Brandon Routh vs Henry Cavill

[EnriqueH]

I think Cavill was the stronger performer.

Do you guys think Routh will be like Lazenby, where he's maligned then but time was kinder to his performance?

[atp]

Society will see Cavill as better than Routh for the same reason they say Daniel Craig is better than Timothy Dalton: the topless scenes.

[Valentine Smith]

Routh was a fine Superman...he just had nothing to work with. SR was written by people who had seemingly never read a Superman comic and acted as if the character's entire history boiled down to one and a half films. If he had more screen time and more to do, I think he would have grown into the role nicely.

[Deleted]

Cavill has more natural screen presence and charisma. Routh is funny and likable. One set of qualities is harder to find than the other.

[Deleted]

Cavill has much, MUCH more experience than Routh has ever or will ever have, before either we're Superman. Cavill has the acting edge, more range it seems, too, but there is something quietly powerful about Routh.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

[Jor-L5150]

I wouldn't kick either of 'em outta...

[Jor-L5150]

Shouldn't there be an option for :
"As a cowardly superman fan I spent 7 years being brow-beat by internet nerd peer pressure that told me I needed to hate superman returns, so for now I pick cavill as I've been throwing routh under the bus for years, but as the next few weeks and months wear on ill cave in and be talked into hating man of steel too and start throwing cavill under the bus because I'm a sheep lemming and I go with the herd"

[eccentricbeing]

Routh was all right. It's been a long time since I've watched Superman Returns to make a decent comparison, but I will share Shiny's opinion on how Cavill has better charisma.

[Deleted]

Based on their work outside of Superman, Cavill is the better thespian. Playing Superman, no matter how he's written, isn't like playing Hamlet. I try to imagine Routh with the MoS script, and I think he pulls it off. Routh has a kind of charm to him that Cavill also has. Probably why they've both been picked by their respective directors. Superman has to have a certain vibe that can't be faked. It comes across in interviews, It comes across when they're on Tonight with Leno. It's something that can't be learned in an actor's workshop. It's the IT factor, the X factor, whatever. But both men have it. Reeve had it. It's just something that makes you think, he's a heck of a guy.

[atp]

Is it just me, or does Cavill's face appear to change completely in different scenes? He literally looks like a different person.

The part where you hear Jor-El saying, "The only way to find out how strong is to keep testing your limits" and when he crashes into the bank vault... he looks like a different actor completely.

Sometimes he looks like Christopher Reeve, but other places he looks more like Bruce Campbell.

When he says, "Don't play games with me General" he actually looks like a young John Travolta. Same for the end bit, where he tells the General to stop trying to find out where he hangs his cape.

[Keith]

ATP, the scene where Supes and Zod crash through 7-11, and superman is on the ground talking to Zod, the side profile of Cavill looks like Dean Cain to me.

[atp]

Jun 30, 2013 6:50:26 GMT -5 Keith said:

ATP, the scene where Supes and Zod crash through 7-11, and superman is on the ground talking to Zod, the side profile of Cavill looks like Dean Cain to me.

Where he says, "My parents taught me to hone my sense Zod"?

[crazy_asian_man]

Routh seems more a specific presence than a great actor, that I greatly enjoyed in SR for Superman, and would have loved to seen more.
He was, however, fantastic in bit parts in Scott PIlgrim vs. the World and on "Chuck" as a bad guy.

Cavill has a different kind of presence- but has had way more experience, and may be a great actor.

I've always said: wished there could have been room to do TWO Superman films- not have to feel like it was either/or.

[Metallo]

Jun 30, 2013 1:20:31 GMT -5 atp said:

Is it just me, or does Cavill's face appear to change completely in different scenes? He literally looks like a different person.

The part where you hear Jor-El saying, "The only way to find out how strong is to keep testing your limits" and when he crashes into the bank vault... he looks like a different actor completely.

Sometimes he looks like Christopher Reeve, but other places he looks more like Bruce Campbell.

When he says, "Don't play games with me General" he actually looks like a young John Travolta. Same for the end bit, where he tells the General to stop trying to find out where he hangs his cape.

Cavill is like composite superman. Sometimes he looks like Cain sometimes he looks like Reeve sometimes he looks like Welling. heck sometimes he even looked like Alyn to me. Then there are other times where he looks nothing like any of them.


