Right up front, I think Superman Returns was an awesome movie. No, it wasn’t a great COMIC BOOK movie, but it was a great movie. Often it’s the other way around… great comic book movies that aren’t all that great as movies. Know what I mean?
Anyway, one of the biggest (and very legitimate) complaints people had about Superman Returns was the complete lack of action. There was no one for Kal-El to fight and all he basically did (action wise) was go around and lift stuff. Whheeeee.
At any rate, we’ve known for a while now that another Superman movie was in the planning stages. It now appears that a working title has even been assigned to it. “SUPERMAN UNLEASHED”
Our friends over at Slashfilm give us this:
Alex L just sent me a link to a password protected page from the official Legendary Pictures website that lists “Superman Unleashed” as one of their upcoming films in development. The temporary plot synopsis included follows:
“Ramping up the action of its esteemed predecessor, the sequel to ‘Superman Returns’ promises to raise the stakes and take the audience to heights of action that no other superhero movie can achieve.”
So from this we learn a couple of things:
1) This new Superman movie will be a sequel and not another reboot
2) The title at the moment is “Superman Unleashed”
At first, I thought the title sounded a bit dumb…. but then I thought about it and now I think it’s actually very smart. Think about it… if the major complaint from most people about the previous film was the lack of action… then a title like “Unleashed” implies for the audience a much more uninhibited Superman. Perhaps some Kryptonian ass kicking will be in order.
It is probably just a working title, but I personally like it.
Now the most important thing is to get Brandon Routh back.
I think Tom Welling should get the part of Superman. I mean, after 10 seasons of Smallville, he’s earned that title roll. And I’m sure just about (maybe not all), but just about every Smallville fan would agree with me. How much longer can Smallville stay on? It’s time to see Tom in the suit.
Then it would just be a Smallville movie.
You cant take Welling out of Smallville and make him play Superman and expect people to separate him from Smallville.
I dont need a Smallville movie. They got a tenth season approved, and thats good enough for now.
I think Superman Returns was the worst film…I want to see action not seeing him with a kid…actions….action…and whats with the off red suit come on…and can we have a film up to date like in 2000 for GOD sakes…I love smallville but clark running everywhere is getting old its been 7 season right I mean hes got to be tried of running….Im soory people but its Toms time to play the big screen part….and please lets get a director who can bring it……
I Wish they would put Doomsday in it and kill Superman, and then have come back as the Cyborg Superman.
That wouldn’t be a good idea. A cyborg Superman???
Routh was DECENT as Superman, but was an unconvincing as Clark Kent. I would not be mad if they recast his part (Tom Welling anyone??), along with Lois and Lex if he’s in it.
I kinda agree with you. I think most or some of the cast from Smallville should be in the next film. Erica Durance is the best Lois Lane so far.
Zod …. why not DOOMSDAY or DARKSEID, if it were either one of those two my GOD it would be a blockbuster on the theather.
I thought the movie was ok.Im also a true Man of Steel fan. They need to show some more of his powers. Remember when he cooled off that truck with his breath, something like that or fighting with civilians when he’s Clark Kent. Remember when he lost his powers and got into a fight. He then came back with powers and told everyone that he’s been workingout. I think it’s too early for Zod. He has a son! I think thats awesome because it can bring more to the story. I know they can do a lot with this. Cant wait to see what happens.
my opinion is superman returns is a great movie, but not all people view it the same, the reason why its a great movie to me is because when watching it i cant help but relate it to the struggles of life but look at superman no matter what the situation how bad it is, he is always able to do the right thing now, can anyone else say that, not really and it provides a good message to everyone, no matter what he was faced with he never stopped, just think logically about the movie before you judge it
Let me start off by saying that I am not a die-hard comic book fan, so whether movies mesh with their respective comic books is irrelevant to me. That being said, WB should reboot the superman movie franchise. Superman Returns was not very good at all. Sure, they had the right idea with some of their special FX, but there was so much wrong with the film.
Every known character in the movie was just bad. I like Kevin Spacey and think he is a good actor, but he did not make a very good Lex (though his look was ok). Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane was probably the worst one in the movie. Everything about her was wrong; her look, her acting… Frank Langella as Perry White; nothing memorable. Routh was the only one who was acceptable, but he is no Christopher Reeve. Routh has the look, but based on this first showing that’s about all he has. He has very little personality and he’s just not a very good actor. Then again, because Routh has the look I would be willing to give him another chance and the benefit of the doubt that some of his acting problems were due to a poor script. This is part of the reason why they should reboot the series. Since no one will most likely ever be able to compare to Reeve’s all around portrayal as Superman, WB’s best bet for any kind of acceptance of a new Superman would be if they start over from the beginning.
And, the biggest problem with Returns was that the story was pathetic. This is another reason why they should reboot the series. There was almost nothing redeeming about this story line. The crystals, the continuity plot holes, that horrible child angle. Apparently, they don’t have any good ideas for story lines at this time, so they should go with an origin story. Maybe by the time they get through that one they will have come up with a decent follow-up story.
I agree with people who are saying to introduce Darkseid. With the special FX available today studios could do wonders with a Darkseid character. You could still have Lex, but as a side character kind of like he was in Superman II with the three kryptonian villains.
Bottom line; with the special FX available today the studio’s should definitely continue to make Superman movies but they should start over again and stop trying to pick up from where Christopher Reeve left off. Yeah every one knows the origin story, but that’s exactly why they should do one. Origin stories are fairly established and take less original thinking, therefore they are easier to successfully pull off and create a foundation for general acceptance with people. Then once the new baseline is set, start getting into the original ideas and coming up with strong stories for sequels. And, with an origin story the writers can stop splitting their focus between coming up with a new story line and being mindful of storylines that were written 20+ years ago. All the action and special FX in the world can’t make up for a bad storyline and bad acting, which is why the original Superman movies did so well. Now let those ones go and start fresh.
