# Man of Steel is going to rock your freaking socks off **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2013, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382 "2013-04-11T05:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/41 "2013-04-11T16:51:34Z")
Jeff Bridge’s character in the first Iron Man movie was closer to the ideal Lex Luthor than any of the Superman movie versions to date. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/42 "2013-04-11T16:51:50Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Just once . . . just once, I’d like to see a Superhero movie (reboot or first film) that _doesn’t_ cover the hero’s origin. Throw the guy into action right away and give whatever origin you need in a two-minute flashback. Oh, I agree. My wife hears this everytime I go to a superhero movie. Especially the last Spider-Man movie. **But** have you seen The Return of Captain Invincible? Alan Arkin’s a superhero, Christopher Lee’s the villain; they both sing. (I’m being generous.) It’s a camp romp, not a great movie, but it’s fun. Oh, and the songs are by Richard O’Brien (of Rocky Horror Picture Show). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/43 "2013-04-11T16:53:48Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Right, but he \*chooses \*to act that way. Why? I’d like to see what made him such a good man. If it’s just because he was born that way, then yeah, he kind of sucks as a character. It’s because he’s a [Methodist](http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/Superman.html), silly. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/44 "2013-04-11T16:54:12Z")
I don’t even like Superman and I think this looks awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/45 "2013-04-11T16:56:11Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Superman is the absolutely best candidate to skip the origin: everyone knows it. It’s impossible to bring anything new into it (other than to screw it up). > > Start the entire thing in medias res and go on from there. Create a new villain, with Luthor there on the sidelines (maybe even having to work with Superman). Or tell the story from Luthor’s point of view. But, Jesus, why waste a half hour telling people what they all know? Hell, the original Action Comics only used a page to the origin before getting on with the story. I obviously grew up watching _The Adventures of Superman_. The first half-hour episode dealt with the origin story. They never referred to it again (unless they were explaining where kryptonite came from). So, with The New Adventures of Lois and Clark and Smallville, and the animated shows on Nickelodeon, yeah, there’s really very little chance anybody’s who interested won’t already know. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/46 "2013-04-11T17:00:02Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Mark my words. Save this thread so you can mock me if I’m wrong… > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu3gS7iJu4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu3gS7iJu4) > > Snyder is rebooting the Superman franchise with a new origin movie, and if the trailers are any indication, he’s doing it right this time. > > Let’s face it, Superman as we know him today sucks. There’s about as much emotional depth to him as a cup a coffee. For us to care about him, what he needed was a good old fashioned beating with the “humanizing” stick. I’m hoping this new version shows us a toned-down power level, and much more emotionally human Superman. The problem with Superman can’t be fixed. He can’t be hurt so he can’t really be scared. He is not brave so he’s not a hero in anyway that matters. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/47 "2013-04-11T17:01:12Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Papa Kent saying maybe Clark should let people die? I have no doubt that the next thing out of Jonathan’s mouth is something along the lines of, “No, of course you shouldn’t have let them die. [kicks tire again.] Just, be careful, son.” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/48 "2013-04-11T17:02:09Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > I obviously grew up watching _The Adventures of Superman_. The first half-hour episode dealt with the origin story. They never referred to it again (unless they were explaining where kryptonite came from). > > So, with The New Adventures of Lois and Clark and Smallville, and the animated shows on Nickelodeon, yeah, there’s really very little chance anybody’s who interested won’t already know. The thing is, the origin story isn’t just “how a superhero got his powers” anymore. Everyone knows those tales. It’s “How a person with powers became a superhero.” Which can change a lot depending on who’s telling the story. Man of Steel basically covers the same ground as Superman the Movie, but it looks like a completely different story. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/49 "2013-04-11T17:08:54Z")
Supe needs his cape. That’s where he stores his Clark Kent clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/50 "2013-04-11T17:11:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ll take that bet. This movie is going to blow. Put me down for the same bet. It looks like a crapfest to me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/51 "2013-04-11T17:13:51Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > That was one of the great things about The Incredibles, no tedious origin story. Yeah, that was one of the things I liked about [The Hulk](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800080/): the entire origin story is told during the opening credits, total runtime was maybe 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/52 "2013-04-11T17:24:01Z")
