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(picture taken from Yahoo! Movies)It was in Superman 3 when I saw The Man of Steel flies on a big screen. I have seen him flies before, not long before that, on my Superman 1 and 2 video tapes, but there was a sense of majesty seeing the action on the big screen. I remember I loved the movie very much. But then again, I was 6 at the time (much later on I realized that Hollywood fooled me, as media said that the third, and fourth, Superman installment were Hollywood flops).
I remember there was an adaptation comic, too, sold separately in the ticket box. After waiting quite long in the ticket line, my dad bought me one. I remember the thickness (about half centimeter), the art cover (matched the movie poster), and even the price (Rp.1000 --my, my). By the time the studio called us in, I have read and enjoyed it repeatedly. I still keep the comic --safely stored in my closet compartment. I lost the key, though. Seeing Superman Returns made me feel like to break-open that compartment and take the old comic out for another readout.
How Superman Returns
There was, I bet, a slight of fear in many people when Warner Bros. first announced in 2001 that they are working on a new Superman movie project. Technically, it would be extremely difficult to capture a tall stud wearing a blue tight, exhibitionist red underwear, uncommon red cape (and boots, at that), not to mention a big ‘S’ on his chest, without making viewers feeling icky. In 1978, director Richard Donner escaped that box-office death trap. Though with limited technology and poor storyline, people believed that a man can fly because that’s how convincing John Williams’ compositions sounded and, most of all, Christopher Reeve’s posture looked. That time, Warner Bros made it only by the skin of its teeth, and so at the time the remake was announced, I fear that they were pushing their luck.
News, all not good enough to hear, were heard. Names came up, but the news themselves are vaguely confirmed. Tim Burton was one director rumored to handle the project. He is rumored to take on the Death of Superman plot and will have Nicholas Cage plays Superman. Kevin Smith, director, screenplay and comic writer, was also rumored to have signed in (and in the end, out) a production contract after having drafted Superman Lives scenario. If one who loves Superman hears these rumors and has no emotions evoked, positive or negative, then this project is worth doubting.
Another rumor came out, that Bryan Singer left the third installment of X-Men and approached (or was approached by, it’s unclear) Warner Bros. to freshen up Red Sun (code name for the project), by which he meant crossing out the so-far super candidate list (this includes weird picks like Ashton Kutcher, Josh Harnett, etc) and start looking for fresh individual for the main character. This rumor turned out to be true. Considering how good Singer handled X-Men and X-Men United, building a story only after having designed strong characters’ personalities, I thought that this new Superman may have a good future in it.
Eight months ago, the teaser trailer was released. There “he” was, stand-floating above earth, eyes closed. The “Krypton” soundtrack slowly swelled, in crescendo. A voice, Jor-El’s, entered:
I remember there was an adaptation comic, too, sold separately in the ticket box. After waiting quite long in the ticket line, my dad bought me one. I remember the thickness (about half centimeter), the art cover (matched the movie poster), and even the price (Rp.1000 --my, my). By the time the studio called us in, I have read and enjoyed it repeatedly. I still keep the comic --safely stored in my closet compartment. I lost the key, though. Seeing Superman Returns made me feel like to break-open that compartment and take the old comic out for another readout.
How Superman Returns
There was, I bet, a slight of fear in many people when Warner Bros. first announced in 2001 that they are working on a new Superman movie project. Technically, it would be extremely difficult to capture a tall stud wearing a blue tight, exhibitionist red underwear, uncommon red cape (and boots, at that), not to mention a big ‘S’ on his chest, without making viewers feeling icky. In 1978, director Richard Donner escaped that box-office death trap. Though with limited technology and poor storyline, people believed that a man can fly because that’s how convincing John Williams’ compositions sounded and, most of all, Christopher Reeve’s posture looked. That time, Warner Bros made it only by the skin of its teeth, and so at the time the remake was announced, I fear that they were pushing their luck.
News, all not good enough to hear, were heard. Names came up, but the news themselves are vaguely confirmed. Tim Burton was one director rumored to handle the project. He is rumored to take on the Death of Superman plot and will have Nicholas Cage plays Superman. Kevin Smith, director, screenplay and comic writer, was also rumored to have signed in (and in the end, out) a production contract after having drafted Superman Lives scenario. If one who loves Superman hears these rumors and has no emotions evoked, positive or negative, then this project is worth doubting.
Another rumor came out, that Bryan Singer left the third installment of X-Men and approached (or was approached by, it’s unclear) Warner Bros. to freshen up Red Sun (code name for the project), by which he meant crossing out the so-far super candidate list (this includes weird picks like Ashton Kutcher, Josh Harnett, etc) and start looking for fresh individual for the main character. This rumor turned out to be true. Considering how good Singer handled X-Men and X-Men United, building a story only after having designed strong characters’ personalities, I thought that this new Superman may have a good future in it.
