MAN OF STEEL - Grading & Discussion

[Mr Light]

<<A lot of the disillusionment I'm reading here strikes me as stemming from expectation. Many (if not all) have a set image or expectation of who/what Superman/Clark is (as well as the other characters) and they're upset with any deviation.>>

Which is why I find it so befuddling that so many people object to him killing Zod, when that's what he does in the comics.

 

[Warped9]

See, killing Zod didn't really bother me. And I doubt it would weigh on the minds of any humans either given what Zod set about doing. It quickly became apparent that Earth was going to get it whether Kalel was surrendered or not.

 

[Gaith]

One thing that made sense to me (from what we saw of it) was making Lois smart enough to figure out who Clark was from the beginning. This got around the hoary old idea that has long lost any credibility whatsoever that him simply donning glasses (and maybe combing his hair a bit differently) could fool her into beleiving Clark and Superman were two separate individuals. They got that out of the way.

But everyone else at the Planet apparently will be fooled?

 

[Warped9]

One thing that made sense to me (from what we saw of it) was making Lois smart enough to figure out who Clark was from the beginning. This got around the hoary old idea that has long lost any credibility whatsoever that him simply donning glasses (and maybe combing his hair a bit differently) could fool her into beleiving Clark and Superman were two separate individuals. They got that out of the way.

But everyone else at the Planet apparently will be fooled?

No, that doesn't really make much sense either, but at least we getting at least something more believable out of this.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I can't wait to see how this secret identity thing plays out. Maybe they'll continue to play fast and loose with it rather than fully embracing the traditional conceit. Part traditional Superman, part Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man.

 

[Gaith]

One thing that made sense to me (from what we saw of it) was making Lois smart enough to figure out who Clark was from the beginning. This got around the hoary old idea that has long lost any credibility whatsoever that him simply donning glasses (and maybe combing his hair a bit differently) could fool her into beleiving Clark and Superman were two separate individuals. They got that out of the way.

But everyone else at the Planet apparently will be fooled?

No, that doesn't really make much sense either, but at least we getting at least something more believable out of this.

What, Lois recognizes the most famous person on the planet, but no one else at the Planet and in everyday Metropolis life does? I fail to see how that's in any way more believable.

 

[DWF]

But everyone else at the Planet apparently will be fooled?

No, that doesn't really make much sense either, but at least we getting at least something more believable out of this.

What, Lois recognizes the most famous person on the planet, but no one else at the Planet and in everyday Metropolis life does? I fail to see how that's in any way more believable.

Well few people in Mtropolis has seen him close up, but I'm sure that Pete Ross recognize him during the battle in Smallville. Still with millions of people in Metropolis it'd be hard to spot a man who doesn't stick out.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

The reason that Clark's disguise is so effective has been explained time and time again in the comics. First, it's not just glasses and a hairdo change. He wears clothes that are too big, changes his posture, and raises his voice an octave. Plus, there's the biggest thing: People don't even think that Superman has a secret identity. He has the powers of (to them) a god, and he doesn't wear a mask. To most people, he's just Superman. Someone sees Clark Kent, and they don't see Superman with glasses, because they're just not looking.

 

[Gaith]

^ There's no need to condescend. Fanwank comic explanations are still fanwank contrivances, and prior comics are not synonymous with Snyder's movies.

@DWF: Tell that to any celebrity - including Cavill himself - who walks down the street in NYC and is recognized multiple times per hour, if not block, but only if you don't mind being laughed at. This is gonna fool very, very few people in any reality resembling our own.

 

[DWF]

^ Tell that to any celebrity who walks down the street in NYC and is recognized multiple times per hour, if not block, but only if you don't mind being laughed at. This is gonna fool very, very few people in any reality resembling our own.

Superman was active for about one day and flying at superspeeds most of the time, if there were any pcitures taken of him they'd be blurry. The more he's seen publically the harder it might be for him.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

The reason that Clark's disguise is so effective has been explained time and time again in the comics. First, it's not just glasses and a hairdo change. He wears clothes that are too big, changes his posture, and raises his voice an octave. Plus, there's the biggest thing: People don't even think that Superman has a secret identity. He has the powers of (to them) a god, and he doesn't wear a mask. To most people, he's just Superman. Someone sees Clark Kent, and they don't see Superman with glasses, because they're just not looking.

