Zack Snyder to direct next Superman film

[tk13]

http://heatvision.hollywoodreporter....medium=twitter

Nolan and Zack Snyder, definitely an interesting team. There are already rumors now that Zod is going to be the villain.

I have to say I'm excited that it "appears" they aren't going to go totally out of left field and do something stupid and out of character for Superman.

[Aries Walker]

I just got back about an hour ago. It was certainly Zack Snyder's best movie, but that's like saying that Babe Laufenberg was the best third-string quarterback in the NFL. It was loud and explodey and added a bunch of stuff to the backstory and made the hero more tortured and conflicted and all-around Batmannish then he has traditionally been, but Henry Cavill did a good enough job with what he was given. It had too much Russell Crowe, and largely wasted Amy Adams (anyone could have played her) and, if possible, Kevin Costner. The standouts, acting-wise, were some lesser characters: Christopher 'SVU' Meloni as the representative presence of the US Military, and a German actress named Antje Traue commanded the screen more than anyone as General Zod's second in command. The most humorous thing in the movie was the overdone product placement, as the rest of the film takes itself so seriously, you'll want to put in Platoon or Excalibur for some relative levity. On the other hand, the score is tremendous - one of the best in recent memory - and the vision of Krypton was mesmerizing.

Overall, Rotten Tomatoes is giving it in the mid-50's, which is about right.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Spoiler!

As far as the Clark/Lois dynamic goes, my impression was there was lengthy conversation offscreen between the two that took place between the moment he met her at his father's grave and told her about his death, and when he shows up at the farm and tells Martha "she's a friend".

Maybe it needed to be more obvious so everyone would catch that.

It did feel to me like things may have been cut to keep the running time more reasonable, and I'm guessing that may have been one of them. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere there exists a 3-hour version of the movie.

This review really helped me identify some of the things that I thought were wrong, but just couldn't put my finger on. And it really makes me hope that someone other than Snyder directs the sequel, and REALLY makes me hope he doesn't direct the Justice League movie.

This review contains spoilers

Spoiler!

CinemaBlend Review by Sean O'Connell

Three days after my Man of Steel screening, I still can’t resolve whether Zack Snyder’s movie doesn’t work, or he didn’t deliver the movie I expected. There’s a difference, though both are separated by a fine line.

Steel struck me as false from its opening moments, and never regained its footing. The difficulty, so far, lies in putting my finger on any one reason why the movie let me down. The pace, the tone, the narrative decisions, the action choreography … I disagree with 95% of it. Snyder’s morose, indecisive Superman may not be my version of the hero, but I kept waiting for him to at least convince me his vision for the classic character had merit.

He didn’t. Summarizing Man of Steel, I’m reduced to this one honest assessment that, I believe, dooms Snyder’s movie and – possibly – the future of the D.C. cinematic universe: I didn’t enjoy this contemporary Superman movie. And that makes Man of Steel a very hard film to recommend.

Plot details will be kept to a minimum in this review, but there are SPOILERS AHEAD. I’d advise you to experience Steel, then come back and read where I think the movie went wrong.

What frustrates me the most is that I think Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer made a Superman movie that speaks to the contemporary comic-movie audience. But as the film unfolded, it rarely felt like a Superman movie I ever cared to see. The chapters in Superman’s mythology are present, but distorted – tweaked to fit a science-fiction atmosphere that influences all of Man of Steel … starting with a Star Wars-esque prologue on Krypton that introduces key figures Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and General Zod (Michael Shannon).

You would need a two-hour standalone movie to properly digest all that is presented on Krypton, from Kal-El being the first “natural” birth in decades to the corruption of the once-mighty planet by flawed leaders who’d rather drill than “look to the stars.” Political and religious allegories mash together, then are discarded for a Jor-El Zod fistfight because, simply, Snyder is including combat at every possible turn to counter Bryan Singer’s pacifist take.

We don’t have two hours, however. We have 15 minutes. Time is a significant problem for Man of Steel. Though the movie runs a hefty 143 minutes, it always feels like it’s in a rush to get to the next pre-determined “important” scene, short-changing each manufactured beat in Superman’s rich story. Sensing that he doesn’t have enough time to elaborate on the emotional ties that bind these characters, Snyder tells us what he thinks we need to know in the first of many long-winded, dry character monologues. These speech passages will destroy any poignant connections attempted to be forged by Crowe, Shannon, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and, most criminally, Kevin Costner.