Jonathan is frightened for his son. He is afraid that if Clark attracts the attention of the Authorites, he will be living out the rest of his life as a lab rat, if not first blasted and scraped into specimen jars. As for the origin, recently (last five years maybe?) they had a one-page, four panel, eight-word origin for Superman. It went like “Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple.” I felt that was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/53 "2013-04-11T20:03:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Yeah, that was one of the things I liked about [The Hulk](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800080/): the entire origin story is told during the opening credits, total runtime was maybe 2 minutes. I thought that was a sequel to [Hulk](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286716/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) with Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. Thus picking up with Bruce on the run trying to find a cure. The origin story was the previous movie. Man of Steel looks pretty. I have high hopes. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/54 "2013-04-11T20:07:13Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > As for the origin, recently (last five years maybe?) they had a one-page, four panel, eight-word origin for Superman. It went like “Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple.” I felt that was perfect. [Here.](http://www.griph.net/bp/origin.jpg) From Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman, 2005. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/55 "2013-04-11T20:09:52Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I thought that was a sequel to [Hulk](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286716/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) with Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. Thus picking up with Bruce on the run trying to find a cure. The origin story was the previous movie. Nope - no official connection between _Hulk_ and _The Hulk_. However, _The Avengers_ is a sequel (of sorts) to _The Hulk_, despite the change in actors. Iron Man,Iron Man 2, The Hulk, Captain America (the First Avenger), and Thor are all the precursers to The Avengers. > [@fubbleskag](#): > > Spacey’s LL made Hackman’s look good. Spacey wasn’t playing Lex Luthor. He was playing Gene Hackman playing Lex Luthor. In respect, he was absolutely _brilliant_. Whichever idiot (studio chief, writer, director, whatever) asked for that is a complete buffoon, however. Truth be told, the entire movie is a very expensive and not well done homage to the old movies - without understanding what made the first two good. For what they were, they were well-acted and well-directed. it’s the idea itself which is flawed. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/56 "2013-04-11T20:20:57Z")
I’m excited but cautious. I mean, they keep making these comic book movies more and more edgy, darker and darker. If they get any edgier, we’ll all leave the theater cut to ribbons. ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/57 "2013-04-11T20:39:33Z")
I personally like the origin stories. It’s generally the biggest change that character undergoes. Oftentimes the origin story is the best bit and the rest just seems like, “Oh, now we need something for the character to do in an elongated action scene…” Once the character arc is over with it all seems quite pointless (which is how I felt about Captain America). The latest Spiderman’s origin story only felt pointless because that entire movie was pointless. We didn’t need another Spiderman movie. We don’t need another Spiderman _anything_. If they can’t come up with novel superheroes themselves, why not at least take advantage of the wealth of superheroes already in print? I’m hoping for good things, but I have serious doubts after Sucker Punch. That movie may as well have just been a video game. It felt like I needed a controller in my hands to enjoy it. And it’s a ridiculously sexist movie. I liked Watchmen though. But that’s probably because the source material is so good. I have my doubts about Zack Snyder these days. Seems to be all style and no substance. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/58 "2013-04-11T20:47:50Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > The problem with Superman can’t be fixed. He can’t be hurt so he can’t really be scared. He is not brave so he’s not a hero in anyway that matters. You miss the point. He’s invulnerable like Mr. Incredible… he may be indestructible but those things he cares about are not, and there are too many of them (people, places and things) to protect all at once. Most brilliant line in a brilliant movie: _“I’m not strong enough!”_ ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/59 "2013-04-11T20:51:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Just once . . . just once, I’d like to see a Superhero movie (reboot or first film) that _doesn’t_ cover the hero’s origin. Throw the guy into action right away and give whatever origin you need in a two-minute flashback. _The Incredible Hulk_ 2008 has been mentioned (again, _not_ a sequel to the 2003 _Hulk_). Also: _Batman_ 1989, origin only told through a few brief flashbacks. ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382/60 "2013-04-11T20:53:28Z")
> [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](#): > > If they can’t come up with novel superheroes themselves, why not at least take advantage of the wealth of superheroes already in print? One reason why I’m looking forward to the upcoming movies from Marvel Studios is because they’re taking a chance and doing some movies about superheroes that AFAIK haven’t been used in movies before. “Phase 1” of the Marvel plan was _Iron Man_, _Iron Man 2_, _Thor_, _Captain America_, _The Incredible Hulk_, and _Avengers_. So when I was [reading about their plans](http://screenrant.com/guardians-galaxy-marvel-phase-3-kevin-feige/) for more movies I totally expected “Phase 2” to just be _Iron Man 3_, _Thor 2_, _Captain America 2_, and _Avengers 2_. But apparently they’re also making _Guardians of the Galaxy_. And then later they’re making _Ant-Man_, and _Doctor Strange_. Now I’m not a comic book reader and I don’t know anything about those comics or those characters - but that makes me excited to see a new comic book movie with characters that haven’t been on screen before (“Rocket Racoon”? WTF? Hopefully it’ll be awesome but I’m not sure how they’ll do it). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-is-going-to-rock-your-freaking-socks-off/655382.md?page=4)