Reviews With Mike Furches: Superman

Showing posts with label Superman. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2013

Superman, Man of Steel

I just started my 13^th year of contributing to Hollywood Jesus. HJ has had an impact on me and with the help of greats like David Bruce, I have for years recognized my ability to find seeds of truth in film to plant in ones search for truth regarding spiritual matters. One of the first things I ever read at Hollywood Jesus was from David Bruce. While some point out the fallacies of certain films, like Superman, I have never abandoned my belief in David’s vision, of using film to find seeds of truth to plant in one’s mind regarding their own search for truth. Of course I am unapologetic as to what I believe that truth to be but I have always tried to be respectful, hoping that maybe, just maybe, there is something I will write that will cause one to think deeper about spiritual things and come to the same conclusions I have. For those who are critical of this approach, I am reminded of what the Bible says, “Jesus never taught them anything without first telling them stories. After he told them the stories he would gather together his disciples and explain their meaning.” Movies are a contemporary form of storytelling. This is why I fell in love with the approach used by David Bruce all those years ago.

One of the best examples of this I have seen is David’s review of Superman back in 1998. That review cab be seen at an archived page of the original Hollywood Jesus at: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/superman.htm. With the viewing of Superman, Man of Steel, I found myself recalling that review. Most of the points David mentions in his original review, which turned heads, are still present in the new movie. There are a few points of interest I want to point out specifically related to Superman, Man of Steel, but before doing so, go back in time and see what David picked up on in his original review in 1998.

Many know the story of Superman but few have likely thought of the spiritual imagery throughout the story. A powerful being from another planet is sent to earth to take on human form to be raised as a human; he is seemingly all powerful and has an immense love for the human species. He has as some would point out a sacrificial love where he is willing to offer himself up for the salvation of all people. He is raised by Jonathan (Joseph) and Martha (Mary) (Again see David’s original review.) Kent. They are fully aware of his powers and origins but raise him with integrity and morals. As Clark grows up he recognizes some things his earthly parents don’t understand. He has an ongoing relationship with his father, now a spirit of sorts who keeps him informed and reminded of his purpose. Clark has a dark and deceitful enemy who would destroy all of humanity, even the son of his nemesis, Jorel, Kalel (Clark Kent’s original name) father. One of the things we see is the value Clark has for people of faith, including a pastor of a church where we see continual shots of either a cross or Jesus as a Shepherd in a conversation between the two. We also see times where Clark looks to the cross or a church for answers to questions he is facing. Clark has rugged experiences of working as a fisherman, a builder and other vocations, while rescuing people. We see a drastic change in his life after a scene that resembles a baptism; he offers himself up for the salvation of others, seemingly cast into the sea where he takes on the position of a crucified savior. He emerges with a new purpose to discover himself.

If Man of Steel is lacking in any area it is in character development. What we do learn about the characters is largely via flashback sequences; as a result we lose the impact of seeing the characters develop. The special effects, sound and costuming is incredible. I saw the film in 3-D and recommend people not waste their money for 3-D as there just isn’t enough to justify the extra cost.

While in many ways the story is lacking I suspect there will be those who appreciate the strong spiritual emphasis in the film as much as I did. In some ways this is more obvious than in past Superman films. There are times Henry Cavill looks more like Jesus than Clark Kent, beard and all. I suspect this was done with intent in presenting the savior of the world. Amy Adams does a good job as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon does a very nice job as General Zod. I especially liked Russell Crowe as Kalel’s (Clark Kent’s) Kriptonian father and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. Diane Lane as Martha Kent has not gotten the press, but she was spectacular. The casting was near perfect and I would like to see Cavill back as Superman in other films, even a Justice League film. I would also like to see a little better story though.

While Superman, Man of Steel is far from perfect, it is a near perfect character (Clark Kent/Superman) that can be used to point people towards the person of Jesus; the one many believe to be the real savior of the world. The associations and similarities may be far more intended than some would admit but for more on that point, see that 1998 review by David Bruce.

I am giving a higher than expected score for this film which may surprise many, it is due to the enjoyment I had, despite the lack of story. On a scale of 1 – 10, for the number that kind of resembles an S for Superman, especially if doubled, I give an enjoyable, entertaining 8.

