The Phantom Menace
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Post by The Phantom Menace on Oct 12, 2009 21:10:56 GMT -5
Lois and Clark was actually my first exposure to Superman growing up. I had seen bits and pieces of Superman IV as a kid (it seemed to be on TV constantly), but the ABC show was the first which I would watch proper.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2009 23:57:48 GMT -5
Season One is one of my favorite interpretations of Superman. Especially the pilot. I watched it with my buddy a few months ago whilst drinking and we both really enjoyed the heck out of it. It was very well done and very well acted. Everyone really shines in the cast, I mean EVERYONE. They're all perfect for the roles in the show. I even mean Dean Cain. I don't really feel like it's his fault his Superman was weak, I feel like he could've been a fantastic one with better direction and better Superman scripts, but the show was more about Clark. And Shea ruled as Lex. Landes is my favorite Jimmy Olsen. Cat was awesome. Lane Smith is my favorite Perry White. Hatcher's my favorite Lois.
Wow...I never realized all that 'til now.
Heck, I really like the theme, as well.
Although I feel his Superman in the first season is pretty damn decent. I do wanna watch the later seasons, I haven't seen them in ages. It'd be fun to. Val, you got those too?
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Oct 13, 2009 0:37:58 GMT -5
Lois and Clark was a really good show in the first season, then had moments in subsequent ones....but it's a bit annoying how the original showrunner in the commentary (and interviews) never seemed to give credit ONCE to the Donner films nor to the Byrne comics that came out prior to L&C that looked to be a big influence on the show. Lois and Clark had some nice elements to it--- pity that it got so weak immediately after the first season. Smallville has nice elements to it. If a tv producer could take the best elements of both and weave it into a new Superman-related tv show, I think THAT would really be something. Maybe in the next Superman tv incarnation AFTER Smallville is cancelled?  |
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Oct 13, 2009 1:11:01 GMT -5
Can't add much to what's already been said here.
I own Season 1 on DVD but won't get the others so not to "tarnish" it, haha. I've been tempted by sales at Best Buy and the like but I will not give in!
Superman himself is probably the show's weakest aspect. The hair, the suit...they were just off. As was Cain's differentiation between Clark and Superman. While it was nice to get a well rounded Clark in contrast to the bumbling fool facade of Reeve, there's no way people wouldn't be able to see Clark and Superman were the same person.
Another disappointing aspect were the villains. Aside from Shea's Lex, arguably the best interpretation of the character, there were NO memorable villains. All other comic villains were botched. Losing Lex was a huge blow to the series, and when they brought him back it just wasn't the same.
The special effects were also a weak point, but for an early 90s TV show they did a decent enough job. It would have been nice to see some more impressive superfeats (as well as supervillains, going back to that) but they did what they could I guess.
Smallville is a better series on the whole, but Lois & Clark is at least a proper Superman show without the constraints of not being able to advance the character forward to his destiny.
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Post by Jimbo on Oct 13, 2009 1:33:17 GMT -5
There was Tempus, but that was largely a farce.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Oct 13, 2009 6:21:50 GMT -5
I really dig the Superman suit from the pilot, which they changed in later episodes. Thought it looked kinda cool. Especially the lace-up boots.
If they had stuck to a more serious tone and made it a modern, hour-long version of the tough, newsroom stuff that we got in the George Reeves' Superman, this could have been the best Superman show ever.
It's amazing how Smallville gives you a new perspective, no?
Kev, I own none of these. May change that...
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ye5man
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Post by ye5man on Oct 13, 2009 10:24:48 GMT -5
I actually watched all the eps of the show earlier this year thanks to LoveFilm, DVDshrink and my latest Terabyte Hard-drive.
Season one had a faint whiff of George Reeves' season 1, especially the lead characters.
Landes and Smith owned. Best interprations by a mile (Larson started off very well but ended as a bufoon)
I thought Terri hatcher was better than I remembered in season 1. Why did she change later on? She also had good comedy instincts. I don't think Phylis Coates will ever be beat though.
Eddie Jones - horrendous "actor". How the fuck did he get the gig?
Show was forgettable by season 4. I was going on Facebook, etc while it was running in the background.
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Oct 13, 2009 15:30:39 GMT -5
Eddie Jones - horrendous "actor". How the fuck did he get the gig? No doubt, worst Jonathan Kent ever. K Callan's Martha was a different take than what we're accustomed to, a "modernized" Martha, but at least she had character. Eddie Jones was just BORING. |
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Post by EnriqueH on Oct 13, 2009 18:35:29 GMT -5
I actually agree with everything Val, Jimbo and Kevin said in this thread.
I loved the first season and it really left me wanting more.
But I was almost IMMEDIATELY turned off in the second season when I saw they replaced Landes with Justin Whalin. Like Kevin, Landes was my favorite Jimmy Olsen. I remember reading or hearing at the time that the second season was better than the first, but the re-casting of Jimmy Olsen left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that I never again enjoyed the show the same way.
In fact, I lost track of the show after that, catching only an episode here and there whereas I was GLUED to the screen for the first season.
I also thought Whalin SSSSS-UCKED as Jimmy, but then I haven't the show in years. (Was Whalin a good Jimmy?).
I *HATE* when they recast established roles. It just TOTALLY breaks the verisimilitude of the show IMO. I thought the chemistry between Cain, Hatcher and Landes was great. Whalin seemed kinda goofy.