^ There's no need to condescend. Fanwank comic explanations are still fanwank contrivances, and prior comics are not synonymous with Snyder's movies.

@DWF: Tell that to any celebrity - including Cavill himself - who walks down the street in NYC and is recognized multiple times per hour, if not block, but only if you don't mind being laughed at. This is gonna fool very, very few people in any reality resembling our own.

Hey lets play a game!
It's called "Search and Find: Secret Identity Edition"

Here we have Captain America/Human Torch/Chris Evans

Face from the A Team/Rocket Raccoon/ Bradley Cooper

Spider-Man/Andrew Garfield

The Wolverine/Hugh Jackman

Rachel Dawes (from TDK)/Maggie Gyllenhaal

Oh look it's Sherlock/Khan/Benedict Cumberbatch. He must be on a case to find Moriarty.

FOUND HIM Jim Moriarty/Andrew Scott

Loki/ Tom Hiddleston

Dr. Horrible/NPH

Is that the Doctor?!
Tenth Doctor/Hamlet/David Tennant

Photos of Chris Evans, Maggie Gylaanhal, Andrew Garfield, Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris taken in NYC.

Photos of Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, Tom Hiddleston, Andrew Scott taken in the UK.

If you didn't know who these actors were or if you didn't take the time to look closely; you probably would not recognize them I think most people would pass by them completely unaware. Supes disguises probably works under the same principle. People don't expect to find Superman walking among us. They watch the skies hoping for a glimpse of him. No one is watching Clark suspecting he might be Superman. Just like no one suspected billionaire Bruce Wayne to be the Batman.

"PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN"

 

[Gaith]

When it comes to these guys at least...

Spider-Man/Andrew Garfield

The Wolverine/Hugh Jackman

Rachel Dawes (from TDK)/Maggie Gyllenhaal

Oh look it's Sherlock/Khan/Benedict Cumberbatch. He must be on a case to find Moriarty.

Loki/ Tom Hiddleston

Dr. Horrible/NPH

If you didn't know who these actors were or if you didnt take the time to look closely.

That's not really a sentence, but if you're saying I wouldn't recognize the above actors, bullshit, especially without the beards and shades (which I doubt we'll see Supes put on in public onscreen), and that's just from single 2D images. Even Jackman is totally recognizable there.

Aside from the last picture all of the others were taken in NYC.

Wrong again; Cumberbatch, Scott and Hiddleston are all on the London tube there along with Tennant. The cushioned seats, small cars, and colored poles are your first clues.

I think most people would pass by them completely unaware. Supes disguise probably works under the same principle. People don't expect to find Superman walking among us.

If Supes were real and had torn up Metropolis like that, you're damn right people would expect to see him around. Manhattan folks expect to see famous people all the time; a friend of mine chatted up Angelina Jolie a few months ago.

Just like no one suspected billionaire Bruce Wayne to be the Batman.

Also laughably unbelievable. In Batman Begins, his obviously super-expensive car was being chased by multiple police as he rushed home to cure Rachel, thereby pointing a big-ass public arrow in the likeliest direction of his house... and that's just one of many examples.

 

[suarezguy]

One thing that made sense to me (from what we saw of it) was making Lois smart enough to figure out who Clark was from the beginning. This got around the hoary old idea that has long lost any credibility whatsoever that him simply donning glasses (and maybe combing his hair a bit differntly) could fool her into beleiving Clark and Superman were two separate individuals. They got that out of the way.

While I liked it myself, what will that say about everyone else, especially the other journalists, who get to know Clark in the sequels?

Although Jackman, particularly with that grin, is the only celeb posted I'd recognize.

This Superman is facing a huge unforseen challenge before he's actually decided to be Superman and establish himself. It all comes to a head before he's even really figured everything out for himself.

