The Theme of Tomorrow

While I wasn't fully sold on Man of Steel (as a science fiction movie; not bad! as a Superman movie; not good!) I did really love Hans Zimmer's music. YouTuber Joseph Bennie has mashed Zimmer's Superman theme with John Williams' legendary Superman theme, and the results are pretty thrilling, at least to my untrained ear. 

Poor Superman

Poor Henry Cavill, chosen to fill the role of one  of humanity's greatest pop culture icons, doomed to star as that character in only one decent but fatally flawed film, one bad film with a few good moments, and one genuinely terrible movie that should never have been made. (In order: Man of Steel, Justice League, and Batman v. Superman.) Now, he's a Superman no more,  although there seems to be a bit of back-and-forth in the news on whether or not Cavill's contract has indeed been terminated.

For what it's worth, I've been impressed by Cavill's performances as Superman and in other films; it's not his fault that he's been saddled with mediocre-to-terrible screenplays to  work with. And I would have loved to see him cameo alongside Captain Marvel (the real Captain Marvel) in Shazam!, which looks like a  lot more fun than most of the recent DC movies, but it looks like that's not in the cards.

But who knows? Superman will return, one way or another. I just hope Henry gets to play the character in at least one genuinely great movie. 

Slightly Tarnished Steel

WARNING - SPOILERS for MAN OF STEEL

Man of Steel doesn't quite live up to the promise of its thrilling trailers, but considering the lackluster track record of its director and the sharply divided critical response, I was pleasantly surprised by what turns out to be pretty decent science fiction film wrapped up in the primary colours of a superhero movie.

As with the disappointing Star Trek Into Darkness, this film is well-served by a wonderful cast, from leads Henry Cavill and Amy Adams right down to supporting players like Chris Meloni and Laurence Fishburne. Thankfully the players of Man of Steel have a stronger story to work with: this isn't just the old story of baby Kal-El's flight to Earth from doomed planet Krypton, but a first contact story that shows just how unprepared humans are to deal with a civilization far in advance of our own.

Indeed, though we only see Krypton during the film's opening sequence, Superman's home world is more richly realized than in any other film or television treatment. This is a complex civilization with contentious politics shaped by a long, interesting history and technological leaps that have profoundly impacted Kryptonian values. The film's central villain, General Zod, is a Kryptonian revolutionary whose only goal is to preserve something of his planet's doomed civilization. Jor-El, Superman's father, stands in opposition to Zod - not because he wants to see Krypton die, but because he feels Zod's vision has been corrupted by the decadence of a society in decline. Jor-El and his wife Lara have conspired to share the first natural birth in centuries, giving their son Kal-El the freedom to choose his own destiny - a choice in sharp opposition to the Kryptonian tradition of tightly controlled population growth, with people genetically engineered into various castes.

While I've never been terribly impressed with the work of director Zack Snyder, I do admit that he chooses an ambitious structure to tell his story: a series of flashbacks thematically tied to present-day action. It doesn't work perfectly, seeming to compress years of time into the space of a lazy summer afternoon, but it's an interesting change of pace and a way for the film to differentiate itself from the strictly linear Superman films of the past.

The film's central theme is acceptance. Once he arrives on Earth, baby Kal-El is raised, of course, by the Kents, Kansas farmers who, as in the comics, try to raise their adopted son Clark as a decent man - or Superman, as the case may be. But because of his alien heritage, Clark lives as a freak and loner, unable to allow himself the release of loss of temper even in the face of outrageous provocation. To slip for an instant would mean someone's death. It's a heavy burden for Clark to bear.

Throughout the film Clark searches for his true identity and people, and when he finally learns the truth, the consequences for humanity are cataclysmic. Hunted by Zod and mistrusted by humanity, Clark (he's only called Superman once in the film) has to prove to the people of Earth that he's not a threat. "Are they ready for me?" he asks Lois Lane, but Lois can't answer the question. 