Hopefully, the studios learn from their mistakes before it’s too late.
100% ON POINT
I agree with most of what you are saying. However, the closest Superman we have is by Tom Welling, who is doing a great job of Clark Kent. I’ve seen some photo shop work of him in the suit and he looks dead on. Tom, I think had earned it and the part should be given to him. Routh was ok, but he wasn’t dead on. Tom has the look, and the presents of Superman. Besides, how much longer can Smallville go on for? I love the show, but it does have to end sometime.
First i’m going to say i can”t spell for anything lol. Superman returns was an ok movie for people who don’t know superman well. I personally agree with the lack of action, the chick flick ideal, the kid was just horrible. No one else seemed to notice that it was a very modern almost futureristic city they were in, yet jimmy Olsen is wearing a BOWTIE?? Kent wearing an old fashion suit? whats that about. Stop praising the old superman movies and make a new BETTER superman movie. I think Darkseid is the best villian for superman..eventually let a death of superman movie come in to play with doomsday. i agree Anne Hathaway makes a good Lois Lane, Kate Bosworth was terrible. I say reboot the whole thing get better writers, more action, let Routh actually speak in the new movie. Bottom line is we need a new Superman not another Christopher Reeve, whom by the way i love. Enough of Lex Luthor..if he is in the next movie put him behind the scenes, keep his hands clean, make him more or less a spectator to superman’s true enemy’s. They should def take a page from Marvel and put some hints to batman,flash,green lantern, JLA movies coming.
Wow so you guys read the blogs uh. Finally someone took the reigns on this Superman saga. I personally am HUGE superman fan, but they DID NOT do this movie justice last time. TO get it right GET RID OF LEX!!!! Get a Villian we’re dying to see but haven’t yet stay away from what the WB’s smallville already did, this is superman people. Bring on doomsday, Mongol or Darkside. Make him meaner watch the Justice league cartoon for some feed back destory building like in Tranformers Movies. Unleashed shounds promissing hopefully it delevers. Try n sneak reference to batman in there somehow and work for a superman n batman flick later. ANways hope this movie is better than the last one.
Well I must say, I didn’t find Superman returns as a great movie, a decent one but not great. Kevin Spacey as Lex was very good, Routh was good, I don’t feel he was better than Reeve however. The reason I say this is if you watch the film he does all the same mannerisms of Reeve. It’s not that Brandon was bad at it, but he was emulating Chris Reeve. Maybe that is what Singer or the producers asked him to do, or he just didn’t know any other way to act the part.
I also have thought they used Luthor as the main villain too many times. He is not the only villain Superman has faced for petesake. Aside from all the suggestions so far, another good villain is Solomen Grundy, I personally think Metallo would be great, and if they wanted Luthor to be in the film he could play a secondary part since it was his workings that made Metallo in the first place. I think one of the main reasons that Lex Luthor doesn’t really work in these movies is he gets too involved. If you look at the comics or even the animated movies he keeps his hands clean. Everyone including Superman knows Luthor is up to no good, but no one can pin it on him. He’s rich and powerful, almost untouchable. He has no reason to get his hands on the scene of the crime, he pays others to do it. Or if he is working on some twisted experiment he keeps it underground in one of his labs until he is ready to unleash it. Yet Hollywood keeps bringing him back as some juvenile with tons of money. He is supposed to be one of the most intelligent persons on the planet. Make him act like it.
Superman returns wasn’t the worst comicbook adaptation. I think that helm belongs to Batman and Robin. The absolute worst big budget pile of garbage ever brought to the big screen. But that is another story all together.
So if anyone out there that makes these films and is reading any of the fans feedback, take heed. Bring on some new villains, and look at all the other successful comicbook movies out there. Hell find, take, and read some of the best Superman stories out there and write a good script from one of them. There are plenty of great ones out there.
Bring on General Zod! I liked Superman Returns and want a sequal not a re-boot. Superman Returns sets up a potentially great sequel. You had to reintroduce Superman to the masses since the original series was years old. Superman II, in my opinion, was the best of the series in the original. However, it was only the best because the 1st movie set it up to be that way.
“Now, kneel before Zod!”
btw how did superman lift an isle made of kryptonite when one sliver of it renders him powerless ?
he shouldnt have even been abble to get with in a mile of that thing muchless lift in to the air an hurl it into space
superman returns was nothing but a rehash of the 1979 superman film what makes a hero film good in my opion is the possiblilty of being defeated even lex luthors plot was the same as the first movie if your gonna use lex luthor at least put him in his cyber armor suit and let him trade a few punches it was like watching a soap opera come on a superman chick flic !! lets see supes battle thru the hordes of darkseid for 2 hours
goku is better :P lol j/k, i think superman returns was good movie,good cast,with a okay story ,could of add more and i think they new they were gonna have to make a sequel,give it chance ,it work in the past aka “Superman ll”
they might as well bring zod back out of the phantom zone because not only would be be totally sweet to trade blows with …..but it would be a amazing fight with the tech we have now im talkin like slamming eachother with cars and superspeed slamming eachother though mountains and stuff….it wouldent be very hard to do since returns is set only about 8 years after superman II if im right close to it it think
if they stay consistent w/ the story and not reboot the series then that means that zod is dead doesnt it?
