Superman = Cornflakes: Watch it Again for the First Time
I've always had an appreciation of the past, and what has come before. I even got a degree in history, because I like to know where we've been so I can see where we're going. In recent years, that desire to know where we've been has translated to where we've been cinematically. I used to gloss over the "classics", and jump directly to "new releases" however since I've grown and learned a moderate amount about film and film history, I've attempted to educate myself in the classics. At the insistence of my friend Becca several years ago, I watched Superman, and then immediately watched the 2nd film too.
Yesterday, I went to see the 10PM show of the brand spakin' new Superman Returns. Of course set after the first two films, this movie brings out the best of the Richard Donner films. You can see the appreciation that Bryan Singer has for Richard Donner and his canon. His goal was not reinventing the wheel, it was adding to the Superman legacy while holding to the parameters set by Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves in the 70's, Seeing this movie was like watching Superman again for the first time. It starts out just like the first movie did, the same music, the same style of opening credits, and Marlon Brando. It was beautiful. You could just picture young Bryan Singer eating up Superman (the original film) with a spoon, dreaming of making films like this. That's the prime reason this film was so fun to watch. It was a throw back to the original, not only because of it's untampered with back story from the previous films, but so many scenes from this new movie were carbon copies of the previous films with a "modern" edge to them.
The characters were modernized too, certainly casting was crucial to the film, and there are no complaints from me. The acting was great. Brandon Routh is the epitome of Superman. Chris Reeves wife gave Brandon her blessing and he took the ball and ran with it. His Clark was goofy, clumsy and loveably nerdy, while his Supes was everything you want from the Blue Boy Scout. He was a true gentleman who's tough as nails, can withstand gunfire but quivers like a love struck puppy dog when insight of Lois Lane. What more do you want from Supes? Routh took what Reeves did and made it his own, never demeaning what Reeves did, but adding too it. The same could be said for Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor. He's a brilliant petty thief in the Donner movies, so he's relatively similar in this Singer version. He's delightful, knowing the precise moment to be chilling, or turning the scene on its ear by being witty, you could even say charming. Spacey delivered. Bosworth was a good Lois, she wasn't as sassy as Margot Kidder was but she (like Kirsten Dunst in the Spider-man movies) doesn't detract from the movie, but isn't the lynch pin of the film either. The unsung heroes of the movie go to Sam Huntington- (Jimmy Olson), Frank Langella (Perry White) and Parker Posey. Huntington played Jimmy Olson note perfect. Everything you could want in a Jimmy was there. He amused as from the start, and made himself endearing as he is the only person who truly even notices Clark Kent. Frank Langella was a delightful Perry White. My single regret is that we couldn't have seen him more in the film. Parker Posey sticks out to me, as an unnoticed stud in the film. Her performance is classic Superman Cinema. She is the Mrs. Teschmacher roll from Superman and she was note perfect. She did the damsel in distress bit, and the unloved, unappreciated henchwoman bit. My only sadness is that it may have been too good; she played the role so well, that casual fans likely didn't give her a second thought because she was so needy and pathetic. People could be lulled into thinking that's her true personality rather than her brilliant acting.
The action movies of this summer have been really good in terms of special effects. This movie is right up there with X-men 3, Cars, and Mission Impossible 3. I'm not here to sift out the minutia and argue about which movie has better special effects, suffice it to say; the action is heart stopping, edge of your seat, action. It must needs be seen in a movie theatre, please don't wait until video; you'll be glad you did.
Good acting, good special effects, and an interesting story make for a good summer blockbuster. However, a little something extra is required to create a transcendent film. With a typical summer movie you're lucky if you remember watching the film 2 days later (if not before) a transcendent film you remember forever, (or at least a week...). This film has significance to me, because it proves you can make a throw back movie, snazz it up a bit, and not only is it successful monetarily but cinematically as well. Furthermore, it's special because it solidifies Bryan Singer as a Peter Jackson-esque director. He flourished with the X-men films as Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, and then proved he can do it again with Superman (again like Jackson did with King Kong.) Not to mention that he was already on the map with the Usual Suspects (as Jackson was for his cult classic Dead Alive and the Michael J. Fox movie Frighteners.). Seriously, go to the movies this summer and you can see history repeat itself before your very eyes.