As for the topic: Cavills the better actor when it comes to delivery and seems more authoritative. That gives him the edge. For me the gulfs not that wide though. Routh has more of Superman's natural warmth and likability. To me Routh seems much more approachable in real life. I'd have no problem saying hi to him. Seems like a nice humble guy just like Superman. They both had the same problem though. They were given so little to do and so restricted by the seriousness of the stories that they really didn't get to emote much. That's why they both came off more flat than Boyscout. That's why Reeve and Reeves had much more character and personality in the role. I think in time Rouths performance will be more appreciated than it is now. Unlike Lazenby Routh didn't come directly after the FIRST guy most people think of and he didn't come right after the fan favorite either. Routh at least had the buffer of Cain Welling Newton etc. Cavill should he equally as thankful that he had Routh as a big screen Superman buffer between himself and Reeve. Even Lazenby and Dalton have been more appreciated over time.

[Valentine Smith]

By the way, I haven't actually voted.

For the most part, I don't think there's anything in the MoS script that Routh couldn't have handled as well as Cavill. The thing is, Snyder isn't known for getting the best out of middling actors (see: Watchmen), which is why the MoS cast is STACKED with seriously good actors...because there's no chance he could drop the ball. So it's possible that Routh might not have performed as well under Snyder as he did under Singer.

On the other hand, the MoS script gives Clark/Superman a lot more direct motivation (as opposed to SR, which relies on previously established versions of the character), so it's possible Routh could have risen to the occasion. But Cavill is certainly a more experienced, capable actor.

But yeah, Brad's right. It's not like playing Supes is like playing Hamlet or King Lear.

[Metallo]

I had the same thought. He's not an actors director. Like you said some of the actors in the movie are so good because they know what to do. This isn't their first time at the dance. With a director that knows great performances in the chair I can only imagine how good that part of MOS is. For all Singers faults he's usually better at that stuff. Jeans death at the end of X2 still gets me. Singer understood buildup and follow up. Snyders tried to use the No Win Scenario from Star Trek II as a reason for his choices at the end of MOS. He didn't get it though. X2 did the same thing but understood it FAR better. That's why Snyder tried to copy Watchmen but didn't get it at all. The film stylized and glorified violence. The comics were doing the exact opposite. Damn no wonder Ozymandius sucked in that movie so much.

[Keith]

Jun 30, 2013 6:57:24 GMT -5 atp said:

Jun 30, 2013 6:50:26 GMT -5 Keith said:

ATP, the scene where Supes and Zod crash through 7-11, and superman is on the ground talking to Zod, the side profile of Cavill looks like Dean Cain to me.

Where he says, "My parents taught me to hone my sense Zod"?

Yeah that scene.

[crazy_asian_man]

Post by ATP on 12 hours ago
Is it just me, or does Cavill's face appear to change completely in different scenes? He literally looks like a different person.

Cavill in the early photos (the one w/the extra & the bank vault photos) looks NOTHING like how he does in the film now, to me.

[crazy_asian_man]

I had the same thought. He's not an actors director. Like you said some of the actors in the movie are so good because they know what to do. This isn't their first time at the dance. With a director that knows great performances in the chair I can only imagine how good that part of MOS is. For all Singers faults he's usually better at that stuff. Jeans death at the end of X2 still gets me. Singer understood buildup and follow up. Snyders tried to use the No Win Scenario from Star Trek II as a reason for his choices at the end of MOS. He didn't get it though. X2 did the same thing but understood it FAR better. That's why Snyder tried to copy Watchmen but didn't get it at all. The film stylized and glorified violence. The comics were doing the exact opposite. Damn no wonder Ozymandius sucked in that movie so much.

Agreed.... I keep on hoping that Snyder will 'get it' and get better at directing performances. (I've paid to see most of his films, so he shouldn't complain about my bitching). His visual style is fantastic to me- which is what gets me to check out his films.

Watchmen was stylized and glorified violence (Which was great eye candy).... from source material whose intent was to DECONSTRUCT the glamour of comic book violence and the superhero mythos. (How odd that he took so many great pains visually to look almost exactly like the book, but then again, maybe he never bothered to read the words in WATCHMEN, but just looked at the pretty pictures?).