Ohhh, good point. I too wanted Zod to come back, but I guess he died choking on the baby powder in the Fortress of Solitude. Oh well.
yea superman returns was awful. i can just see some producer or sumthing asking “ok, hes the man of steel and bulletproof. but what happens when he gets shot… in the eye?! huh?! am i right?!” then everyone in the room looks down, puts their hand on their forehead, and shakes their head sullenly. i would love to see doomsday in the next film, even tho it aint gonna happen. that would be awesome. at least we have watchmen, which isnt some big screen perversion of the comic book like 99% of all other comic book movies.
horeeeeee brandon must be back on track!he’s the real superman after chris reeve for god’s shake!
OK CHECK IT OUT , MY SPELLING SUCKS FOR STARTERS JUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I SAY LOL. I THOUGHT BRIAN SINGER DID A FINE JOB WITH SUPERMAN RETURNS, AND I BELIEVE IT TO BE A GREAT LAUNCHING PAD , TO TAKE HIM TO A DARKER PLACE, AND WHILE I FEEL THEY DID NOT NEED TO HAVE AN ILLAGITAMIT CHILD IN THE STORY LINE , IT DID MAKE IT KIND OF RELEVANT, IN A WAY . I ALSO FELT IT HONORED THE LAGACY THAT THE CHRISTOFER REEV SUPERMAN HAD STARTED, BY PICKING UP THE STORYLINE AFTER SUPERMAN 2, NOW DO I BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD MAKE HIM A LITTLE DARKER ?, YES I DO , BASED ONLY ON THE FACT THE HE WAS RAISED BY HUMANS , THEY WHERE GOOD PARENTS , SO HE HAS A STRONG SET OF CORE VALUES IN PLACE , THAT MEANS HE CAN STRUGGLE WITH THINGS AS NORMAL PEOPLE DO. IT MAKES SENCE TO ME ( I AM A BIT OF AN ACTOR MYSELF SO I CAN UNDERSTAND CHARACTOR DEVELOPMENT) , I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE SUPERMAN EVOLVE TO A MORE CONFLICTED STATE. IT JUST KEEPS IT REAL. SO I SAY GO AHEAD WITH A LITTLE BIT DARKER SUPERMAN , BUT BUILD IT OFF OF WHAT IS ALREADY THERE . THERE IS NO NEED TO START FROM SCRATCH. THE NEW COMIC BOOK MOVIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE , ARE VERY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE IT’S NOT ALL FLUFF, YOU CAN SEE THEM GOING THROUGH THERE INNER CONFLICT WHICH IS GREAT FOR A BELIEVABLE STORYLINE , JUST LIKE IN THE TV SHOW HEROs AND SO ON. SO IN CLOSING I THINK BRIAN SINGER STARTED ON THE RIGHT PATH , NOW LETS SEE WHERE IT CAN GO FROM THERE. HELL I WOULD EVEN GO AS FAR AS MAKING THE BOY NOT SUPERMANS, MAYBE CREATE A NEW BACK STORY BY MAKING HIM TURN OUT TO BE BRAINIAK , AND WOULD TRULY FORCE SUPERMAN TO A DARKER PLACE AS HE LEARNS OF THIS, IM JUST SAYIN
I also think the Superman Returns was a great film, and so did Brandon Routh as superman, I have no problem with it lacking more action, I felt that it gave us a better understanding of superman as a human being. And I am looking forward for the next film.
Superman Returns is the greatest Superhero movie ever made.
You want to see a truly unleashed Superman? Kill His kid! Plus that would fix the only problem I have with the first one.
Again, still early in the “next” process for any future Supes flick. I for one am tired of DC/Warners back-tracking (implied…?) on thereboot plan. I did enjoy the film, basiczally because it HAD been 20 years since we had one, but again, tired of the re-hashed Luthor/Real Estate Scam/Thief element. And again. nothing against Bosworth, but nahhhh….lifeless.
They (Warners) need tro write any future script allowing for other alien threats (from the DC Universe..)to be incorporated into the films. God knows there are enough of them as many of us have offered.
Warners, Could we wake the hell up folks??? DC needs to pull the reigns on any other “Hollywood cabal on this! They have tunnel vision with this character all the damn time. Enough already, and as Dr. Evil would say, “Be Creative”..o.k., he never said that….LOL…Sh*t we have to go to the cartoon DBVD releases for that! ‘Nuff Said!
ditto
Superman sucked, other than The Batman DC sucks, Bryan Singer really sucks as did the X-men movies, Kate Bosworth, Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey as Luther sucked. Get Grant Morrison to do the script for any Superman project and it might not suck.
ditti on everything but Routh.
Personally i think that Returns was a decent enough re-introduction of the character given his noticable absence from the screen for many years. The combination of this and the desire to place the movie after Superman 2 probably influenced the story and themes in the movie. True i did feel slightly underwhelmed in places but if this were the first part of a series which may well have been the intention then you can forgive them for not wanting to throw all the best stuff in straight away. Never the less i do feel that they should have placed a little more comic book style int the film as i think that the addition of alien villains may now seem strange and out of place in a direct sequel. Still i want them to give it a go and ramp it up Supes style!
C’Mon, Superman is iconic enough that he doesn’t NEED an introduction, let alone a re-introduction. A Superman reboot could get the origin over an done with in a credit sequence montage, and then get straight into the story.
Get an actor who can reinvent the character for himself, not just impersonate someone who played the part over 2 decades ago. Sure, Reeve played a good Superman, but that doesn’t mean someone else can’t try to be better than him.
It would be like if Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger both just impersonated Cesar Romero when they played the Joker.
