Why It Could Suck:
Well, the story appears very Dark Knight-esque. Whilst it’s fine for companies to follow a blueprint, building it all exactly the same but putting a different cape on it will not fool audiences in to loving a film for originality: it could just come across as tired. That being said, there are plenty of other developments bubbling under the surface: Kent’s coming to terms with being a hero, deciding if it’s even right for him, is something we haven’t yet seen from Warner Bros. and a twist that could give this movie a keen edge.
Another concern is Zack Snyder. Whilst I’m sure executives would have kept a close watch on his final output to make it more palateable for a mainstream audience, all fans of Superman have had niggling doubts about him since he was employed. Will he control the slow motion? Can he perfect a story (300 was too bland, Watchmen too dense and slow, Sucker Punch too pointless)? Can he resist the lure of a slow motion sex scene?
Similarly Henry Cavill is a question mark. Whilst his apprenticeship on the Tudors has received excellent reviews, his film career has been somewhat questionable, often seeing hum struggling to muster more than the expression of pure disgust and anger he maintained throughout Immortals since that film came out. Whilst we hope he has saved his best for Man Of Steel, I just hope he hasn’t taken the title too literally and adopted it as an acting style.
Check out the trailer here:
Predicated Star Rating: 4/5
A stunning trailer has brought with it high hope and expectations for a film people have harnessed concerns for. The question is whether this film can get itself out of Batman’s considerable shadow and earn its place in cinema’s pantheon.
Like this article? Let us know in the comments section. You can also check out the series so far here: Gangster Squad, Oblivion, Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, Star Trek Into Darkness.
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5 Comments
I personally don’t see how a realistic take on Superman is going to work. With his level of powers, some sense of lightness is needed because I can’t see how the character can work as dark and gritty. Once you have a lightness in the approach then you can have all world threatening and comic themes and they can balance each other. I’m thinking of ‘All Star Superman’ as a reference.
Wait and see, Man of Steel is going to be epic. The only problem I have is the casting of Amy Adams as Lois. Not being a sexist pig, I just think it would be a fail in terms of the story. Lois is more important than anyone realizes because she grounds Clark. I would have liked to see someone like Eva Green or maybe someone left field like Anna Kendrick. I just hope Lois isn’t portrayed as a pathetic character.
@David I think dark and gritty will have a different translation for this film. While Batman is a damaged, broken character in Nolan’s Trilogy, Clark Kent is completely different. The whole theme of the movie seems to be about accepting responsibility. Imagine if you could change anything in the world? What lengths would you go to? You could change human history with a single action.
What’s important to realize is that this is a DIFFERENT approach to the Superman story. Time will tell if it works or not, but at least we are getting a fresh perspective.
And Lois does ground Clark, but only once their relationship develops. In the beginning, she merely believes in him. In a world full of concern and doubt as to why Superman is here and who he is and what he wants, she’s one of a select few who actually support him, aside from his parents. He’s lost in this new world, and she helps show him the way.
Think Superman: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns
I’m beyond excited for this film. It looks spot-on; I’m excited to see what Cavill brings, and the film looks excellent in the hands of Snyder.
To be fair, how “fresh” is a gritty, realistic reboot of an outdated character?
I completely agree that I have my concerns about the director. I utterly hated watchmen and also wasn’t a big fan of 300.