The following is a clip from ABC featuring the cast of Man of Steel speaking about the film. To see it click on the trailer, if the trailer doesn't appear, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxAQiD_DTmk

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Superman Man of Steel: Powerful Partnering with Wal-Mart

With Superman, Man of Steel we not only get a retelling of a classic comic book character, we get a powerful marketing campaign between the mighty DC Comics and the mightiest of box stores, Wal-Mart. What has transpired could be a new way for production companies to make money and partner with and create long going advertisement campaigns not just for their movie but the companies who partner with them. Who better to kick off this model than the partnering of Superman, arguably, the mightiest of all superheroes and Wal-Mart, the mightiest of all retail outlets?

Wal-Mart purchased the rights to promote Superman Man of Steel, including hosting early premiere showings the night before the movies openings. Individuals purchased their tickets at the megastore prior to the showing on June 13. While tickets were reduced in price, there was also a small packet of materials including web site extras only available to those purchasing the tickets along with the souvenir ticket that came with it. The near capacity to sell out showings of the film along with a 15 minute special feature available only to those going on the opening Wal-Mart night were among the highlights. While there were some fans that were critical of the effort of Wal-Mart, they were, never the less still there, many dressed in their Superman garb. I found the criticism somewhat hypocritical, if not wanting to support Wal-Mart; they could have simply waited a few hours to see the film without the features that went with the Wal-Mart Promotion.

We have likely entered a new era of film promotions, if it produces the special features, (which this reviewer likes) I see a stroke of genius there. This also comes at a time when many theaters are lobbying to reduce the time of trailers shown in their theaters. I have never heard a consumer complain about too many trailers but anything to reduce time prior to a movie in order to sell more tickets, to more showings should be expected. Movie production companies are at a place where they have to look at alternative ways to promote their films to make more money. While this could be a solution to that problem, I see it as another problem in other ways. There are only a few companies that can provide the resources to make this happen. Many of them will be controversial to some of the consumers who want to support certain films.

Unfortunately, in the scheme of things that are likely to come, consumers, including many Christians may be called to a place where they are tempted to compromise their faith and integrity. What if a company promoting a movie we want to see that has as a focus the power of the family also promotes products that causes damage to the family? What if that company is promoting principles and/or products that go against our belief system? That is likely the case even in this example with Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has not been recognized as the friendliest company to small private business owners, there is a great deal of speculation and debate about the Wal-Mart effort take advantage of labor with reductions in benefits and hours. While one may or may not agree with this, there are many who do, for those individuals, they are once again tempted to give up their core beliefs about supporting an organization like Wal-Mart and now a more in your face approach that includes major sponsorship of a movie many have longed to see, especially children.

While there are no easy answers to this issue, it is clear, the efforts of major cooperation’s impacting our everyday life, outside of typical promotions of their products exists. Many will give in and see no problem with compromise doing this, some will see something positive, I will withhold judgment as it is too early to tell what the long lasting results of campaigns like this will be. Who knows, while we have had product placement in the past, we now have Superman, or at least the actor portraying him speaking the high praises of Wal-Mart. I have to wonder though, living in the great state of Kansas, the home of Clark Kent, would that same actor and all of those individuals promoting Wal-Mart in the special feature before the film, also speak out for and support those small local businesses who have been hurt by major companies like Wal-Mart. I would hope that if growing up in a small Kansas town would have taught Clark Kent anything, it is the need to stand up not just for the big guy but also, the little guy who has been there all along from one generation to the next.

To see part of the Wal-Mart Special Features Film click on the video, if the video doesn't appear, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6TWwZ9azYw

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Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

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Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Superman, Batman, Public Enemies

Back when I was a kid, (a long time ago now) I got into some of the things you read about, comics, baseball cards, the real G.I Joes (ones with hair and representing America) and more. I was asked the other day what video games I played. I kinda laughed because I remember the early days, prior to video games, I even had an early Pong and Atari game board. For me a good time was getting a comic down at the grocery store, a bottle of pop, Drinking the pop, reading the comic, saving the pop lid and if I was really lucky, I would be able to save enough pop bottle caps to go to a Saturday matinee at the Majestic in Downtown Johnson City. Now those were the days.

Some things have changed since I was a child, I certainly can’t trade in pop bottle caps to get into a movie, and G.I Joe stands for everything but what the character was created for. Another change is the role of comics. I still love the books; I love the art, storylines, and many of the characters. I still have many, if not most of my comics from the time I was a kid, I think they may be worth a small fortune, but recently, especially within the DC realm, comics have been making more appearances in animated movies. As a critic of this process, I didn’t know what I would think as I decided to purchase and watch one of the new releases to DVD animated movies by the DC Universe. When I saw the special edition on sale at Target, especially for the low price, I decided to give it a shot. I wanted to see if there were any similarities between the new line DVD movies and the old school, comic book editions.

