RocShemp

It would have been visually uninteresting. "Oh, look. A wide open field." Zzzzzz.

The stakes would have still been high but they would have been presented in the most dull way possible.

Paul_SD

No one said anything about a field. Plenty of remote locations that have objects that can be used as props for visual interest in the fight. Nor did they just have to confine it to one location.
And also, remote doesn't = totally devoid of life, it just means out of more densely populated areas.

No one said not to have any part of the fight in the city. Just that it is conspicuously irresponsible for Superman to keep it confined there. Zod's rage and focus was on Kal-el. He could have baited Zod to any location he chose.

Giantrobo

Watching the "Pacific Rim" trailer the other day made me realize that the "too much destruction/think of all the people!" Folks from this thread may slit their wrists in the theaters when the Kaiju and Jaegers start fuckin' around.

Paul_SD

Ok, since you don't think one of the main qualities of the character is his acute empathy and concern over the power-less- what to you is the essence of this character that you obviously feel Goyer and Synder nailed?

RocShemp

Okay, you clearly tuned out during the fight because Zod and Superman fought all over Metropolis and even took the fight to outer space (curtesy of an uppercut from Zod that would make Ryu from Street Fighter green with envy). They weren't confined to one location.

And has been repeated ad nauseum, Superman tried to flee during the Smallville fight only to have Nam-Ek pull his ass back. And during the Metropolis fight Zod couldn't give two shits about harming Kal-El physically. He wanted to make Kal-El suffer by wiping out all humans. If Kal-El so much as attempted to lure Zod away, Zod would have said the Kryptonian equivalent of "bye, bitch" and gone on a killing spree. Other than Kal-El grabbing a bunch of humans and using them as bait, there was no proverbial carrot to lure Zod away. It was either fight or let Zod do whatever the hell he wanted. And what he wanted was to...



And save for a few hits Kal-El managed to get it, Kal-El was mostly on the defensive and served mainly as Zod's punching bag (as you said you wanted him to be).

Paul_SD

I suggested that to the extent that while that was going on, the film would cut to POV of the men on the street helping each other get to safety.
The point wouldn't be to just make the character a punching bag, but to make himself a distraction for a purpose.
I don't remember Synder making that aspect a point of that sequence.

And you're right. I forgot they briefly took it into outer space. I think I was so numbed at that point I just took that scene as one more shiny object being jangled in my face. Since I can't remember it clearly I assume they were both attached to a large rubber band at that point since they came back down in the same narrow path they went up.

Jackskeleton

Ha ha. It took Zod to get the fight out of a populated area. Man, that sum up was dead on. Zod may have attempted Genocide, but it's Superman who actually succeeded at it.

What a worthless symbol of Hope. Obama should feel like the vary definition of Hope compared to Ms. If-they-die-they-die Man of steel.

Jules Winfield

Ms. Man of Steel? I'd have rather watched that movie! Superman struggling with his sexual identity as he decides to "come out" to the public at large or not. Shee-it, you still a stupid SOB, Jack. No wonder I left the forum for years, to get that damned stupid taste out of my mouth!

Jackskeleton

Cry like a bitch about how no one understands you and I'll treat you like a bitch who no one understands.

That's the problem. You turn the big blue boy scout into some whiny little girl scout pushing her cookies and I know Jules will buy a couple of thin mints. The only merit badge Superman is earning is the destroy the city and making the stupid god damn choices strategically in the face of battle.

Oh yeah, and the "I'm wearing Kryptonian under pants as clothing" badge. Is there a badge for helping an elderly person get smashed by debri while crossing the street badge?

We don't need two Batmen with parent issues. And man, did Pa' Kent really fuck his son over good and plenty in this film. "You have great power... BUT DON'T USE IT ON ANYONE. NO ONE! You hear?! Not even to save the dog we left in the car! NOPE! Don't do it! You may be the boy of steel, but my belt can still send your ass to orbit!"



It's funny that those so desperately white knighting this film as if it's some hot little chickie they're trying to pry them panties off constantly find stupid nicknames for those who disagree with them.

I don't think I ever mentioned Donner's superman. In fact, I probably made fun of Reeves' Superman the most. I have no nostalgia for the 70's films. Especially since Superman literally turned the planet back in time to reverse time and save one woman from an Earth quake. It was foolish.

Still doesn't change the fact that I found this movie to be a terrible piece of shit

Disagree with me? Well then, maybe if you Zack Snyder knob polishers could take that ADHD schlong out of your mouths long enough to read the complaints and formulate actual discussion on the matter.... oh, who am I kidding. Continue to circle jerk Zacky in slow motion.

pjflyer

Why would two invincible beings have a fist fight? Why as an audience member would there be any stakes in that fight.

Also, why did stabbing Russel Crowe in the chest kill him?

Jules Winfield

Bitch, no one understands YOU!

Brack

People have talked about the film's strengths, and the frivolous issues people have with the film:

"Superman never kills!!!!" (Proven to be wrong, that's not an opinion)

"Superman doesn't care about people!!!" (Then why did he save the world and destroy his own kind?)

