Superman Movie Reviews - spoilers a'plenty

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Does it explain why not only Superman is bulletproof but so are his clothes?

Um, isn't it obvious that Edna Mode had nothing on Kryptonian design? His blue tights can also withstand temperatures up to 10,000 degrees!

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Oh and the OBVIOUS product placements where both plentiful and annoying, that WAS Richard Branson flying the space shuttle was it not?

Um, that's called a cameo. They have different listings in the entertainment jargon dictionary.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Um, that's called a cameo. They have different listings in the entertainment jargon dictionary.

A cameo is Stan Lee in an X-men or Spiderman film, TV's Lois in Superman, Hitchcock in his flicks. The marketing icon for Virgin this-and-that is product placement. IMHO.

[innerSpaceman]

Sorry, but Branson is a world-famous adventurer - certainly associated strongly with Virgin, but only well-known because of his exploits of high adventure. His role as the space shuttle pilot was a riff on his known persona first, and his association with Virgin (perhaps the airline sector) a far-distant second.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But let's get Gemini Cricket in here to weigh in authoritatively as what is or is not product placement!

[katiesue]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Does it explain why not only Superman is bulletproof but so are his clothes?

There was a biography of Superman on last night. It said his suit protected him because it was made out of the blanket that was wrapped around him when the Kent's found him after the crash. They didn't mention the bulletproof aspect specifically though.

[Alex]

I'd like to see the sewing machine he used to convert it to the suit. And why they included leather boots as part of a blanket.

(Just for the record, I don't really care about this in the same way that I don't care about hte questions in the Cars thread. Just fun to parse out).

[innerSpaceman]

Actually, I've been told by some comic-book geeks that Superman creates a forcefield around himself via energy he sucks from the Sun. That's why his suit is never damaged.

Either way, we simply accept no damage to the suit the same way we accept cartoon characters never losing their hats no matter what bizarre physical things happen. I don't hold comic book superheros to any greater level of physics verisimilitude.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Any movie that can get the pubbies panties in a twist for a reason as stupid as this is a-ok in my book.

Superman eschews longtime patriot act

Nevermind Superman's sexual orientation. Here's another identity-related question that is likely to spark controversy as the Man of Steel soars into theaters nationwide this Fourth of July weekend in Warner Bros. Pictures' "Superman Returns": Is Superman still American?

Ever since artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel created the granddaddy of all comic book icons in 1932, Superman has fought valiantly to preserve "truth, justice and the American way." Whether kicking Nazi *** on the radio in the '40s or wrapping himself in the Stars and Stripes on TV during the Cold War or even rescuing the White House's flag as his final feat in "Superman II," the Krypton-born, Smallville-raised Ubermensch always has been steeped in unmistakable U.S. symbolism.

But in the latest film incarnation, scribes Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris sought to downplay Superman's long-standing patriot act. With one brief line uttered by actor Frank Langella, the caped superhero's mission transformed from "truth, justice and the American way" to "truth, justice and all that stuff."

"The world has changed. The world is a different place," Pennsylvania native Harris says. "The truth is he's an alien. He was sent from another planet. He has landed on the planet Earth, and he is here for everybody. He's an international superhero."

This week on the senate floor the issue was so pressing, Sen. Bill Frist took time from more important matters spending 45 minutes, to condemn Superman for dropping his defense of the "American Way" in his creed.

Thanks, Dr. Frist, for staying focused on the issues that most affect your fellow americans.

[innerSpaceman]

In the screening I saw, the removal of "American way" was very conspicuous by its absence. It made one think for a second of why it wasn't there ... how such a sentiment, nowadays, might be so contrary to Superman's ethical credo that its mention would have been more jarring than its deletion.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

In the screening I saw, the removal of "American way" was very conspicuous by its absence. It made one think for a second of why it wasn't there ... how such a sentiment, nowadays, might be so contrary to Superman's ethical credo that its mention would have been more jarring than its deletion.

Yep. Considering the international release of this film, perhaps the "American Way" is just a bit less appealing to those in other countries. Sad commentary, actually.