Superman I & II: not all that

[Azlan]

A spot-on example of the cheese.

I agree, it does seem cheesy in light of today's culture. But have you guys read the Superman comics that were being published in the '70s, when that first movie was made? And the Superman comics that were published in the '60s were even worse.

Take a look at this...

http://www.superdickery.com/galleries.html

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[Azlan]

Superman 3 and 4, though... now they were truly bad movies.

Agreed. Even in their day, those two were considered bad. And cheesy.

 

[Staffan]

Especially when you consider that Metropolis, inconsistently represented as it has been, is always represented as being near a large body of water.

That's one of the things I found inconsistant in the Smallville TV show:
1) Smallville is definitely located in Kansas.
2) Metropolis is close enough to Smallville that if you're at the highest point in Smallville, you can see Metropolis's skyline.
3) Metropolis has a harbor.

 

[WizarDru]

I read someplace awhile ago that someone from DC comics said Metopolis was suposted to represent Chicagio and Gotham New York city. (sorry for spelling)

My impression was always that Metropolis and Gotham were mirror-image versions of New York City, taken to the extreme.

From the Wikipedia Article: "Longtime Batman writer and editor Dennis O'Neil also said figuratively that Metropolis is New York above 14th St., and that Gotham City is New York below 14th St. However, New York City does exist as a separate city from Metropolis and Gotham City within the comics."

..and...

"In the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths comics, Smallville was often shown as being within driving distance of Metropolis, though with no definitive location. Since John Byrne's revamp of Superman in 1986, however, its location has usually been cited as being in Kansas.

In the Smallville television series, Metropolis seems to be located in Kansas or in a neighboring state. In an interview, the creators of Smallville have stated that Metropolis is approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Smallville. In one episode, a letter is shown with the address "Metropolis, KA," suggesting the city is located in Kansas; however, the United States postal abbreviation for Kansas is "KS", not "KA."

Superman creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel grew up in Ohio, and it has been suggested that Cleveland is their original inspiration for Metropolis.

In 1978's Superman: The Movie and its sequels, Metropolis is shown as being in (or taking the place of) New York, including depicting such New York landmarks as the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center.

In the 1990s television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Chicago landmarks such as the John Hancock Center, the Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building are easily identifiable.

2006's Superman Returns places Metropolis in New York state, per preproduction images of the film's cars depicting New York license plates."

So take from that what you will. At one point, Metropolis and Gotham were represented as being across a huge bay from each other, during the 70s...but I think that was more to foster the World's Finest series, where Supes and Bats would team-up, every issue (well, from issue 71-323, anyhow).

 

[sniffles]

Superman can be a very interesting character, in the hands of a writer worth his salt. His internal conflict is every bit as powerful as Batman's, it's just different. Now Burton's Batman? There's one that hasn't aged well.

Yes!! I always find it so frustrating when people say Superman is boring. He's only boring because people think he's invulnerable and perfect. He's not. You only need to read Paul Dini and Alex Ross's "Superman: Peace on Earth" graphic novel to realize just how cool Superman can be. Or watch the excellent WB animated series, or Justice League on Cartoon Network. These people know how to write for Superman.

I still enjoy the original film, although I wish they hadn't gone quite so campy, and Margot Kidder was a strange choice for Lois Lane. At least it's not as silly as watching George Reeves duck when the bad guy throws a pistol at him.

 

[Pants]

Yes!! I always find it so frustrating when people say Superman is boring. He's only boring because people think he's invulnerable and perfect. He's not. You only need to read Paul Dini and Alex Ross's "Superman: Peace on Earth" graphic novel to realize just how cool Superman can be. Or watch the excellent WB animated series, or Justice League on Cartoon Network. These people know how to write for Superman.

Mind you, when I say Superman is boring, I'm saying 'the film Superman is boring.' I really enjoyed the 90's Superman cartoon, though.

 

[Klaus]

Of note also is the fact that, usually, Midway City is located midway (duh) between Metropolis and Gotham.

 

[Filby]

Huh. I always thought Midway City was in Michigan for some reason.

 

[WizarDru]

Of note also is the fact that, usually, Midway City is located midway (duh) between Metropolis and Gotham.

Not as far as I've read. Midway City has always been in the midwest. For a long time, it was assumed to be Chicago. The DC Universe has since clarified that it is, in fact in Michigan. In what is commonly referred to as 'the Yupper'. (Local slang for the Upper Peninsula...that's the part that doesn't look like a mitten ).

Specifically: "Midway City, according to the Atlas of the DC Universe, is located slightly east of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan."

Just like Metropolis, this is placing a large city in a relatively sparesly populated part of the United States where no real city exists. The largest urban center there would be Sault St. Marie, which has some 16,000 residents. A city, yes, but a very small city, compared with Detroit, which has nearly a million residents. Certainly not a city big enough to support a museum with thousand of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

 

[Bullgrit]

I always thought Metropolis was New York, and Gotham was Chicago. It kind of throws my sense of the DC world for a loop to learn they aren't. I don't think I'll change my [incorrect] sense of it, it just feels right.

Bullgrit