ye5man
New Member
1%
Posts: 7,928
|
Post by ye5man on May 23, 2009 5:37:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately, that changed when the series went to colour; that stupid "desert island" ep in season 3 or 4 had Kent and the gang willingly handcuffed!
But in season 1 and 2, especially 1, he was all business. I like that "stolen costume" ep and the "I don't make deals" bit. He was 38 in that first series and he looked terrific. Some people criticised Reeve in Supes IV, at 34, for being too old!
|
|
|
|
Post by Valentine Smith on May 23, 2009 7:41:02 GMT -5
Season 1 and 2 of AOS are just...awesome. It's barely even a Superman show! When I first heard the pitch for Lois & Clark, I kinda pictured it like an updated version of this.
Ah, maybe next time.
|
|
ye5man
New Member
1%
Posts: 7,928
|
Post by ye5man on May 23, 2009 8:35:42 GMT -5
Agreed Val, season 1 in particular was like a film noirish detective drama. Lots of violence!
Season 2 had the most depth and Reeves was terrific throughout. Sometimes Superman was his worst enemy, suffering from amnesia, loneliness (the dog episode), his sanity (wonderful duel role by Reeves), radiation/going into Exile, etc.
Reeves' Kent had this lonely persona about him, but very interesting guy. He wasn't a GQ celebrity like in L&C. He was tougher and more assured. His Superman was more relaxed and friendly.
Routh's CK was an impression of Reeve, mostly his Superman was too. This is my biggest problem with him, its just not an original take. Reeve and Reeves were totally different. Routh is like Reeve's younger relative.
|
|
|
|
Post by Valentine Smith on May 23, 2009 13:59:57 GMT -5
I disagree about Routh. While his Clark IS very similar to Reeve's, his Superman is more restrained. But, as others have mentioned, I think a lot of it has to do with how they approached the material, which lent itself well to Reeve comparisons.
I stand by my Reeves vote, but there is nobody I can think of that I'd rather have playing Superman now than Routh.
|
|
|
|
Post by stargazer01 on May 23, 2009 17:02:18 GMT -5
"Routh's CK was an impression of Reeve, mostly his Superman was too. This is my biggest problem with him, its just not an original take."
I don't think Routh's CK was an impression of Reeve's at all; Reeve's Clark was just too over the top clumsy and goofy most of the time, while Routh's Clark was more toned down and realistic; a real mildmannered and shy guy as it was supposed to be originally. There are actually people like him working in places like that -- the fly on the wall, the guy that noone notices-- I think his Clark is the best yet, a blend of Cain and Reeve's Clark.
Reeve's Clark always made sure to be noticed with the way he acted.
And while Routh's Superman certainly channeled Reeve's Superman, it was only in certain scenes and mostly when he had to say those lines Reeve was famous for. Other than that, Brandon was his own Superman; more quiet and serious and more gentle and melancholic.
For instance, when I watch Brandon in SR, I don't even miss Reeve's Superman (and I love him in the role). I'm watching the Superman from the comics. Period. But that's me.
|
|
ye5man
New Member
1%
Posts: 7,928
|
Post by ye5man on May 23, 2009 18:43:15 GMT -5
I'd like to see Brandon star in a Supes movie that is uplifting and majestic, not angsty and brown, and display a lot more charm; he clearly has a lot of charm but I don't think SR used his potential.
Its fair when people say they can only really judge Routh with another movie or two under his belt.
|
|
|
|
Post by EnriqueH on May 24, 2009 1:14:30 GMT -5
If Routh plays Superman again, I hope the director will let him loose. He seemed way too restrained and artificially controlled at times. I also hope Superman VI is less Donnie Darko-ish.
|
|
ye5man
New Member
1%
Posts: 7,928
|
Post by ye5man on May 24, 2009 16:38:05 GMT -5
I find it impossible not to think about Reeve when I watched it. He's just too similiar.
Never happens with Reeves.
|
|
Legsy
New Member
Alright, alright, alright...
