Did Superman Returns Disappoint Because It Was Too Female Oriented?
While Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch getting knocked around by critics, it's as good a time as any to remember that he's the man responsible for bringing Superman back to the big screen for Warner Bros. The renewed enthusiasm for the Man of Steel here in 2011 has led some to wander back to 2006, and the nearly forgotten about Superman Returns from director Bryan Singer. How come that movie failed to connect with audiences? Singer has an idea.
In an interview with Voices from Krypton, Singer admits that perhaps Superman Returns was too romantic for the Comic-Con crowd.
What I had noticed is that there weren't a lot of women lining up to see a comic book movie, but they were going to line up to see The Devil Wears Prada, which may have been something I wanted to address. But when you're making a movie, you're not thinking about that stuff, you're thinking, "Wow, I want to make a romantic movie that harkens back to the Richard Donner movie that I loved so much." And that's what I did...
[...]
That's a tricky thing when you've built an audience that likes your comic book films [X-Men and X-Men 2] and you deliver a certain tone, and then you bring this completely different tone to them.... You know, I haven't really talked about this in depth, so I'm just thinking about this off the fly. It's hard, because I'm proud of it for what it is. I mean, there are a bunch of movies I've made where I'm, like, "Yuck, that was weak" or "That could've been better," and I can see why. But with Superman Returns... If I could go back, I would have tightened the first act. Maybe open with the plane or something.
Interesting. For his part Singer says if he had to do it all over again, he would reboot Superman with an action-heavy slant. Judging from Snyder's oeuvre, here's guessing he's thinking the same thing.
· Superman Exclusive: Bryan Singer Looks Back at Superman Returns [Voices from Krypton via Moviefone]
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Comments
Three words: no bastard kid.
First of all, what do they mean Sucker Punch is getting bashed by critics? I've read nothing but good to great reviews about it. Really psyched to see it, BTW!
Here's where SR failed - too boring! Hardly any action and way too much drama with the characters. Yes, Kevin Spacey was spot on as Lex but that's about all the credit I can give to the actors. Also, they tried to hard to make it canon to the first 2 Superman movies. Then, they did their own thing and created a Supe-Lois love child.
I'm excited about the fact that Snyder got his hands on the next big screen adaptation. I know he'll do a good job. He never disappoints!
You need to expand your reading list.
21% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Actually, I think that Superman Returns failed because it bucked the traditions of Superman. Besides the obvious Lois Lane love child error, even the 'rubberized' Superman costume was WRONG! Why change something that is like comic-comfort food? Go back to Christopher Reeve's character, figure out what was right with that series, and utilize those elements in the re-boot.
"Sucker Punch" is awful ... a mess.
You must be living on ... Krypton.
Tony
The movie sucked, cause Singer tried his hardest to remake and add to Superman The Movie and Superman II. Brandon Routh didn't take the role ans make it his own, he did his best Christopher Reeve impression. Plus, the costume was extremely feminine, nothing masculine or heroic about it. Lex Luthor and Kryptonite are not Superman's only enemies and Kevin Spacey was a HORRIBLE Luthor! Don't even get me started on Lois having a kid... Bottom line is, Singer should've stuck with the X-Men franchise and let someone who knows Superman, start a fresh movie from scratch, with great super villains like Brainiac, Lobo or even Metallo, rather than rehash Lex Luthor over and over. That and the corny story line just made the movie super boring and difficult to sit through!
I am what could be called am “ old-school “ Superman fan. I was on board during the Silver Age of comics. The move in question, Superman Returns, was a huge let down for me. I had seen Superman go through a lot of changes during his career, I would consider that movie to be in a category all it’s own. What could have been worst, having the head of a giant red ant. I don’t think Red K could be that bad.
Come on, I had watch the old Superman when he was in black and white during the 50's as he took off through the windows. In the 70's I believed a man could fly. I stood by as my childhood dreams come true when the comic book hero finally took to the big screen. Superman Returns had big promises, Singes had done a great job with the X- Movies. He pulled it off with the out fits by putting everyone in black . He successfully made the transition from graphic novel to the big screen. With this guy at the helm we were sure to have a hellava ride. Movie goers and comic fans alike waited anxiously . Counting down the days. Watching for the trailers, searching over the internet. Finally, the big day and what do we get. A very bad, disappointingly sad, love story. This was a sad, sad time for the Super Hero community. Now, this is coming form a guy who lived through the 1960's Batman TV days.
I've said it before and I WILL say it again; there is NOTHING wrong with Superman Returns.
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with it..... IF YOU'RE NOT READING THE COMICS.
What does Singer mean when he says he is thing about it / talking about it for the first time? He spent all of 2006 trying to pass off his cinematic failure as " a love story". It is in every interview. Has he fried his brain from drugs or had some sort of mental breakdown? How can he not remember his pat answer given in every interview for a solid year?
