For 1948, special effects are not horrible. I half expect a lizard to crawl out of volcano, as it looks like a 1950 monster film. The corporate board room of Krypton is funny to me. But this has to be the earliest origin story i have seen. And once you get into the serial, with adult Superman, many of the sequences look like 1950s TV show with moments of Max Fleischers Animated sequences for flying. Interesting, Mr Kent says "You must use these powers for TRUTH, TOLERANCE, and JUSTICE." I have never heard "Tolerance" in the famous mantra before, but cool to see at such an early time. 1940s America was far from being the beacon of Tolerance for many. IMDB Superman (1948) is a 15-part black-and-whiteColumbiafilm serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars an uncredited Kirk Alyn(billed only by his character name, Superman; but credited on the promotional posters) and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Like Batman, it is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film and for the longevity of its distribution. The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Supermantelevision show, and Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Sam Katzmanand shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget.
This movie is like an episode of JLU (Justice League Unlimited TV Series) on steroids. Although it is a stand alone movie, it once again brings in much of the DC Universe characters, now aiding President Lex Luthor against the outlawed Superman & Batman.
I love the whole Superheroes / Mercenaries being recruited by the government to have an equal footing with Vigilanties when ever it occurs. I assume I am not the only one that perks up every time Amanda Waller shows up expecting this to happen - as they keep bringing back that concept in various series and movies. Most recently in ARROW on CW.
Luthor's exoarmor suit is bigger and badder than ever. Amanda Waller has a redeeming moment. Many of the best villains form 1990s Batman / Superman series and JLA/JLU make a cameo.
Movie bring us to an Anime/Manga world - which I think is genius from a marketing standpoint - by making TOYMAN a Japanese Kid that has yet to turn bad. On that note, I think toyman has to be the most interpreted villian of DC history. I mean every incarnation seems completely different. Boy Genius, Fat Computer Geek, Sore Loser / former Luthor employee, Robot Offspring of latter, etc etc etc
Can I take this moment to say WAY too much is made of the need to "JUSTIFY" DC universe realities... The beauty of fiction is that the writers had free reign. The whole GOLDEN AGE, SILVER AGE, POST CRISIS etc is taking this crap way too serious if you ask me. New decade, new world, new needs for superheroes, etc. Simpson have been around 25 years without ever aging.
Reinventing origins is great. Not sure why every writer seems to want to reinvent the wheel so often but i am cool with a revamp every once in a while. Superman 2 (Christopher Reeves) went crazy with redefining Superman's and fellow Krypton's powers. We all went "WHAT THE... (Even at age 10 at the time)" but we said, OK good movie, we will let that one ride...
And to my main point, if you deliver and entertaining product, have fun. I think any project that takes to many liberties will be rejected. A project that just recraps out what we have already seen will be rejected. Projects that are just original enough that are writeen, directed and voice/animated well (Acted for Live Action of COurse) will be loved and make a fortune... Make a superhero for just the money and you get Fantastic Four (Pick a version, they all miss the point for me) or Superman Returns.
OK, I saw this movie preview for months and said, oh crap a campy "Twilight." SKIP
My wife saw the same preview and said "Vampire Mean Girls." MUST SEE
I lost. We saw. I almost hurled.
A good example of how better casting, writing, acting and directing were missing. A oversized HOGWARTS wannabe castle as a backdrop is not enough for a movie.
(Which was true of 1/2 the harry potter films too)
The only reason I am calling this a KID MOVIE and not a BIG BUCKET OF GREASY CHICKEN (as I said I would) this is one of those movies based on a book series with a cult following. This cult following seem to be like so many others that fell in love with something like JRR TOLKIEN decades ago and just druel over anything similar. Similarly, after Ann Rice, people were Vampire crazy and sucked down veins of just about anything they were given.
AND the only reason I am giving this any credit it sort of has that RL Stein quality campy horror at times. So I am assuming teenagers w/o care of acting etc will be happy to watch.
