Batmite77

June 20, 2013 2:27 am Loved this podcast. You guys were honest and expressed a lot of how I felt about the movie. I just saw it a second time and have to say I honestly love the movie. Is it perfect? No. But most of my favorite films aren't perfect... Sometimes I appreciate them more for what they attempt. When you reach so high some things are bound to fall a little short. So much to love in this film and I don't believe the filmmakers would have taken as many risks with a character unless they loved him, too. Moments to love: 1) After the carnage in Smallville, the look on Superman's face as he emerges in front of the soldiers. As great a performance as has ever appeared in a super-hero film and utterly unique. Could they hurt him? Physically, no, but they could have broken his heart, which of course reminded my of Jonathan's speech earlier: "I mean: are you okay?" The filmmakers found a vulnerability in Clark much more interesting and touching than Kryptonite. 2) Kal grabbing Louis' hand before the Kryptonian's arrive. Not only is Lois his love interest, but she is his bridge to humanity outside of his family. The pure sign that, yes, he has a chance to be accepted. 3) Kal in the beam of the World Engine... willing himself upwards to victory intercut with Perry and Jenny. Emphasizing that it's not so much Kal's powers, but his will that carries the day. I harken back to Ra's line in Batman Begins "The will to act". At this moment, it is the defining principle behind this creative teams vision of The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel. It is Bruce and Kal's will to act that make's them heroic... 4) Tough decisions ultimately make Kal a hero more than his powers. Now, I love the Avengers and have huge admiration for what Marvel is doing, but Goyer, Nolan,and Snyder have pushed Batman and Superman further than they've ever been pushed before. They've each had to make awful decisions and this is what make them heroes even more than their powers. Yes, the climax with Zod meant a great deal to me, but even before this moment, Clark had to decide in an instant whether or not to destroy the Genesis chamber. He takes a beat but ultimately decides that earth is more important the New Krypton. An awful decision to have to make. 5) We define our heroes by their actions and we never will understand them unless we push them to their limit. Kal's final act regarding Zod pushes Superman as hard as he's been pushed in nearly 75 years of existence, especially since most people only know Superman from the Donner films. The conversation brought up by this act has been so fascinating and illuminating. So much better than if we got Kal flying over the globe and smiling (an ending I loved and still love!) -- they could have taken the easy way out but they pushed us. People that compare this to a transformer movie are crazy. I felt every punch in this crazy, awesome, over the top movie. I love that people are talking about Superman again. I'm only scratching the surface of what I think makes this movie great... not perfect... but simply great.