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#1

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman (2025)

Last post by Silver Nemesis - Yesterday at 11:09

The pose is an odd choice for a reveal shot, but the costume itself... I don't know, it looks all right to me.

I don't like the tubing. I don't know why every modern superhero costume has to have that now. All those lines needlessly complicate what should be a simple design. I'm also not sold on the New 52 collar. But it might work. I'll wait and see what that looks like in other pictures. The texture looks a little rubbery, which I'm also not mad on. It's not as bad as Routh's costume, but I'd prefer a simpler fabric.

However, I do like the colours. I'm glad they've brought the trunks and belt back. The creases in the suit might look awkward in this pic, but they suggest a thinner and more flexible material that's a welcome change from the sculpted armour look. When it comes to Superman's costume, as a matter of personal preference I like it kept simple. These are my favourite live action Superman suits.

The Kirk Alyn and Superboy (1988-1992) costumes were good too. I know many people would say these costumes look silly. But then some would say a grown man flying through the sky wearing a blue bodysuit and red cape is silly anyway, regardless of the design specifics. I say embrace the fantasy and don't overcomplicate it.

Sculpted muscle suits are best reserved for slim average-build actors like Michael Keaton. All of the Superman actors have been tall and muscularly built. As long as the actor has the right body shape, he doesn't need padding or sculpted muscles. I don't know if Corenswet's suit has padding, but judging from this picture his personal trainer posted he doesn't need it.

I also like that they've brought back the spit curl. Corenswet's got that classic chiselled blue-eyed Superman look that Reeves, Reeve, Welling and Cavill all had. He's 6'3 or 6'4, depending on different sources, and he certainly looks the part. I'd like to see some better images of the costume – to see what he looks like standing up and striking a more heroic pose – but based on this early glimpse I think the suit looks ok. It's not my ideal Superman costume, and I'm not blown away by it. But so far it doesn't look terrible to me.

#2

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman (2025)

Last post by The Dark Knight - Yesterday at 05:43

Snyder had the right idea in removing the red diaper. It was modern, fresh and simply time to move in that direction on film IMO. The argument there's too much blue without them doesn't hold water anymore for me. Having them back just feels like a giant regression. Batman films since 1989 have gone without diapers and it's been fine. It's okay in animation and comics, but right now in a 2024/5 movie it's just out of place and a source of amusement. Don't worry, I get all the historical meaning behind them.

#3

Comic Film & TV / Re: X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Last post by thecolorsblend - Yesterday at 04:27

Brown's performance as the Kurgan ranks as one of the most intimidating movie villains of the eighties. If you wanted a younger and more menacing version of Magneto, Brown's voice and height alone would've qualified him.

I didn't want something too long in my last post.

But since you mention it, one thing I did want to draw attention to is Magneto as envisioned by Lee/Kirby vs. Magneto as interpreted by Claremont.

Lee/Kirby pretty obviously intended Magneto to be Super-Nazi. He's the Superior Man out to bring the world to its knees because he believes his power gives him the right to do so. Considering Lee/Kirby were both Jewish, it makes a lot of sense that the Nazis loomed large in their imaginations. Reading those early Lee/Kirby X-Men issues, it's hard to escape the idea that Magneto is basically Super Hitler. The metaphor of Nazis is barely a metaphor in their approach to the character.

Claremont obviously wanted to go in a different direction. Magneto was as physically imposing as ever. But he had that sympathetic backstory of being a survivor. He knew only too well what mankind was capable of doing to each other and certainly to him. As you know, he sees his war against the human race as a preemptive strike in an inevitable war. His history creates an intriguing irony to the character that he wants to subjugate and ultimately exterminate his would-be exterminators. So, what is the moral difference between him and the people who have persecuted him?

We should also mention McKellan's performance. It's fine for the films that he appeared in. But you are correct when you say that McKellan's Magneto and comic book Magneto have very little in common aside from a name and a backstory. I have become concerned that McKellan's portrayal of the character will "haunt" future live action incarnations. Rather than being the physically imposing powerhouse that Magneto was intended to be (and was consistently drawn as for all or most of his publication history), future live action performances are very likely to somewhat emulate McKellan's casting.

Maybe that's inevitable if his World War II history remains an unbreakable aspect of Magneto's canon?

[-- The Good]

#4

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman (2025)

Last post by thecolorsblend - Yesterday at 04:14

-- The Good
I sort of like the composition going on here. It looks like it could be a comic book cover. Big Giant Threat outside the window. And Superman is so accustomed to this type of thing that he resolutely gets his other business suit on to take care of Big Giant Threat.

I also like the colors in this photo. They pop pretty well. Considering my reintroduction to Superman on film was in that bland, dull publicity photo released from Superman Returns, anything is better than that.