"There's no heart." (No one has cared to elaborate more, as if it's just a given as you're watching the film)

The only major problems the film had was trying to make us care for the people at The Daily Planet at the climax, and the lack of evacuation scenes of major cities. We really only know Perry White, but barely. Alien spacecrafts approach Earth, but we want to blame Kal-El for people getting hurt in Metropolis? He isn't the hero we deserve. Humans are just stupid and fearful and hand over their only chance for survival. And don't panic, just stay in large urban areas where you could easily be crushed by all the buildings around you. Perhaps they didn't have time to evacuate, but if we're going to blame Kal-El for not saving enough people in Metropolis while he was fighting a careless, evil and dangerous Kryptonian, then we really are a race that loves creating scapegoats.

Jonathan Kent was smarter than a lot of you think. He knew people would blame Kal-El when things don't work out perfectly. Was Jonathan right to guide his son away from using his powers until he was ready? Yeah. Clark wasn't strong enough to just fly away or save his father without anyone noticing, especially since people already knew something wasn't right about Clark after he saved those kids on the bus. It's amazing the press and the government didn't investigate this "miracle". It should have been a national story.

See, not everyone here who liked the movie name call, or worse resort to crude sexual metaphors to make a point.

Brack

1) They aren't invincible beings. Otherwise Zod wouldn't have died. Would you have rather seen them only wrestle?

2) Kryptonians on Krypton are as mortal as humans on Earth.

Why So Blu?

It's hipster empathy. Wait until the new Godzilla flick arrives.

stingermck

Early numbers. Friday $12.7M, Saturday $16.2M. Good increase on Sat.

worldwide total of at least $345.6M in just its first 11 days of release

Why So Blu?

Boom!!!

fujishig

It's said that the people of Smallville already know his secret but are keeping quiet. Maybe that only pertains to Lana and Pete, but Jonathan Kent's "maybe" answer as to whether Clark should have let the kids on the school bus drown is terrible. You know what, if people are in danger Superman should save them even if it jeopardizes his secret identity or people misunderstand him. I could understand him holding back until he can fully use his powers if he had actually hurt someone trying to save them or something, but it reeks to me like asking him to suppress why he's different at all costs because the people around him wouldn't understand. Thats got fairly ugly parallels. And then the catalyst for him actually refining his powers and flying is what actually summons the bad guys to Earth anyway.

Again the difference between the this movie and Pacific Rim or Godzilla or Star Trek or what have you is that this is Superman. He's going to spend five minutes kissing Lois instead of scanning the wreckage for survivors? I'll concede that if you go in prepared to throw away most of what you know about Superman, and just want an action movie, it's a better movie.

Brack

But he wasn't Superman yet.

Jonathan was only protecting his son like any good father would. What if Clark got killed when he was a kid trying to save someone? We know that probably wouldn't happen, but Jonathan doesn't know that.

Clark had that memory of his dad's death because he knew from that point on he'd never suppress his abilities ever again.

Kal-El kissed Lois for 5 minutes? That would've broken the record for longest onscreen kiss ever.

majorjoe23

My least favorite part of the movie was when Superman turned the Earth backwards, flew to WWII Poland and started shoveling Jews into furnaces. Superman wouldn't do that!

RocShemp

The answer to both is that they were not invincible. On Krypton, although clearly still more hardy than humans, Kryptonians were still very vulnerable to gunshots and stabbings. They got stronger on Earth due to a combination of radiation from a young sun and the particular atmospherics of Earth.

Despite all that that, Kal-El was still injured by that security drone in the scout ship. I wish the movie played that up more since it emphasizes his mortality. Things like that getting brushed aside (and a few other narrative issues) is why, despite my enjoying this flick, I find it flawed and hope a better paced director's cut can help things flow more naturally.

RocShemp

Given that movie is clearly a homage to the Kaiju films of old, there will likely be an entire sequence dedicated to the evacuation of whichever city the final battle occurs.

Brack

That's no way to thank the two Jewish guys who created the charater!

Lynch Goyer now!

Paul_SD

Ok I admit, this is one other point I'm not clear about. I thought it was the yellow sun that was giving him his power? If being in an alien ship means his powers could weaken, wouldn't they also weaken when he was out of direct sunlight? If not, wouldn't that imply it was more than just sunlight?

Jonathon Kent usually would be the moral touchstone of this story. In the embarrassing, pathetic 70's version, Pa Kent explicitly states he wanted Clark to not use his powers to avoid detection because he feared if they came to light, he would be taken away from them. It was a selfish concern and the way he trails off trying to rationalize it implies he knows it may not have been for any virtuous reason. But then to bring it back around, he says he knows he is here for a reason, and that reason is not to score touchdowns i.e. not to simply glorify yourself.
And I fully concede in a teen mom TV reality show, end zone spiking, humungous gold chain wearing rapper 21st century- that specific notion is quaint and dated.
But while I can understand the 'things are going to hit the fan if people find out your an alien' sentiment, the following 'so even if you have the opportunity, maybe you should just let people die' equivalency is so far afield of the kinds of values we expect him to instill, you have to wonder if Pa Kent here was more of an impediment to his moral growth than a nurturer.

I was a bit disturbed by that exchange in the trailer, but I was sure there would have been more to that conversation we weren't seeing that would have put it in context and allowed Jonathon to gracefully walk part of that back. But no. Neither Goyer nor Synder were that smart apparently.

nando820

nando820

I think that's genius of this film to leave the door open enough for people to interpret it that way and for people in real life to get really offended by it means the movie succeeded in creating a real character that some people will love while others will see as the Antichrist kinda like how people see our president