The other problem which is why they need to reboot the franchise, is because Returns did an awful job of establishing a world where aliens from outer space would fit. In the world set up in Returns, I could not see a Doomsday or Darkseid fitting in.
and sorry darren before you get ahead of yourself there is no script. no director. no star. there is nothing except another “we are making it with more action” bullshit. we dont even know if this true.
wasnt it called man of steel a while back and was going to have more action?? when did returns come out again? 2006?? nearly three years ago?? and they are just starting to maybe make the sequel??
if they want the general public to come they need to steer clear of having the stink of singers folly having anything to do with this thing. by the time comes out it will have been five years since the last one…if there was this clamoring for a sequel from the public it would be more then a rumored title.
i do agree that it was a mistake to hire singer as the director, b/c they were expecting the same success singer had w/ the xmen films to carry into this film.
I agree there.
Singer did a decent job with X-Men and X-Men II, not a great job…just a decent job. The power of the franchise pulled those movies into mega-hit status.
That “success” (not screwing up X-Men, although some fans would argue that) helped propell Singer into the directorship of SupRet.
I think the problem was that Singer isn’t someone who really respects the material if it’s not his original material. He was able to deviate from X-Men the way he did largely because X-Men were less iconic.
But Superman is nothing if not Iconic. And Singer dicided to throw away most of what was developed about Superman over 60 years of comic books and 4 movies.
Take Lex Luthor and the goofy (Toho Co) real estate scheme out of the story, and everything you have left could have been done as a non-Superman non-superhero movie.
All the parts that were essentially SUPER were just goofy, and everything else should have been used in a non-superhero CHICK FLICK (something like the English Patient).
dude i dont know why you keep bashing toho, b/c most of the stuff the stuff they come up w/ are better than most hollywood films(at least their old stuff), people just bash them b/c they use suitmation rather than cgi, if you look past the toys and the fake buildings and you can tell the stories are better than MOST films from hollywood, hell even their monsters have more character most of those from hollywood.
I wasn’t bashing Toho, I own a bunch of old Godzilla on DVD.
But when I sit down to watch a Godzilla or Gamora movie my expectations are different than when I go see a Superman movie.
The whole continent rising in the Atlantic was more appropriate for a Gamora movie than for a Superman movie.
my bad man i thought you were bashin them sorry for the missunderstanding
Nope. I love big lizzards knocking down cardboard buildings, especially if little Japanese kids save the world.
I’m not baching Toho. Toho wouldn’t have made Superman as a chick flick.
the only good parts the film had were ripped off wholesale from donners far far superior film.
it isnt the lack of action that people disliked…the original is hardly a non stop action romp but it had a true heart and a true soul.
and if it wasnt for reeve routh would have had nothing to go on because he tried to copy reeve every step of the way but reeve had more charisma. not in anything else he did but as superman and kent he was perfect.
thats why reeve is still remembered and most people haven’t a fucking clue who routh is because he was a forgettable blank state that singer was more interested in fucking then directing.
the film was a sequel to superman and superman 2, and singer was obviously trying to give a sense of continuity in the film.
the important thing is to get routh back?? so we can have another film with a superman completely devoid of charisma and any kind of presence???
give me a break…..
and how many more “stories” are we going to hear about a sequel to superman returns?? i will believe they are making a sequel when it hits cinemas…..
the film was a disaster. if it wasnt why would warners be fucking around for as long as they have been???
Another thing that really needs to be established properly in a Superman reboot are the limitations to Supermans powers.
One thing that always annoys me about Superman stories, especially the films, is the lazy writing whereby they come up with ridiculous, over the top scenarios, but the resolution is just that Superman has some power to overcome it. Even to be able to to turn back time.
Yet the rest of the time he never exhibits such extreme powers. It’s stupid. Superman does not have unlimited powers.
Give him limitations, and then have someone like Luthor come up with a truly evil plot to abuse the knowledge of his limitations. Then come up with a far more creative plot device that having the power to overcome it.
Superman used to really only ever have one weakness: Kryptonite. And Returns totally pissed on it as a threat, since he was stabbed with it and managed to throw an entire continent made of the stuff into outer space. Rather than potentially killing him, now it seems to just cause mild drowsiness.
the only reason he was able to turn back time was b/c he flew around the earth soo fast that it reversed time, but i do see your point.
I mean if Superman can overcome the effects of kryptonite through sheer will, then it’s not really a weakness anymore is it.
Stab him with a kryptonite dagger, he overcomes the effects of his one weakness through force of will.
Shoot him with kryptonite bullets, and he can still win by just pushing himself harder.
That’s just lazy writing. Across the various media, there’s been a lot of good stories where Superman is depowered and nearly killed by kryptonite. In the best written stories, he manages to save himself through resourcefulness. SupRet is the only story where he just willed himself to overcome kryptonite. As I said in an earlier post, a comic book writer who proposed that would be laughed out of the building.
The fact that Singer used such a weak technique to defeat Luthor shows….
It shows…
I just can’t think of anything but laziness.
And that’s just one aspect where the film was poorly thought out.
Can anyone really say that the Climax of SupRet was as menacing as the climax of Batman Begins?
There was a certain giant-lizzard-stomping-on-cardboard-buildings falseness to the hole new continent rising out of the Atlantic. It was silly rather than scary.
i dont see why people keep expecting the same stuff from batman begins to be in a superman film, i mean batman and superman are two different characters only thing they have in common is their code of honor to not kill. superman is character driven like rodney stated in an earlier comment, there are few who can fight superman hand to hand, unlike batman
It’s not that I was expecting the same stuff from SupRet that I saw in Batman Begins. But I was expecting something more than a corny real estate scheme.
My point was that the climax to Batman was tense and riviting. Batman was facing an overwhelming foe, and managed to overcome through resourcefullness.
The Climax to SupRet was soogy in a Toho Co. Ltd kind of way with a crystal continent popping out of the ground. And when faced with an entire continent made out of kryptonite, Superman overcame the effects of kryptonite by TRYING HARDER. Wow that’s creative writing.
