mickeythechamp

So here we are, I have prepared watching DC stuff getting ready to the Gunn DCU and I must say I am left disappointed but entertained by Superman. While this is a huge leg up from the prior readings of the character and movies of him, (I am not counting the Christopher Reeves version here). This is still more a problematic movie since it can barely be called that. What the prior DCEU had problems with was the tone trying to mimic the success of the Nolan Batman movies and getting lost in a director who I am not a fan of and that can´t read subtext even If his life depended on him. Here saved by a director who clearly understands the characters and knows how to write them, but defiantly got lost in the sauce when it came to an actual movie. Superman is something that starts something I look forward to, seeing these characters being used in other media, but as a movie on its own, it has problems, but hey its not like phase 1 of Marvels cinematic universe were all killer either.

We follow superman, an alien who is here on earth to help humanity. He is faced with his biggest thread yet, the human Lex Luthor who wants to destroy Superman at any cost.

Let´s start there. What this movie does very well. The characters have personality and work here. They have attitude and are easy to read and they are clearly understood by the director. David Corenswet as Superman is not the brooding Superman prior, he is a light-hearted nice guy that is shown being a real Superman here. The hope of everyone, the man who wants no one and nothing to get hurt and he is portraited perfect here. He is not the smartest, but he is the one that will do anything to seek justice and protects. Something like him saving a squeal from being crushed and ask people if they are okay in the heat of battel, that is Superman to me. He is not indestructible but as strong as he needs to be in order to save the day. Sadly we aren't really exploring his more human side here, while it is shown it is not explored sadly. But I can´t wait to see this superman do more in the DCU. Lex Luther played by Nicholas Hoult is also understood to a T. The scared yet envious villain works wonders and what makes him a great adversary to superman is no doubt here. But there is more! Jimmy Olson (I can´t wait till he is a villain), Lois Lane, the green lantern, mister Terrific, all of them are portrayed well here and the puzzle pieces can easily be moved around here to make good things. Krypto is also a cute dog okay.

That was my highest praise now for the rest. The story, or lack thereof is this movies biggest missed opportunity. There is glimpses of the movie that works here, all the plot points are in the movie, but it is shown horribly. This seems more like a lot of moments written on yellow post it notes crammed together than a well thought out movie. There are so many small instances of scene that work but are just not done well in the bigger context of this being a movie. This together with horrible dialogue did not help. Everyone speaks so inorganic and either its exposition or a character telling other characters "This is what I am/you are" and that just makes the movie seem so less engaging. You could say its comic booky, but that doesn't fly here.

This movie also has some too sci-fi moments compared to the grounded other half that is very political. Superman can be a political character to me no doubt and in a world of writing in turmoil it makes sense you want a big superhero like Superman to come and save the day. But then movie should have been that. It seems inserted and misplaced here, like the movie wanted to make a plot about that but also Wimsey pocket dimension Sci-Fi. It clashes.

We are also presented with some not great effects. Some of the more otherworldly stuff works, but it seems more like the movie has jumped ropes to avoid to film action head on and have more background action. It worked to some extend but we never really feel the power of the characters here. This together with Superman being hard to portray as he is just a big wall that cant die really, presents him with some mixed action moments. Same with Green Lanterns and Mister Terrific that both have cool powers, but nothing really given the light of day except for that one scene. The monsters look fine I guess but most of the movie is very unappealing. The pocket dimension thing looks ugly and the green screen hell is here. It's just purple pixels and it´s just not nice to look at, at all. Superman's flying is ugly, and the dog is hit or miss. There is a lot to be desired to be better

But this is the movie that has to land some money for this to go on. I know they have "confirmed" what they are doing but everything can be stopped here depending on how this goes, reviews and money wise. I myself, want to see more, I want to see more characters done and stories told, but this movie leaves me worried for some of the quality of later instalments.

Another short taken off the watchlist this time a polish one. A pretty cute little romance/movie making short that I enjoyed a lot. It is simple in its execution and delivery and it works for its premise and idea. It is nothing completely groundbreaking but it is something you can enjoy.

An extra who only plays dead people on sets meets a young women and they talk about life while playing dead.

This is a cute little romance story, I liked the actors and their chemistry and the idea is pretty cute. The overall concept of extra actors playing dead is something you take for granted and it is shown and told pretty well here. The main actors feelings about laying still and how he does it and also him being dead inside until he meets someone taking him out of his trance. It´s a good idea and moral that works wonders here. The blossoming romance is also very cute.

It´s a simple movie about making movies and again the extras plot is fun, because what do you do when you are playing dead body number 5? You think and I think the premise and symbolism works so well here.

It is also rather well shot with some really simple but affective cinematography that lifts a movie from the perspective of the extras. It´s fun to stay close to the ground away from the war drama going on and just looking at people playing dead.

I just really enjoyed this, more than I thought I would and while it is nothing insane it is something that I really just liked.

Checked out the watchlist and I added this short that was a part of a movie festival selection and gave it a chance...Yeah I don´t get it. It's a make of it what you will kind of shorts. I think it can be read and interpreted in a lot of ways, but to a point where the short feels rather pointless to begin with. While there are aspects I liked this was just not for me.

A man in peril is surrounded by 7 boats.

As mentioned this is a bit of a make of it what you will kind of shorts with lots of interpretations to add to this. It is rather hard to read as no dialogue is present and you the viewer can make of the evets what you want. I see a prodigious society not helping a man in need, but what you think is as correct. That is kind of the problem with a short like this. We are presented to think what we will but that leaves what we have to just be a rather slow and uneventful movie.

This makes the point rather pointless. There is not much ti derive here and overall the filmmaking is present but it has no weight behind it.

The visuals are nice with black and white water always being a hit. But this movie is painfully slow. It is 10 minutes of no dialogue, a slow pan and a stay at a man swimming, that's what you get, the sound side is not much better since we are presented with a man in peril and a dog barking, annoying but adding to the destress I guess.

It just becomes a now real pay-off movie and my artistic mind simply can´t connect the dots to something more interesting than a simple story and that makes the commitment to this rather boring.