Speaking of colors, I like how colorful the suit is. The SR suit was dully and muddy. I never approved of that wine-colored Fruit Rollup SR cape. So, the coloring on this new suit is right in my wheelhouse.

It LOOKS like the red trunks have been restored, which I think is also a bonus.

-- The Bad
I think I'll always prefer the low collar on the tunic that Snyder favored. It should show a bit of Superman's chest. The high collar seems influenced by The New 52. In fact, the high collar, the piping on the sleeves and chest, the clunky boots, ALL of that seems very New 52 to me. In fact, this uniform seems to be a strange amalgamation of the Earth One uniform, that New 52 uniform and a bit of Kingdom Come thrown in.

I don't think blending those various aesthetics together is creatively successful.

The enterprise looks cheap, like something you'd expect to see in a CW show. In fact, this looks like only a minor upgrade over the Superman outfit Tyler Hoechlin has been running around in for the past several seasons.

I, for one, NEVER needed them to bring the Reeve outfit out of mothballs. You all know me better than that. But I do believe there's a lot of mojo to the idea of a simple Superman outfit. Singer disregarded that. Snyder disregarded that. And now, it sure looks like Gunn is disregarding it too.

I called the red trunks above a bonus. And I stand by that. But I also question if modern audiences will accept them. There are reasons to think they won't. In fact, there are reasons to question Superman's entire box office viability at this point. And that would be my opinion even if comic book cinema wasn't the train wreck that it is today. But considering how the market appears to be shifting, I would've figured the best approach would be to make the most commercial aesthetic possible. And I don't think the red trunks fit into that equation, frankly.

-- The Ugly
Wtf is going on with that bulk? Is it padding or something? It's most noticeable in the shoulders and lower torso. Of all characters, I thought Superman's suit should look as skintight as possible. He is his own armor. Plus, it seems dramatically appropriate to emphasize his muscularity. Padding (or at least a bulky outfit) ruins that aesthetic.

-- Summary
I'm... not overly confident about this outfit. I don't think this is the visual direction that Superman in cinema should be headed into. The confused aesthetic influences, the strangely fitted uniform, the clunky boots, they all fit together to create a deep sense of reluctance on my part.

Yes, I wanted the Snyderverse (starring Cavill as Superman) to continue/be restored. But I was willing to give a reboot a fair shot. I'm not blinded by devotion here. Even so, this uniform design isn't inspiring very much in the way of confidence.

For all I know, Gunn will make the masterpiece Superman film that I've wanted my entire life. But even if he does, I'll still have to find a way to reconcile this suit design instead of celebrate it.

I look back at Dean Cain's Superman uniform from L&C's fourth season. For everything that show was and wasn't, that uniform was consistent with the rest of the series. Specifically, it had a homemade quality to it with a big and highly stylized chest symbol. Just to look at Cain wearing the outfit, you instantly understood something about L&C's approach to Superman as a character AND the tone of the show. Yes, it WAS a simple design. But it was also an effective design.

Gunn's Superman outfit is NOT a simple design. And it also doesn't seem to be a very effective design either.

My reluctance about this film has not been assuaged in the slightest.

#5

Animated Batman / Re: The New Adventures of Batm...

Last post by The Dark Knight - Mon, 6 May 2024, 20:55

I'm open to this being a continuation of the West universe, representing a gradual maturation that eventually becomes Miller's TDK Returns. Imagining West in that particular story just makes the whole thing better in my eyes. I'll be purchasing the complete collection set when it's released in a couple of months to see for myself if the show allows that idea to be possible.

#6

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman (2025)

Last post by The Dark Knight - Mon, 6 May 2024, 20:47

I'm usually wait and see with these suits, but this is an official still image. I agree completely. Looks cheap and too baggy. Given all the discourse about Snyder and Cavill being too dark, the Gunn reveal is set at night and not bathed in sunshine. Which makes it feel like an inferior knockoff to the real deal we just had. Superman also has a dead in the face expression. Where's the smiling we always apparently needed to have? He looks like a weary firefighter sick of going out to work, reluctantly putting on the uniform.

#7

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman (2025)

Last post by Travesty - Mon, 6 May 2024, 17:56

Man, I've been trying to be positive about this new cinematic reboot, but man, I really hate this suit reveal. It's too baggy with lots of padding. It just looks incredibly cheap.

😬

#8

Comic Film & TV / Re: X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Last post by Silver Nemesis - Mon, 6 May 2024, 17:34

Maybe it's because I grew up with the animated series, but I always preferred the more physically imposing depictions of Magneto over the frail old man we got in the movies. Hauer looked closer to how I envisage the character in live action. After watching Blind Fury (1989) earlier this year, I'd also keep him on the shortlist for a 1980s Matt Murdock.

