The Guard wrote:
My concept is all about hope at its heart, but I do think you've got to have darker elements in order for that hope to mean something in relation. You must have darkness for the light Superman and those around him provide to mean anything. Otherwise it's just...Superman again. Whether that darkness is natural disasters, mankind's inability to control its fate, war, bigotry or some kind, or just everyday crime. That's always been my favorite part about the comics, that juxtaposition of ideals.
Yin and yang, huh? You've got a good point there. Just so long as the movie and our hero stay optimistic through the whole thing, that'll work. Don't dwell on our problems, focus on our ability to overcome them.
The Guard wrote:
I think the problem with SUPERMAN RETURNS is that Singer made everything so somber that even the "fun" elements (Superman flying with Lois, for instance) felt dramatic and dark. It didn't help that Brandon Routh just didn't have a ton of charisma for the character.
You know what the sad thing is? I think Routh would be better equipped to handle Superman now than he was back in 2006. He looked the part perfectly, he was just a few years too young and inexperienced. Especially against Christopher Reeves. Still, I don't want to see him back in the cape for this one. The further we can get from Superman Returns, the better.
On a different subject, I personally hope that we don't get into the origin story again. We all know that Superman is the last son of Krypton, we know he's weak to alien rocks, we know that he grew up as a poor farm boy and we know he has a fortress in the Arctic. We don't need to spend half the movie recapping all of this. Just give the death of Krypton a five-minute prologue (if that) and then get us to the action.