Welcome to a review of Superman Returns in two-parts...
I left everyone on a bit of a cliffhanger in my last entry. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. But if my description of the opening credit sequence piqued your interest, then I've done my job.
So let's come to brass tacks here. Is Superman Returns good? For the casual Superman or superhero fan, the action movie fan, the dedicated moviegoer, the person who barely knows anything about The Man of Steel other than his costume and that he's also Clark Kent?
Yes. Superman Returns succeeds for anyone walking into the theater. It even succeeds for the die-hard, lifelong comic readers like myself. It also succeeds for the folks like me will always have Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman seared in their childhood memories. Chris Reeve was our Superman, just as George Reaves was for the kids of the 50s and 60s.
I firmly believe Brandon Routh is the Superman of this generation. The kids today who see Superman Returns will fall in love with the character because of Brandon Routh's Superman. Decades from now, when another filmmaker is setting about to make a new Superman movie and is hunting for a new Superman, today's kids will be like we were: "Huh. Good luck finding anyone who like our Superman.“ But they’ll finish that statement with “Good luck replacing Brandon Routh."
My love for the character goes beyond any one portrayal in the film medium. After all, I'm used to a myriad of different artistic renderings of Superman in the comics I've read for over twenty years. So I didn't hold anything against Brandon Routh.
Brandon Routh is Clark Kent. Brandon Routh is Superman.
And folks, Superman has indeed returned.
A lot of movie reviewers today go to great lengths to entertain. I’m not sure that should be the goal of a review. The biggies (in more ways than one) like Ebert do what they can to make you know that they know more than you ever will about movies and that, as a result of this fact, you can’t help but listen to them and do what they say. Think what they say. Believe what they say. Or write, depending on the medium. All in all, they have an agenda: this is how you should feel about a movie you HAVEN’T SEEN.
And there’s the problem. You haven’t seen the movie yet. I read Ebert’s review after seeing Superman Returns. Never before did I read such a biting, bitter, abysmal, and truly pathetic vomiting of vitriol against one film. This man apparently has a vendetta against this movie. Ebert long ago lost this film fan’s respect. He proves this when at one point in his review, he lays out this gem: “It would have been fun to give Superman Returns a bright, sassy child, like one of the Spy Kids, and make him a part of the plot.” Ebert’s referring here to a child in the film whose presence is extremely important to the plot, despite a performance wisely nuanced by director Bryan Singer. Ebert just doesn’t get it. This is a guy who thinks the Garfield films and the Spy Kids live-action cartoons are high-caliber cinema. He long ago lost his voice and his heart, and should retire to the Bahamas on the loads of money we all know he’s sitting on.
One of my closest friends, Roy Petitfils, whose name you either know by now or will become familiar with in a few months based on who he is and the work he’s doing, told me with way too glibly last night over drinks that “The reviews are terrible. They don’t like this new movie.” Like Ebert, my good friend Roy sounded happy that reviewers don’t like Superman Returns. I retorted that I’d read and heard otherwise in other reviews. Roy just wouldn’t buy it. The popular movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, which collates reviews from various media into one collective popularity percentage, seems to indicate otherwise. The site uses its “Tomatometer” to give you a consensus of a lot of different reviews from newspapers, magazines, television news programs, etc. Currently, Superman Returns has a 75 % rating. That’s based on 136 “fresh” ratings (meaning good) and 46 “rotten” ratings (meaning bad). You can see all of this for yourself here.
The fine folks at Box Office Mojo tell us that Superman Return’s current domestic box office take as of yesterday is $48,823,000. It’s worldwide take is $51,042,000. This is a pretty good take after three to four days of release (I’m counting the Tuesday “geek previews.”) So these numbers indicate that this movie is being well-received by moviegoers and movie reviewers alike. You can see these numbers yourself and more here.
So here’s the deal. My review is my review. I’d be lying if I said I don’t care if you hate this movie. That’s because I love the genre and the character,and I want other people to love it too. But my review doesn’t have the same agenda as most other reviews. I’m not here to sound as self-amused as I can or show you how much I know about movies or comic books or obscure German Expressionist art. I just want to inform you by answering the question we all ask when confronted with a slew of expensive movies and dwindling cash: Is this movie worth my time and money?
Here’s the answer outright: yes. If you like action, adventure, and a well-told and quite romantic story, then yes. If you see a movie a week, a month, or a year (not that hard to imagine for those of us with full-time jobs and children), then you should see Superman Returns.
