(DISCLAIMER: I have been a SUPERMAN fan my ENTIRE life, since my older brother introduced me through his numerous comic books when I was a small child. I remember walking or riding my bike the mile up to the corner store once a month to check out the new arrivals on the comics rack, and wishing I could afford to take them ALL home. As an aspiring artist/cartoonist, I was fascinated by the colorful drawings and dynamic exploits of the pulp heroes, especially Superman.
Although I no longer regularly buy comics-- other than the occasional collected editions or specials-- the movie adaptations and incarnations are irresistible to me.)
Well, I went and used some of my "Premium Sitting Time" (due to my recurring debilitating lower-back issues) to go see Man of Steel. From the previews, I knew it would be visually stunning. Space. Battle scenes. Rockets. Explosions. I expected all of that. The movie delivered. In spades.
PLUS, They Got The Cape Right. Long, flowing, majestic. Like an ALEX ROSS painting. (Google it)
(SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen PoS-- I mean MoS-- yet, STOP READING!)
What I didn't expect was the gratuitous over-use of Russell Crowe's "JOR-EL", the Attention-Deficit-Disorder plot, or the TERRIBLE portrayal of Jonathon "Pa" Kent by Kevin Costner. He was so uninteresting and unlikable, I was kind of GLAD he got killed early on....
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| Even the handsome, well-built CAVILL can't watch this garbage...! |
The kid who plays the YOUNG Clark Kent DOES do a good TOM WELLING (TV's Smallville).
The movie jumped from 5-minute scene to 5-minute scene. No time to really build a connection with ANY of the characters. They touched on issues and scenarios without ever fleshing ANYTHING out.
General Zod's henchmen spoke with Russian accents...? Really..?
Jor-El 'sends his son to save them'...? Really...?
A 'Clark-on-the-lam' goes to church to ask a priest if he should surrender...? Really...?
General Zod's henchmen spoke with Russian accents...? Really..?
Jor-El 'sends his son to save them'...? Really...?
A 'Clark-on-the-lam' goes to church to ask a priest if he should surrender...? Really...?
A black Perry White, I'm okay with that. But with a diamond-stud earring...? Really...? Okay, I GUESS we can try a trendy update, but isn't he a bit OLD for that...?
The aforementioned out-of-character Jonathon Kent. He TRIED to be good, but it just didn't work for me.
Amy Adams-- Worst. Lois. EVER! (Corny team-up with holographic Jor-El didn't help, either...!)
The wanton destruction-- of both Smallville AND Metropolis-- was a bit much. Whole buildings and entire city blocks decimated, with NO mention of deaths or casualties...? Riiiight....
And the ending...?? Apparently, the people who wrote, produced and directed this movie NEVER READ THE COMIC. They missed the one character trait, the singular moral compass that has defined this superhero for 75 years.
Come ON....
The aforementioned out-of-character Jonathon Kent. He TRIED to be good, but it just didn't work for me.
Amy Adams-- Worst. Lois. EVER! (Corny team-up with holographic Jor-El didn't help, either...!)
The wanton destruction-- of both Smallville AND Metropolis-- was a bit much. Whole buildings and entire city blocks decimated, with NO mention of deaths or casualties...? Riiiight....
And the ending...?? Apparently, the people who wrote, produced and directed this movie NEVER READ THE COMIC. They missed the one character trait, the singular moral compass that has defined this superhero for 75 years.
Come ON....
But, maybe I'm wrong.... What do YOU think...?
