Bryan Singer: "My personality meshes more with [X-Men]"

[Trent Roman]

Could you add more capitalization, italics and underlining to your posts? I'm having trouble gauging how you feel about this.

While movie fans hold Wizard and Star War a tad higher in regard than Superman it is quite clear that it's not the sludge in the eyes of the public you regard it as.

No, it's sludge in my eyes. The public doesn't care; as I said, it's simply not a high-profile movie. (And while it may have been well-received at the time, there's an obvious selection bias those modern statistics.)

It should also be noted that Superman won a Saturn for Best Science Fiction Film. So that means it is also highly regarded in the sci-fi community.

Like ID4. Highly regarded.

It is also the benchmark movie that all other films in the superhero genre are compared to. That is FACT. If you don't believe me I can dig up reviews that support what I'm saying.

By your own standards--i.e. Rotten Tomatoes' aggregator--it is "The Incredibles" that is the benchmark superhero film, with a 97% rating (and nearly five times the number of reviews, for a far better pool).

Superman: The Movie is pure and simply an incredible achievement that holds up to this day.

Not at all. It's a hacknyed, puffed up cornball of a film whose final reel couldn't have been more insulting if the director had simply stepped on-camera pointing and laughing at the audience. It is riddled self-parodying performances and cartoonish characters, with about the same level of depth in terms of plot or theme. It may have been impressive when it was released in the 70s (or so my father tells me), but it has aged worse than Macaulay Culkin. Nostalgic distortions insist on seeing a quality there that simply isn't present.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

First off, let me say that I think Superman Returns is the best movie Singer ever made. It's big & epic in ways that his X-Men movies never quite achieved (although I enjoy those too). It also touches Superman on some psychological levels that I thought were effective. It is a very internal story at times but Singer does a good job of using film as a visual medium to convey that internal life.

Superman needs a Richard Donner. He needs somebody who thinks big and isn't afraid to blow up half the world for an epic fist fight.

So long as you mentioned it, why hasn't Warner Bros. just brought back Richard Donner to direct a new Superman movie? I know he's slowed down a little bit in the last decade, but since he's so revered, why not return to the auteur?

I was less happy with X-men Origins: Wolverine because the plot was dumbed down a bit more, it was full of too many unnecessary cameos (much like X3), and they plumbed for special effects instead of any realstic characters.

Supposedly that was a mandate from 20th Century Fox. They wanted to cram the film with as many mutants as possible so they could retain the rights to them. (Although, I'm not sure why because I doubt that 20th Century Fox will ever do anything else with them anyway.)

It is also the benchmark movie that all other films in the superhero genre are compared to. That is FACT. If you don't believe me I can dig up reviews that support what I'm saying.

While I am a big fan of Superman: The Movie (mostly because of Christopher Reeve's perfect performance), I'm not sure that it's the benchmark movie anymore. It probably held onto that position for a good 24 years, withstanding competition from the Tim Burton Batman movies & the 1st X-Men. However, I think that Spider-Man became the new benchmark in 2002. And since then, it seems that Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, & Iron Man are held up as the new ideal.

 

[Trent Roman]

Supposedly that was a mandate from 20th Century Fox. They wanted to cram the film with as many mutants as possible so they could retain the rights to them. (Although, I'm not sure why because I doubt that 20th Century Fox will ever do anything else with them anyway.)

Mutants or those mutants in particular? They have X-Men projects in the works--Singer's First Class and the second Wolverine film; and as far as I know, work continues on the planned Deadpool spinoff (and will probably accelerate should Reynolds' turn as Green Lantern go over well with audiences). The proposed Gambit film, however, seems dead in the water.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[mswood]

Superman the Movie - was a good film for its time (and for the time of the character, since that universe was very much based on the 60's and 70's Superman), but its performances are't great (even as teenager I groaned at some of the dialogue and acting (though in fairness teh beloved Star Wars also had that same impact on me as I don't feel the film had strong dialogue or that strong of acting). But serials and comics at that time (and earlier) weren't known to be deep. And the film worked for its time and for the material.

Superman Returns , I found far superior in almost every aspect, the only aspect of the film I disliked was the plot. I liked the dialogue (far, far more), I liked the acting across the board more, and of course production values had vastly improved (as they always do over time). But the plot, with Lex and his land deal (a complete "homage" read lift from the original) was part I disliked in the first film. Not to learn from that mistake, Yikes. As for the character being more reflective, well that reflects the character growth of Superman from the late eighties onward, so that didn't bother me at all, in fact I truly enjoyed that aspect.

I certainly found Superman Returns to be a superior film then X-Men 1, now X-Men 2 is a complete different story, as it to this day remains by 2nd favorite live action superhero film.

 

[Kegg]

RottenTomatoes is correct, The Incredibles is the benchmark superhero feature.

Anyway, given that the original Battlestar Galactica was an ensemble series (one anchored on Adama, true, but still) I guess that's also something his personality meshes with?

Or is the non-psychological aspect - all the characters were basically broadly painted archetypes, after all - a turn-off there too?

 

[The Wormhole]

Singer should pitch X3 to the studio.

???

That movie is several years old.

That's the joke.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Are you seriously blaming Singer for X-Men: The Last Stand?

No, I'm blaming him for X-Men The Last Stand and Superman Returns

Singer had hoped to do X3 and Superman Returns but Fox sacked him and cancelled the multi-movie deal they had with him. They then rushed X3 into production to act as a competition/ spoiler for SR. I think they're entitled to some of the blame for it.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Superman is not a deeply psychological character. He's mythological. He's the modern day Hercules. He's bigger than life. Richard Donner understood this better than anybody and that's why his first Superman movie is an undisputed classic.

I'd dispute that.

