Zack Snyder bringing the Man Of Steel to the Big Screen

[Kaneda]

I'm excited by this news. I loved Dawn of the Dead and Watchmen. 300 was decent, too.

[SiL]

I thought Dawn of the Dead and Watchmen was fantastic but 300 was despicable and I don't really have any interest in seeing Sucker Punch either. I suppose I'm rather torn in between.
What is with him/his work you dislike?

Everything 300 and later has just become the same thing. It's all flash, no bang. I find his style obnoxious. It's like a 12 year old running around saying "Aw, man, you know what'd be cool? If, like, we saw the arm break in, like, closeup? And really slow-motion! Aw man that'd be so sweet, can we do it, huh, huh?"

I'm over it. Worked for 300. That's about it.

Kind of the same reason I don't like most of Tim Burton's movies. It's all the same shit. See one, see them all.

[beckmen]

I said in a previous thread before he got the job, that I think Superman should be more straight-forward and not overly stylized. Dawn of the Dead was kind of like that, so I think Snyder can do it. He just needs to be restrained. Hopefully with Nolan as producer, that will happen. Some slow motion shots could work, but less is more. And definitely stay away from the 'digital backlot' look that 300 had. Not even the Krypton scenes should look like that.

As for casting...I think Darkseid and Apokolips should be saved for a sequel, but when the time comes...Dolph it up!

[Sebastian]

And really slow-motion! Aw man that'd be so sweet, can we do it, huh, huh?"

Hm, if that's the "regular speed, slow-motion at the bang to regular speed again all-in-the-same-shot" thing you're referring to then yeah - it's awfully overused but for comic book adaptations I happen to think it does work simply because that's what the viewer usually tend to do when reading an action-packed comic strip - you momentarily stop to marvel at all the cool shit.

[DexHavok]

No frowny, all smiley.

Uh... I forgot Snyder did the DotD remake. That movie was basically excellent. It's even awesome when they're watching it in 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin.'

I just feel like Watchmen was epic enough to garner Nolan and co. a sweet-ass budget for a Superman movie. The combination of Nolan and Snyder says to me that this movie will have a near-perfect balance of heart and vision. Because, honestly, all of Snyder's films have been visually stunning IMO. And all Nolan's work has been pretty amazing (though I admit I haven't seen all his work), even though I can't STAND TDK now.

[SM]

As per the Comic Adaptation thread, the first half of Watchmen that I've seen wasn't anything special.  As faithful as a film could be to the source material certainly - but if that's the case, why bother?  The film is essentially a moving version of the comic.  It not like adapting a book where there are no visuals.  It just seemed they filled in the gaps between the panels, but couldn't properly convey the depth of the comic because of the constraints of the medium.  And the constraints of the medium and desire to be faithful meant a LOT of voiceovers and flashbacks, which can get to be a drag.

[dude]

Well bear in mind that was a direct adaptation rather than a franchise movie. I'm sure Sndyer will lift images from the comics but the story will likely be something original enough.

Dunno if he can top Watchmen's opening credit sequence though.

[SM]

Dunno if that credit sequence worked on those unfamiliar with the comic.  It seemed like a lot of stuff crammed into a short sequence.

[DexHavok]

Damn, the opening credits of Watchmen were cool. Forgot about that.

So, I say it should go this way:

Zod attacks (returns to?) Earth. Luthor takes advantage of an opportunity to villify Kryptonians, and garners the respect and adulation of Metropolis' population; he uses this gain power and wealth.

Zod and Superman get their beatdown-on all over the place, and Luthor intervenes (wearing a sweet, sweet Battle Suit powered by kryptonite) to 'save the day,' only to piss off both Zod and Superman. Zod reveals that he didn't destroy Krypton, but was in fact exiled by Jor-El for trying to destroy the thing that would destroy Krypton (Brainiac, now embedded in Clark's system in the Fortress of Solitude). They're both weakened by the kryptonite powering Luthor's suit, but team up to beat him down.

In the battle, Zod is killed or re-banished. Somehow, Superman is able to to stop Luthor. Luthor manages to spin the whole incident in a way to make himself look heroic, even while the media (thanks to Lois Lane) lauds Superman. Just before the credits roll, Luthor is revealed to be working on a way to fully activate Brainiac.


Eh? Eh?

[SM]

Works for me.

But only if they Terence Stamp back. 

[dude]

Dunno if that credit sequence worked on those unfamiliar with the comic.  It seemed like a lot of stuff crammed into a short sequence.

My non comic reader friends got it.

[beckmen]

I never read the comic (well, tried to after having seen the movie but it was too fucking boring), and I loved the opening credits. I might have not understood it if not for the internet, but whatever. I also loved the movie as a whole.

[dude]

It's an origin movie.

Lame.

[SM]

It was going to say "What?  Again?  Who the fuck doesn't know Superman's origin by now?"

But that story doesn't really seem to say it's an origin story.

Doesn't say much of anything except Snyder wasn't their first choice.

[beckmen]

Why wouldn't it be an origin movie? They can't keep flogging the Donnerverse, it's confusing to nonfans and comes with too many dangling plot threads. Better to have the freedom of starting new.