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Oct 13, 2009 19:33:00 GMT -5
I actually agree with everything Val, Jimbo and Kevin said in this thread. Damn, I didn't make the cut! |
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Post by EnriqueH on Oct 13, 2009 20:20:41 GMT -5
Ha!
Well, I actually agree with your assessment of Season 1, but not what you said about the Kents.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2009 22:11:36 GMT -5
I loved the Kents. And especially Eddie Jones. Never understood the hate.
When Whalen replaced Landes, I was pretty disappointed. I really dislike that actor and did at the time for some reason or the other and there he was...taking over my favorite Jimmy Olsen already. Feh.
And losing Cat was a mistake, too. Great dynamic between her and Lois. The genuine moments were always pretty damn well done. This show had so much heart. Good for it.
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Oct 13, 2009 23:48:52 GMT -5
The loss of Luthor, Cat, and the recasting of Jimmy makes it all the easier to see Season 1 as it's own entity.
Btw, I remembered another good villain: Trask, the government agent who thought Superman was a threat to the country. Unfortunately he only lasted two episodes but that's better than most and he was oneof the very few villains who could be taken seriously as a threat.
And I'm curious Enrique, what did you think of the Kents?
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ye5man
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Post by ye5man on Oct 14, 2009 3:26:39 GMT -5
Whalin just wasn't playing a Jimmy Olsen character. Landes nailed it.
Martha Kent I liked, but that guy, wow, he really was fucking horrible. When I get some time I will make a video edit of some clips highlighting how shit he was.
cain had no presence as Superman which hurt the show. Sure he was likable as CK but that's only half the point isn't it? Reeve, Reeves and Routh were equally as good as both facets of the character.
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Post by Olly H 82 on Oct 14, 2009 3:52:44 GMT -5
I watched the first season again this summer. It was a enjoyable show and has some funny moments. I loved the jimmy olsen they used in the first season and Lane rules as perry white.
But this show should never be mentioned as a comparison to the movies. Dean Cain's interpretation of Superman is poor and a insult to Reeve's legacy.
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ye5man
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Post by ye5man on Oct 14, 2009 4:08:19 GMT -5
Plus, being about 5 foot 6 didn't help the guy
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2009 4:59:26 GMT -5
Take the best six to 10 episodes of season 1, and you've got one heck of a miniseries.
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ye5man
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Post by ye5man on Oct 14, 2009 5:32:42 GMT -5
I think I liked the ep where they go to Smallville the best; some humourous moments in there.
Eddie Jones' "acting" is hilarious. Even my other half was LOL at his panicking when he opens the K box.
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Post by EnriqueH on Oct 14, 2009 6:08:40 GMT -5
The loss of Luthor, Cat, and the recasting of Jimmy makes it all the easier to see Season 1 as it's own entity. Btw, I remembered another good villain: Trask, the government agent who thought Superman was a threat to the country. Unfortunately he only lasted two episodes but that's better than most and he was oneof the very few villains who could be taken seriously as a threat. And I'm curious Enrique, what did you think of the Kents? That's another thing, I loved Cat. She really added something to the show. The loss of those three characters really left a hole in the show. I didn't mind Luthor disappearing for a while, since I thought it was building up to something, but to lose him pretty much completely was a mistake. Kirok, I like the Kents. This thread inspired me to start watching the DVDs, so I started watching the pilot last night and plan to finish it today. I thought Eddie Jones was fine. Granted, I only got around to seeing about 45 minutes of the pilot, so I haven't seen much of the Kents, but I liked what I saw. And after seeing Landes and Shea again, I truly CAN NOT BELIEVE they thought replacing Landes was a good idea. That was a really stupid move. And as much as I enjoyed SR, I was impressed with how THOROUGHLY Shea's performance kicks the shit out of Spacey's. Shea was a cool, menacing, elegant, and intelligent Luthor. Everything that Spacey's Luthor should've been. |
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ye5man
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Post by ye5man on Oct 14, 2009 6:13:35 GMT -5
I agree that Shea was better. A bit strange considering Spacey is a better actor.
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Post by EnriqueH on Oct 14, 2009 6:27:24 GMT -5
Well, it was the approach, direction, and---above all---the timing. For example, I *love* Adam West, but a Batman sequel shouldn't approach the Adam West style. Batman has evolved from that style into a darker, more serious comic. It makes it especially awkward with BB making a successful serious Bat film while Superman remains somewhat campy.
I think SR should've reflected the current style of Luthor. I understand he was making a sequel to the Donnerverse, (which I'm all for since I don't think a reboot is necessary after countless origin stories), but they should've made Luthor more the CEO type, ala Sha, while honoring the Donnerverse. It should've been a more updated Donnerverse. (In Singer's defense, I think the introduction of Jason was a way of doing that. I just think Luthor's interpretation was all wrong.)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2009 13:41:08 GMT -5
Agreed.
heck, it worked in the comics and cartoons.
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The Phantom Menace
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Post by The Phantom Menace on Feb 17, 2010 14:43:51 GMT -5
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Post by Kal-Ex on Feb 19, 2010 11:54:06 GMT -5
It’s only for people who lives in the US… :-( |
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The Phantom Menace
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Post by The Phantom Menace on Feb 19, 2010 13:45:17 GMT -5
It’s only for people who lives in the US… :-(  Ain't that a bitch? |
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