The whole crushing on the teacher is creepy. It would be less so if the teacher did not seem SO much older than the student. Or if the actor playing that teacher clearly has spent more time at the gym than in acting classes. Arnold got lucky. Rest of you back to class...
The name Stragoi is tarnished. Want to see a great indy horrow film? Watch STRIGOI. I watched it last year on NETFLIX. That is how you do a Vampire movie on a budget!!!
I did like Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) who played both the geeky teen hang on and killer vamp well.
THE ONLY THING that seemed cool? The possible future episodes. But I thought the same thing with TWIGHLIGHT and lost time and time again....
So I grew up in the 70s and 80s. By 1990s I was into my 20s. Before 1990 everything was black & white. We were the good guys. USSR the bad. In movies it was very clear who was good & evil. I was a Superman fan geek from day one. Because of this I resisted the quickly growing darker side of comics that focused on the grey areas...
Graffic Novels like THE WATCHMEN were way ahead of its time in the 1980s. I Suppose it makes sense Frank Miller was involved in later versions of ROBOCOP that have abviously influenced the most recent adaptation - even thought Mr Miller's name is found noweher on this movie officially.
This movie is great!!! Not just as a SciFi geek. The writing, direction and performance is perfect. If for nothing else to see Samuel L. Jackson basically play Glenn Beck. The obviously far right wing voal arm of NRA and Big Business (The Far Right Religeous aspect left out LOL)... And - SPOILER ALERT - break out of character at the end when the character gets mad and SLJ crys out his famous line from so many movies (MINUS SNAKES & PLANE) I was on the floor...
So when I first saw this preview, I thought, OH CRAP, here they go ruining another childhood fave... Mostly because ROBOCOP 1987 was not a great film. It was a good fun flick. Perfect for POPCORN. And the sequels were terrible attempts to make money on the name.
BUT THEN last week I saw a preview showing Joel Kinnaman. OK YOU GOT ME!!! On TV promos I did not recognize him at all. Have you seen THE KILLING on AMC? Joel Kinnaman costars with Mireille Enos. Or if you are like me you bulk watched on NETFLIX. Love this guy. Enos is the star but the edgy Kinnaman is as funny and hard core real as the drug addict cop. The perfect undercover guy.
Probably the funniest part of the movie is Samuel L Jackson. In my mind this was a hilarous parody on Glenn Beck. SLJ's character is clearly bought by big business and NRA type interests. He is the modern TV version of Beck or Limbaugh - Yell enough and enough ignorant folks will follow and listen. Sorry just got too political, but that is the point.
This movie is a modern Superhero Movie, where good & bad are not black & white - And I just don't mean SLJ impersonating Glenn Beck LOL. The bad guys are big business, but they truly have safety for all as a goal. While they may cut corners, they want to deliver for the money the rake in by the ocean full. Amerca has become the ulitmate police state with the rest of the world living in fear of robotic police. But the big argument, shown at the congressional level, why not use this as home?
So ROBOCOP is the way to get robots on US streets.
Every character, no matter how noble or innocent, has a selfishly motivated moment. Even when ROBOCOP goes after his own killers, there is more personal revenge plot driving the machine and less noble justice goals.
ROBOCOPS failures in many ways happen because the "GOOD" doctor from OCP - played by Gary Oldman - makes descisions to save his and OCP ass to make ROBOCOP seem perfect for a short time - which leads to bad results.
At the end of this story, however, the old school BLACK AND WHITE ending redeems those that rose above and chose to be GOOD to redeem their failures.
As always I love Michael Keaton as the bad guy. I met MK as a romantic comedy goof ball type. But he was great as the sadistic neighbor in Pacific Heights. This character is a likeable exec. More of a Bill Gates than a Lex Luthor. Really not until the end do you see this guy will cross the line for selfish gain. The rest of the movie you can identify with his descisions as long as you are not OWS type...
BUT My favorite part of the movie? Jackie Earle Haley!!!