Man of Steel changes directions so often, it’s tough to follow and harder to stay invested. Here’s one lengthy example of bad plotting that leads to head-scratching misdirection: Clark Kent (Cavill) is established as a drifter who’s wrestling with internal conflicts but often aids those in need of rescue. While working on a fishing boat, he leaps to a burning oil rig and holds up a massive chunk of crumbling girders long enough for men to escape to safety. Clark ultimately lands in the water, triggering a flashback to his Kansas upbringing. (Goyer used flashbacks in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, but they cut the narrative flow here in ways that create a herky-jerky, stutter-stepping pace.) By the time we catch back up to present day, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is arriving at the frozen sight of a downed spacecraft, and Kent is taking her suitcases off of a helicopter.

Wait, what? Kent works for this ice-exploration company now? I mean, yes, Snyder has suggested that he is a man who accepts random jobs a la Bill Bixby in the Hulk television series, but when did he get this job? How did he embed himself in a military chain of command so that he’s able to walk onto the mysterious alien object that’s frozen in ice and retrieve crystals that will turn into his Fortress of Solitude?

This was one of several moments where I just wanted to pause the movie, turn to someone who might have understood it better, and ask, “How the hell did we get to this?”

That sensation cropped up often as Man of Steel created resounding questions that worked against the story it said it wanted to tell. The contradictions literally kill Pa Kent in the movie’s clunkiest scene. This noble, pious farmer reminds his adopted son, Clark, at every chance he got that it was up to him to decide what kind of man he wanted to be. Yet, when Clark tries to decide to “reveal” himself and save his father figure in the process, Jonathan Kent waves him off – in the middle of a tornado sequence that’s laughably corny and, at the same time, unfortunately insensitive thanks to recent events in Oklahoma that are obviously outside of Snyder’s control.

Other confusing issues with the film certainly ARE in Snyder’s control, and he drops the ball. What was that tentacled beast Superman was fighting in the Indian Ocean? How come he’s able to simply decide to defeat it at a moment’s notice? Why did Jor-El embed the Codex – the summer’s lamest MacGuffin – in Kal-El in the first place? What was his end game, and how would that act have benefitt=ed the dying planet of Krypton? Didn’t anyone tell Snyder that his “babies-in-pods” is a direct steal from The Matrix? Shouldn’t Lois Lane be completely freaked out by the fact that she just boarded a spaceship (!!), is wearing a mask that helps her breathe in the deepest reaches of space, and can now pop off laser blasts like she’s Han Solo, shooting first because a Jor-El hologram tells her where her video-game opponents are standing?

Admittedly, I like Snyder and Goyer’s decision to adopt a sci-fi angle to Superman, treating Kal-El as an alien who’s initially distrusted by our military and our society is an intelligent and unused twist that could have given Man of Steel a fresh perspective. Except, Snyder and Goyer can’t stay away from the Christ imagery that bogs Superman’s story down in heavy-handed symbolism … as when Clark makes a disjointed pit stop to a Catholic church to get advice from a parish priest. Because, okay?

“But at least Superman hits people, right?” Yes, there are fight sequences in Man of Steel, and occasionally, they are exhilarating – particularly the POV camera shots where Kal-El is beating Zod from one end of Metropolis to the next. If you’ve seen Snyder’s films, you know he appreciates up-close camera shots that place you in the action, which gets disorienting once Kal-El and Zod decimate large swaths of Metropolis in their climactic confrontation.

He also knows exactly where the 7-11 logo is, or where the IHop sign should be framed so as not to interfere with the action on screen. Seriously, Man of Steel suffers some of the most blatant product placement I've seen in recent memory, especially during the Battle of Smallville, which appears to have been sponsored by Sears.

Unfortunately, Snyder’s decisions to portray Superman as a hesitant savior keep the hero at an arm’s length from us, the audience. He isn’t sure if he’s ready to save us, so we’re not really sure we’re ready to embrace him. I cared little for Superman as the movie raced to its “breathless” conclusion, so the wanton carnage and the digital-heavy window dressing of Man of Steel’s final act resembled the latest techno-playgrounds of the bombastic Michael Bay. As skyscrapers tumble and Zod tries to fry innocent citizens – before Superman murders his enemy before the very people he’s sworn to protect – Man of Steel becomes the angry, jaded Revenge of the Fallen in a recognizable red cape.