Now, this isn’t a perfect movie. It has its flaws, as any movie does. All of my favorite movies remain so because they have flaws that you can forgive because everything else works. The same goes for Superman Returns, which gets added to my list of favorite films. I liken it to a love relationship with anyone: if you’re not willing to love them in spite of their imperfections, then you’re not willing to love. Granted, liking a movie isn’t like loving a person. Those of you who know me well out there might not believe that I think that, but I do. But the point is, don’t go see this movie to see a perfect movie. ‘Cause just like that perfect love, it doesn’t exist.
On to Part Two...
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Friday, June 30, 2006
Origins of A Comic Nut and Running The Geek Gauntlet
I don't know where to start.
I guess the beginning's as good a place as any. Alright. I've been a comic book fan all my life. Literally. I remember being maybe three and having a Superman and Spider-Man themed birthday party at the Abbeville McDonald's. I remember getting a twenty-inch Superman action figure for either that birthday or one during those early years. Giant figure. Cloth cape. Big ol' glow-in-dark boulder of kryptonite. Easily one of the best toys I've ever owned and one I wish I still had. My brother, who's seven years older than me, was a big comic book reader himself. He read a lot of comics, mostly Marvel and DC, and of the two, mostly DC. DC for those who've always wondered stands for "Detective Comics," one of the company's early publications that dealt with crime and detective fiction. Detective Comics became famous when it was the setting for the first appearance of the character who held court in movie theaters last summer: The Batman.
Sorry about that. But I can't help it. My brother Jarrod kept his comics in these little shelves on the headboard of his bed. The shelves had little sliding doors, and he'd carefully lock them away from his little brother, who would very likely damage them. Seeing the way my eight-month old daughter taunts and then viciously murders her mother's magazines when left on the floor, I completely understand. Of course, the thing was, locking those comics away only made them more appealing. My mom knew I wanted to read them, so when my brother was at school or away, she'd let me look at them only if I was careful with them. This is one of those wonderful things that moms do. They find a way to make everybody happy. Jarrod never knew I looked at those comics, and I was able to do so and fall deeply and madly in love with that strange, wonderful world.
My brother eventually grew out of comics. I never did. As the years progressed, comics turned me into a voracious reader. I'd read stacks of books every summer and stacks of comics. My mother's mother, who I was close to as a child, gave me an allowance, but also gave me extra money for comics. I think she realized, along with my mother, father, and uncle, that this was not a bad hobby for me to get into. It wasn't dangerous or very expensive (at the time), and it was actually making me a better reader. I also taught myself how to draw by studying those early comics, which was also a plus to my family.
By the time I was finishing middle school, I had hundreds of comics. I'm not exaggerating. Hundreds. I'd spend between twenty to forty dollars a week on comics. Back then, comics were still between seventy-five cents and a dollar. Not three bucks a pop like they are today. So do the math. By the time I graduated from high school, I had over two thousand comics and had read most of the main titles put out by "The Big Two," Marvel and DC, as well as comics like "Spawn" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," produced by other, smaller companies.
By this point, I was already deeply in love with three characters: Superman, The Batman, and Spider-Man. They are my "holy trinity" of characters to this day. Those favorites right after them are Captain America, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Thor. Honorable mention goes to Ghost Rider, The Fantastic Four, and Wolverine's pals in The X-Men. So when Tim Burton's Batman was released in 1989, I was beyond excited. I had a Batman t-shirt. I had read some movie tie-in comics. I knew more about The Batman than most eighth graders knew about sports and discovering the other sex. I waited in a line of about thirty people at the small Lafitte Cinema in Abbeville. I asked my mom to drop me off for the first feature that hot Friday afternoon. I didn't want anyone with me, because I knew I was going to be in another world. I knew I couldn't be fair to anyone who came with me, not because I wouldn't want to talk to them, but because I wasn't sure I'd be able to talk at all.
Batman was, at the time, amazing. It catapulted me into that comic buying pattern I mentioned earlier. And from then on, I went to every big comic book movie release on my own. Star Wars films also get this treatment. They're events, and the first time I see them, I like to see them alone. My wife knows this, and is thankfully more than happy to let me do my thing. And I've been doing it since 1989. This is hard to explain to folks and to their credit, hard to understand. I can only liken my fervor and passion to that of the sports fan, specifically, LSU sports fans. My best friend, John Listi, is an LSU nut. Last night, I was talking with my friends about how much of a nut I am about all of this stuff and how it's hard for people to get that. And he said, "well, it's like being an LSU fan." And I thought, "Finally, thank God, I have a way to explain this, something to compare it to." Thanks, brother!
