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**MIB41** · May 18, '15, 9:32 AM

Great podcast Chris and Cindy! Sorry I'm getting to this late. Finally got served a less than hectic morning at work where I could settle in and listen. I'm very much in agreement with your position on BVS. I think Snyder pushes a dark and cynical side to his characters that can service some depictions well (as it did in Watchmen or 300), but tends to weigh other stories down when he applies too much attitude and angst to characters. On a side note, I think Man of Steel had too many cooks in the kitchen. I sensed that Snyder had people in his ear saying, " Don't do that, do this." I felt Snyder wanted Superman to break free of his alien modesty and wreck havoc, but was held back until the very end (which is what Snyder likes). And that whole subplot of Clark being raised under a belief system of distrust hit a negative note with me. I couldn't see him developing this duel morality, yet allowing his earthbound father to die when the very circumstances of his dilemma were more than a distraction for others who would be thinking about their own mortality, rather than being a spectator to what Clark was going to do. That was a very forced and unnecessary change in that character's fate which took away the lesson that Clark's powers could not remedy every obstacle in life, including death. But I digress...

So with that thought in mind, and the most recent trailer to reflect on with BVS, I see more of the same compromise in play here. And Chris I think you really hit the nail on the head when you said Snyder has too much of a "man-crush" on Frank Miller. And Cindy is absolutely correct when she says Superman is the glue that holds the dominant rationale and morale compass. This Superman does not seem capable of that kind of leadership because he grew up with a very backwards philosophy that told him to NOT take the lead or be the example, plus be weary of others. So with so much happening all at once (at least on the pace this movie seems to suggest) I don't see Superman finding time for therapy to mend those ambiguous notions that allowed him to stand still and watch his earthbound father die. That's a stretch. And Batman seems like a cross between Dirty Harry and Wolverine. He might as well have said, "Go ahead. Make my day bub." I'm not sure his motivations make much sense in this trailer, so hopefully the context is flushed out better in the story.

The suggested story also seems overly preachy and honestly a little dated to my tastes. We might have a DC universe and a Marvel universe, but in the REAL universe the paying public has already witnessed plenty of films that cover the moral implications of those with power or those whom we give power to. And being that Snyder is already associated with a film and story that covers that point with infinite detail in the Watchmen, the whole "Superman is God" theme feels more than a little like retreaded material in Snyder's hands. So I'm not getting any kind of feel for a movie that is bringing anything fresh to the table so much as a project that wants to compete with the Avengers for spectacle sake. And given these characters have such rich histories, especially in meeting one another, this seems like another missed opportunity to mine the ideal stories instead of chasing mood.

**Earth 2 Chris** · May 18, '15, 12:43 PM

Thanks Tom! I hadn't thought about Snyder covering some of the same ground in Watchmen. Good call!

Also, you bring up some interesting points in regards to this Superman's upbringing. They really did flip-flop the dynamic between the cold Jor-El and warm Pa Kent we got in Superman: The Movie...and in many interpretations of the character. Russell Crowe's Jor-El is a progressive but-kicker and man of action, while Costner's Pa Kent comes across as paranoid at best. It's almost like an Elseworlds take on Superman.

Chris

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