Supermoan: Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 7 - 'Man Of Steel' (2013): Our First Review Live From New Orleans
Thu, July 4, 2013 You can watch this week's episode on Blip:
Or on Youtube:
...or to give it's other title; ' When Jamie Met Phil'.
After seven years of build-up, Phil bought one of the most expensive cinema tickets of all time just to see 'Man Of Steel' in New Orleans with Jamie and finally meet the Ebert to his Siskel. We invite you to join us over the next 100 minutes for hugs, sights, stabbings, jazz weddings, K-Mart's, and two viewings of the film with our immediate reaction.
By the end of it, gifts are exchanged, tears are shed and lives are changed.
If this feels more like a home movie at times than a review, that was intentional. We wanted our long time listeners to feel what it was like to be with us on this trip and we hope we succeeded. Enjoy!
Download the audio only MP3 version right here:
Reader Comments (9)
This is a great video. I really got a first-hand feel for the experience you guys had seeing the film. The moment when Jamie gives Phil the action figure is a really touching moment of friendship. And Jamie is a very courageous grown man to put on that costume in front of untold numbers of anonymous viewers. Give this man an Oscar!
Thanks for sharing, Phil. My big problem with the film is that it follows sort of a singular emotional thread, in contrast to Superman: The Movie, which had rousing action, touching romance, screwball comedy, conjured love for one's parents in the Smallville scenes, awe-inspiring grandiosity in the Krypton scenes, etc. The Donner film is much more emotionally ambitious and affecting in a variety of ways, and Man of Steel suffers in comparison to it. In light of this contrast, perhaps Man of Steel works better for little kids for whom this is their first Superman movie and don't have anything else to compare it to. Having said all this, I appreciated the exploration of the trauma young Clark experiences when unable to control his burgeoning superpowers.
That was terrific guys, and well worth the wait! I’ve only been a regular, weekly listener/viewer for the last year and change, but it was fantastic finally seeing you two together… and in LIVE AND LET DIE territory, no less!
I pretty much loved MAN OF STEEL (with a few minor reservations, the odd non-chronological structure you touched upon being one of those), but I can absolutely see how and why the reaction has been so incredibly divisive. It’s not a safe, by-the-numbers reboot; it’s not a beat-for-beat remake of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE. Like it or not, the film (at least in my opinion) tries to explore some uncharted waters for the Superman character and his world, and I bought into it. But those who didn’t are not wrong for feeling a disconnect, because even though I dug the movie, I’ll certainly admit it didn’t FEEL very much like a traditional Superman flick, nor did the actual character himself, really. I mean, sure, he’s clearly a very decent guy who wants to do the right thing and help people (even if he didn’t do a very good job of that during the Metropolis battle), but there’s little joy, or excitement, or exuberance to him. I expect that’s somewhat by design, and that in the sequel we’ll see him growing into the more traditional characterization we’re familiar with, but like I said, I totally get why people have taken issue.
Awesome video guys! Epic!! So excellent that you shared your passion with us.
My feelings about the movie mirror yours Phil. You referenced the lack of a rescue montage to establish Superman as a hero. That is the biggest failing of the movie. But I believe you are only pointing to the tip of iceberg. It goes much deeper. Some form of rescue montage becomes a validation that the world needs Superman.
That validation never happens in this movie. In fact, quite the opposite. This movie shows the world is a better place without Superman. His actions result in the crisis that the world has to face. In this movie if there is no Superman there is no crisis and the world continues quite nicely thank you very much.
The other thing that saddens me about Man of Steel is that it brings Superman down to our level as opposed to the other movies which inspire us to try and reach his level.
PS - Kudos for putting on the suit Jamie. Even though everyone knows you are already a superhero it was a nice touch.
That sums it up better than I could Lou. I might have to use some of your comments in the next show.
And thanks to everyone for enjoying this. I really had reservations about showing you what is essentially a vacation video but people seem not to mind.
"I might have to use some of your comments in the next show."
Wow! I would be humbled if you did.
Can't wait to hear your MOS roundtable review!
Cheers!
Lou
This article Film Critic Hulk Smash about THE IMPORTANCE OF DRAMATIZING CHARACTER and how Man of Steel does not, is beyond brilliant - http://badassdigest.com/2013/07/03/film-crit-hulk-man-of-steel/
I don't want anything to influence my opinion before we do the next special. I will read though, afterwards.
I've been looking forward to this one! I think a lot of the fans from our generation are having mixed feelings about this film. I think part of that is due to our nostalgia for the older films and also our general knowledge of the character to this point. I think the other part of it is that there is a kind of ADD aspect to this in the way it bounces around to the flashbacks more quickly than Nolan did in Begins. This film seems much more like a collection of scenes and I can't help but think that was intended to fit with the shorter attention spans of the younger generation. It wasn't as bad the second time I saw it, but that was my initial thought.
Also, thanks to you and Jamie for sharing this first meeting between the two of you. It's cool that you were finally able to meet and that we were a part of that in some small way. It was also very nice to see your initial reactions, litterally momens after seeing the film. I look forward to the MOS episode of Movie Moan and to the rest of the Supermoan series!
Thanks again, guys!