So on to Superman Returns. I've been waiting for this one for a long time, as I mentioned in a previous entry. I purchased a ticket about a week in advance via phone. NOTE: Do not do this!!! Instead, go to the box office and buy the damn ticket yourself. I'll explain why later.
I leave home around 8:45 PM and head to The Grand. I arrive only to find that I'm not the geekiest geek in Acadiana. There's already a bloody line waiting to get into the theater! I stand in that line, dressed in navy shorts and a red button down shirt. I give my ticket to the ticket guy and he informs me, "Uh, Screen 14, that's on the other side, sir." My heart falls again. "The other side?" How can this be? This is why you don't order via phone. You can't tell ahead of time where they've put you. Auditorium 14 is no bigger than an auditorium at a small-town theater and smells bad. I sit there for a minute and then say, "No, I don't think I'm going to watch this movie in this theater.
Now, I'd already sat down and removed my red shirt, revealing my Superman Returns S-shield t-shirt. The \S/ is made with hi-density ink, so it's got a raised texture. I ordered the shirt specifically to wear to the first showing. So I walk out of the theater, red shirt hanging on my arm, looking for a manager who can fix this problem. I find one and he graciously informs me that I can switch to Screen One. Ah, Screen One. Where I saw Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, and Episode III. A girl who works at the theater spies me and says, "Hey, that shirt could double as your cape." Slightly embarrased, I explain that I wore the extra shirt to save my seat in case I have to getup. And that's the truth. I always bring something to mark a seat with. But I did wear a red shirt so as to keep a Superman color theme going. And dammit if I wasn't found out.
As always with The Grand, it was too damned warm inside. I don't understand this and in my opinion, there's just no excuse for it. None. If somehow this gets to the folks at The Grand (who are, by the way, extremely accommodating and very nice), please listen: I understand how you make your money. I know it's not box office. I know concessions sales keep the lights on. I get it. But if you're going to ask me to support you by buying a decent sized popcorn and beverage at over eight bucks total, I think you need to provide me with an ice-cold auditorium. I could forgive this if we were talking about Colorado. But this is Lafayette. And the last five or six times I've gone to your theater, I've been uncomfortable because of heat. Everything else is great.
Alright, so I'm sitting there in that not-so-cool auditorium. I've got a Superman t-shirt on, as do at least a dozen other people. I figured that there'd be more of "my kind" at this "geek preview," but I was surprised by a lot of different types of people. Young and old couples. Teenagers. Some younger kids. And a lot of people my age, who I imagine are drawn to this movie not because of Superman, but because of Christopher Reeve as Superman. Makes sense. Anyway, I'm seated in what was not "the perfect seat," which if you're curious, is the seat on the very top row directly beneath the projection booth. This seat gets the perfect moniker because you're above anyone who might be noisy in any way, and because it affords you a view of the screen that no other seat can. Sadly, I didn't get this seat because I underestimated those nerdier than even me, and because I got a ticket to that smaller auditorium I mentioned.
Anyway, I'm seated and begin the long wait for the movie to begin. As I'm watching a highly-agitating commercial for Coke for the nineteenth time, I hear "Hey Superman!" I ignore this for a few reasons. One, for all I know, there's someone here dressed in a Superman costume. Stranger things have happened. For another, there are a bunch of folks wearing Superman t-shirts, like myself. And finally, I can't believe an adult would be so immature as to shout "Hey Superman!" to get another adult's attention. I wait a moment for the offensive person to move away or die, and then turn to look. It's a guy wearing a shirt three sizes too short, with a head too small to contain a brain of any significance.
He's looking at me, and I give him the look I gave Auditorium 14. He says, "anybody sittin' there?" in a dull sort of way. He's referring to the seats next to me. Glorious. I look at him without responding for a minute and then mumble "No." My personal Lex Luthor for the night enters the row with his girlfriend (destined to become a saint, I'm convinced) and another couple. I start controlled breathing, so as to calm down. By this point, I've lost the high ground of the perfect seat to people who I heard explaining via a way too-loud cell phone conversation that they "decided to come see the Superman movie on a whim." A whim. These people just don't get it. The theater feels like a freakin' greenhouse, and now I've got this guy and his pals sitting next to me.
A half hour later, it's time for the movie to start. Or more accurately, for the trailers to start. Members of The Grand's staff come in and ask for everyone to gesture to any open seats they have, as this showing has sold out. Sold. Out. I'm thrilled, because it means people still care about Superman. I realize then that I'm not going to let my worries about not having the perfect seat or anything else bother me. People are talking and are loud, there's shouting from one row to another, there's loud eating and cell phone beeps, bleeps, and claps.
