Man of Steel (2013)

[vc2002]

So apparently, this got better reviews than IM3 on this site?

 

But of cause, we need to see more votes to have a final conclusion about this poll.

Edited June 15, 2013 by vc2002

[4815162342]

Two reasons: One, Jor-El was the biggest advocate for the doomsday theory, only he was also about half as looney as Zod.  Jor-El felt there was no point in saving anyone on Krypton, only in insuring the future of the Krypton race.  And Two: Once Jor-El was dead, there was no longer anyone to ring the alarm bell anyway, and the Council was never convinced of Jor-El's doomsaying.

 

Also: You guys didn't like the score?!  That was the only thing I thought they got 100% right.

 

That's a flaw of the film for rushing through the Krypton prologue and not explaining much beyond bare bones in Holo-Crowe's info dump on the ship. You never get a good sense for why Krypton's core is imploding, why no one besides Jor-El, Lara-El, and Zod's forces believe it, etc.

Edited June 15, 2013 by 4815162342

[Brilliant Dynamite Neon]

That's a flaw of the film for rushing through the Krypton prologue and not explaining much beyond bare bones in Holo-Crowe's info dump on the ship. You never get a good sense for why Krypton's core is imploding, why no one besides Jor-El, Lara-El, and Zod's forces believe it, etc.

I agree that they never explain why no one else believes it, but Jor-El does say the reason was that they had been harvesting the core for resources.  Between that and the use of the term "implosion", I think maybe they hollowed it out so much that the planet's gravity caused it to collapse on itself.

 

That's not terribly scientifically sound, but then again, this is a film where different air lets you see x-rays.  

[baumer]

I was thoroughly disappointed with MOS.  Part of the problem is that there is just too much happening that it goes from a slow burn to a frenetic mess that looks like a video game.  When Superman came out, the money shot was Superman rescuing Lois after she fell out of the helicopter.  Her question to him was "You've got me, but who's got you?"  There was a wonder, a wide eyed excitement to see how they would make him fly.  Even the tagline was "You will believe a man can fly."

 

Now with MOS, there is no wonder, there is no awe and there is no shock.  Anything that can be dreamed up can be done.  And that's fine but when you can dream up what they did in this movie, it loses its sense of realism and it loses its sense of plausibility and this caused me not to really care all that much about what happens to people.  When Superman fights Zod for the second time, it's just two blurs blasting through building after building after building.  It's okay the first few times but after the 10th building of structure they crashed through, it gets cumbersome.  And you are watching Superman fight Zod and his other super cronies and you are wondering how he is going to beat them.  They are his equal.  The sun gives them their power.  Also, in Superman 2, the three villains get released from their prison from a nuclear blast.  They arrive on Earth with nothing.  But in MOS, the whole army arrives with advanced weaponry.  There is some flimsy reason given as to how they salvaged some of their stuff from the blown up Krypton.  Sorry, but I saw the explosion of Krypton, there was nothing left of the planet, let alone left over super planet destroyers.  Plot pieces like this drag the film down.  In Superman 2, Superman couldn't take them alone.  So he outsmarted them by putting them in the chamber that sucks all their powers.  This makes much more sense than battling it out in a fistfight with a man who is just as impervious to pain as you are.  By this logic, the Joker would have beaten Zod because he too realized that you don't fight a man who is more powerful than you physically.  But Supes just keeps punching him hoping that this will work. 

 

There are some good things about MOS.  I thought both Robin Hoods were good, Costner and Crowe.  Costner had some of the best acting of his career in here and Crowe was equally as good.  Lois' character was a bright spot as well.  I thought Shannon as Zod was horrible and I couldn't get Stamp's performance out of my head when watching Shannon's.

 

Overall it just didn't work for me. 

 

6/10

[MrPink]

As mentioned in the other thread...

 

I think Gopher's thoughts most closely mirror mine. The pacing is all sorts of awkward, sometimes it's fine, other times it just doesn't feel right. Obviously the action is spectacular and some of the beats it tries to hit emotionally do connect, but often times it's also unearned. The storytelling is 2nd rate Batman Begins Nolan more or less. But the individual pieces are really good. The actors do a fine job, the action is good, I think the story angle is great, but it doesn't quite come together into the superhero classic it could have been. I can see why many would like Zimmer's score, and why so many would dislike it. Non-fans of Zimmer will get something that is more or less an F U to them, while fans will love it. I thought several themes worked, but at the same time, definitely a lot of background noise, with a shit load of drums and brass to destroy your ears. B overall for the movie.

 

Also, the ending is yet again pretty phenomenal. A trait among the Nolan movies. The last 2 minutes are easily some of the best of the film, actually achieving those feelings the movie wants you to feel. Inspired. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but seeing Clark going into the Daily Planet and essentially starting his journey as Superman, with one of Zimmer's best themes of the film just brought a ton of feels. And then BAM, Man of Steel title card.

[Brilliant Dynamite Neon]

They arrive on Earth with nothing.  But in MOS, the whole army arrives with advanced weaponry.  There is some flimsy reason given as to how they salvaged some of their stuff from the blown up Krypton.  Sorry, but I saw the explosion of Krypton, there was nothing left of the planet, let alone left over super planet destroyers.  

They didn't get the flashy stuff from Krypton.  They Science!'ed their prison ship into a hyperdrive and spent decades touring the outposts and colonies sent out by Krypton during it's age of exploration*.  That's where they got all the stuff.