Summer blockbusters are supposed to be fun. Even Nolan’s Batman movies, which are being heralded (or blamed) for this rash of darker, edgier superhero movies, had a sense of comic-book escapism to them. Batman Begins is a roller-coaster ride with a valuable sense of humor. And The Avengers, in comparison, looks like Airplane! next to the deathly serious Man of Steel. Never once did I have fun during Snyder’s movie. Is that my fault, or his? I’ll have years to think about it. Reports say the director will be back for Man of Steel, and that Justice League is his project to lose. That should give D.C. fans some sense of stability in their often-rocky film community. All I feel is disappointment.

[keg in kc]

That reviewer just doesn't get the movie. At all. Should probably go throw the '78 Superman in his betamax player. That sounds more his speed.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

That reviewer just doesn't get the movie. At all. Should probably go throw the '78 Superman in his betamax player. That sounds more his speed.

I think that's unfair. The reviewer seems open to an update on Superman. This movie just seemed so set on making a darker more somber Superman that it let the pendulum swing WAY too far the other way. People loved Iron Man. People loved the first two (and to a lesser extent the latest) Spider-Man movie. You can have serious themes and dark images without bogging down your hero, and with him the entire film. Dark Knight Rises of all movies had MUCH more whimsy and watchability than this film.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic

This review really helped me identify some of the things that I thought were wrong, but just couldn't put my finger on. And it really makes me hope that someone other than Snyder directs the sequel, and REALLY makes me hope he doesn't direct the Justice League movie.

This review contains spoilers

Spoiler!

CinemaBlend Review by Sean O'Connell

Three days after my Man of Steel screening, I still can’t resolve whether Zack Snyder’s movie doesn’t work, or he didn’t deliver the movie I expected. There’s a difference, though both are separated by a fine line.

Steel struck me as false from its opening moments, and never regained its footing. The difficulty, so far, lies in putting my finger on any one reason why the movie let me down. The pace, the tone, the narrative decisions, the action choreography … I disagree with 95% of it. Snyder’s morose, indecisive Superman may not be my version of the hero, but I kept waiting for him to at least convince me his vision for the classic character had merit.

He didn’t. Summarizing Man of Steel, I’m reduced to this one honest assessment that, I believe, dooms Snyder’s movie and – possibly – the future of the D.C. cinematic universe: I didn’t enjoy this contemporary Superman movie. And that makes Man of Steel a very hard film to recommend.

Plot details will be kept to a minimum in this review, but there are SPOILERS AHEAD. I’d advise you to experience Steel, then come back and read where I think the movie went wrong.

What frustrates me the most is that I think Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer made a Superman movie that speaks to the contemporary comic-movie audience. But as the film unfolded, it rarely felt like a Superman movie I ever cared to see. The chapters in Superman’s mythology are present, but distorted – tweaked to fit a science-fiction atmosphere that influences all of Man of Steel … starting with a Star Wars-esque prologue on Krypton that introduces key figures Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and General Zod (Michael Shannon).

You would need a two-hour standalone movie to properly digest all that is presented on Krypton, from Kal-El being the first “natural” birth in decades to the corruption of the once-mighty planet by flawed leaders who’d rather drill than “look to the stars.” Political and religious allegories mash together, then are discarded for a Jor-El Zod fistfight because, simply, Snyder is including combat at every possible turn to counter Bryan Singer’s pacifist take.

We don’t have two hours, however. We have 15 minutes. Time is a significant problem for Man of Steel. Though the movie runs a hefty 143 minutes, it always feels like it’s in a rush to get to the next pre-determined “important” scene, short-changing each manufactured beat in Superman’s rich story. Sensing that he doesn’t have enough time to elaborate on the emotional ties that bind these characters, Snyder tells us what he thinks we need to know in the first of many long-winded, dry character monologues. These speech passages will destroy any poignant connections attempted to be forged by Crowe, Shannon, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and, most criminally, Kevin Costner.

Man of Steel changes directions so often, it’s tough to follow and harder to stay invested. Here’s one lengthy example of bad plotting that leads to head-scratching misdirection: Clark Kent (Cavill) is established as a drifter who’s wrestling with internal conflicts but often aids those in need of rescue. While working on a fishing boat, he leaps to a burning oil rig and holds up a massive chunk of crumbling girders long enough for men to escape to safety. Clark ultimately lands in the water, triggering a flashback to his Kansas upbringing. (Goyer used flashbacks in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, but they cut the narrative flow here in ways that create a herky-jerky, stutter-stepping pace.) By the time we catch back up to present day, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is arriving at the frozen sight of a downed spacecraft, and Kent is taking her suitcases off of a helicopter.