First I have to make mention of the packaging of this product. I seldom take the time to spend the extra money for the extra DVD that is sometimes included in the packaging, but with the low price of this particular product, I took that splurge, and let me tell you, it was well worth the extra few dollars to get the 2 disc version of this movie. The Special Features disc in my opinion is worth the price of the entire package. Throw in the special features on the feature disc, the downloadable version of the movie; it was well worth the approximate $20. You can find a version for around $10, but I would recommend get the 2 disc version. The packaging, art work, and interviews, and additional features on the additional disc are well worth it. I am a geek when it comes to special features and on this point, I have to say, I haven’t been this pleased in a very long time.

Now as to the feature Superman, Batman, Public Enemies; I have to say, one of the things DC is doing that I love is a retelling of story, with respect for the history of the characters. We see quality story being told not just in a way older teens or young adults will enjoy, but in a way that will entertain and challenge the adult audience. Public Enemies teams up two of the classiest comic book heroes of all times, and DC seems to nail the characters down to a t.

The opening scenes of the movie start off in a way that would cause one to think if a fan of the characters at all. Imagine a world with super heroes, especially Superman and Batman where society has been dooped to the point they elect Lex Luthor as President of the United States. Then imagine the safety of the planet is on the line. What would happen if a politician put their ego, their self absorbed desires at a place of priority over the safety of the world? Imagine this egotistical president was able to bring some of the good guys over to his side, and they felt a responsibility to serve him because, he is the President of the United States. Imagine that scenario and you have a good idea of where Superman, Batman, Public Enemies goes.

One of the things I really appreciated about the feature was the inclusion of super heroes you don’t normally see together, not only heroes though, but villains. As the story progresses, we see an inward side of the characters we don’t always see. We see a strained relationship, where real friendship occurs, yet in some ways, the characters are reluctant to share that friendship. It is only when potential tragedy and loss of life occur that we see these characters friendship come to light. It is only then, in many ways, they realize what they have in regards to the relationship that is more often tumultuous than not.

Superman is often referred to as a savior of the planet, that fits within the realm of creation of the character, yet we see Batman as one who willingly cares about Superman, even to the point where he is willing to give his life to save the life of his friend. There are wonderful reminders here for all of us, it isn’t just that we need our own saviors, but sometimes, it is that we need to be willing to show love, and with that love, sometimes comes sacrifice. We can take this beyond just our faith, if we possess faith, we can take it to the relationships we are involved in. In a world where so many seem to be so self absorbed, a relationship that has integrity, and sacrifice is a refreshing breathe of fresh air, even in a animated movie that mirrors a horribly polluted world, not just environmentally, but from a relational perspective.

I really enjoyed this DVD; I enjoyed it so much that I will find myself looking for several other films in the DC vaults they have been making. With the integrity, detail to story, finding people who love the characters writing that story, and then having them share that love for those characters with the audience, I don’t think we can loose. The only disappointing thing about the DVD, and it is a small thing, is that the actual feature itself only lasted 67 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, the story was tight, production, and everything else surprisingly entertaining and filled with quality. I would have enjoyed another 15 or so minutes and find that with a few more minutes of production, this movie would have been good enough for theatrical release prior to DVD release.

All in all, I don’t think you can go wrong if you are a fan of the genera. While it is rated pg-13 I found it appropriate for ages 10 and up and even for younger audiences with parental supervision. I say this with reluctance as it isn’t within my style, but if you have children, this is a good buy for them, and you will find yourself enjoying it as well. In many ways, I think it is even more for adults, but that is for you to decide. As for me, I can’t wait to see it and others from the DC Universe in the very near future.

On a scale of 1 – 10, for the quality story, and the good time I had watching it, take away two DVD’s in the set and one nasty Lex Luthor and you have one very deserving 7.