 

Someone, maybe here, pointed out that this was probably a slower than light expansion, which helps explain why the colonies and outposts failed.  I'm not sure Krypton had faster than light travel until Jor-El invented it for Clark's ship.

Edited June 15, 2013 by Brilliant Dynamite Neon

[4815162342]

But in MOS, the whole army arrives with advanced weaponry.  There is some flimsy reason given as to how they salvaged some of their stuff from the blown up Krypton.  Sorry, but I saw the explosion of Krypton, there was nothing left of the planet, let alone left over super planet destroyers.  Plot pieces like this drag the film down. 

 

Actually they clearly say in the film they get nothing from Krypton and that once they reconvert the Phantom drive into a hyperdrive they seek the lost Krypton colony outposts and accumulate all of their weapons from the remains of those places, including the World Engine.

Edited June 15, 2013 by 4815162342

[AniNate]

 

Also, the ending is yet again pretty phenomenal. A trait among the Nolan movies. The last 2 minutes are easily some of the best of the film, actually achieving those feelings the movie wants you to feel. Inspired. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but seeing Clark going into the Daily Planet and essentially starting his journey as Superman, with one of Zimmer's best themes of the film just brought a ton of feels. And then BAM, Man of Steel title card.

 

I did quite like the theme. It sounded appropriately heroic while still distinct from the Williams theme.

[baumer]

Ok, then I guess I missed that part.  I did have to go to the washroom once and maybe that was the part.  Thematically, I still didn't like that though.  I liked it better with them in S2 arriving with nothing.

[Omario]

Ok, then I guess I missed that part.  I did have to go to the washroom once and maybe that was the part.  Thematically, I still didn't like that though.  I liked it better with them in S2 arriving with nothing.

 

will you give it another go in theaters or wait till blu ray?

[Warhorse]

will you give it another go in theaters or wait till blu ray?

Oh Baumer, wait for it to come on TNT.

[baumer]

will you give it another go in theaters or wait till blu ray?

 

Yes, I will see it again at the cheap theater here in town.

[redfirebird2008]

I thought Shannon as Zod was horrible and I couldn't get Stamp's performance out of my head when watching Shannon's.

 

 

I liked Shannon's performance, but it was nowhere near as good as some of the hype I've read. On SHH some guys were saying it was similar quality to Ledger's Joker performance. LMFAO. Shannon didn't have anywhere near the nuance or flat-out entertainment value that Ledger brought to his performance. I would agree with you that Stamp was better than Shannon.

[redfirebird2008]

As mentioned in the other thread...

 

I think Gopher's thoughts most closely mirror mine. The pacing is all sorts of awkward, sometimes it's fine, other times it just doesn't feel right. Obviously the action is spectacular and some of the beats it tries to hit emotionally do connect, but often times it's also unearned. The storytelling is 2nd rate Batman Begins Nolan more or less. But the individual pieces are really good. The actors do a fine job, the action is good, I think the story angle is great, but it doesn't quite come together into the superhero classic it could have been. I can see why many would like Zimmer's score, and why so many would dislike it. Non-fans of Zimmer will get something that is more or less an F U to them, while fans will love it. I thought several themes worked, but at the same time, definitely a lot of background noise, with a shit load of drums and brass to destroy your ears. B overall for the movie.

 

Also, the ending is yet again pretty phenomenal. A trait among the Nolan movies. The last 2 minutes are easily some of the best of the film, actually achieving those feelings the movie wants you to feel. Inspired. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but seeing Clark going into the Daily Planet and essentially starting his journey as Superman, with one of Zimmer's best themes of the film just brought a ton of feels. And then BAM, Man of Steel title card.

 

Yeah, I loved the ending. It isn't holy shit amazing like the endings in the TDK trilogy, but it was still great to see him start working at the Daily Planet. I also loved that knowing smile on Adams' face when they introduce him to her. I am glad that this version of Superman is no longer going with the ridiculous idea that putting glasses on is enough to hide his identity, at least not to Lois.

[Gopher]

I guess I enjoyed it more than a lot of you, even though I totally acknowledged some of its script and editing downfalls. The pace was fast enough for me just roll with some of the alien mumbo jumbo going on. STID also had a fast pace, but I wasn't usually bored in MOS and STID just slows down at the worst moments.

[AniNate]

I have to say that even though I despised much of the first half, I didn't really feel the length of the movie. I guess that's a testament to that when the film does get good, it's really good.

Edited June 15, 2013 by tribefan695

[keysersoze123]

I think stid was million times better than MOS. At least there I cared for the characters. Here that foundation is missed completely. I think snyder is just not good enough to add any value to this except doing a great job with action scenes. Even that got tiring after a while(like transformers or avengers did). At least in avengers the humor(however snide and repetitive it was) ensured you watched it with a smile.

 

To me both goyer and snyder are the problem. Goyer cannot by himself write a great script(though he has good ideas) and snyder is not good enough to take a good concept to a great movie. I think next one is going down in BO for sure if they go the same route.

[baumer]

I actually enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second.  Once Zod comes I just found it to be silly and kind of boring. 

[keysersoze123]

I actually enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second.  Once Zod comes I just found it to be silly and kind of boring. 

 

I agree. I liked 1st half more as well. I wonder if a director's cut will be better for this movie thought that will never release in the theaters.

[redfirebird2008]

I agree. I liked 1st half more as well. I wonder if a director's cut will be better for this movie thought that will never release in the theaters.

 

Snyder has apparently said the theatrical cut is the director's cut. Doesn't sound like we will get an extended version on Blu-ray like we did with Watchmen.