The Real Steel: Superman Trailer Analysis

I was at work when the new Man of Steel trailer was released and couldn’t wait to get home to watch it. My buddy Bryan called me during my lunch break to tell me about it and wanted my thoughts regarding a couple of other movies. Since I hadn’t seen the new Man of Steel trailer yet, I couldn’t really say anything. Now that I’ve seen it a couple of times (more like 27 times), I do have some thoughts on it.

After watching it for the first time, I was speechless. There are so many elements going on, and it has an entirely different tone from any other Superman movie ever made. I had to just gather my thoughts for a while in order to make them coherent. In short, it’s amazing.

I have tons of thoughts on the potential of the movie and where it could go and how it may lead into the Justice League movie in 2015. I will only mention a few thoughts on the recent Man of Steel trailer.

A Gift and A Curse

Wait! There’s a downside to Superman’s superpowers? It’s rarely ever been explored with a serious and grounded approach, but it seems like this movie will do just that. How does a child with superhuman abilities handle growing up? It’s not like going through puberty. Furthermore, how do parents handle rising a child with superpowers? It’s clear the Kent parents will play a prominent role in this film. The trailer seems to give two hints as to this. We see Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) playing the protective father, telling Clark, “You have to keep this side of yourself a secret.” Later, Martha Kent (Diana Lane) acting as Clark’s anchor in the world, says, “Listen to my voice. Pretend it’s an island. Can you see it?”

Uncertainty and Loneliness

Superman has usually been portrayed as a black and white character. He knows right from wrong and always does what’s right. In Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns he made a failed attempt to have Superman struggle with Lois Lane’s new relationship. Really? That’s the best you could do? Singer made Lois’ character so angry at Superman it was difficult to like her.

In a new approach, Zack Snyder’s film shows that it hasn’t been always cut and dry for Superman. Imagine how lonely it must’ve been growing up, trying to find an identity, realizing you’re an alien from another plant that blew up, and you’re adopted to boot. How does a person work through all those issues while maintaining a sense of right and wrong?

We have Lift-off

The shot of Superman preparing to take flight with the stirring of the snow and rocks is a nice artistic flourish on how Superman interacts with the environment. Snyder has always been great with visual effects (300, Watchmen) and it’ll be interesting to see what new elements he brings to his big budget film.

Krypton

No other Superman film has emphasized much of Superman’s home plant, Krypton, or his biological parents. I’m guessing Krypton will be featured more in this film. If you’re going to cast Russell Crowe as Jor-El (Superman’s biological father), I’m sure it’ll more than cameo.

This is good news. Shouldn’t we feel something when a plant filled with people blows up? How would we feel if Earth blew up and we were the only survivor? These are legitimate questions and questions worth exploring.

The Modern World

At the end of the trailer, Superman says, “My dad was convinced the world would reject me.” Superman has always been portrayed as a celebrated and beloved superhero. In reality, however, how would we feel knowing that there is a being on our earth with superhuman powers? Wouldn’t that make you a little nervous? How do we know we could trust him? Why would he want to protect us? What are his motives? What does he want?

Superman in the modern (real) world wouldn’t be celebrated or beloved but feared. It’ll be interesting to see how he deals with an enemy that threatens earth while the earth views him as a threat.

Conclusion

I’m excited for the film. I’m sure they’ll be great action sequences, but it’s also the character drama involved that gives the film substances and makes it much more compelling. June can’t come quickly enough.

The Days of Shrek 4 Past

I enjoyed the Shrek series. The best one (in my humble opinion) was the first one. The third one was the weakest installment, but the fourth one was surprisingly fun because it touches on a theme that I believe most men go through but rarely ever admit to it. Why am I even mentioning this? As I continue to blog, there are phrases I hope to embed with meaning so that I can use them regularly and not have to spend time explaining what the phrase means. So, my first submission for this endeavor is the phrase “Shrek 4.” I am hoping that after reading this blog, when I say, “I’m having a Shrek 4 day” or “It’s a Shrek 4 moment,” you’ll know exactly what I mean.

First let me explain the meaning of Shrek 4. It’s basically the premise of the movie, which is here:

In the present, Shrek has steadily grown tired of being a family man and celebrity among the local villagers, leading him to yearn for the days when he felt like a "real ogre". He takes his family to Far Far Away to celebrate his children's first birthday. Shrek gets annoyed when the three little pigs eat the kids' cake along with most of the other party food. A boy named Butterpants (who is said to be a "big fan" of Shrek) demands that Shrek roar. After he lets out a frustrated roar the entire crowd cheers, reinforcing his belief that no one considers him to be a true ogre. This coupled with the fact that the birthday cakes were decorated with a "cute" Ogre named "Sprinkles" finally makes Shrek snap and he smashes the new birthday cake in front of everyone, and then walks out in anger. He and Fiona argue outside about his reaction, which ends with Shrek rashly agreeing that he was happier before he'd rescued her.