The following video is a First Look Presentation of this movie. Simply click on the video to see it. If the video don't appear, just click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRW3Y-c8GsA

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Smallville Season 8

Okay let me make it clear right off the bat; I Have been a fan of Smallville since season one. While I am a fan of the Superman saga, I am not so uptight on Superman that I was offended as some loyal fans are with the concept of Smallville. Frankly, I believe the series has done a rather good job of staying true to the Superman storyline. While there are at times concepts that are more unique to the Smallville story than to the original Superman series, I believe, that as a whole, this has added to the Superman saga more than taken away from it. I believe the series has even increased the fold of fans. I like this series so much that I need to give a disclaimer, I have watched every episode, every special feature of every season since season one, I even belong to several groups that have followed the series in detail.

One of the reasons I have loved the series is the excellent production. Smallville seems more like a lengthy movie than a television series. The reproduction has been rewarding, for fans of the series, they will be very satisfied with the DVD’s. Over the years the DVD’s have done a great job at giving the fans more, season eight is no let down in this area. Fans will be pleased that the series has worked to make the DVD’s even more fan friendly and the reproduction, art work, inserts and more are extremely well done and satisfying. I wish other television series and other boxed sets did as good a job at giving the fans more. The DVD set is so satisfying in fact, that for those who have already seen the series on television, they will be pleased they purchased the DVD’s.

While the series is well done the one thing that starts to lack in season eight is the story itself. Missing in season eight are several notable characters. With no clear story as to what has happened with the characters we as viewers are left somewhat in the dark. I have to give credit though, the story does a good job of trying to fill in holes and we even see the return of several characters from seasons past. The primary character, Clark Kent is back and Tom Welling is as good as ever. In some ways he continues to grow up and we see the transformation continue in the life of Clark Kent. I must say though; it is here, in the character of Clark Kent, that I believe, even though I am not a die hard Superman fan as some are, begin to have some issues with the story line.

One of the early signatures of Smallville from the makers is we would never see Clark wear the Superman suit or fly. While the producers have skirted around that, and even in some ways broken their promise, the story line is developing in such a way that either they can’t keep their promise at all, or they continue to deviate in such a way from the original Superman that they change the entire storyline. For many fans, even fair weather fans, this may end up being totally unacceptable. They need either end the series and stand on its own merit, which it can, or start a new series with the same characters either in the mode of Lois and Clark or an entire new Superman series. Frankly, I enjoy the characters, but I would rather the series end than continue in the way it has. It detracts from the original concept of Superman too much. I would love to see a new series, either Lois and Clark or Superman, it is time and Smallville is at a place this needs to happen. Unfortunately if it don’t happen, then Smallville begins, and according to some, already has, loose credibility.

There are so many things about the character of Clark Kent I love. Actually Clark Kent is not the primary character, he is really the alter to Superman or Kal El. It is Clark’s struggle to discover who he is, while recognizing he is more than human, even though he has an apparent human body. There are obvious efforts at making the comparisons to Jesus Christ in the series, this becomes clear when watching the special features and listening to the directors’ commentary. This helped me think about the difficulty Jesus had to go through. We see struggles in the life of Clark Kent portrayed in a way that mirrors the person of Jesus Christ. Clark Kent tries to cope and come to an acceptable conclusion as to who he is, what it means to take a stand to do what is right and ultimately his purpose.

In the concept of learning to accept ones responsibility; season eight of Smallville succeeds. We see Clark Kent more than in any other season come to understand that he can’t sit back and not use his gifts, and powers to help those in need. It is in this struggle that we can all relate. Do we sit back and not change the things we can, or do we make a difference. Season 8, using characters in the early formation of the Justice League, along with long time friends helps Clark with his inner struggles in this search.

I love Smallville, I am anxiously awaiting season nine, but I want the saga of Clark Kent in regards to Smallville to come to an end. I am ready to see Tom Welling take the character to the next level, I am ready for Superman.

I must also comment on the product itself. This is a series that gives the fans what they want in product, I am grateful for that. Not only do we have what we want, it is also affordable. If you haven’t started watching the series, go back and get season one. I promise, it won’t take long for you to discover what I am speaking of and I believe you will also fall in love with the series. Smallville is a wonderful series that thankfully has up to this point, not forgotten the fans.

While I don’t normally give a rating to DVD seasons I will here, for season eight, I give an enjoyable 8.

The following is a clip from season 8 episode 1. It all gets better from here. If the video appears just click on it, otherwise, just click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0q3xfH87Gk

Friday, June 14, 2013

Superman, Man of Steel

Superman Man of Steel: Powerful Partnering with Wal-Mart

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Superman, Batman, Public Enemies

Monday, August 31, 2009

Smallville Season 8

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