‘Superman & Batman’ movie will follow ‘Man of Steel’

[davejames]

It may not have been the most inspired or interesting take on the character, but I still thought Spacey made it work as well as it ever could have.

And he was especially good and scary at the end when he stabs Superman and is taunting and kicking the crap out of him (which is still a surprisingly dark and disturbing scene to watch in a Superman movie).

 

[Taylirious]

Michael Rosenbaum on SMALLVILLE was perfect as Lex.

This is something I hadn't read before...

'He will be great': Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum says he's not jealous Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...-jealous-Jesse-Eisenberg-cast-Lex-Luthor.html

 

[Christopher]

It may not have been the most inspired or interesting take on the character, but I still thought Spacey made it work as well as it ever could have.

Maybe. I didn't much care for most of the performances in that movie, so I attribute it more to Singer's choice to direct everyone to give really subdued and downplayed performances, so the whole thing came off rather bland. I mean, I really like Brandon Routh as the Atom on Arrow, but he didn't have a fraction of that energy or sense of fun when he played Superman.

 

[The Lensman]

I'm not talking about the character trying to be charming, I'm talking about how appealing it is to me as an audience member to watch the actor's performance. Hackman's Luthor wasn't trying to be charismatic any more than Spacey's was; after all, they were supposed to be the same version of the character. Hackman's Luthor was arrogant and self-centered and imperious and abusive, and the only people he ever tried to be endearing to were Zod's threesome, as a matter of self-preservation. But Hackman played that imperious and abusive character with a lot of humor and wit and made him fun to watch. Spacey played the same character, but in a way that wasn't as appealing to me as a viewer.

Hackman's Luthor felt like the Batman '66 version of the character. Goofy, unfunny and completely non-threatening. And he got worse in succeeding movies. Time has not changed that for me.

For me we've never gotten a definitive Luthor onscreen, but Spacey is the best we've gotten so far. We'll see if Eisenberg come's off better in the movie than he has in the trailer.

 

[Admiral2]

Forget the haters! Bring it on!!! Batman v Superman v Ninja Turtles v The Social Network!

So...if am I a hater if I want Eisenberg's concept of Lex Luther to die a slow painful death?

 

[Christopher]

Hackman's Luthor felt like the Batman '66 version of the character. Goofy, unfunny and completely non-threatening.

Well, I thought he was funny. And the Reeve-era movies were largely a throwback to the unapologetic absurdity of the Silver Age, so the Batman '66 comparison is actually rather apt. The problem with Superman Returns is that it was simultaneously trying to be a direct sequel to those movies and trying to be a more serious and modern reinterpretation, so it was kind of at odds with itself. Spacey's Luthor has that same problem.

I've always felt that it would've worked much better if Singer had done what he did for the X-Men and given us a completely new, fresh interpretation of Superman, rather than a glorified Donner fan film. Spacey would probably have been better if he hadn't been saddled with playing the movies' terrible version of Luthor, a poor excuse for a villain who's unduly obsessed with real estate and can't manage to assemble a gang that doesn't consist of a small number of idiots. The only thing that made that version of Luthor palatable at all was Hackman's comedic flair. Spacey tried to play that version of Luthor more seriously, and it didn't work, not because of the actor but because of the poor material he had to work with.

 

[davejames]

Well I know this has already been debated endlessly... but personally I thought Singer did bring enough of his own, unique style to SR, and that despite the homages it still felt very much like a new interpretation, with a very different tone and feel from the Donner movies.

Unfortunately it was an interpretation of Superman than fans were just not remotely interested in seeing.

 

[Christopher]

Well I know this has already been debated endlessly... but personally I thought Singer did bring enough of his own, unique style to SR, and that despite the homages it still felt very much like a new interpretation, with a very different tone and feel from the Donner movies.

It's not that he didn't bring anything of his own, just that he was trying to do that and a Donner homage at the same time, so it felt tentative and at odds with itself. And the directorial style was just so subdued, as if lacking confidence. I feel it might've been better if he'd just started from scratch and done something completely his own.

 

[Magellan]

Spacey is very talented and definitely could have done any Lex Luthor the directed wanted. He was clearly trying to emulate Hackman but he could have been a very threatening and serious Luthor if called for.

I think I'm the only one not bothered that much by Eisenberg in the trailer. He seems goofy, but that doesn't mean he wont be serious in other parts. It felt to me that was his disguise. Supes a reporter, Bats a playboy and Lex is a silly geek......when the world is watching.

The rest of the trailer was so-so for me. I agree showing DoomZod was a mistake. The Bat-Superman fight should be front an center. The CA:Civil War trailer ends with Winter Soldier and Cap wailing on Iron Man playing up their conflict not showing that, yeah they are gonna work everything out and be buddies at the end. I was more hoping that Batman and Superman learning to work together without the impetus of a more dangerous third player.

 

[Christopher]

The rest of the trailer was so-so for me. I agree showing DoomZod was a mistake. The Bat-Superman fight should be front an center.

