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.
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!!!