The trailers begin. The new Spider-Man 3 teaser comes on. Everyone watches with excitement, though not in silence. I begin to worry a little: will they be like this during Superman Returns? Then the weird and not a little disturbing announcement comes up about being quiet in theater, not smoking, and begging us to buy concessions. You know the one, where you fly through a theater that's apparently in the 25th century, where zero g's are part of the concession experience, as popcorn and candy fly around you like tiny, edible satellites? That's the one.
Then the DTS logo comes up, followed by the WB's production logo and the Legendary Pictures production logo.
A brief bit of text comes up, explaining Superman's origin from the last two films and seventy-six years of continuity.
And then, folks, my God...the magic begins.
The auditorium is no longer hot. Everyone has fallen silent. It's like church. Not church when you first get there and everybody's shifting gears from what they were doing at home before getting to church, but during the homily or sermon church, when everyone's almost asleep. Except here, everyone is excited. Waiting. Anticipating.
The most exciting, most thrilling, most ingenious opening credit sequence I've ever seen bursts into life, accompanied by one of film history's most exhilirating and bold musical themes, John William's original Superman theme from the Christopher Reeve films.
And I'm no longer in that auditorium. I'm no longer in The Grand theater. I'm no longer in Lafayette, or on planet Earth.
I'm in the far reaches of space, following the path baby Kal-El's ship took from dead Krypton to living Earth.
More to come in my review...
I guess the beginning's as good a place as any. Alright. I've been a comic book fan all my life. Literally. I remember being maybe three and having a Superman and Spider-Man themed birthday party at the Abbeville McDonald's. I remember getting a twenty-inch Superman action figure for either that birthday or one during those early years. Giant figure. Cloth cape. Big ol' glow-in-dark boulder of kryptonite. Easily one of the best toys I've ever owned and one I wish I still had. My brother, who's seven years older than me, was a big comic book reader himself. He read a lot of comics, mostly Marvel and DC, and of the two, mostly DC. DC for those who've always wondered stands for "Detective Comics," one of the company's early publications that dealt with crime and detective fiction. Detective Comics became famous when it was the setting for the first appearance of the character who held court in movie theaters last summer: The Batman.
Sorry about that. But I can't help it. My brother Jarrod kept his comics in these little shelves on the headboard of his bed. The shelves had little sliding doors, and he'd carefully lock them away from his little brother, who would very likely damage them. Seeing the way my eight-month old daughter taunts and then viciously murders her mother's magazines when left on the floor, I completely understand. Of course, the thing was, locking those comics away only made them more appealing. My mom knew I wanted to read them, so when my brother was at school or away, she'd let me look at them only if I was careful with them. This is one of those wonderful things that moms do. They find a way to make everybody happy. Jarrod never knew I looked at those comics, and I was able to do so and fall deeply and madly in love with that strange, wonderful world.
My brother eventually grew out of comics. I never did. As the years progressed, comics turned me into a voracious reader. I'd read stacks of books every summer and stacks of comics. My mother's mother, who I was close to as a child, gave me an allowance, but also gave me extra money for comics. I think she realized, along with my mother, father, and uncle, that this was not a bad hobby for me to get into. It wasn't dangerous or very expensive (at the time), and it was actually making me a better reader. I also taught myself how to draw by studying those early comics, which was also a plus to my family.
By the time I was finishing middle school, I had hundreds of comics. I'm not exaggerating. Hundreds. I'd spend between twenty to forty dollars a week on comics. Back then, comics were still between seventy-five cents and a dollar. Not three bucks a pop like they are today. So do the math. By the time I graduated from high school, I had over two thousand comics and had read most of the main titles put out by "The Big Two," Marvel and DC, as well as comics like "Spawn" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," produced by other, smaller companies.
By this point, I was already deeply in love with three characters: Superman, The Batman, and Spider-Man. They are my "holy trinity" of characters to this day. Those favorites right after them are Captain America, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Thor. Honorable mention goes to Ghost Rider, The Fantastic Four, and Wolverine's pals in The X-Men. So when Tim Burton's Batman was released in 1989, I was beyond excited. I had a Batman t-shirt. I had read some movie tie-in comics. I knew more about The Batman than most eighth graders knew about sports and discovering the other sex. I waited in a line of about thirty people at the small Lafitte Cinema in Abbeville. I asked my mom to drop me off for the first feature that hot Friday afternoon. I didn't want anyone with me, because I knew I was going to be in another world. I knew I couldn't be fair to anyone who came with me, not because I wouldn't want to talk to them, but because I wasn't sure I'd be able to talk at all.