Wait, what? Kent works for this ice-exploration company now? I mean, yes, Snyder has suggested that he is a man who accepts random jobs a la Bill Bixby in the Hulk television series, but when did he get this job? How did he embed himself in a military chain of command so that he’s able to walk onto the mysterious alien object that’s frozen in ice and retrieve crystals that will turn into his Fortress of Solitude?

This was one of several moments where I just wanted to pause the movie, turn to someone who might have understood it better, and ask, “How the hell did we get to this?”

That sensation cropped up often as Man of Steel created resounding questions that worked against the story it said it wanted to tell. The contradictions literally kill Pa Kent in the movie’s clunkiest scene. This noble, pious farmer reminds his adopted son, Clark, at every chance he got that it was up to him to decide what kind of man he wanted to be. Yet, when Clark tries to decide to “reveal” himself and save his father figure in the process, Jonathan Kent waves him off – in the middle of a tornado sequence that’s laughably corny and, at the same time, unfortunately insensitive thanks to recent events in Oklahoma that are obviously outside of Snyder’s control.

Other confusing issues with the film certainly ARE in Snyder’s control, and he drops the ball. What was that tentacled beast Superman was fighting in the Indian Ocean? How come he’s able to simply decide to defeat it at a moment’s notice? Why did Jor-El embed the Codex – the summer’s lamest MacGuffin – in Kal-El in the first place? What was his end game, and how would that act have benefitt=ed the dying planet of Krypton? Didn’t anyone tell Snyder that his “babies-in-pods” is a direct steal from The Matrix? Shouldn’t Lois Lane be completely freaked out by the fact that she just boarded a spaceship (!!), is wearing a mask that helps her breathe in the deepest reaches of space, and can now pop off laser blasts like she’s Han Solo, shooting first because a Jor-El hologram tells her where her video-game opponents are standing?

Admittedly, I like Snyder and Goyer’s decision to adopt a sci-fi angle to Superman, treating Kal-El as an alien who’s initially distrusted by our military and our society is an intelligent and unused twist that could have given Man of Steel a fresh perspective. Except, Snyder and Goyer can’t stay away from the Christ imagery that bogs Superman’s story down in heavy-handed symbolism … as when Clark makes a disjointed pit stop to a Catholic church to get advice from a parish priest. Because, okay?

“But at least Superman hits people, right?” Yes, there are fight sequences in Man of Steel, and occasionally, they are exhilarating – particularly the POV camera shots where Kal-El is beating Zod from one end of Metropolis to the next. If you’ve seen Snyder’s films, you know he appreciates up-close camera shots that place you in the action, which gets disorienting once Kal-El and Zod decimate large swaths of Metropolis in their climactic confrontation.

He also knows exactly where the 7-11 logo is, or where the IHop sign should be framed so as not to interfere with the action on screen. Seriously, Man of Steel suffers some of the most blatant product placement I've seen in recent memory, especially during the Battle of Smallville, which appears to have been sponsored by Sears.

Unfortunately, Snyder’s decisions to portray Superman as a hesitant savior keep the hero at an arm’s length from us, the audience. He isn’t sure if he’s ready to save us, so we’re not really sure we’re ready to embrace him. I cared little for Superman as the movie raced to its “breathless” conclusion, so the wanton carnage and the digital-heavy window dressing of Man of Steel’s final act resembled the latest techno-playgrounds of the bombastic Michael Bay. As skyscrapers tumble and Zod tries to fry innocent citizens – before Superman murders his enemy before the very people he’s sworn to protect – Man of Steel becomes the angry, jaded Revenge of the Fallen in a recognizable red cape.

Summer blockbusters are supposed to be fun. Even Nolan’s Batman movies, which are being heralded (or blamed) for this rash of darker, edgier superhero movies, had a sense of comic-book escapism to them. Batman Begins is a roller-coaster ride with a valuable sense of humor. And The Avengers, in comparison, looks like Airplane! next to the deathly serious Man of Steel. Never once did I have fun during Snyder’s movie. Is that my fault, or his? I’ll have years to think about it. Reports say the director will be back for Man of Steel, and that Justice League is his project to lose. That should give D.C. fans some sense of stability in their often-rocky film community. All I feel is disappointment.

I knew coming out of the theater some people would not like this movie but that's a terrible review.

Spoiler!

