Not only is it a good Superman movie, but I am now convinced that Zack Snyder is not only the hero we need, but also the hero we deserve.
The scene that I think is very emblematic of Zack Snyder as a filmmaker is the bar scene in Man of Steel. The movie up to this point deals with the repercussions of Clark potentially revealing himself to the world. That's when you have the bar scene, where Clark is having to deal with a trucker harassing a coworker. Clark could have used his superior strength to teach this guy a lesson, instead he quits his job and walks away. I thought this scene was great in that Clark was taking the highroad and being responsible with his powers. However, it turns out he walked away to destroy the guy's truck. With how the destroyed truck was framed, there is no way that no one didn't see that happen. This is made worse when the audience later finds out that Clark let his father die because the latter thought that would risk his son's safety. Zack Snyder wants the audience to think about the consequences of Superman's actions, until he doesn't. This especially becomes clear in the often criticized Metropolis fight. Here's the clip for reference:
Sure it is. That’s why it’s been so embraced by fans and launched the DCU into the movie franchise juggernaut it is today. Just look at how awesome JL turned out, so great fans are chomping at the bit for a new director’s cut. You’re right MOS is the very abortion, sorry, very cornerstone on which this cinematic phenomenon was founded. Every producer and director in Hollywood must just be pouring over Snyder’s Superman work trying to figure how to capture lightning in bottle again. Really it’s great to be so many years down the road and have a chance to look back at the DCU and marvel at its vision and scope. Right on the precipice of what’s sure to be the definitive depiction of the JL. What a time to be fan. I’m kidding it fucking sucks.
Meanwhile people are defending this scene and laugh at Superman attacking and humiliating an innocent man. And if we're counting the Donner cut it's even worse since he reversed time in that, making Superman here attacking a guy in an act of revenge despite not doing anything to him in this reverse timeline.
Neither scene is great, but at least the Superman in that clip paid for the damages he caused. The trucker in Superman II was also a lot more violent than the one in Man of Steel.
Well put. But let’s not forget David Goyer had his pathetic hands all over this too. A writer like Goyer with smashing successes like Crow: City of Angels to Ghost Rider and Terminator: Dark Fate. How could things go wrong? Snyder is just so comically bad. Watchmen? Sucker Punch? Holy shit. He entirely missed the point of the former and didn’t bother to include one in the later. I cannot believe this guy gets work. Honestly he hit his high note filming shirtless dudes in 300. Obviously a subject he had some passion for and it shows. He would make an excellent cameraman for competitive volleyball.
Did you actually watch that? That’s your definition of attacking someone? The “bully” punches Superman, hurts his hand and gets spun around on a diner stool and lands on a pinball machine. It’s literally a comedy scene. That was a pretty stupid misrepresentation.
What’s funny is that Snyder made a better Superman movie than the “Star Wars” movies (if you want to call them that) both Abrams and Johnson put together.
SW. Really. You shot the whole clip on Snyder already? I mean come on defend the genius and brilliance of... Suckerpunch. You can’t be down to “But what about SW and Rian Johnson already.” It’s almost sad. But I was sort of unfair when I made fun of Snyder filming competitive volleyball he would also make an excellent writer / director for a domestic beer commercial. Something classy like Mich Light.
Oh, so while I like MOS for its own sake, you dislike MOS because of Sucker Punch. Can’t say I agree with your methodology, but... different strokes for different folks and all that I guess.
All things considered, I’d still say it’s the third best Superman movie. Superman 3 isn’t even a Superman movie, and Superman 4 wasn’t very good either aside from some Nuclear Man laughs. Superman Returns also had a brooding, silent Superman, but I’d still argue that it’s worse than Man of Steel because it actually is supposed to be Donner’s Superman, and that movie was so boring to boot. Man of Steel has problems, but I don’t think it’s terrible like Batman V. Superman or Suicide Squad. It’s not even the worst superhero movie of 2013 considering Thor: The Dark World and Kick-ass 2 came out that year too (Iron Man 3 too, but I personally don’t mind Iron Man 3 since I never really liked the Mandarin in the comics either).
No Superman will top the 1st Reeve film. Is MOS #2 or #3? I can’t say. MOS might beat out SM2 only because I’ve seen S2 a gazillion times and it’s dated... but it’s not like the 2 films compete on an even field. And Superman Returns can fall by the way side.
You'd be surprised what a haldfull of altered/restructured/new scenes can do for a movie. A good example is the Daredevil movie vs it's directors cut. They're two very different movies despite mostly being the same scenes
The Daredevil movie is a good example of how editing can ruin a movie. They pretty much cut out the majority of the plot and rearranged a lot of scenes. The Director’s Cut doesn’t turn the Daredevil movie into some hidden gem (it is from the same director as Ghost Rider after all and Jennifer Garner was miscast as Electra), but it at least puts the story back into the movie.
Oh I thought I made it clear I dislike MOS and Suckerpunch. Mostly because Snyder brings his barely adolescent sensibilities to both films. MOS is easily as coherent as the inexplicably stupid Suckerpunch. Which to be fair to Snyder he did at least name correctly. It is about a “Man of Steel,” and certainly not Superman.