Batman was, at the time, amazing. It catapulted me into that comic buying pattern I mentioned earlier. And from then on, I went to every big comic book movie release on my own. Star Wars films also get this treatment. They're events, and the first time I see them, I like to see them alone. My wife knows this, and is thankfully more than happy to let me do my thing. And I've been doing it since 1989. This is hard to explain to folks and to their credit, hard to understand. I can only liken my fervor and passion to that of the sports fan, specifically, LSU sports fans. My best friend, John Listi, is an LSU nut. Last night, I was talking with my friends about how much of a nut I am about all of this stuff and how it's hard for people to get that. And he said, "well, it's like being an LSU fan." And I thought, "Finally, thank God, I have a way to explain this, something to compare it to." Thanks, brother!
So on to Superman Returns. I've been waiting for this one for a long time, as I mentioned in a previous entry. I purchased a ticket about a week in advance via phone. NOTE: Do not do this!!! Instead, go to the box office and buy the damn ticket yourself. I'll explain why later.
I leave home around 8:45 PM and head to The Grand. I arrive only to find that I'm not the geekiest geek in Acadiana. There's already a bloody line waiting to get into the theater! I stand in that line, dressed in navy shorts and a red button down shirt. I give my ticket to the ticket guy and he informs me, "Uh, Screen 14, that's on the other side, sir." My heart falls again. "The other side?" How can this be? This is why you don't order via phone. You can't tell ahead of time where they've put you. Auditorium 14 is no bigger than an auditorium at a small-town theater and smells bad. I sit there for a minute and then say, "No, I don't think I'm going to watch this movie in this theater.
Now, I'd already sat down and removed my red shirt, revealing my Superman Returns S-shield t-shirt. The \S/ is made with hi-density ink, so it's got a raised texture. I ordered the shirt specifically to wear to the first showing. So I walk out of the theater, red shirt hanging on my arm, looking for a manager who can fix this problem. I find one and he graciously informs me that I can switch to Screen One. Ah, Screen One. Where I saw Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, and Episode III. A girl who works at the theater spies me and says, "Hey, that shirt could double as your cape." Slightly embarrased, I explain that I wore the extra shirt to save my seat in case I have to getup. And that's the truth. I always bring something to mark a seat with. But I did wear a red shirt so as to keep a Superman color theme going. And dammit if I wasn't found out.
As always with The Grand, it was too damned warm inside. I don't understand this and in my opinion, there's just no excuse for it. None. If somehow this gets to the folks at The Grand (who are, by the way, extremely accommodating and very nice), please listen: I understand how you make your money. I know it's not box office. I know concessions sales keep the lights on. I get it. But if you're going to ask me to support you by buying a decent sized popcorn and beverage at over eight bucks total, I think you need to provide me with an ice-cold auditorium. I could forgive this if we were talking about Colorado. But this is Lafayette. And the last five or six times I've gone to your theater, I've been uncomfortable because of heat. Everything else is great.
Alright, so I'm sitting there in that not-so-cool auditorium. I've got a Superman t-shirt on, as do at least a dozen other people. I figured that there'd be more of "my kind" at this "geek preview," but I was surprised by a lot of different types of people. Young and old couples. Teenagers. Some younger kids. And a lot of people my age, who I imagine are drawn to this movie not because of Superman, but because of Christopher Reeve as Superman. Makes sense. Anyway, I'm seated in what was not "the perfect seat," which if you're curious, is the seat on the very top row directly beneath the projection booth. This seat gets the perfect moniker because you're above anyone who might be noisy in any way, and because it affords you a view of the screen that no other seat can. Sadly, I didn't get this seat because I underestimated those nerdier than even me, and because I got a ticket to that smaller auditorium I mentioned.
Anyway, I'm seated and begin the long wait for the movie to begin. As I'm watching a highly-agitating commercial for Coke for the nineteenth time, I hear "Hey Superman!" I ignore this for a few reasons. One, for all I know, there's someone here dressed in a Superman costume. Stranger things have happened. For another, there are a bunch of folks wearing Superman t-shirts, like myself. And finally, I can't believe an adult would be so immature as to shout "Hey Superman!" to get another adult's attention. I wait a moment for the offensive person to move away or die, and then turn to look. It's a guy wearing a shirt three sizes too short, with a head too small to contain a brain of any significance.