I didn’t expect Superman to be like Batman, but I was expecting at least a journeyman’s competence in writing a compelling story.
well since you seem to be able to conjur up a better script why dont you just show them how its done.
If you can get me in the door at WB, I’ll whip up a synopsis for a better story than Sup Ret. You set up the appointement, I’ll have a screenplay ready in a month.
I guarantee you I could come up with a better Superman story than Sup Ret. But…I don’t need to show them how it’s done.
Paul Dini has already shown that it can be done better.
The fact is there’s been a lot of great writing on the Batman and Superman animated series, and a lot of great writing in the comic books.
trust me if i had connections to WB i would be looking more into the next batman film
If this is in fact a sequel to RETURNS, it’s safe to assume Routh is back.
I guess thats the nature of a films subjectivity, how what you liked about a film adds up against its flaws.
I suppose that it’s always a matter of subjectivity.
I just know that the movie failed on so many levels for me.
Lex Luthor yet again (and too campy)
rehashed real estate scheme
Terrible casting of Lois Lane
No “super” fight scenes
Too much soap opera
Now I don’t require strict adherence to the laws of physics and geology to enjoy a movie, but the crystals that grow to form a continent when tossed in water was just too goofy for the suspension of disbelief.
if u ask me the part about him and the kryptonite dagger was that he pushed himself over the edge to get rid of the island regardless of the injury and the kryptonite, but yeah it does make sense, its not that they didnt read the comics its just that they were trying ot show his strength and determination to save lives by overcoming that weakness, but he ended up sucuming(misspelled) to his injuries afterwards.
I suppose that I wouldn’t have minded any one of the movies flaws on their own. But Superman Returns seemed to be nothing but a collection of flaws.
the only thing that really killed the movie for me was the fact that the brat was superman’s kid
I guess I didnt mind the rehashed plot because there was enough of a departure in other areas that I felt it compensated. I guess Im looking at it more as a reimagining in the sense that it takes the first two Donner films and uses it as a blurred history and at the same time retells that story in an updated setting. I like it as a standalone film and it also excites me as an introduction to a completely new and original tangent for the character.
It’s true that Lex is ONE OF Superman’s arch villians, and has been well developed by the writers of both the comic book and animated series. The classic Luthor is a scientific genius capable of designing weapons that truly threaten Superman’s life. He’s also a leader capable of bending super-villians to his will.
Maybe Luthor could have been good if Singer had chosen that direction.
Instead Singer decided to make a $200 Million chick flick that just happened to have Superman in it. To make things worse, Kevin Spacey, who could have been truly menacing, was lost in yet another real estate scheme.
What a waste.
Were a DC comics writer to present managment with a storyline that idiotic, they’d be back teaching creative writing at a junior college.
So very True about Luthor.
The character as he has developed in the comics is a true menace and threat to Superman. The way he comes off in the movies is more like a joke. He’s like a parody of what the character should be.
true, but lex is superman’s arch nemesis he may have other enemies, but lex has been mostly associated w/ superman, just like magneto and the xmen, batman and the joker, fantastic four and doctor doom, and etc.
Yes lex is in a lot of Superman comics and cartoons, and most of the time he’s orchastrating some scheme from behind the scenes.
He’s using mercanaries in “stolen” LexCorp battle armor.
He manipulating other supervillians into trading blows with Superman.
He’s designing weapons that really might kill the man of steel.
Anything along those lines would have been better than another real estate scheme.
Having said that, I think Lex was overused in the older movies and should have been put on a shelf for a while.
While the film was flawed I did enjoy it. I agree John that it works on a different level than some were expecting. Its actually quite moving at the end. Having said that If I were WB I would change directors and give the material a little edge. I don’t mean DARK like a Batman movie, I just mean- give Lex Luthor a rest. Have a real menacing story line were humanity is in real danger, so the crowd really gets to root for Superman. Real world terrorists is were I would start. Singer payed so much homage to Donner’s original that many of its themes were repetative. That’s why it turned off many people. Although critics really liked the film.
chuck
I love the new working title. It’s great. So great they better stick to such a promise.
As for the int’l friends and others out there in the net land:
Normally, I wouldn’t rub it in anyone’s faces, or anything, but when I say for months the best thing is to not restart/reboot and people ” tell me I’m full of what the dog leaves unburied in the front yard by sticking to my guns on this…
I promise.
I won’t blow my own horn.
Really.
Okay…just a little.
Now…the big Q is not who at Legendary chose to do the smart thing, but who they got to see the light with them.
John:
Superman Returns was the most dissapointing movie I ever plopped down ticket money to see…period.
For the record, I’m a comic book fan.
Superman Returns failed on so many levels.
PLOT: Who’s bright idea was it to have Superman save of the world from another Lex Luthor real estate Scheme. Lex Luthor was completely overused in the first run of Superman movies. It was just stupid to bring him back, and idiotic to recycle the real estate scheme scheme from the first Superman movie.
CASTING: Kate Bosworth was completely innapropriate as Lois Lane. She was 23 when she worked on the movie, but looked 15. Yet we were supposed to believe that this teenage looking actress was a “veteran” big city reporter. I’ve worked in media. You might see a Kate Bosworth looking reporter at a bush league TV station, but not a major metropolitian newspaper. Why the hell couldn’t Singer cast someone who could buy a beer without being carded.
GROWING CHRYSTALS: Maybe this just annoyed me because I actually know something about science. The idea that a crystal Kryptonian PC can be tossed into H2O and form a new continent just seemed clownish. They spent hundreds of millions on production and couldn’t think up a better plot device than that.
KRYPTONITE: It’s always been the rule that a couple grams of KR can disable Superman, but he survies a KR dagger, and flies into space with KR imbeded in him. Next time the writers might want to read a comic book or two.