There didn't seem to be much reason to be so hesitant, though (aside from his childhood, which if it's that important was underdeveloped), especially with Jor-El so confidently pushing him to be a hero/example.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

When it comes to these guys at least...

Spider-Man/Andrew Garfield

The Wolverine/Hugh Jackman

Rachel Dawes (from TDK)/Maggie Gyllenhaal

Oh look it's Sherlock/Khan/Benedict Cumberbatch. He must be on a case to find Moriarty.

Loki/ Tom Hiddleston

Dr. Horrible/NPH

If you didn't know who these actors were or if you didnt take the time to look closely.

That's not really a sentence, but if you're saying I wouldn't recognize the above actors, bullshit, especially without the beards and shades (which I doubt we'll see Supes put on in public onscreen), and that's just from single 2D images. Even Jackman is totally recognizable there.

^ You're right. i had a thought in my head and I didn't translate it very well as I was compiling the images.

Well all of these actors have been seen by the masses in multiple movies (cinema and home video) and tv projects. Superman was fighting and flying all around the city and in the space. I doubt many people saw his face and formed a lasting impression of it.

I think most people would pass by them completely unaware. Supes disguise probably works under the same principle. People don't expect to find Superman walking among us.

If Supes were real and had torn up Metropolis like that, you're damn right people would expect to see him around. Manhattan folks expect to see famous people all the time; a friend of mine chatted up Angelina Jolie a few months ago.

How many Metropolis citizens actually saw Superman close enough to get a lastly impression of him? Not many. I didn't see any news crews or people taking photos. So at present, Superman can only be identified by the military members who worked with him and a dozen or so people in Metropolis who actually saw Supeman when he wasn't fliying around battling Zod at super speeds.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

^ There's no need to condescend. Fanwank comic explanations are still fanwank contrivances, and prior comics are not synonymous with Snyder's movies.

It wasn't my intent to come off as condescending. I was merely trying to add to the discussion. Apologies.

 

[Gaith]

^ No worries. I got a bit carried away also.

How many Metropolis citizens actually saw Superman close enough to get a lastly impression of him? Not many. I didn't see any news crews or people taking photos. So at present, Superman can only be identified by the military members who worked with him and a dozen or so people in Metropolis who actually saw Supeman when he wasn't fliying around battling Zod at super speeds.

Okay, fair point, but especially after all the carnage in Metropolis, surely people worldwide will demand Superman give a public interview and show his face? Even if Clark isn't particularly at risk for recognition at the end of MOS, that can't possibly last.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Velma from Scooby Doo has something to say about comic books and secret identity logic. Lol

You can stop watching at 0:53

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfYdUjWlnLE[/yt]

Enjoy

 

[Dream]

You have to roll with secret identity thing in these types of movies. Besides, Superman's secret identity is the least of Man of Steel's problems.

 

[Gaith]

You have to roll with secret identity thing in these types of movies. Besides, Superman's secret identity is the least of Man of Steel's problems.

It depends on the character, I think. Absurd as they may be, the anonymity of Batman and Arrow's "The Arrow" don't really bother me because being brooding rogue operators are key to their very personalities. Likewise, Peter Parker's a misfit and an underdog, so it makes sense for him thematically to keep a low profile and not glory in the celebrity of his abilities like Iron Man does, even if he does things in the movies that really should have outed him (like shattering the basketball backboard and bending the football goal in ASM).

With Superman, though, he's just so damn powerful and flamboyant (he goes by a name with "super" in it and wears a flowing red cape, for Pete's sake) that his whole mild-mannered identity thing just strikes me as tangential to his super-work at best and hypocritical at worst. He stands for "truth [and] justice" but hides from the public. He could topple a government each night, but writes newspaper stories instead of helping clear war zones of weapons, and building homes for disaster-stricken refugees? I'm not saying he doesn't deserve any time off or any privacy, but holding a newspaper job doesn't strike me as the way to go. Just my two cents.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Well, also, no one ever really sees Spider-Man's or Batman's face. Superman on the other hand ...