He's looking at me, and I give him the look I gave Auditorium 14. He says, "anybody sittin' there?" in a dull sort of way. He's referring to the seats next to me. Glorious. I look at him without responding for a minute and then mumble "No." My personal Lex Luthor for the night enters the row with his girlfriend (destined to become a saint, I'm convinced) and another couple. I start controlled breathing, so as to calm down. By this point, I've lost the high ground of the perfect seat to people who I heard explaining via a way too-loud cell phone conversation that they "decided to come see the Superman movie on a whim." A whim. These people just don't get it. The theater feels like a freakin' greenhouse, and now I've got this guy and his pals sitting next to me.
A half hour later, it's time for the movie to start. Or more accurately, for the trailers to start. Members of The Grand's staff come in and ask for everyone to gesture to any open seats they have, as this showing has sold out. Sold. Out. I'm thrilled, because it means people still care about Superman. I realize then that I'm not going to let my worries about not having the perfect seat or anything else bother me. People are talking and are loud, there's shouting from one row to another, there's loud eating and cell phone beeps, bleeps, and claps.
The trailers begin. The new Spider-Man 3 teaser comes on. Everyone watches with excitement, though not in silence. I begin to worry a little: will they be like this during Superman Returns? Then the weird and not a little disturbing announcement comes up about being quiet in theater, not smoking, and begging us to buy concessions. You know the one, where you fly through a theater that's apparently in the 25th century, where zero g's are part of the concession experience, as popcorn and candy fly around you like tiny, edible satellites? That's the one.
Then the DTS logo comes up, followed by the WB's production logo and the Legendary Pictures production logo.
A brief bit of text comes up, explaining Superman's origin from the last two films and seventy-six years of continuity.
And then, folks, my God...the magic begins.
The auditorium is no longer hot. Everyone has fallen silent. It's like church. Not church when you first get there and everybody's shifting gears from what they were doing at home before getting to church, but during the homily or sermon church, when everyone's almost asleep. Except here, everyone is excited. Waiting. Anticipating.
The most exciting, most thrilling, most ingenious opening credit sequence I've ever seen bursts into life, accompanied by one of film history's most exhilirating and bold musical themes, John William's original Superman theme from the Christopher Reeve films.
And I'm no longer in that auditorium. I'm no longer in The Grand theater. I'm no longer in Lafayette, or on planet Earth.
I'm in the far reaches of space, following the path baby Kal-El's ship took from dead Krypton to living Earth.
More to come in my review...
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Update on Superman Returns Review and The Daily Advertiser
I know I promised a review of Superman Returns a few days ago. As you all know, life sometimes has a way of getting in the way of, well, living. Of doing doing the things that you enjoy about living. One of those things was going see Superman Returns and sharing my thoughts about it with you. I will have a review up tomorrow no later than ten A.M.
A few days ago, I contacted a friend of mine, Trevis Badeaux, who writes for The Daily Advertiser. Trevis knew of my love of Star Wars and interviewed me when Revenge of the Sith was released. I contacted him about Superman Returns, letting him know that if he was going to be doing a story, I could offer some help.
Little did I know that I would be the story. I made the front page of yesterday's edition, though there was no picture of me because it didn't occur to me to offer to send one over. At any rate, the article is well-done and was a pleasant surprise. I really didn't think I'd warrant more than a paragraph, but the article quotes not only my comments from the interview, but also comments made in my last blog entry about Superman Returns and the original Christopher Reeve Superman films. I want to take this time to thank Alexandria Burris for making Christopher Meaux--and "Ramblings"-- news on the front page of that great metropolitan newspaper, The Daily Advertiser.
To any of you who are reading "Ramblings" for the first time as a result of that article, forgive me for not being prepared. I was caught unawares by this article, which I didn't expect would make it into the paper into the weekend. I was knee-deep in the final hours of a three-day study and work marathon for my final portfolio and exam in a class at UL when my wife and two friends let me know that I had indeed made the front page. So I didn't get a chance to post anything here about the article until now. Anyway, welcome to "Ramblings" and please keep checking back.
Tomorrow, as promised, I'll have that review. Though in true Meauxses fashion, I can't just give you the review. Part I of my piece on Superman Returns will be on the experiences leading up to, while, and watching the film. I'll also explain a movie-watching tradition I've long kept going. Part II will be my review of the film, which will involve a spoiler-free version as well as a version for those who have seen the movie and want to hear some more in-depth thoughts about some of the slightly shocking moments of Superman Returns.