ACTION: The little there was wasn’t particularly interesting.
SUPERBABY: Didn’t care.
RICHARD: Didn’t care.
lex overused? yeah i see your point, but lex is his arch villian.
the fact that its a movie and its fiction, meaning science shouldnt really matter, of course science can also explain why superman has his power, of course it cant b/c hes an alien and the crystals were from another planet just like superman.
oh and i do agree kill off his bastard child.
It’s an odd thing. I think the two actresses should have swapped. If they wanted Routh looking like Supey Reeve, Parker Posey should have been…
It’s really the only problem I had with the film.
It’s logical to cast younger actors/actress so that they can grow into their respective roles. You’re looking at ten years or more to complete a trilogy so by the time the third adventure rolls around Bosworth will the Lois you’re looking for, age-wise. :-)
Yeah, I too had a big problem with a Kryptonite shanked Superman carrying the Kryptonite island into space. BS.
I’m not saying they needed to bring back Margot Kidder. But the cut-off really should have been 30, which is about the youngest that someone can become a big city newspaper reporter, much less and “ace” reporter.
But Kate Bosworth was way too young. Additionally, she doesn’t really seem like she’d be right for it in 10 or 15 years.
Lois Lane needs a combination of glamour, fearlesness, and snark. Bosworth seemed like a blond manaquin.
She could have been replaced by Mary Kate Olson and you would have gotten the same effect.
No….the WORST film/s I ever plunked down money for was #1 – Howard the Duck and #2- last year’s 10,000 B.C.
Superman Returns was Citizen Kane compared to those two! Hoping to see what they come up with. A new Lois Lane (Anne Hathaway….maybe…anyone except Kate Bosworth! Just lifeless….
I really like Superman Returns as well. It had its flaws but I still gave it 5 stars. If they are going to do a sequel and not go to reboot trilogy path then they should bring back Routh and Singer.
The biggest complaint everyone seems to have about Superman is that he has all this power but follows a code that prevents him from doing anything that is ultimately productive with them, then comes along a film like Superman Returns and people are mad about it.
The way I see it, intentionally or not, Singer gives the Superman character an out with this story moving forward. It gave us everything a great Superman story should have (less a little action) but then sets the table for the story to go places the character has never seen, at least on film.
This is why I am so adamant about Singer continuing his story and exploring the continuation of where each character is now. It is a pickle, and from the way everyone seems to feel I think that is a good thing, no one really know how this will get resolved and that makes for potentially great story telling, the downside is that it may also lead to a terrible story, but Im willing to go along for the ride.
I think Returns was good enough and I think its criticisms have been heard well enough to warrant our confidance in a sequel. If its terrible thenm wait a few years and reboot it.
I say reboot. Superman Returns was boring and seriously lacked any action. I want to see Superman punch something, not lift everything in sight.
The main problem was the the plot was just a rehash of the original Superman, right down to Luthor’s nearly identical plot.
The reason why Nolan’s reboot of the Batman franchise worked was because he took it in an entirely new direction and didn’t just pay tribute to Burton’s films.
I’d ditch Routh as well, he looks a lot like Christopher Reeves but he lacked any charisma. As well as Bosworth, she was too young and lacked the sensual cynicism that Lois Lane is supposed to have.
And finally, give Superman a new villain to fight. He’s fought Luthor in 4/5 Superman films and his character has been played out.
Will Lois Lane continue to age in reverse in the sequel?
The Superman franchise needs a total reboot. Returns was too hung up on paying tribute to the original film. And the original films, while good for their time totally lack any action as well. By the standards expected by todays comic/action films, Returns totally did not meet expectations.
They need to start from scratch with a new actor. I say someone with a huge physical presence, since no Superman actor has ever really looked the part. He should look huge, like the strongest man in the world.
The film doesn’t need to be “dark”, it needs to be real, it shouldn’t be campy and goofy. Just like how Dark Knight placed Batman in a real world setting, that’s what I’d love to see with a Superman reboot.
They need to forget the Superman films of the past, and start from scratch.
Oh yes, if Brandon Routh comes back as Superman and they don’t digitally reduce his package in this one, then the tile makes perfect sense.
Unleash the Routh, unleash it I say!
that’s a very stupid title.
why don’t they just title it “When Supermen Attack!”
Yes, bring back Routh kill the kid early in the movie and let the action begin as Superman looks for sweet justice. Make the love interest no more than 10 minutes long 5 is even better. The lack of a significant love interest is part of the reason Ironman kicked so much ass . All the energy must be focused on the awesomeness of the ass whooping.
Bring mongul on Plus throw in a cameo of the Green Lantern to get some cross hype going or better yet just a shot of Superman being told that Batman is becoming a problem and they may need Supermans help to control him for his own good and the safety of the people and save doomsday for the 3rd movie.
didnt ironman have pepper or whoever Gwenyth Paltrow played?
In Ironman, Stark and Pepper had more of a friendship and/or professional relationship. In addition, Stark was clearly seen as a loose, carefree sex hound before he changed his lifestyle; while the character may have been attempting to win Potts over after some neglect, and there may be a more personal relationship later on- Stark had other things on his agenda than chasing tail.
That’s my take.
Pepper and Stark clearly had sexual tension between them, both were wooed by each other which made that relationship work. There was a little more than a just “friends” vibe in the air. Like Mulder and Scully in the early days of X-Files. lol
sounds more like a video game title, id think THE MAN OF STEEL would be great
I personally didn’t like Superman Returns and feel that a reboot is needed. Routh deserves a second chance as his Clark Kent was very good, although his Superman could use a bit of refinement. His performance was good but I still think that Reeves has yet to be topped as Kent/Superman. The one thing that most people will agree on is that Bosworth needs to be replaced, she was the worst Lois I’ve ever seen.