But really he was a better physical match for Magneto than Daredevil. As discussed in other threads, he also would've been my top pick of Adrian Veidt in a 1980s Watchmen film.

I have that issue on my bookcase. Even back then, I disagreed with casting Clancy Brown as Sabretooth. He would've been a great Magneto... if Rutger Hauer has other obligations going on. But Hauer is already accounted for, I love Brown but I don't see much else for him in an X-Men movie.

Brown's performance as the Kurgan ranks as one of the most intimidating movie villains of the eighties. If you wanted a younger and more menacing version of Magneto, Brown's voice and height alone would've qualified him.

#9

Animated Batman / Re: The New Adventures of Batm...

Last post by Silver Nemesis - Mon, 6 May 2024, 14:19

But the cartoon's determination to set all (or most?) scenes at night does indicate a desire (on somebody's part) to take Batman in a darker direction.

Were I inclined to put this into some sort of context, my suggestion would be that the TV versions of Batman and Robin had become more active at night because their villains had become more active at night. The Westverse was never going to be very dark. At most, it might become a little poorly lit. But never "dark".

This leads one to believe that there might have been some influence from DC Comics with what Batman comics were then-currently depicting at the time. Considering "New Adventures" aired post-Schwartz/O'Neil/Adams collaboration, the night setting could have been a tip of the hat of some form of synergy between the two.

The nocturnal setting does give the series a darker and sometimes spookier look than most other superhero cartoons from the 1970s. I think Joker's right about it being an attempt to reflect the imagery of the contemporary comics. The Galactic Guardians show (which also starred West) was the pre-DCAU series that best reflected the Bronze Age tone, but that was a Hanna-Barbera production. The New Adventures of Batman is certainly the closest Filmation got to the 1970s comics, even though most of their plots and characterisations were still drawn from earlier eras.

Makes me want to get acquainted with the show, quite frankly. Especially since, as you state, nothing happens that is egregiously opposed to the '66 Batman show's continuity, and this could be considered something of a 'lost 4th season' of the Adam West show, depending on how you want to view it.

In that sense, The New Adventures of Batman can be compared with Star Trek: The Animated Series. Both 1970s Filmation cartoons brought back the actors from a popular 1960s live action show to voice their characters in a cheaper more kid-friendly format. If each of the three live action seasons of Star Trek represents one year of the Enterprise's five-year mission, then the two animated seasons can be seen as years four and five. Similarly The New Adventures of Batman can be seen as year four of Batman and Robin's crime-fighting careers, and year two of Batgirl's.

The absence of Chief O'Hara, Aunt Harriet and Alfred could be explained by them simply moving away from Gotham. Or maybe they're still there and we just don't see them. The Bat-Computer has clearly undergone an upgrade, as has Batman's arsenal of weapons and vehicles, but there's nothing here that West's ingenious Batman couldn't have constructed. I can't offhand think of any discrepancies between this show and the Batman '66 comics either, so it fits into the canon reasonably well.

Good timing with this analysis given the complete series is being released June 25:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-adventures-of-batman-the-complete-collection-blu-ray/1100-6523099/

That is quite a coincidence. I hadn't heard about the Blu-ray release until now.

#10

Current Runs / Re: Batman Resurrections (Batm...

Last post by Silver Nemesis - Mon, 6 May 2024, 13:52

I'd like something like this too, but I'd prefer it to be handled very carefully. Their relationship seems more hands off and terse even in Returns. I can't imagine anything traditional like the 60s show, or even Nolan. I quite like the idea they communicate mostly with notes, with face to face meetings being very minimal.

I can imagine Hingle's Gordon never quite losing his initial fear of Batman. He grows to trust him, yes, but he's still scared of him. Keaton's Bruce might intentionally cultivate that fear, even among his allies, in order to keep them at bay and prevent them from getting too close to him. That's obviously not what we see in the Schumacher films, where Batman and Gordon appear relaxed in one another's company. But compare that with their interaction in Batman Returns – where Batman doesn't stand still or even look at Gordon and responds tersely when speaking to him – and we see evidence of a more distant relationship between the two.

Maybe Batman kept walking in BR because he didn't want Gordon looking too closely at his face for fear he'd recognise him, similar to how he kept turning away from Vicki and keeping to the shadows when he took her to the Batcave in the 1989 film. Again, this novel needs to show us the Burton Batman, not the comic book version. Seeing how someone so secretive builds a trusting communication channel with his allies, while simultaneously trying to maintain his distance from them, is an intriguing avenue for the novel to explore.