You knew this guy was just looking to diss the film when he threw out the tornado scene as insensitive. Really? He would've been better off saving his time and saying he just didn't like this film and that's that. Not putting out 1000 words full of arguments with holes in them, but then he wouldn't have an article. I get people saying it was too dark or not liking the product placement... but most of these nitpicky problems are similar to the stupid arguments last summer about how we don't know if Bruce Wayne could escape the Batwing before the bomb goes off. Do we really need to see Clark Kent's job interview process to make this a legitimate film? Really?

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by tk13

I knew coming out of the theater some people would not like this movie but that's a terrible review.

Spoiler!

You knew this guy was just looking to diss the film when he threw out the tornado scene as insensitive. Really? He would've been better off saving his time and saying he just didn't like this film and that's that. Not putting out 1000 words full of arguments with holes in them, but then he wouldn't have an article. I get people saying it was too dark or not liking the product placement... but most of these nitpicky problems are similar to the stupid arguments last summer about how we don't know if Bruce Wayne could escape the Batwing before the bomb goes off. Do we really need to see Clark Kent's job interview process to make this a legitimate film? Really?

You can poke holes in arguments all day, I suppose, but regardless of his treatment of Superman as a character, Snyder turned in a sloppy, overdone film. He pulled his typical schtick where he throws in a lot of pretty shots and calls it art because that's what music video directors do. He finally dropped the slow mo, but he more than made up for it in lens flares. I mean... the guy just tells a bad story. There is no soul in his movies. All style, no substance. If he directs the next one, I might not even see it. I CERTAINLY will never see another non-Superman film he does.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

You can poke holes in arguments all day, I suppose, but regardless of his treatment of Superman as a character, Snyder turned in a sloppy, overdone film. He pulled his typical schtick where he throws in a lot of pretty shots and calls it art because that's what music video directors do. He finally dropped the slow mo, but he more than made up for it in lens flares. I mean... the guy just tells a bad story. There is no soul in his movies. All style, no substance. If he directs the next one, I might not even see it. I CERTAINLY will never see another non-Superman film he does.

I still give the movie 7 out of 10, but I am a superhero/comic book fan. Thor was a horrible movie, but I enjoyed myself anyway. Man of Steel is almost devoid of any character development whatsoever. Snippets of Jonathan Kent lecturing young Clark do not count as character development.

[Silock]

I agree with pretty much everything kysirsoze said. The more time I have to reflect on it, the less I like it, and that's coming from someone with a HUGE blind spot for superhero flicks.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic

I still give the movie 7 out of 10, but I am a superhero/comic book fan. Thor was a horrible movie, but I enjoyed myself anyway. Man of Steel is almost devoid of any character development whatsoever. Snippets of Jonathan Kent lecturing young Clark do not count as character development.

I would put this film on the same level as Thor, honestly. It felt that empty to me.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by Silock

The more time I have to reflect on it, the less I like it, and that's coming from someone with a HUGE blind spot for superhero flicks.

I agree with this. The more I think about it, the worse the movie gets in my mind. And sadly, it is still the best Superman movie ever made. DC really doesn't have a decent movie, does it?

[the Talking Can]

just saw it...it was terrible

not an interesting human moment in the whole thing, no dialogue, no humor, no real reason to give a shit...then a solid hour of two guys destroying buildings


it was pretty ****ing boring...Star Trek, whatever your complaints, is 100 times the entertainment this still birth was...

[arrowheadnation]

Did you all catch the Easter eggs that pointed toward a possible justice league movie?

Spoiler!

1. Wayne enterprises logo on the satellite.
2. The girl driving the general at the end was Capt. Ferris...Green Lanterns girlfriend.
3. Not justice league related but maybe a hint for a villain for MoS 2...the LexCorp logo on the gas truck that Zodd threw at Superman.

Feel free to add if I missed anything.

[-King-]

About to see it now.
Posted via Mobile Device

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by Silock

I agree with pretty much everything kysirsoze said. The more time I have to reflect on it, the less I like it, and that's coming from someone with a HUGE blind spot for superhero flicks.

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

just saw it...it was terrible

not an interesting human moment in the whole thing, no dialogue, no humor, no real reason to give a shit...then a solid hour of two guys destroying buildings


it was pretty ****ing boring...Star Trek, whatever your complaints, is 100 times the entertainment this still birth was...

Oh, thank God. I thought I was talking crazy pills in here.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic

I agree with this. The more I think about it, the worse the movie gets in my mind. And sadly, it is still the best Superman movie ever made. DC really doesn't have a decent movie, does it?

While I agree DC sucks at developing their properties, I think this was the 4th best Superman movie.