Folks, I've been pumped for this film for months, and I felt a real charge when I went see it both Tuesday night and last night. In fact, I'm writing this at 12:48 A.M., having just returned from my second viewing of the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, take this nerd's word for it and go out and watch it.
Meauxses
A few days ago, I contacted a friend of mine, Trevis Badeaux, who writes for The Daily Advertiser. Trevis knew of my love of Star Wars and interviewed me when Revenge of the Sith was released. I contacted him about Superman Returns, letting him know that if he was going to be doing a story, I could offer some help.
Little did I know that I would be the story. I made the front page of yesterday's edition, though there was no picture of me because it didn't occur to me to offer to send one over. At any rate, the article is well-done and was a pleasant surprise. I really didn't think I'd warrant more than a paragraph, but the article quotes not only my comments from the interview, but also comments made in my last blog entry about Superman Returns and the original Christopher Reeve Superman films. I want to take this time to thank Alexandria Burris for making Christopher Meaux--and "Ramblings"-- news on the front page of that great metropolitan newspaper, The Daily Advertiser.
To any of you who are reading "Ramblings" for the first time as a result of that article, forgive me for not being prepared. I was caught unawares by this article, which I didn't expect would make it into the paper into the weekend. I was knee-deep in the final hours of a three-day study and work marathon for my final portfolio and exam in a class at UL when my wife and two friends let me know that I had indeed made the front page. So I didn't get a chance to post anything here about the article until now. Anyway, welcome to "Ramblings" and please keep checking back.
Tomorrow, as promised, I'll have that review. Though in true Meauxses fashion, I can't just give you the review. Part I of my piece on Superman Returns will be on the experiences leading up to, while, and watching the film. I'll also explain a movie-watching tradition I've long kept going. Part II will be my review of the film, which will involve a spoiler-free version as well as a version for those who have seen the movie and want to hear some more in-depth thoughts about some of the slightly shocking moments of Superman Returns.
Folks, I've been pumped for this film for months, and I felt a real charge when I went see it both Tuesday night and last night. In fact, I'm writing this at 12:48 A.M., having just returned from my second viewing of the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, take this nerd's word for it and go out and watch it.
Meauxses
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
It's been a long road, getting from there to here...
People in our generation, regardless of what they like or don't like, what they consider cool or not-so-cool, remembers the original Superman films. Most people will say they remember events that are actually from the first two Superman films, Superman The Movie and Superman II. Most of all, people remember Christopher Reeve. He was "our" Superman, and likely always will be. The first film, Superman The Movie, remains the standard by which comic book films are judged. Despite some dated elements, the movie got everything about Superman right. Director Richard Donner cared about the mythos he was "borrowing" briefly to make his adaptation. As a result, Superman The Movie and parts of Superman II, also directed by Richard Donner until the films' producers fired him for political reasons, remain legendary in the memories of fans and non-fans alike.
Here we are, over twenty years later. Nineteen years ago, the last Superman film, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, was released. As a twelve year-old, I thought that film was pretty good. Time has not been so kind, and now I see that Superman III ("the one with Richard Pryor") and Superman IV are pretty uninspired films, created only to cash in on the first real comic film blockbuster, Superman The Movie. For nineteen years, we fans of The Man of Steel have waited for a new movie. For twenty-six years, since Superman II debuted, we've waited for a Superman film to be released that would return to the glory we know the character possesses.
In the decades since those early films, Hollywood has had many false starts. I won't get into all of them. Of particular note is the film "Superman Lives," which was the brainchild of Batman director Tim Burton. His take on Superman was all set to star ever-balding Nicholas Cage as Clark Kent and Superman(!!!), and was rumored to star Jim Carrey as the super-powered villain, Brainiac. Superman was going to die in this film, only to be resurrected so as to don an all-black costume. According to reports, the studio didn't want Superman to wear his classic costume (it was seen as "too bright") and didn't want him to fly. Think about that: they didn't want Superman to fly. Superman. That's like keeping James Bond away from martinis and barely-clothed women. Or having Darth Vader wearing a sun dress and straw hat instead of his dark armor and mask.
Thankfully, that film was never produced, for various reasons. New versions of the film were considered, with "Charlie's Angels" director McG set to direct. J.J. Abrams, creator of the smash TV series "Alias" and "Lost," wrote a script in which Superman's home planet of Krypton never exploded and Lex Luthor was a Kryptonian himself. Terrible. Then finally, director Bryan Singer, responsible for the only two truly great X-Men films, decided to leave Fox and the X-Men franchise to make Superman.
