Spoilers Superman Spoiler Thread

[Paul Farquhar]

It may say a lot about that folks complaining view the accent negatively.

Rural folk tend to talk more slowly than urban folk in the UK too. And that often causes urban folk to assume they are not as smart.

 

[Mannahnin]

I doubt I could distinguish it.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

For the first hour or so I loved it, and felt like it was easily on track to be the best Superman movie. Very comicbooky, in the best sort of way, while also interrogating the impracticalities of the fundamental naivety that the "good guy punches evil away" narrative of superman is built upon. After the Man of Steel caused untold collateral damage seeing a Superman dive to rescue a squirrel in the middle of a kaiju fight was a welcome change of pace, while also helping establish him as an off kilter enough character to fit into a James Gunn movie.

It all got a little to complicated with too many moving parts by the end. James Gunn is clearly more at home with ensemble films, so Superman lost some screen time to Mr. Terrific and the Justice Gang, which was a lot of fun but also made the back half of the film feel unfocused and stole some of the lead's big damned hero thunder. So my rating would be "very good but not great". It still might be the best superman movie, if you don't have a nostalgic connection juicing up the first couple Reeves films.

 

[Morrus]

I've been thinking about the 'he's not very super' angle since I saw it.

So, he's not the best at anything. He's not the strongest, or fastest, or smartest, or toughest in this movie. Everyone can fly and throw tanks around and stuff; he's surrounded by other supers who can match him and bad guys who can beat him down (other than the mooks). Biologically, he's an all-rounder, but not the best at any specific thing.

Which isn't traditionally his identity. In previous films he's pretty much the only super, and he's stronger and faster and tougher than everybody. Which I understand that some find boring, but also that is his identity.

The best analogy here I think is Rocky. Not the best boxer, not the smartest, not the strongest, but he keeps getting up. That's Superman's power in this film. He's Rocky. A decent all-rounder who won't give up, but not the best at anything.

The other side of that is his goodness but you don't need to be a superhero to be good. Lots of films about good people (including the aforementioned Rocky!)

So I think that remains my only disappointment. He never got his hero moment. We're 'told' he's the most powerful superhero on the planet, but we're shown otherwise. I could have done with a really magnificent save to the swelling John Williams film early in the film just to remind us he's Superman, doggammit. Because without that I feel like he's missing his identity. He's average-man (in Superhero terms).

Still loved the film though.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I've been thinking about the 'he's not very super' angle since I saw it.

So, he's not the best at anything. He's not the strongest, or fastest, or smartest, or toughest in this movie. Everyone can fly and throw tanks around and stuff; he's surrounded by other supers who can match him and bad guys who can beat him down (other than the mooks). Biologically, he's an all-rounder, but not the best at any specific thing.

Which isn't traditionally his identity. In previous films he's pretty much the only super, and he's stronger and faster and tougher than everybody. Which I understand that some find boring, but also that is his identity.

The best analogy here I think is Rocky. Not the best boxer, not the smartest, not the strongest, but he keeps getting up. That's Superman's power in this film. He's Rocky. A decent all-rounder who won't give up, but not the best at anything.

The other side of that is his goodness but you don't need to be a superhero to be good. Lots of films about good people (including the aforementioned Rocky!)

So I think that remains my only disappointment. He never got his hero moment. We're 'told' he's the most powerful superhero on the planet, but we're shown otherwise. I could have done with a really magnificent save to the swelling John Williams film early in the film just to remind us he's Superman, doggammit. Because without that I feel like he's missing his identity. He's average-man (in Superhero terms).

Still loved the film though.

To be fair, Superman didn’t start out as the stronger guy in every room all the time always.

So if this Clark stays at that level, I’ll concede that it’s a departure, but if he gets more and more powerful, then that’s exactly as it should be.

Besides, IMO, Superman’s identity isn’t being the scariest hero. It’s being the best person with superpowers. It isn’t hitting harder, it’s being willing to have to fight a harder fight in order to save everyone. To risk losing in order to not kill a creature that is being used and doesn’t deserve to die for it.

Clark’s ID isn’t winning fights, it’s saving people. His “big hero moment” should never be winning a fight. Never. It should be saving people in a situation where every other hero would have no choice but to accept casualties.

 

[Morrus]

Besides, IMO, Superman’s identity isn’t being the scariest hero.

Odd reply. I never suggested that Superman should be scary.

It isn’t hitting harder, it’s being willing to have to fight a harder fight in order to save everyone.

Sure, that's what I said this version is.

His “big hero moment” should never be winning a fight.

Never said it should. I specifically said "I could have done with a really magnificent save".

This was a really odd reply. Like, trying to do a "...but actually" without actually contradicting anything I said. What was your goal here? Were you replying to something else?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

We talk fast and tend to blur everything together from the perspective of most of the country anyway, I suspect, from the one time I tried to listen to Californians on YT and compare them to everyone else anyway.

Yeeeah. I am quite guilty of “talking too fast”. Between learning Spanish from people who speak it very quickly, and living in California, people talking slow feels painful to me lol

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Odd reply. I never suggested that Superman should be scary.

I didn’t say or imply that you did.

Sure, that's what I said this version is.

Which is a good thing, not a mark against it.

Never said it should. I specifically said "I could have done with a really magnificent save".

This was a really odd reply. Like, trying to do a "...but actually" without actually contradicting anything I said. What was your goal here? Were you replying to something else?

Bruh, you seem to be looking for some sort of fight. I’m not gonna give it. Have a good one.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Yeeeah. I am quite guilty of “talking too fast”. Between learning Spanish from people who speak it very quickly, and living in California, people talking slow feels painful to me lol

I'm an Angelino (in the general sense) so I get it.

 

[Tonguez]

For the first hour or so I loved it, and felt like it was easily on track to be the best Superman movie. Very comicbooky, in the best sort of way, while also interrogating the impracticalities of the fundamental naivety that the "good guy punches evil away" narrative of superman is built upon. After the Man of Steel caused untold collateral damage seeing a Superman dive to rescue a squirrel in the middle of a kaiju fight was a welcome change of pace, while also helping establish him as an off kilter enough character to fit into a James Gunn movie.

It all got a little to complicated with too many moving parts by the end. James Gunn is clearly more at home with ensemble films, so Superman lost some screen time to Mr. Terrific and the Justice Gang, which was a lot of fun but also made the back half of the film feel unfocused and stole some of the lead's big damned hero thunder. So my rating would be "very good but not great". It still might be the best superman movie, if you don't have a nostalgic connection juicing up the first couple Reeves films.

its still not better than the first Reeve movie, Reeve got Supermans depiction right and it was a Superman movie not Kal and his Super friends