Of course the term “real ogre” is an allegory of a “real man.” Being “domesticated” can feel somewhat neutering. Let me be clear, I’m not about to use worldly and secular ideas to define masculinity. But on the surface there are some legitimate things we can glean from the basic premise of the movie. Another disclaimer I would like to add is that even though I have “Shrek 4 moments,” it does not mean I don’t want to be married or be a family man. I love my wife and child. Okay? Okay.

When I was single there were tons of things I enjoyed. For instance, there was the freedom to basically do whatever I wanted when I wanted to do it, which is not always a good thing. Also, I didn’t have to worry about being a “Spiritual Leader” in the home because, well, I didn’t have a home or a family to worry about. I went to church weekly, read my Bible daily, and made sure I spent a portion of the day praying. Spiritual disciplines came easy because I wasn’t on a schedule. I got to it when I got to it.

Now that I have a full time job, a boatload of bills, and a wife and child to look after, things are not quite so easy. Do I sometimes long for the days of being a “real ogre?” I’d be lying if I said, “no” but the emphasis is on sometimes. If you did see Shrek 4 you’ll remember by the end of the movie [Spoiler Alert]: Shrek realizes he wouldn’t trade the family life for anything [End Spoiler]. Yes, there are moments we go through wishing we could “just hang out with the guys” or just have time to ourselves. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing that beats coming home to a family. It’s a different level of enjoyment. For example, when you were a kid you thought spinning around in circles and getting yourself dizzy was the best thing ever. When you get older, you realize there are other enjoyments in life that pale in comparison. Imagine seeing a 30-yr-old spinning around in circles in order to get himself dizzy and crying out “Wee, wee, weeeeeeeeeeee!” There are two questions that would come to mind. First would be questioning the guy’s competency. The second question I can’t put in this blog, but you get the picture.

There are more mature enjoyments in life. The challenge becomes in redefining what a “real ogre” is. So what if I can’t devote myself to becoming a better basketball player? So what if I have less time to goof off? Yes, more responsibilities tend to add stress and pressure, but these are good things. Admittedly, too much of stress and pressure can drive you over the edge. That’s why we should allow a little time to ourselves in order to “hang out” and let our hair down. Yes, I get stressed out with the responsibilities of being a family man and sometimes long for the days of Shrek 1. But just like at the end of Shrek 4, family is really what matters.

Holiday Cheer 2012

Well, we're in the middle of the holidays and Christmas is almost here. I love the holidays even though I have yet to think of a good gift idea for my wife and it's stressing me out. Besides being a dead-beat and procrastinating I've managed to take a little time and reflect on all the goodness of the Lord has provided, namely, blessing us with a wonderful child.

As you know, my mom is no longer around. My crazy older sister burned every single bridge like a pyrotechnic on steroids. My younger sister, Vicky, goes with her husband's family each year as I go to my wife's side of the family each year. Sadly, this year will be a little different. There's usually several people at my in-law's but this year everyone will be scattered across the world and Becky, the youngest, will be in Japan (what do they do for Christmas away). I'm predicting my in-law's depression will hit an all-time high to the point where I'm considering putting them on suicide watch.

Maybe having at least one child, my wife, and one grandchild, Joelle, relatively close will cheer them up a bit. We just got our Christmas tree and my wife put up the Christmas decorations, "it's starting to look like Christmas!" Here are some photos of Joelle enjoying her first December.

"Hey, these lights are pretty cool!"

"So this is what a Christmas tree smells like. Nice."

I've mentioned before we had a fake tree growing up. I didn't mind it because it wasn't messy, it was easier to clean up, and it was cheap because we could use it for several years. But now that I'm older I appreciate the fresh pine smell and the "realness" of a Christmas tree. I hope the pine will inspire Joelle to enjoy the outsides a little more.

"Hello Buddy. I don't understand why my dad hates you. You seem really nice."

Joelle meets Buddy. Well, she met him 4 months ago but is only now starting to notice the flea bag. It's actually endearing since Buddy has been great with kids and is the ideal family dog. Actually, having a real Christmas tree, a child, and a dog makes me feel more American. I'm sure everything will work out for the in-laws. Maybe this year they'll be open to drinking. If that's the case, the first round is on me!