I doubt Snyder's peers will openly talk about it, but I do wonder what the general consensus is about MOS and SR among other film directors in Hwood.....

[Metallo]

I like Watchmen. Some of it works. But some of it doesn't work. Didn't mind the change in the ending but Snyder didn't think through what it would mean for Dr Manhattans choice. And giving Silk Spectre Docs last line shows he didn't get if. It means MUCH more when he says it because of the nature of the character.

[crazy_asian_man]

I like Watchmen. Some of it works. But some of it doesn't work.

Some of it works GREAT.

I think people feel (and I may well contribute to that thought) that I want Snyder to fail--- but the opposite is true. He has some great talents in him, but most of his 'talking heads' scenes just come off SO awful that I keep wishing he'll recognize that he needs work on it. If that means having a failure, maybe that's what it takes..dunno...

Still, if he does do MOS 2, I hope MOS was a good learning experience for him, as Xmen 1 was supposedly for Singer for X2, Spiderman for Raimi for Spiderman 2, etc... but whether he does or not, I'll still wait in line and go to see it, so...

[Metallo]

Jun 30, 2013 16:13:06 GMT -5 crazy_asian_man said:

I like Watchmen. Some of it works. But some of it doesn't work.

Some of it works GREAT.

I think people feel (and I may well contribute to that thought) that I want Snyder to fail--- but the opposite is true. He has some great talents in him, but most of his 'talking heads' scenes just come off SO awful that I keep wishing he'll recognize that he needs work on it. If that means having a failure, maybe that's what it takes..dunno...

Still, if he does do MOS 2, I hope MOS was a good learning experience for him, as Xmen 1 was supposedly for Singer for X2, Spiderman for Raimi for Spiderman 2, etc... but whether he does or not, I'll still wait in line and go to see it, so...

Or its like Transformers where the sequel is worse. Snyder and WB might think about giving people more of the same if they ate this half baked movie up. If this is what we get with Nolan's input I'd hate to think what we'd get if Nolan steps back.

[crazy_asian_man]

Or its like Transformers where the sequel is worse. Snyder and WB might think about giving people more of the same if they ate this half baked movie up. If this is what we get with Nolan's input I'd hate to think what we'd getif Nolan steps back.

After the mess that was TDKR.... my faith in Nolan as 'quality guarantee' guy went down the tubes.
Now, it's 50/50 when I see his name on a superhero project.

On his own work (Prestige, Memento, etc.) I think he's fine- but it often comes with the idea that his emphasis is screwing with the audiences' expectations as to what happened.
That BB and especially TDK turned out so great led me to have blind faith in TDKR being a great movie, but was burned badly.

If we ONLY had WB to count on for superhero films, I think I'd be more depressed.
As is, thank goodness WB isn't the only game in town for a superhero film 'fix'- and at least big dollars means that Marvel, Fox, Sony, etc. will keep trying to put more superhero flix out....

I'll still support any new Superman films, good or bad, but there's the other part that is irritated that overall poor work is getting rewarded so highly- much like how Phantom Menace made a bundle--- but, on the other hand-
there was still cool stuff in both MOS and PM- I just wanted something along the lines of raising the bar, not falling below it. But, again, better than zip.

I am curious, though... how does MOS stack up to FLYBY? Still haven't read it yet....

[Metallo]

I've got more faith in Nolan than I do Snyder that's for sure.

Fox hasn't exactly been on a roll but First Class was better than expected. I've got some hope for Days of Future Past and The Wolverine. The Wolverine doesn't look mind blowing but it can't be worse than X-Men Origins. Kinda done with Sony. Hoping Universal and Del Toro make heckboy 3 before Im on a walker

Hopefully Marvel does something with Daredevil, Blade, Punisher, etc. Maybe a Midnight Sons or Marvel Knights movie. so happy they have those rights back. They could use them to explore darker corners of the Marvel universe. It's a great time to be a Marvel fan though. When it comes to there stuff I get that same excitement and anticipation I had as a kid. Its a great feeling. The sky really is the limit. If they can some of the other companies like Dark Horse should take a few risks.