I must be getting old because the whining of stunted fanboys has gotten to me already.
I’ll keep my response to this simple, since that seems to be what the aforementioned fanboys crave:
1. It’s a movie, not a comic. It’s not Reeve, Routh or (thank Christ) “Smallville.” It’s a new thing. It made some strong choices and committed to them, which for a studio summer blockbuster is kind of amazing.
2. If you don’t like these choices, fine. You have lots of other Supes stories to choose from. Start at 1938 and work your way forward. Something will click for you.
3. If you think you can write, let alone make, The Perfect Superman Movie, let’s see you do it. No one will applaud louder than I.
4. If you’re going to rend your limited edition Comic-Con t-shirt and codpiece over certain details of the movie at least get them right. Or don’t. It’s easier to roll my eyes and write you off as an idiot when you cry “Superman would never do that!” when, no, Superman never, in fact, did that.
5. I believe a man can fly more than I believe a man can always make the right decisions, in the heat of the moment without a flicker of selfishness or doubt. If it was good enough for Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane it’s good enough for Kal-El in Metropolis.
6. SPOILERS AFTER THE PICTURE STOP READING NOW BECAUSE THERE’S SPOILERS DOWN THAR!!! STOOOOOP REEEEEAAADINNNNG!!!!
6. (continued) I believe a man can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, leap tall buildings in a single bound more than I believe there is never, ever a good and moral reason to kill. If you believe differently, I respect that, but you are probably a Quaker, a Jain or a follower of Martin Luther King, all of which are very cool in their way. I would bet, however, that you are not a cop, a soldier or anyone else who has taken it upon themselves to protect the world from people who don’t share your respect for life.
7. “Man of Steel” is a heroic fantasy that addresses some grown-up themes. How committed the filmmakers are to them will be revealed in the sequel. Will the world have changed for these characters or will they just get right to beating up the next bad guy?
I have my hopes.
8. “MoS” is of its time and place, America after 12 years of war, a place that is less trusting and “fun.” I respect the creators of the movie for facing that rather than denying it. It’s why I’ve thought enough about it to jot this down.
9. Jonathan Kent is a loving dad. He’s not a homophobe or a sociopath. Honestly, that was the dumbest thing I’ve read so far. He has self-interest and nothing close to all the answers. Look at the character through the Real Guy lens and his actions make perfect sense.
10. I just wanted to get to 10.
Now go see the movie and make up your own mind. Thank-you for visiting.
