Hey guys,
My last article was a scathing, sarcastic, butt-hurt fanboy review of Arrow. I'm over Arrow. I let it go, but don't worry, this won't be like that. Promise. In fact, you will not find a word of sarcasm. If you think you do. NOPE. Thats just me.
I've been thrilled about so many things about Man of Steel for years. I believe in Zack Snyder. I'm not here to praise him or anyone directly. Nor am I here to make rash judgements based on anything I've seen or heard. But I am nervous about this movie. I can't even say I'm optimistic, but I want to be. I really do.
I love Superman. Around the time of Superman Returns I bought that amazing tin 14-Disc DVD set, which I still consider on of the best DVD releases of my collection. It has so much. I am a guy that is not afraid to admit that I get choked up nearly every time I watch "The Story of Superman" narrated by Kevin Spacey.(If you haven't seen it, no matter who you are, you must.)
I love the original films and even liked Superman Returns. It came at a time when I needed it to. It helped me through a rough time. It was EXACTLY what I needed. Believe me, though, I understand it's short-comings. Its faults are blatant to me. Just like Green Lantern, I love it for what it was not what it could have been.
But heres the thing...after Superman Returns and Green Lantern, I don't want to just LIKE the movie. I don't want to just love it for awhile and see it replaced by another, admittedly better Marvel movie. I want this movie, Man of Steel, to move me. I want it to be like nothing I've ever seen before. I don't want another movie that is just what it is. I don't want a movie with the weight of a studio bearing down on it. I want a movie made by a group of people who understand, love, and admire the character. Whether you liked Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, I believe that's what we got. But for the love of God, if you want to comment, please don't turn this into another Pro/Anti-Nolan debate. Continue reading and debate the next few parts...
Maybe what I just described is exactly what we'll get. Its extremely possible. My worries do come from the fear that this will be "Superman Begins." I understand the need to humanize Superman. I understand the need to de-power him maybe a little. That doesn't mean I agree with it.
Superman is and always was meant to represent what we, as humans could be. Not what we are, or what we would be with an amazing array of powers. He represents an ideal that we can all aspire to.
The thing is; You can't separate The Super from the Man. They should exist in near-perfect harmony. Without making too strong of a Christian metaphor(As I've always believed Superman to be a allegory for Moses, not Jesus) Superman is both god and man. Focus too much on one or the other, and your missing the point. Bottom line, I'm afraid Man of Steel will focus too much on the Man, and let the Super be purely represented by philosophical wonderings and dazzling special effects.
I'll admit, I do, and will appreciate their effort to make this a "real" human story. To me though, as I said before, Superman IS an alien with immense powers raised by farmers to be a good man with an innate sense of right and wrong. Its that sense that I've always seen as his greatest power. It came from Jonathan and Martha Kent, and the blood that flows through his veins from his birth parents. But this is just back-story, origin. I want Superman. I want that ideal. Maybe we, or the general public simply aren't capable of appreciating that ideal anymore. I do actually believe this, but to explain that I would need ten more pages of semi-political, historical analysis. I don't think you should come to this site for that.
Also, I do want a Superman movie that kids would like. I think that should have been an important factor with making a Superman film. Even if many of us are too jaded to fully appreciate Superman, as I admit, might be the entire problem here for me,but to see a Superman movie that I know will impact a young person's mind, let them see the hope Superman represents-That would make me happy. But I think we can all agree, that this movie most likely, will not be that. If you disagree, PLEASE, I beg you to disagree, thats an opinion I would love to hear.
Finally, and this might actually be my most contentious point...I am disappointed that Hans Zimmer is composing the score. I LOVE Hans Zimmer I own over a dozen of his scores. But I want something epic, not just beautiful and etherial. I want a good true theme, not just an atmospheric background. So I hope we get something more Gladiator and less Dark Knight. Scores are important to me, thats all.
Well, I won't ramble on forever. If you read all this, I thank you, and my favorite thing about this trailer is actually this...
A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE IT.
I like that. I hope this movie makes all of you excited for it as happy and fulfilled as it can. I hope I am one of you. I really do.