And you'd be wrong. Superman is held up there as a classic alongside Wizard of Oz and Star Wars. Just because you don't like that interpretation doesn't take away from it's historical status.

As I get older I've noticed that some of the movies I always thought were well regarded such as Superman and Terminator 2 were apparently garbage all along, who knew?

 

[Admiral_Young]

X3 under Singer got as far as the treatment done by Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty (they've since revealed their plans for the movie which involved Signourny Weaver as Emma Frost which would have been interesting). Bryan Singer directing X-Men The First Class might have some legal issues according to this article I found...

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12...inger-directing-x-men-first-class-not-so-fast

 

[RandyS]

Singer should pitch X3 to the studio.

???

That movie is several years old.

That's the joke.

Oh. I don't get it. Singer had nothing to do with 3?

 

[Trent Roman]

Deconstruction time: Aragorn jests that he would like to see Singer offer to make X3, because the actual X3 was rather poorly received and they would be pleased to see that film supplanted by a Singer-produced third instalment of 'his' X-Men, as many feel should have been the case originally. Not going to happen, obviously, but that's the joke.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Dick Whitman]

RottenTomatoes is correct, The Incredibles is the benchmark superhero feature.

I like that movie a lot but its seems so separate from the genre. Its had no impact on other superhero films. Maybe because its plotting seemed closer to a spy film like James Bond.

 

[JacksonArcher]

X3 under Singer got as far as the treatment done by Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty (they've since revealed their plans for the movie which involved Signourny Weaver as Emma Frost which would have been interesting). Bryan Singer directing X-Men The First Class might have some legal issues according to this article I found...

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12...inger-directing-x-men-first-class-not-so-fast

The article mentions that Singer will remain as producer on X-Men: First Class and that this will open him up for the possibility of him directing X-Men 4. Apparently he won't be free until 2012 (since he is in deep prep on Jack The Giant Killer for Warner Bros.) and for some stupid reason 20th Century Fox wants to move ahead with both First Class and Wolverine 2 immediately.

I have no idea why they can't wait. Especially since 2012 is going to be a very busy year for comic-book movies, if that is the intended release date for First Class. In 2012, we already have Batman 3, The Flash, Wolverine 2, the Spider-Man reboot, The Avengers, possibly a new Superman movie, and anything else that I am currently forgetting.

However, if I had to choose, I would much rather prefer Singer direct X4 rather than First Class. The Los Angeles Times article pretty much had Singer willing to do X4, and in my opinion so long as Singer is working on an X-Men film, I am happy. This is of course all unconfirmed, so we'll see what will happen.

I just wish 20th Century Fox weren't so overzealous. They already have Wolverine 2 for 2012 -- do they really need another X-Men film in the pipeline by then as well?

 

[T'Baio]

Yeah, I mean...let someone else direct the First Class movie that no one cares about. Then Singer can concentrate on X4, which people do. C'mon, Singer...ignore X3. I dare ya'!

 

[JacksonArcher]

Singer directing X4 is enticing on so many levels. It would almost be interesting to see him take some of the things he wanted to do with X3 and fit them into his X4. It'd be interesting to see whether he'd retcon some of the things that happened in X3 or just flat-out ignore them.

 

[Silvercrest]

Maybe they can reveal that James Marsden was hiding behind a rock in X3. "Guys, I'm okay! She just knocked my visor off!"

 

[Captaindemotion]

Yeah, I mean...let someone else direct the First Class movie that no one cares about. Then Singer can concentrate on X4, which people do. C'mon, Singer...ignore X3. I dare ya'!

That's basically my attitude. I'm fairly indifferent to the idea of Yet Another Prequel but really want to see Singer pick up where he left off.

And let's face it, he has form when it comes to ignoring sucky third movies he doesn't like ...

 

[JacksonArcher]

What's so interesting about this new rumor is that it is surfacing literally right after Singer did a piece for the Los Angeles Times where he talks briefly about his plans for X-Men: First Class. Either Singer is being kept in the dark about 20th Century Fox's secret plans or this is all rubbish. Interesting nonetheless.

 

[T'Baio]

And let's face it, he has form when it comes to ignoring sucky third movies he doesn't like ...

It would be great if he did...and he could. I don't see why they couldn't have a trailer that incorporated the end of X2, with Xavier's monologue and the shot of the Phoenix in the lake, then have a voice over or lettering saying something along the lines of "And now...Bryan Singer, director of X-Men and X2 returns... to complete his trilogy..." followed by a bunch of quickly edited, barely perceptable shots of Phoenix wreaking bloody havoc.

It won't be done, because Fox probably thinks audiences are too fucking dumb to understand, and it would be a giant 'fuck you' to Tom Rothman, which he wouldn't allow. But we can dream.

Is Rothman close to death, yet?

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Has Singer ever gone on the record saying what he thinks of X-Men: The Last Stand? I know it's extremely unlikely that 20th Century Fox would ever re-do X-Men: The Last Stand (at least, not without also totally rebooting the 1st 2 movies as well and starting from scratch). However, I would like to see Singer make an X-Men 4 that perhaps reacts to the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, fixing what he didn't like and building off of what he did.

The bottom line is I would prefer to see the franchise movie forward, not do another damn prequel. (However, if there's anyone I would trust to do an X-Men: First Class that wasn't completely worthless, it's Bryan Singer.)

I doubt that 20th Century Fox would do 2 big X-Men movies in the same year. That would be overkill. What would probably be best is to find some way to stream out a steady supply of movies at a maximum rate of 1 per year. A year is long enough to keep us wanting more yet not so long that we've forgotten about the last one. Perhaps do Wolverine 2 in 2012, X-Men 4 or X-Men: First Class in 2013, and then the Deadpool spin-off in 2014.