What is it about this guy? Again this guy was the brooding hitter form 1970's Bad News Bears. But now everytime he shows up he is the biggest smallest bad ass of all time... He cracks me up. .And the more straight he plays the tough guy the funnier it is. And to his credit, not trying to make fun of the guy. I really wish HUMAN TARGET on FOX was better because JEH rocked. (The show sucked)
Seriously I think I am by far not the only die hard fan of blue tights and red cape that were ready to throw in the towel after Superman Returns. For decades I was sick of fellow geeks making fun of us that were loyal to THE original super hero of modern times. The one that started it all. Those of us that were kids when Superman 1977 hit the screen with Christopher Reeves when reruns of Adam West were the best Batman had to offer. Marvel was sucking wind on TV and movies except for THE HULK with Bill Bixby as David Banner, because BRUCE was too gay? (Not my words - I wa always confused why Dr. Banner was called Bruce in cartoons and comics)... AND we suffered through TV's attempt to make Superman more chick friendly (Lois & Clark) or Teen Age worthy (Smallville) all of which I watched religiously out of love for the character, while despising what was being done...
Well I for one believe we were rewarded for holding out. Better than ever before, Superman was rebooted for "today" without over thinking or over pandering to a certain demographic. They just made a movie that rocks. A movie Superman die-hards can call our own. A movie that had just enough story to warrant 2+ hours and millions of dollars invested, but still crammed in all the action of the animated films and shorts and graphic novels...
Henry Cavill nailed the character. Too many interpret the fish out of water quality of Krypton's Last Son being isolated on Earth as wimpy. Cavill wonderfully portrays awkward outcast that is not necessarily a two dimensional geek. His Superman matched teh Charisma of Reeves. Being even more chiseled in the chin, etc Cavill may have even surpassed. Although, first seeing Reeves in Red 7 Blue at age five, he will always be my perfect image...
LOVE Michael Shannon as Zod. The Kyptonians were bad ass and true warriors. Zod was the perfect "bad guy" for today's age. The villian of the story, he is the hero of his own goals till the end. Warped by power, to him, his passion and drive for power is selfless as the ulitmate goal is the survival of his people. For Zod, he is a European that lost to the Native American People trying conquest the United States.
A lot of people hate the way Lois knows too much, right. But I remember a very funny moment in Lois & Clark when Tempus (Played by Lane Davies - basically Chronos) says to Lois (Not exact quote) How stupid can you be. Than he puts a pair of glasses to his face.... Really. I think many have enjoyed the Superman from animated films that clearly is known by Lois, intimately. I love the new idea that there are many out there that know the truth and protect it as they had been saved by Clark. Superman IS Clark. And Lois would never have rested until she found that out. The cute wink wink joke of the 1950's series had been played out. Women today are equal to men or even superior - especially if you ask Wonder Woman. I love the new story from head to toe.
I am very upset that the next movie has been pushed back a year. But we are definitely headed towards JLA the MOVIE!!!
I am exited!!! Star Wars Episode 4 was one of the first movies I ever saw. About 5 years old, my mother took me and my baby brother, (sister was on the way). Afterwards, Mom said, THAT WAS AWESOME, LETS GO SEE IT AGAIN!!! So basically my formative years were formed early into a Star Wars fan geek. I remember being 6 years old and owning action figures - NOT DOLLS - that I had no idea who they were. Lucas released dolls - ACTION FIGURES - for every sing creature in the movie, including BOBA FETT which was cut form the original Episode 1, so i was totally confused who my favorite action figure was related to the movie... What will Lucas bring us next....
By Late 1980s the buzz was all about Episode 1-3 and 7-9. So those of us that are fans from Day 1 new this was coming... UNTIL during the run of episodes 1-3, it sounded like we are out of luck. Sounds like the success of Clone Wars on TV and other side projects have jump started us back on track. And lets face it, even if the movies suck, Lucas, the marketing genius, will find a way to make money out of them...
