http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhug...and-batman-v-superman-proves-it/#6b1ae16e258e
(Article with analysis on how Superman is done well in these films. Very interesting thoughts)
I am not expecting this to change any of your minds - though I am truly quite gutted about the level of absolute vitriol on show here for what I think was a flawed but great film.
However, before reading, I would ask that you have an open mind about the interpretation of the film that was presented to us. Not the film you've decided should exist. And it might just help you to appreciate this version of Superman a little more, with a bit of reflection.
Have any of you that are trashing this film seen it more than once? I appreciate that if films are one shots for you and they HAVE to work first time...then fair enough. But I love that these films that Snyder has produced have so much rewatchability. You can analyse and go into more depth with these films, even if they dont nail everything.
And further to this, the JLA thing - you make a good point about there being bad moments in our favourite shows. For instance. Supermans massively variable power levels? His holier than thou attitude towards the league? His characterisation in JLA is nowhere near "perfect" (whatever that means to people personally) - and I still absolutely loved all of the JLA episodes. I think Superman is shown in some amazing ways in that show, because they have hours and hours to do so, and it is by and large, a childrens show with occasional adult themes - I'd still sit down and watch them all now, and BTAS, and JLA Unlimited etc. STAS was great too as a precursor to JLA, but it was also massively variable in how it showed Superman.
In today's films if you applied that knowing wink to the camera in a Superman movie, I personally think it would absolutely fail, and I wouldn't be happy with it on the big screen - however, two films of Superman so far, and his development is excellent in my eyes.
We've gone from a baby struggling to breathe, to a scared young child who can see through walls and bones and can heat up things with his vision, to a heroic teenager that keeps on saving people despite his father warning him that it puts Clark at risk of discovery (which in this world, seems to be a valid worry...he was not ready to be discovered at that age at all) to a teenager that has already influenced people to do good (Pete Ross helps him up) after not crushing a bullies fist, to a young man who trusts in his fathers judgement in the moment so much he loses him, to a man (man...not god, not perfect being) who intervenes in all areas of life to help people, including social injustices of protecting a waitresses honour, and then doesn't crack the guys skull when he is a total ass. He is experiencing people in all walks of life while saving them etc. Then finds out who he actually is - and decides with this new information, that perhaps he can achieve even greater things, and pushes himself harder. Learns to fly. Hours later...Zod. Gives himself up to humanity, and then gives himself to Zod in the slim chance that Zod would spare us. Zod doesn't, he wants to raise Krypton here. Supes defends humanity zealously to the best of his raw ability with zero training and zero help. Has to make a horrendous choice and kill the last surviving member of his own race to save humanity. Then has to find a way to exist now that he is revealed.
Once he is revealed, he has to deal with humanities worst and best qualities. He saves people all over the world (not just America) and yet has to endure news reports talking about him as if he is a malicious god like figure. Questioning whether he should act at all to save people. Has to deal with peoples worship, and hate in equal measure. Wants to instill hope but isnt quite at the point where he can talk to humanity at large, because he probably doesnt know what to say. He's still lost, but he goes out everyday and saves people. And when he is home, he cooks for his girlfriend. He buys her flowers, and he does silly things to cheer her up (the bath tub) - that to me is Superman. The hopeful, inspiring guy who does what is right. He saves the girl at the Day of the Dead fire and hands her back to her family and he is smiling - not grinning, not making a joke. That would be ridiculous. And those people are worshipping him - should he push them away and run off? No. He stays for a short while to be with them. Inspiring hope. As a journalist he wants to write about real issues, things that matter to all people. He is earnest and honest to a point and he wants to do the right thing.
And yet wherever he goes, there is a reaction, there are consequences. This is the part that I think a lot of people miss. The negativity that people perceive about Superman is the activity around him, not him. Lex causing atrocities to skew Supes public image. Lex causing the deaths of hundreds in a bombing that Superman admits he wasn't looking for, either because he was distracted or he was admitting his naivety when it comes to humanity - he literally still believes in us and trusts us. You can see the pain in his eyes as he stands there amid the burning wreckage that was caused as a response to his existence. And he is a MAN. Not a god. Can you imagine the emotions you'd be feeling? Why one earth would this Superman be smiling and quipping and cheeky at this point? This loss of life hurts him so much that he has to retreat, he has to gather his thoughts and figure out if what he is doing is the right thing to do. He turns to his mother, who offers him sage advice. She sees her young boy, and all this pressure on him. And she wants him to know that whatever he does, she will be proud. In his mind, he remembers a story from his father. And then decides that what he does is right, and returns. For Lois.
He tries to talk to Bruce, talk reason. It doesn't work. Batman is so one minded at this point that he wouldn't listen to anything Supes would say.
And then, he sacrifices his life to save us (and no, Superman would not let others do that part for him etc. The act itself is very Superman like.) He always wants to take the burden, and shoulder it.
It worked for me. When you really engage with the film and the history and the story that they are telling us, it works so well, in my opinion.
Yes, plenty of plot inconsistencies, plenty of things I also didn't like. But this Superman is on a journey to becoming the guy that we read about in the comics. It's character development!