Posts: 15,339
|
Post by Legsy on May 24, 2009 22:39:12 GMT -5
When I see Brandon in the suit, I think Superman. I don't think about Reeve, Reeves, Cain, Alyn or Welling. I just think Supey.
|
|
|
|
Post by stargazer01 on May 24, 2009 22:56:07 GMT -5
^Same here I find it impossible not to think about Reeve when I watched it. He's just too similiar. Never happens with Reeves. I do think about Reeve a couple of times during the movie almost every time I watch it (like when we first see Clark's face at the Daily Planet and also when Superman meets Lois on the rooftop and says "you know, you shouldn't smoke Miss Lane"), but that's it. After that, it's simply him as his own Superman. To me at least. |
|
|
|
Post by EnriqueH on May 25, 2009 14:52:33 GMT -5
Routh reminds me of Reeve...but in a good way. Like I said when I first saw the movie, he channels Reeve without imitating him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jimbo on May 25, 2009 16:17:22 GMT -5
Routh reminds me of Reeve...but in a good way. Like I said when I first saw the movie, he channels Reeve without imitating him. I feel the same way about the whole cast of the new Trek. |
|
downwithrouth
New Member
Geekdom really needs to shut up
Posts: 167
|
Post by downwithrouth on Jul 25, 2009 20:21:08 GMT -5
Reeves was easily the very best of the live-action Superman actors. Not only did he look like he marched right out of Wayne Boring's sketchbook (and Al Plastino's, too, to be honest), but he had the perfect mix of gentility, violent anger, humor, and conviction for the character. Being in his late 30s and having been a career supporting actor was probably the biggest reason of all why he worked so well. He looked like a mature man who had seen it all and knew how to deal with it, and he had years of acting chops to give him the credibility as a costumed alien whose dual heritage constantly tripped him up.
Props go to Alyn, too, for embodying the giddy, yeah-throw-anything-you-want-at-me-I'm-just-gonna-laugh-it-off Superman of the very earliest Siegel and Shuster stuff. You can feel the gusto in his performance and he's enormous fun to watch. But Reeves remains the benchmark for me.
|
|
|
|
Post by billybud on Jul 25, 2009 20:51:54 GMT -5
Where are the other choices? John Newton, Gerard Christopher. Maybe, at least, a none of the above?
I'd pick either over the modern day non-Reeve incarnations. I couldn't vote for any of the choices listed in the poll.
Maybe this is the problem - Reeve as definitve Superman. He was for an era and no one is going to recapture that.
Like Reeves was for an earlier era.
Reeve did not copy Reeves. A copy of Reeve is not, likewise, what fans should be looking for.
Superman has to grow into a new unique incarnation if he is ever to work again as a popular character.
Its like fans are caught between two worlds. Constantly looking back when they should be looking forward.
A new incarnation is needed who will make us believe as Chris did. Copying Chris ain't gonna do it cause he was unique and that mold is broken.
I think that is where SR got into trouble. Looking back but not looking forward.
|
|
|
|
Post by billybud on Jul 25, 2009 21:15:40 GMT -5
Season one was campy as heck. The other three weren't bad at all. Gerard was a damn good Superboy. I can see why Salkind wanted to reboot the series with Gerard as Supes. Some of the wire work stuff was awesome! Dare I say better than SR!  In hindsight, what the Salkinds did with a minimal syndicated show budget was awesome. Some of the FX was better than SR I agree. It should not have been, but was. The Gerard suit - delicious. Best ever if you want a classic styled suit. I love the little things ..... exposed to kryptonite, Gerard's Superboy actually starts to turn green. Go figure. What is that all about? Even the Reeve films did not get that right.. What could have been - there were plans for a Superman film in the 90's spinning off of Superboy and maybe starring Gerard. Lois and Clark I think derailed it. Yet you can read the script that could have been right here at Superman Cinema. |
|
downwithrouth
New Member
Geekdom really needs to shut up
Posts: 167
|
Post by downwithrouth on Jul 26, 2009 1:39:59 GMT -5
It's never been standardized that Superman turns green when suffering kryptonite radiation poisoning. To say Superboy "got it right" is more than a little biased since kryptonite poisoning has never been consistent beyond hurting and possibly killing him. The comics alone vary on just what happens to him when he's exposed.
The GC suit? Fine for its era. But would that costume fly nowadays? Nope.
And no, the FX were most certainly not better on Superboy. A lot of the bluescreen/greenscreen was very obvious, and some of the flying was extremely static. Can I accept this, as the show was using methods of the era on a small budget? Absolutely. I do the same thing with George Reeves. But to say they were better than a movie that achieved a fludity and sense of energetic movement in flight is nostalgia talking. It would be like me insisting that Kirk Alyn's cartoon flying is better than the FX in the Reeve films. It simply isn't so.
Better writing? Certainly. Returns pulled every story element it had from all over Superman's history, but failed to gel those elements into a cohesive, tight story. Superboy did benefit from tight writing, partly because the demands of TV required it. But I'm not going to claim it's superior in its technical aspects.
|
|