Eight months ago, the teaser trailer was released. There “he” was, stand-floating above earth, eyes closed. The “Krypton” soundtrack slowly swelled, in crescendo. A voice, Jor-El’s, entered:
“..They can be great people Kal-El, they wish to be.
They only lack the light to show the way.
For this reason above all, their capacity for good,
I sent them you, my only son.”
They only lack the light to show the way.
For this reason above all, their capacity for good,
I sent them you, my only son.”
His eyes opened, and sped downward to the distant earth ground. One minute sample. I bought it. Singer will, I have faith, make him fly again.
This time around, Hollywood has the money, the technology, thus they can rebuild him. This Superman really flies. He air-swooshes, soars, parts clouds, takes off smoothly, lands gently, floats mid-air, and my favorite, lands vertically with a strong bump. Despite a major belief that no man can replace Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh is suited up rather convincingly. His super costume is dark-toned, instead of Reeve’s light-toned, to put some age on him. The ‘S’ is smaller to make his chess looks as wide as Reeve’s. Simply put, he looks super enough to me.
Add, to Returns super list, Singer’s loyalty. Returns opens and closes with such familiarity: John Robson from Digital Neural Axis designed similar (and CG-enhanced) main title sequence to the original version; Ottman’s used almost all John Williams’s original scores and composed some new tracks based on them; the classic Marlon Brando’s Jor-El images and voices are gracefully slid in. Some characters’ personalities are well preserved, like Kent’s clunkyness, Superman’s politeness, including Lane’s self-centeredness, and the rest are sharpened, as in Perry White’s (more of a sharp eye than a rapid mouth) and Lex Luthor’s (more patience in Spacey than Hackman). Returns closes with Superman flies orbiting far above in outer space toward the sun behind the other side of the planet. All these, done as if Singer inherited them from Donner. I guess when Singer said in a press conference that Superman Returns would pick where Superman 2 left off, he didn’t mean just the story.
It is a great decision that this Superman doesn’t have any super villain. In Superman’s cinematic history these super villains have always ruined the movie. Superman may be the biggest comic figure, but his persona that the majority people fall in love with is not the one of the comics’, but the movies’ instead (especially the first two). His figure is moderately built instead of looking like a body-builder, displays more of polite nature and were exposed to more drama with Lois. That persona once had a name --Christopher Reeve.
Besides, Superman has just made his comeback, and it would be too far-fetched to have even only one of his super nemesis to closely follow suit. Personally, should there be other Superman pictures, I prefer these super thugs don’t make any appearance at all. I think Donner’s greatest heritage is that, unlike the comic versions, he placed his Superman in a universe closely resembling our real world --it’s the best make-believe approach, in my opinion. Superman’s foes, therefore come only from those guiding-light-lacking earthling gone really really bad --this is Luthor’s entrance. That means that the only one capable of defeating Superman is, one way or another, himself. And he was indeed beaten by Kryptonite (thanks to, of course, Luthor).
All and all, the reason this Superman really passed the Hollywood test by flying color is its strongest secret weapon --a good intact plot: that Superman came back after five years disappearance looking for what was left of his home planet (that’s only intermezzo), that Lane has moved on (with a “husband” and child too), and that Luthor was released from prison, snatched himself some fortune, learned about Superman history, and planned his sweet revenge.
Further, a good plot is perfected by good dialogues, and good dialogues are indeed what Returns has. Screenplay writer Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris wrote dialogues that are neither too less or much (Dougherty and Harris made cameo in the movie. They’re the two museum visitors hushed away by Luthor’s thugs). No conversation between Lois and Superman are overdone thus Returns were eloquently saved from lame scenes. Almost all communications between Luthor and his thugs are nonverbal, mostly meaningful eye contacts and smiles (and frowns). “Just-enough” dialogues are just perfect --Team Singer’s triumph.
Many people, including me, have faith that a dedication note to “you-know-who” would make it to the scene --it’s only fair that it would. These many people were right. On the credit title, a note appears saying:
This time around, Hollywood has the money, the technology, thus they can rebuild him. This Superman really flies. He air-swooshes, soars, parts clouds, takes off smoothly, lands gently, floats mid-air, and my favorite, lands vertically with a strong bump. Despite a major belief that no man can replace Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh is suited up rather convincingly. His super costume is dark-toned, instead of Reeve’s light-toned, to put some age on him. The ‘S’ is smaller to make his chess looks as wide as Reeve’s. Simply put, he looks super enough to me.