When General Zod and his revolutionaries finally reach Earth (they survived the destruction of Krypton thanks to their imprisonment off-planet), the stage is set for what has become for me, quite frankly, the least interesting portion of modern movies: the big battle sequence. Don't get me wrong - the action is well-staged, intense and the stakes are high. It's interesting to see the US military treat all of the Kryptonians as targets at first and only come around to Superman's side midway through the battle. The film is full of good people trying to do the right thing under harrowing circumstances.

Unfortunately, the scale of the destruction is so vast and terrifying that in the real world it would take literally decades for the affected areas to recover. This destruction is, of course, glossed over, which somewhat dilutes what's supposed to be a feel-good coda setting up the film's sequels.

There are other nice touches. I loved the steel-themed Kryptonian technology, which looks like nothing so much as ball bearings reconfiguring themselves to whatever purpose is necessary. A hologram of Jor-El walks Clark through the history of his people using this technology, and the result is an art-deco slideshow that wouldn't seem out of place in a 1930s Fleischer cartoon.

Long-time Superman fans will be troubled by one critical moment in the film. I won't spoil it here, but I will say that while the screenwriter and director make a controversial choice, in the context of the film I think it works.

It does trouble me that for a film that's supposed to be about hope and acceptance there's so much darkness. It seems that there's little room for joy left in our big summer entertainments, and while Man of Steel tries to be uplifting, there's a steel-grey hint of doom that permeates the proceedings. I would have preferred more humour and a somewhat lighter tone, but the filmmakers chose a different direction. Maybe this wasn't my perfect Superman movie, but it certainly isn't bad, and I'll be happy to revisit this version of the mythos again.

Raising the Stakes for Superman

Here's the latest trailer for Man of Steel. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, especially in light of my disappointment with Star Trek Into Darkness, but there's one line in this clip that makes me feel as though there's a chance the filmmakers understand how to provide a compelling threat to an indestructible character:

"For every one you save, we'll kill a million more." 

This is what makes Superman a compelling character to me. You may not be able to hurt him with brute force, but you can hurt him by attacking what he loves - and he loves people. With his abilities he could set himself up as a dictator and indulge every pleasure, but because he was raised right he just wants to be a regular guy and help. On Earth, S stands for skepticism, which is how I feel about most Zack Snyder films, but since S means "hope" on Krypton, I'm allowing myself to get excited. This look like it'll be really good.

Thoughts on the Final Man of Steel Trailer

I've been suckered by slick trailers before, but if Man of Steel is even half as exciting and inspiring as this clip, it'll be well worth a trip to the multiplex. My favourite moments:

"They'll kill him."
"How?"

"Can't I just keep pretending to be your son?"
"You are my son."

"In time, they will join you in the sun."

And most of all:

"It's not an S. On my world, it means hope."

I'm very excited that Nolan and Snyder seem to be using a first contact story to ground the film, a fantastic idea that's perfectly suited to Superman's history and glossed over in every other interpretation of the character. Any extraterrestrial life making its way to Earth would be the biggest news in history, a world-changing event, and the film seems to be treating Superman's discovery in just that way. When I first heard that General Zod would serve as the film's villain I was a little leery, but in this context - he's hunting down Superman for reasons that are, from his point of view, legitimate - it could work wonderfully.

I'm still leery of Zack Snyder's track record, but perhaps Chris Nolan's influence has helped the director mature. If nothing else, it's clear the film's cinematography is going to be gorgeous, and I hope that the wondrous music used in the trailer is Zimmer's, and that it's actually from the film (a sad rarity for trailers).

Finally, you couldn't ask for a better cast. Amy Adams could be the most credible Lois Lane ever, Henry Cavill makes a great golden age-esque Superman, and Costner and Crowe as Superman's two dads look amazing. Also - Toby Ziegler as Professor Hamilton! Inspired.

I can't wait for June 14th.

