Super Friday

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It's finally here!  Man of Steel opens tonight in theatres around the world.  I've only been waiting 18 months for this!!  To celebrate I would like to pay tribute to my favorite superhero of all times by taking a look back at the men who have worn the tights and cape through the years.

Superman I, II, II (and, ok IV - if you must)
Director:  Richard Donner (I), Richard Lester (II, III),  Sidney J. Furie
Superman/Clark Kent:  Christopher Reeve
Lois Lane:  Margot Kidder
Lex Luthor:  Gene Hackman
Year(s): 1978, 1980, 1983, 1987

These were a mixed bag.  I and II were pretty good.  Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman.  I think he still epitomizes the Superman ideal.  Gene Hackman was also terrific as Lex Luthor, although he met his match in Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum.  Superman I did a great job of setting the stage for the superhero's story to unfold.  Superman II was probably my favorite:  Lois discovers Clark's secret, the two elope, you have Zod drama. Epic!  Superman III gave me nightmares when I watched it (which got my dad in trouble with my mom).  In Dad's defense, how was he supposed to know that lady was going to get sucked into that machine and turned into a robot.  I seriously think this movie is the reason elevators kinda freak me out.  And seeing the dark side of superman, the drinking and bad behavior - let's just say it isn't what I want to see in my favorite man in blue (and red and tights).  Superman IV....uhm.... I remember a solar powered Swedish person and Clark and Lois having a really bad date (it was probably Lois' fugly dress - girlfriend needs some serious wardrobe assist).  All in all, pretty blah and pretty forgettable.  Rewind and watch Superman I and II again.  And again.  And again.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Superman/Clark Kent:  Dean Cain
Lois Lane:  Teri Hatcher
Lex Luthor:  John Shea
Year(s):  1993-1997

One of the best Superman television shows ever.  This show approached the character of Clark Kent/Superman differently from previous shows, focusing much more in the relationship with Lois Lane.  Their meeting and the development of their relationship is what drives the series.  Will Clark win Lois over?  Will they ever have that first date?  First kiss?  Will Lois find out that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person?  If she does, will that change things?
Of course, she does eventually find out and their relationship does change. I love the natural chemistry between the two and the way Clark Kent is portrayed as very human.  He struggles with doubts and fears and even - gasp - insecurities.  It is enjoyable to watch the dynamic between these two.  I feel at times this series was rushed a bit.  There is more that could have been done here.  Still.  I'm glad for the 4 seasons we had.

Smallville
Clark Kent:  Tom Welling
Lois Lane:  Erica Durance
Lex Luthor:  Michael Rosenbaum
Years:  2001-2011

One of the best shows ever made.  Hands down.  The character development from season 1, in which a 16-year-old Clark discovers the secret his parents (Annette O'Toole and John Schneider) have been keeping from him, through season 10 in which a mature Clark Kent embraces his destiny and embarks on a life with the woman he loves as his equal and partner.  This series follows the Superman mythos but adds to it and diverges from it.  We meet a young Lex Luthor, who begins as Clark's best friend.  I found myself pulling for Lex to play it straight, to fight his evil impulses and do right by Clark, by himself.  The writers and the actors did a great job of showing a real friendship and real struggles:  two people who really care for each other but ultimately take different roads in life and end up on opposing sides.  We meet Lana Lang, Clark's first love. Their love story is tender and heart-breaking.  Then there's Lois...  You gotta love Lois.  She is really funny, gives Clark what's what.  But we watch her grow as the series progresses.  As Clark faces his doubts about himself and his destiny, we see Lois step up to be his strength in times when the man of steel is weak.

I guess that is one of the oh, so many reasons I love this show. It's good moral values and character meet modern sexiness.  It's philosophical and deep but also fun and humorous.  It's edge of your seat exciting and omg!-did that just happen, but it's also romantic and passionate.  Ultimately it is a great story - a very human story about finding one's purpose in life, making choices and the relationships that make us who we are.  And it is a story expertly told.

The characters are true to life.  They grow and change in the face of the experiences they face.  They question life, society, expectations and relationships just as we all do.  They do not always come up with the answers but they adjust to live with what they have at that moment.  Another really, really awesome thing about Smallville is the inclusion of other characters from the DC Comics universe, to name a few:  Supergirl, Zod, Doomsday, Bizarro, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Star Girl, Hawkman, the Flash, Black Canary, Cyborg, Zatanna, the Wonder Twins and Brainiac.  If the big budget movie studios are looking for a way to give Marvel's The Avengers a run for their money by making a Justice League movie - they should look to Smallville for a blueprint on how to do it and do it well.  The characters were all likeable, fun yet edgy, and all had good backstories with added depth beyond what you saw in the original comics.  I only wish there were more seasons.  Maybe a Metropolis?  You know, I liked the "no tights, no flights" thing.  But it would be nice to have seen a little bit more of Clark finally coming into his own and becoming the hero we watched him grow into for 10 years.  Just saying.  All in all, 5 stars out of 3 - yep, I can do that.  It's my blog!!!

Superman Returns
Director:  Bryan Singer
Superman/Clark Kent:  Brandon Routh
Lois Lane:  Kate Bosworth
Lex Luthor:  Kevin Spacey
Year(s):  2006

Not much to say about this one.  I had very high hopes.  The opening scene in which Superman catches the falling airplane in the middle of the baseball field is pretty amazing.  But the film went downhill pretty quickly from there.  Kate Bosworth was seriously miscast as Lois Lane.  And Superman has a son?  What?!  And what was up with Lex Luthor's plan to take over the world?  That was seriously the WORST diabolical plan EVER.  Lex, a.k.a Kevin Spacey, should have given me a call and I could have given him a couple of WAY better diabolical ideas.  All in all, a flop and the caped wonder deserved so much better.

Man of Steel
Director:  Zack Snyder
Superman/Clark Kent:  Henry Cavill
Lois Lane:  Amy Adams
Zod:   Michael Shannon
Year(s):  2013

Will the new Superman movie live up to the hype?  We haven't had a really good Superman movie since 1980 (Superman II).  Wow!  That's 33 years.  That's a whole lifetime.  Unless you are Superman because there are theories that he does not age in the same way we normal humans do.  But I digress...

Recently the best Superman material has been seen on television.  Yet, in spite of the lack of a successful movie in recent memory (certainly in the memory of the Gen Y and Millenialist generations) Superman has continued to be a presence in pop culture consciousness.  Why is that, I wonder?  I think it is because he speaks to our experience as humans.  We are all insecure and unsure of ourselves in some form or fashion.  There is always someone who looks down on us, puts us down, in the way Clark Kent is put down.  But Clark Kent is just a disguise.  The real man is Superman - someone who can do amazing things!  Someone who saves the world on a daily basis.  That is our fantasy isn't it? That we have a secret selves that no one knows about, a secret selves that can accomplish all kinds of extraordinary things.  Superman gives us hope that we really can do great things and we really are noble and honorable.  Through Superman we can believe that, no matter how mundane our day-to-day lives are,  we know the truth.  That our true selves are SUPER.