Add, to Returns super list, Singer’s loyalty. Returns opens and closes with such familiarity: John Robson from Digital Neural Axis designed similar (and CG-enhanced) main title sequence to the original version; Ottman’s used almost all John Williams’s original scores and composed some new tracks based on them; the classic Marlon Brando’s Jor-El images and voices are gracefully slid in. Some characters’ personalities are well preserved, like Kent’s clunkyness, Superman’s politeness, including Lane’s self-centeredness, and the rest are sharpened, as in Perry White’s (more of a sharp eye than a rapid mouth) and Lex Luthor’s (more patience in Spacey than Hackman). Returns closes with Superman flies orbiting far above in outer space toward the sun behind the other side of the planet. All these, done as if Singer inherited them from Donner. I guess when Singer said in a press conference that Superman Returns would pick where Superman 2 left off, he didn’t mean just the story.
It is a great decision that this Superman doesn’t have any super villain. In Superman’s cinematic history these super villains have always ruined the movie. Superman may be the biggest comic figure, but his persona that the majority people fall in love with is not the one of the comics’, but the movies’ instead (especially the first two). His figure is moderately built instead of looking like a body-builder, displays more of polite nature and were exposed to more drama with Lois. That persona once had a name --Christopher Reeve.
Besides, Superman has just made his comeback, and it would be too far-fetched to have even only one of his super nemesis to closely follow suit. Personally, should there be other Superman pictures, I prefer these super thugs don’t make any appearance at all. I think Donner’s greatest heritage is that, unlike the comic versions, he placed his Superman in a universe closely resembling our real world --it’s the best make-believe approach, in my opinion. Superman’s foes, therefore come only from those guiding-light-lacking earthling gone really really bad --this is Luthor’s entrance. That means that the only one capable of defeating Superman is, one way or another, himself. And he was indeed beaten by Kryptonite (thanks to, of course, Luthor).
All and all, the reason this Superman really passed the Hollywood test by flying color is its strongest secret weapon --a good intact plot: that Superman came back after five years disappearance looking for what was left of his home planet (that’s only intermezzo), that Lane has moved on (with a “husband” and child too), and that Luthor was released from prison, snatched himself some fortune, learned about Superman history, and planned his sweet revenge.
Further, a good plot is perfected by good dialogues, and good dialogues are indeed what Returns has. Screenplay writer Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris wrote dialogues that are neither too less or much (Dougherty and Harris made cameo in the movie. They’re the two museum visitors hushed away by Luthor’s thugs). No conversation between Lois and Superman are overdone thus Returns were eloquently saved from lame scenes. Almost all communications between Luthor and his thugs are nonverbal, mostly meaningful eye contacts and smiles (and frowns). “Just-enough” dialogues are just perfect --Team Singer’s triumph.
Many people, including me, have faith that a dedication note to “you-know-who” would make it to the scene --it’s only fair that it would. These many people were right. On the credit title, a note appears saying:
“This picture is dedicated with love and respect
to Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve.”
to Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve.”
With love and respect. I love the choice of words, not for its poetry but for its precision. When you get some drama --and natural, at that-- out of a superhero movie (my favorite, Luthor’s Prometheus speeches) you know that it’s written by heart.
A Superman Needed
Nearing the closing of the movie, there was a scene where Lois Lane was to start writing an article entitled Why the World Needs Superman (Ironically, Lois was to receive a Pulitzer for her previous article entitled Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman). Blocked, she went out for some air and the paper remained blank. It was as if the scene was intended as an open question for the audiences.
Everyone who loves Superman has their own answers. As for mine, it’s for old time sake. I grew up adoring Superman. Though later on I moved on admiring other superheroes, and even thinking of him as obsolete, making acquaintance with Superman is still where it all began. And that’s where Returns brought me --where it all began. For 154 minutes, I was 6 again.
---
PS: There were two scenes in Returns where Heart and Soul, a playful song of which less than a month ago I had a nice nostalgia, was played. It is for this coincidental reason that this post is entitled, however wrongful it may be.
A Superman Needed
Nearing the closing of the movie, there was a scene where Lois Lane was to start writing an article entitled Why the World Needs Superman (Ironically, Lois was to receive a Pulitzer for her previous article entitled Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman). Blocked, she went out for some air and the paper remained blank. It was as if the scene was intended as an open question for the audiences.
Everyone who loves Superman has their own answers. As for mine, it’s for old time sake. I grew up adoring Superman. Though later on I moved on admiring other superheroes, and even thinking of him as obsolete, making acquaintance with Superman is still where it all began. And that’s where Returns brought me --where it all began. For 154 minutes, I was 6 again.
---
PS: There were two scenes in Returns where Heart and Soul, a playful song of which less than a month ago I had a nice nostalgia, was played. It is for this coincidental reason that this post is entitled, however wrongful it may be.
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