As a female, I wish SR had been a romance instead of a bad indie family drama. It is no surprise that a movie written and directed by three guys who had never been in a long-term relationship could not grasp the difference between Romance and histrionic Family Drama. The "Lois & Clark" TV show was Romantic. SR was the kind of inert family drama that even the Spirit Awards roll their eyes at.
Superman Returns failed because it was a dull story.
What was wrong? Lex Luthor... AGAIN. Recycling the original Movie's story. Kate Bosworth being too young. Superkid... Duh religious symbolism. Only one decent action scene—the plane rescue (though undermined by the lack of sweaty terrified passengers).
Brandon Routh nailing the role was probably the best part of the whole exercise, besides the opening titles music score.
Superman as baby-daddy.
Superman as gay/orphan/messianic persecution metaphor.
Kate Bosworth cast as a believable adult... human... woman.. (a casting choice only a dedicated homosexualist could consider authentic.) Come to think of it-- the scenery chewing Spacey, the drag-queen Posey. The plot point of Luthor gaining fortune as a "kept man" by a woman old enough to be his mother.
That superman decides as a noble sacrifice to remain outside of the man/woman pair bond-- hauntedly looking in on what he can never have... Flying out into his nighttime adventures dressed in a flamboyant skintight costume...
It was gay. Just really, really gay.
It didn't appeal to women, Bryan. Not at all.
It appealed to the stunted man-child homosexual community that is honestly a very real cultural force in Superman fandom. (If you don't believe me-- look for the "S" tattoo on passers-by the next time you're in WeHo.)
There is a line where the homosexual subtext of comic book culture has to remain sublime in order for it to work with the hidden identity complexes of the viewer without alienating that uncertain, anxious audience with a lack of appropriate distance.
In a nutshell.
It wasn't subtlety that killed the film-- it was a complete lack of subtlety.
And now we will be treated to a completely different kind of unsubtle-- the most portentous, masculine-posturing, grueling counter-swing into angsty pseudo-intellectual "darkness" in the upcoming Snyder vision...
Ironically, the only thing gayer.
This whole comment makes me sad! "Hardly any action," "Too much drama," "Snyder...never dissapoints." Perhaps a film consisting of nothing but random, plotless explosions and car chases, peopled by anonymous superheroes with corporate insignia sewn into their spandex costumes will become the template of future entertainment.
After the excitement of hearing Brando's voice and the classic score over the opening credits, Singer decides to open his film with on an old-woman dying in bed. As if that wasn't bad enough there are horrific sexual references between her and Lex. The film is dire need of being recut and having some of the infamous Return to Krypton footage reinstated.
...Oh, and the cape looked cheap and lacked weight (see photo above).
And I'd agree.
I've seen a lot of movies in the past few years that destroyed my childhood. Star Wars prequels... meh. Transformers... don't get me going. GI Joe... bah. The only movie that actually honoured & built upon its legacy, was Superman Returns. It was spectactular.
If it erred, it was with the child angle in the end of the movie. That should have been abandonded, or, the second film should have started with that kid being eaten by an alien & enraging Superman into a dark character. The little S's on the costume were silly. What the F was that? But otherwise this movie was spectacular fun / damn near awesome.
superman returns disappointed because it sucked. the costume sucked even worse then the movie. btw its a comic not a damn soap opera. thats why it sucked.
Brandon Routh was great as Superman
Spacey was good as Luthor
Bosworth too young for Lois
Where this movie fails was the script. The whole love child thing was stupid. Lex Luthor busting out the kryptonite again? Seen it. Superman getting his ass kicked by everyone? What the hell was that about? The best damn scene in the movie was when Superman saved the jumbo Jet from crashing, that was spectacular.
Here's what i would do
Keep the same cast, even Bosworth, just for continuity.
New Villain please. You can go new school like Darkseid or Lobo or old school with Brainiac, Bizarro, etc or even bring back General Zod for all I care, Lex Luthor busting out the kryptonite is beaten to death.
Modernize the costume. Is that so freaking hard to figure out? Look at 1960's Adam west in the Batman outfit, blue underwear and all and compare it to the Dark Knight Batman costume from '08. Can't somebody please redesign and modernize Superman's costume and get rid of the red underwear?
More action. More action. More action.
The biggest problem with SR was the antagonist, the villain. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was its Achilles heal because he was a really pathetic example of a super Alpha Male megalomaniac. He's too short, he's too small, his voice is too high. Acting ability is irrelevant to the requirement for an awesome physical presence. Shaving his head did not turn him into Lex Luthor, who should have had the aura of a 4-5 Star Army or Marine General in a suit.
I agree 100%. I loved SR and I fell in love with Brandon.
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