But we already got a trailer centered on that aspect. This trailer was broadening the focus to other aspects. I agree that trailers today tend to give away too much, but I can't blame them for not having the same focus in two different trailers, because that would be kind of pointless.

The CA:Civil War trailer ends with Winter Soldier and Cap wailing on Iron Man playing up their conflict not showing that, yeah they are gonna work everything out and be buddies at the end.

That's the first trailer for Civil War, corresponding to the earlier BvS trailer. I'm sure we'll get a later trailer that focuses more on other aspects of the film, because that's how film promotions work these days. Like this, the next CW trailer will probably focus more on the humor and character interplay and reveal more of the plot. The people who make movie trailers have an established formula that they tend to stick to. (The filmmakers don't do the trailers themselves. I gather there's a particular company that specializes in creating trailers.)

 

[Trekker4747]

The trailer.... Impressed me. I am more interested in this than I was before, looks very promising. But, as others have noted, I'm not feeling this take on Lex. I like him colder, calmer, calculating, a reserved intelligent. This? JE's take is cracked-out whack job He may be intelligent and all but he felt more Joker to me than Lex in his overall behavior.

 

[JD]

For me we've never gotten a definitive Luthor onscreen, but Spacey is the best we've gotten so far. We'll see if Eisenberg come's off better in the movie than he has in the trailer.

What about Clancy Brown's version in Superman: TAS and the Justice League series? Most people seem to really like that version.

 

[Christopher]

JE's take is cracked-out whack job He may be intelligent and all but he felt more Joker to me than Lex in his overall behavior.

I'm not seeing the Joker comparisons. Carrey Riddler, maybe.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I was looking through my copy of The Batman Vault book, when I saw this Elseworlds collectible Batman figure based on JSA: The Liberty Files which featured Batman acting as sort of a spy in WWII. It seems like his outfit there might have been the inspiration for the "Knightmare Batman" suit in the film:

(click to enlarge)

 

[Corran Horn]

Forget the haters! Bring it on!!! Batman v Superman v Ninja Turtles v The Social Network!

So...if am I a hater if I want Eisenberg's concept of Lex Luther to die a slow painful death?

It's a gritty and interesting take - unlike the Marvel sausage factory. Shame on you!

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Spacey is very talented and definitely could have done any Lex Luthor the directed wanted. He was clearly trying to emulate Hackman but he could have been a very threatening and serious Luthor if called for.

I think I'm the only one not bothered that much by Eisenberg in the trailer. He seems goofy, but that doesn't mean he wont be serious in other parts. It felt to me that was his disguise. Supes a reporter, Bats a playboy and Lex is a silly geek......when the world is watching.

The rest of the trailer was so-so for me. I agree showing DoomZod was a mistake. The Bat-Superman fight should be front an center. The CA:Civil War trailer ends with Winter Soldier and Cap wailing on Iron Man playing up their conflict not showing that, yeah they are gonna work everything out and be buddies at the end. I was more hoping that Batman and Superman learning to work together without the impetus of a more dangerous third player.

You're not the only one. That one line about 'I'd hate to have to fight this guy' was a little off, but overall I still have no problem with Lex based on what we've seen so far.

I also agree that Doomsday didn't need to be in the trailer, but that was probably inevitable given how trailers are made these days.

My biggest problem with the trailer was the way it made Wonder Woman's entrance look so completely out of left field. I'm sure she'll have an actual introduction in the movie, but judging by this trailer it's like Batman and Superman are fighting to the death, then suddenly there's a giant monster about to kill them both and bam, there she is saving their hides when neither of them has a clue who she is. It just felt totally random. The whole 'is she with you?' bit certainly didn't help, either.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It just felt totally random. The whole 'is she with you?' bit certainly didn't help, either.

Based on this and earlier trailers, my working theory is that Clark had spotted Bruce and Diana together earlier at the shindig. Evidently, neither Bruce nor Clark knew yet that Diana was WW. But having seen Bruce and Diana together already, Superman thought he'd ask. Given that Bruce basically returns the question, perhaps she also mingles with Clark at the party, and Bruce observes that. We might infer that Diana's there at the party because she's tracking one or both of the two superheroes, and she shows up in time to save Batman at least from the heat rays and join forces. That wouldn't be random at all.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Yeah, I agree it probably won't be so random in the movie. At least, I certainly hope not. But this trailer works really hard to make it seem that way.

 

[Christopher]

I think Wonder Woman's surprise appearance in the trailer actually works. As I said, that was the only moment in the trailer that actually excited me. And that's partly because it was so unexpected. It's like there's a Batman/Superman movie going on and suddenly WW shows up and goes, "Oh, hey, guys, I'm taking over this movie now, but you can stay and watch."

 

[Mudd]

Luthor in the trailer certainly doesn't remind me of Ledger's Joker in any way other than seeming a bit manic. Luthor comes across as simply goofy and socially maladroit, with more than a hint that it's a put-on persona to make himself appear harmless.