And here we are. Superman Returns. A "vague" sequel to Superman and Superman II, the only two truly great Superman films. Do you see the irony? Singer leaves one superhero franchise after making two great films to help another superhero franchise that only ever had two great films. It's a beautiful thing.
As my friends and family know, I've been a comic fan all my life. I grew up with those original Superman films, starring Christopher Reeve. Our generation felt a great deal of sorrow when we saw what happened to our Superman. We just didn't think it possible. And when he died, it almost seemed Superman died with him. But as Chris Reeve said in interviews a few years before his death, he was just a temporary custodian of a contemporary myth that was bigger than him. He saw that one day, there'd be another person to wear the S and the cape. Sadly, he didn't live to see that day.
But that day has come. The modern mythology that Superman has become over the last seventy-six years has continued every month in the comics where it began, but the film saga continues.
In just a few days, I'll be seeing this movie, which I've waited for much of my life. The return of the Man of Steel, The Metropolis Marvel, The Last Son of Krypton.
Superman.
Tomorrow, I will have a spoiler-free write up of the film for those of you who might be reluctant to watch it or who want an opinion from someone who knows more about Superman and comic books than most people know about putting on their pants. I might be a little biased in my opinion, but I think the fact of my intense love of the character will enable me to be objective. You be the judge. Until tomorrow, I gotta fly. --The Meaux of Steel
Here we are, over twenty years later. Nineteen years ago, the last Superman film, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, was released. As a twelve year-old, I thought that film was pretty good. Time has not been so kind, and now I see that Superman III ("the one with Richard Pryor") and Superman IV are pretty uninspired films, created only to cash in on the first real comic film blockbuster, Superman The Movie. For nineteen years, we fans of The Man of Steel have waited for a new movie. For twenty-six years, since Superman II debuted, we've waited for a Superman film to be released that would return to the glory we know the character possesses.
In the decades since those early films, Hollywood has had many false starts. I won't get into all of them. Of particular note is the film "Superman Lives," which was the brainchild of Batman director Tim Burton. His take on Superman was all set to star ever-balding Nicholas Cage as Clark Kent and Superman(!!!), and was rumored to star Jim Carrey as the super-powered villain, Brainiac. Superman was going to die in this film, only to be resurrected so as to don an all-black costume. According to reports, the studio didn't want Superman to wear his classic costume (it was seen as "too bright") and didn't want him to fly. Think about that: they didn't want Superman to fly. Superman. That's like keeping James Bond away from martinis and barely-clothed women. Or having Darth Vader wearing a sun dress and straw hat instead of his dark armor and mask.
Thankfully, that film was never produced, for various reasons. New versions of the film were considered, with "Charlie's Angels" director McG set to direct. J.J. Abrams, creator of the smash TV series "Alias" and "Lost," wrote a script in which Superman's home planet of Krypton never exploded and Lex Luthor was a Kryptonian himself. Terrible. Then finally, director Bryan Singer, responsible for the only two truly great X-Men films, decided to leave Fox and the X-Men franchise to make Superman.
And here we are. Superman Returns. A "vague" sequel to Superman and Superman II, the only two truly great Superman films. Do you see the irony? Singer leaves one superhero franchise after making two great films to help another superhero franchise that only ever had two great films. It's a beautiful thing.
As my friends and family know, I've been a comic fan all my life. I grew up with those original Superman films, starring Christopher Reeve. Our generation felt a great deal of sorrow when we saw what happened to our Superman. We just didn't think it possible. And when he died, it almost seemed Superman died with him. But as Chris Reeve said in interviews a few years before his death, he was just a temporary custodian of a contemporary myth that was bigger than him. He saw that one day, there'd be another person to wear the S and the cape. Sadly, he didn't live to see that day.
But that day has come. The modern mythology that Superman has become over the last seventy-six years has continued every month in the comics where it began, but the film saga continues.
In just a few days, I'll be seeing this movie, which I've waited for much of my life. The return of the Man of Steel, The Metropolis Marvel, The Last Son of Krypton.
Superman.
Tomorrow, I will have a spoiler-free write up of the film for those of you who might be reluctant to watch it or who want an opinion from someone who knows more about Superman and comic books than most people know about putting on their pants. I might be a little biased in my opinion, but I think the fact of my intense love of the character will enable me to be objective. You be the judge. Until tomorrow, I gotta fly. --The Meaux of Steel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)