Yesterday, I went to see the 10PM show of the brand spakin' new Superman Returns. Of course set after the first two films, this movie brings out the best of the Richard Donner films. You can see the appreciation that Bryan Singer has for Richard Donner and his canon. His goal was not reinventing the wheel, it was adding to the Superman legacy while holding to the parameters set by Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves in the 70's, Seeing this movie was like watching Superman again for the first time. It starts out just like the first movie did, the same music, the same style of opening credits, and Marlon Brando. It was beautiful. You could just picture young Bryan Singer eating up Superman (the original film) with a spoon, dreaming of making films like this. That's the prime reason this film was so fun to watch. It was a throw back to the original, not only because of it's untampered with back story from the previous films, but so many scenes from this new movie were carbon copies of the previous films with a "modern" edge to them.
The characters were modernized too, certainly casting was crucial to the film, and there are no complaints from me. The acting was great. Brandon Routh is the epitome of Superman. Chris Reeves wife gave Brandon her blessing and he took the ball and ran with it. His Clark was goofy, clumsy and loveably nerdy, while his Supes was everything you want from the Blue Boy Scout. He was a true gentleman who's tough as nails, can withstand gunfire but quivers like a love struck puppy dog when insight of Lois Lane. What more do you want from Supes? Routh took what Reeves did and made it his own, never demeaning what Reeves did, but adding too it. The same could be said for Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor. He's a brilliant petty thief in the Donner movies, so he's relatively similar in this Singer version. He's delightful, knowing the precise moment to be chilling, or turning the scene on its ear by being witty, you could even say charming. Spacey delivered. Bosworth was a good Lois, she wasn't as sassy as Margot Kidder was but she (like Kirsten Dunst in the Spider-man movies) doesn't detract from the movie, but isn't the lynch pin of the film either. The unsung heroes of the movie go to Sam Huntington- (Jimmy Olson), Frank Langella (Perry White) and Parker Posey. Huntington played Jimmy Olson note perfect. Everything you could want in a Jimmy was there. He amused as from the start, and made himself endearing as he is the only person who truly even notices Clark Kent. Frank Langella was a delightful Perry White. My single regret is that we couldn't have seen him more in the film. Parker Posey sticks out to me, as an unnoticed stud in the film. Her performance is classic Superman Cinema. She is the Mrs. Teschmacher roll from Superman and she was note perfect. She did the damsel in distress bit, and the unloved, unappreciated henchwoman bit. My only sadness is that it may have been too good; she played the role so well, that casual fans likely didn't give her a second thought because she was so needy and pathetic. People could be lulled into thinking that's her true personality rather than her brilliant acting.
The action movies of this summer have been really good in terms of special effects. This movie is right up there with X-men 3, Cars, and Mission Impossible 3. I'm not here to sift out the minutia and argue about which movie has better special effects, suffice it to say; the action is heart stopping, edge of your seat, action. It must needs be seen in a movie theatre, please don't wait until video; you'll be glad you did.
Good acting, good special effects, and an interesting story make for a good summer blockbuster. However, a little something extra is required to create a transcendent film. With a typical summer movie you're lucky if you remember watching the film 2 days later (if not before) a transcendent film you remember forever, (or at least a week...). This film has significance to me, because it proves you can make a throw back movie, snazz it up a bit, and not only is it successful monetarily but cinematically as well. Furthermore, it's special because it solidifies Bryan Singer as a Peter Jackson-esque director. He flourished with the X-men films as Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, and then proved he can do it again with Superman (again like Jackson did with King Kong.) Not to mention that he was already on the map with the Usual Suspects (as Jackson was for his cult classic Dead Alive and the Michael J. Fox movie Frighteners.). Seriously, go to the movies this summer and you can see history repeat itself before your very eyes.
posted by The Dre at 6:39 PM
2 Comments:
just saw it...in the IMAX...with the 3-D. i was pleasantly surprised.
hey thanks for the comment... I've never seen a Hollywood movie at an IMAX, is there any "waisted space" because the screen is so big? Is it less than it's cracked up to be or is it as advertised?
Also stereotype, I read your profile and was looking at your fave movies... is that Dead Man the Jim Jarmusch film, with Jonny Depp? Just checking, if so I liked it too... and you should definitly check out Stranger Than Paradise if you liked Dead Man.
Dre :)
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