I just got back from seeing it. Overall, I was happy I saw it, but I was also conflicted. I would say it was at least 100 times better than Superman Returns from a few years ago, but it was only about half as compelling as the first Christopher Reeve 1978 Superman movie. On a scale of 1-10, this was a 6.
Maybe I’m just getting old (44) but I have to agree with many of the previous posters who have noted the gratuitous length of the fight scenes. It literally becomes boring as the special-effects artists find ways to destroy building after building across the New York/Metropolis skyline (by the way, why is every superhero movie taking out their wrath on the buildings of New York? Can’t we get just one super villain taking out Chicago or LA for a change?).
I get it, General Zod and Superman don’t like each other. You don’t have to beat the audience over the head with it. I could have happily traded ALL of the highly CGI-ed fight scenes for a few reasons to care about the characters:
- Lois was just a prop, the movie didn’t provide a reason to care about her relationship with Superman/Clark. She could have died at any time and the movie would have provided the same emotional relevance as a nameless extra dying.
- The movie didn’t offer reasons to deeply care about General Zod, or his crew, other than that they were wrecking lots of stuff, and it would be nice to stop them.
- Perry White, see Lois.
- Even the adult Superman himself. You always gotta root for the guy in the red cape, but beyond the suit, the man himself didn’t make you fall in love with the character. Having said that, the flashbacks in which we see Clark as a child DOES offer some emotional resonance.
On the other hand the movie offers a world of reasons to care about Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and he did not disappoint. Looking back I think he is really the star of this movie, even if his screen time is limited. Also Jor-El’s wife does a decent job, as do Clark’s earth parents. And a special call out to Christopher Meloni. As an army colonel who was basically reprising the same character he plays on Law & Order SVU, nobody glares at everyone like him.
Overall, I would say it was really nice to see Superman flying across the screen again. My hope is that the sequel will invest a little more in the characters and a lot less in fights that go on for seemingly hours at a time. I understand that is what superhero movies are about, but (as
Iron Man, Spider Man and Batman did extremely well) give us some reasons to care deeply about the characters and the people they care about before you start breaking everything in sight.
I’ll state up front I’ve not seen the movie and most of the reviews have not given me a reason to see it, including yours. Your closing thoughts on character development vs. CGI are spot-on for many of Hollywood’s efforts today. You can easily spend multi-bucks to get great CGI and be confident of the result. The same cannot be said for good writing, directing, or acting. Since those involve humans, it’s a crap shoot on the outcome.
I didn't see it, but didn't the last Transformers flick trash Chicago? The there's Battle: Los Angeles...
Want the complete opposite of the movie you described? That would be "The Internship". It's the ultimate culture clash played out with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn at their having-a-good-time best.