I’m a very beg fan of Returns. I’ve always felt that ultimately, Returns was a VERY satisfying film. And as many say that Returns is a copy of Superman: The Movie? I think that ultimately prooves that THE MOVIE was just as lackluster in the action department as Returns, only difference is, the whole Kryptonite island was more epic than Superman simply flying to capture 2 missiles. In Superman 2, Superman didn’t even fight the Kryptonian Zod until the finale. Most of the big bang action was from the villains alone causing mayhem.
I wonder if the second one will be successful. People were really underwhelmed with the first one. I think they are expecting a Dark Knight effect, making the second one more darker and action packed so people will come flocking in and make it more successful than the first one. But my bet is that if they do release a sequel to Superman Returns it will be even less successful than the first one.
well superman isnt a dark character like batman is.
Unleashed? Sounds somewhat menacing. Maybe they’re implying that Bizzaro might be the next villan?
How does “Unleashed” imply “mirror evil twin of Superman”??
I don’t see your logic.
Merely a thought. I was taking a guess at a possibility that the title might imply. Usually when you hear something is unleashed, is isn’t always a good thing. Or maybe in this case.
Sorry, spelling error, meant to say it isn’t always a good thing.
By the way my friend who is a woman hated it too. : ) although she did like Routh as well.
And will also while Singer tried to make it a character film, for me it failed horribly at it.
And Kate Bosworth was the worse Lois I have ever seen!
1138:
My wife (yes I’m a comics geek with a wife) hated the movie too.
She couldn’t care less about whether or not it was faithful to the comic book, but she thought it was too slow.
Her main issue was her not knowing that the kid was Superman’s. Women are a lot more judgemental about that kind of stuff, and her having a kid and not knowing who the father was made her a totally unsympathetic character for Mrs. Geologist.
So even though Singer made SupRet as a chick flick, it failed even in that regard.
I’ll have to agree with Peter and really disagree with you (John) on this one.
Superman was a rehash of Superman the movie with extremely cliche’ themes like having a kid and having to accept the notion that the one you love is attached to another.
Nothing original with borrowed themes that weren’t presented in a fresh manner.
However I did like Routh even though the script really gave him nothing to do. Nothing original anyway.
Superman Unleashes His Lawyers To Prevent Child Support Payment.
Superman Returns was a terrible movie. It ripped the whole plot from the original Superman, and even lines in the film were directly lifted from the original. The lead actor couldn’t even act. Just the whole movie was awful.
I respectfully disagree Peter,
Superman Returns was a superior film with fantastic themes. Granted, it was much more a character film than a comic or action film.
And Brandon Routh was a better Superman that Christopher R.
I don’t agree on what john says about Christopher Reeve . . . no one as in nobody can be greater than him doing the Superman movie . . . a 6’2 guy who looks very stupid becomes a handsome man of steel . . . i don’t think so . . . i think nobody can copy CR sense of acting stupid and become man of steel.
john
im curious why do people complain its too character driven when the name of the film is SUPERMAN returns?, and people said teh same thing about the first hulk film which i found to be the superior of the two
Superman IS a character driven story. People just don’t get that.
There is NO story if its a physical fight (Unless its Doomsday or the other two people in the comic book universe that can hurt him) so Supes has always relied on STORIES to sell Superman.
Unfortunately that doesnt sell a summer blockbuster. I liked Superman Returns but I also understand why some people dont appreciate it like I do.
I thought Superman Returns was awesome. Just two things I didn’t care for:
1. Superman being a daddy
2. the oft complained lack of action. (don’t get me wrong, there was some good action but I wanted a slugfest, even if it was just Clark having a five minute dream involving giant robots that needed pounded into scrap metal! lol)
Ok, I’ll say it…am I the only one who saw Superman Returns (admittedly in IMAX), and didn’t think it lacked action?
Superman DIDN’T fight many villains in the original films, yet the fans lapped them up.
Superman flew through exploding pipelines, pulled a sinking barge out of the water during a hurricane-type storm, caught a falling airplane, and took bullets from a mini-gun, all in 3-D. Sounds like legitimate action to me.
In the originals, Superman did things like rescue people from burning buildings and of course catch that kid falling off Niagra Falls. Sounds about the same in terms of “action content” to me, just my two cents (what villain stands a chance against this guy anyway?)?
Oh, and the main objective is getting Kevin Spacey back as Lex (and replacing Kate Bosworth).
Supes stood toe-to-toe against General Zod and his goons in Superman II, traded punches with his evil persona in III, and fought the lame Nuclear Man in Superman IV.
omg thats a great tittle
superman didnt throw ONE punch in superman returns
i want ALL of these villains to be in it! and make up for the lack of action in superman returns!
dark seid
doomsday
metallo
conduit
OR just be awesome and have the riot squad…but that wont happen…its too amazing to happen…itll never go down…the world isnt ready
a guy handing out checks worth $ 10000000…too good. superman movie with the riot squad also something too good to happen
PLEASE! do NOT have the poker card squad be the villains! theres this group of superman villains that dress up as playing card face cards (kind queen jack) theyre SO lame…lame enough to be in the next superman movie actually…
shit id love for them to have doomsday as the villian
I’m curious to see a Superman/Bizzaro throw down!
Forget Doomsday as a villain in next movie, that has been done to death in the comic books, cartoons, even have a Doomsday character ongoing in Smallville at the moment. So the idea of having a Doomsday character appear in the next movie is quite frankly “retarded”.