Thoughts on Man of Steel Trailer #2

I've been fooled by more-sizzle-than-steak director Zack Snyder before, but nonetheless I'm very excited by this new trailer for his upcoming Superman movie, Man of Steel. It looks as though Snyder will at least attempt to capture some of the more important elements of the mythos: why Superman does what he does, what it means to be a good person, the pain of balancing two sides of a dual nature, the enduring love of two sets of parents, the importance of supporting the rule of law when it's the right thing to do.

Judging by the trailer this film will probably overplay the angst-ridden elements of the Superman story while underplaying the joy and wonder so important to the character. If it manages to tell a compelling story I can live with that choice in the hopes that sequels will show a Superman who's grown into the role and a public that's more supportive of a guy who's trying to give them a helping hand. In fact, that sort of development would nicely parallel the evolution of the character in the comics: he started as a rather anarchist rogue, feared by criminals and the public as much as Batman was. Only later did he become the "big blue boy scout" most fans are familiar with today.

There's one pretty awe-inspiring moment in this trailer: when Superman launches himself into space. The short sequence really captures the otherworldly majesty of Superman's ability to fly.

My expectations are still tempered by Snyder's track record, but now my opinion is one of hopeful, guarded optimism.

Marketing Man of Steel 2

Man of Steel won't even be released until 2013, but I've already devised a sequel pitch: call it Men of Steel and have Superman fight Metallo, Brainiac (pictured above) and an army of retro 1930s-style giant robots, as suggested in yesterday's post. It's simple: giant robots invade city, Superman defeats them, clues lead to Metallo and Lex Luthor (man of steel will), but behind the scenes is alien invader Brainiac, who's been manipulating Metallo and Luthor and softening up the world for his final assault. In the end Superman's brawn is insufficient to defeat Brainiac, and he has to draw upon his wit and even his compassion. He convinces Luthor and Metallo to join forces against the greater threat. When the dust clears, Lois Lane ruminates: "Sometimes you don't need to be a man of steel," she says, referring not just to Superman but Metallo and Luthor, "Sometimes it's enough just to be a man."  Roll credits!

Thoughts on the Man of Steel Teaser Trailer

I don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, I have yet to be moved by a Zack Snyder film. On the other hand, while I didn't exactly love Watchmen, he did at least show respect for the source material.

Why are most of the Superman movies so sad? Yes, he's an orphan, and his existence can be lonely, but the character is supposed to be a beacon of sorts; he's even solar-powered, for crying out loud. Clark Kent isn't a lonely fisherman, he's an outgoing guy who makes connections with people and tries to make everyone's life better.

It should certainly be a good-looking film, anyway. And perhaps Christopher Nolan will play enough of a role as producer to give the film some depth and weight.

But just once, I'd love a Superman movie where the brightly-garbed Man of Steel saves a city by plugging a volcano with a boulder and flying off with a wink and a smile. Or one in which he saves Metropolis from an army of robots, then saves Lois and rehabilitates the mad scientist. This shouldn't be rocket science, even if Kal-El came to Earth on one.

Super Logo

Yesterday Warner Brothers unveiled the new logo for Man of Steel, the next Superman film. I like it.

While modern in its metallic, 3D aspect, the swooping curves of the S evoke older S-shields, particularly the one worn by Earth-2's Superman during the 70s and early 80s. The dark colours harken back to the Golden Age Superman of the 30s and 40s, when Superman was less a boy scout and more a vigilante crusader for the working class and the downtrodden.

I also love the film's title - finally a Superman film that doesn't include the character's name followed by a Roman numeral or a verb. Perhaps that's the influence of producer Chris Nolan, who was bold enough to call his second Batman film The Dark Knight instead of "Batman Something."

Hopefully director Zack Snyder has matured enough to do the film justice. His Watchmen was serviceable but uninspiring, and I have yet to dredge up enough interest to see the ridiculous-looking 300 or  the critically-reviled Sucker Punch. I'll go into this film with guarded hopes, but if nothing else at least Nolan and Snyder's team got the logo right.