The reason Superman Returns was not successful is easy, Lex Luthor has been done to death! Over exposure is not a good thing, no one wants to see another Lex Luthor/Superman movie. I do like Hazmats idea of Darkside or even Mongul would be a good foe.
i do agree, but eventually bring in doomsday, but yeah i see what your saying about lex and doomsday being overused.
yeah i can live with no doomsday…but metaloh better be in it. and conduit…
oh and another character that i absolutely want OUT of any upcoming superman movie, is that king kong gorilla that shoots green beams out of his eyes
and no….NO bizzarro! ugh!
Perhaps I’m just longing for another Superman v. “Superman” fight on-screen, but I prefer Bizarro over Conduit any day. What about Parasite or Braniac? Just about any antagonist other than Luthor, and Toyman, would be welcomed.
methos
bizzaro wouldnt be bad at all…i just happen to personally hate him. but i really would not mind him in the movie,i mean itll be better then lex luther
i dont really like brainiac but partasite is a member of the riot squad so i would only like him in if hes with the rest of the crew….he looks kinda…weird
weird could me good…right!!???? lol
Bah! It wasn’t a great film, due to the fact it wasn’t a great story. That is first and foremost the key to something being a great film. Of all the things a being with as much power as Superman could be involved in, he was wasting his time with his own relationship problems. Superman has more honor and sense of duty to let his own personal problems supersede the greater good in the world.
It wasn’t original in any way, it was a total carbon copy of the original Superman film, even down to the way Routh played the parts of Superman and Kent, and how Spacey played Luthor.
Superman could be made into a FANTASTIC film, if the makers start from scratch and forget everything done before, instead of paying homage to the older movies. Imagine if the new Batman movies just had Heath Ledger trying to impersonate Jack Nicholson’s version. DK was so great because it was original, and was it’s own film.
I hope that’s just an early description, and gets it wrong. I don’t want a sequel to Returns. I want them to Reboot Superman and bring the Man Of Steel to the screen with a proper reimagining for todays audiences, and not an impersonation of the previous films.
Agreed, reboot, and SR was one of the worst movies ever made, almost as bad as the recent Indy film.
“one of the worst movies ever made”? You’re joking right? Though it’s been a while since I saw it, I can clearly recall that,
a) It featured some very good and experienced actors who knew what they were doing,
b) It was at the very least MODERATELY entertaining.
Even if what you mean to say is that it’s the worst SUPERMAN movie ever made, I still think that’s a bit of a stretch.
P.S.: Shane Hero, Superman has always been about Superman’s inner and personal issues, and how he was trying to live as a god among men. In fact, that was practically the main selling point and why it stood out in it’s time. And what do you think Spiderman 2 was about? It being perhaps the greatest superhero movie ever made next to the 1979 version of Superman? Peter Parkers personal issues! They were the main driving force of the story. And I don’t know about you, but I thought they were very clear that Superman was dedicating alot of time to saving and that the personal issues were happening almost on the side.
Yes, Superman comics have always dealt with Superman’s personal issues. But they did a far better job of dealing with them in perspective. Superman is virtually a God amongst men… yet the issues dealt with in Returns were his break up with an old girlfriend, her having a new man, finding out he had a kid. WHAT ABOUT THE FACT HE IS A GOD AMONGST MEN?? THAT is the issue that I would like to watch explored in a Superman movie, not the same old rehashed relationship crap that every chick flick and TV show have done a thousand times over before.
And rather than tackle the personal relationships of individuals, I’d like to see a Superman movie that somehow looks at the larger effect on the people, on the world. When you have a God amongst men, who saves the whole planet… why waste time worrying about petty arguments between a couple. Above all else Superman Returns was a waste because it could have been so much more.
Guess what; that kid he found out he had is the son of a God. I think you’re simplifying a very specific scenario, and I do think plenty of people are curious about what happens next.
What are you talking about? Superman Returns was an AMAZING movie with a GREAT storyline. So it didn’t have all the action of a typical comic book film… Who cares! I loved it. And, personally, I HATED the Dark Knight.
I agree with Brand Routh returning I thought he did a hell of a Clark Kent kind of how bale was better at being Bruce Wayne then he was being Batman…I also agree with your opinion on Superman Returns being a good movie…not very memorable but yet still good..I really wish they would bring Bryan Singer back I think he does comic movies very well…I can’t believe I actually agree with you on something..Watch you’ll prolly be like super-man deserves best picture for an oscar and that it was under-rated hahahaha
Dont agree i think it should be done after the smallville series and Tom Welling should portray clark the show smallville has ten times more action than Brandon could ever bring fact is Tom Welling is Superman
Sorry ment brand routh
Niko, I am a HUGE Smallville fan. Massive.
But Tom Welling is Clark Kent in the variant story of Smallville. Not superman.
If they ever make a Smallville movie, it will be Welling 100%. Trust me. They cannot make a Superman movie and cast Welling as Supes without making it a Smallville movie.
Smallville is removed from Superman canon. The two are mutually exclusive. Never the two shall meet.
Rodney- your right i just hate the fact the after ten seasons that Welling worked so hard at too become the man of steel they cant even cast him as superman and brandon just comes in and fills his shoes its bs
Its not BS.
Smallville has created an entirely separate “what if” universe where we see a completely different take on the Superman world.
Tom Welling has become Clark Kent. He is the last Son of Krypton. He is Kal-El. He is the Blur. But not Superman.
Its the very fact that he is still growing towards the character we already know that makes Smallville worthwhile. But its not Superman.
Its something else, and we can like that too.
I don’t get the criticism for Superman Returns, since I loved it, could have stood more action, but it was awesome. “Superman Unleashed” is a great title.
Didn’t know you were a fan of Returns. I’m right there with ya. I thought it was a fantastic film. And I also agree that Routh needs to be brought back. He was great as Superman.