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By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Trailer: Man of Steel

Who’s buyin’?

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74 Responses to “Trailer: Man of Steel”

  1. nick clement says:

    Me.

  2. nick clement says:

    You’re not?

  3. Paul Doro says:

    Eh I’ll pass. “From the director of Watchmen and 300” doesn’t inspire confidence in me, nor am I anywhere near sold on Henry Cavill. Doesn’t look all that interesting.

  4. Amblinman says:

    Wow. If you can’t get into that trailer and what sounds like a grandslam of a score I don’t know what to tell you. That looks like its going to be the best the summer has to offer.

  5. Tim DeGroot says:

    General Zod channeling Feyd Rautha.

  6. Smith says:

    Whatever skepticism I had about Snyder is gone at this point. This looks great.

  7. Foamy Squirrel says:

    So, the one thing that bugs me…

    Russell Crowe waffling on about how Clark/Kal is going to lead the human race… how the hell does he know ANYTHING about Earth? Does he know they get superpowers from the Earth’s sun? What if it turned out the sun weakened him? “You are destined to get your lunch money stolen and picked last at sports”.

  8. spassky says:

    Come on, people. I’m not a fan of super hero movies (per se) or superman (per se) or zach snyder (really at all)… but the “eh I think I’ll pass”es just read as contrarian and cynical. This looks like a feast for the eyes and maybe a decent film.

    Who stole all your wonder? Get on with your inner child and chill out for a friggin second.

  9. jepressman says:

    Spassky is right,who did steal all your wonder? Superman was the only comic book hero I liked as a child. The entire Clark Kent/ Superman mythology was something good and memorable. Geez Russell Crowe is Jor-EL,fantastic.

  10. sanj says:

    how’d they get the cameras in space ? nasa probably has something to do with it .

    trailer is way too long.

    finally all that super hard work doing the dp30’s – Michael Shannon and Amy Adams get super famous for a few weeks.

    once you get an oscar you allowed 1 superhero movie –

  11. The Pope says:

    I’m with Paul Doro.

    How can you like, let alone buy a ticket for a movie where the central idea is hope? I mean, a guy who struggles against his nature and therefore his destiny and then ultimately puts himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety and survival of others? Yeah, count me out. The music is lame, the trailer limps along and, at three minutes, failed to give me a moment of wonder. I didn’t catch my breath once. I yawned at the images. And the notion of decency having a place in this world? The summer’s first certified flop. Warners should have put a D on his chest. As in DumpsterMan.

    God, I loath cynicism and sarcasm.

    I’m first in line. This had me at “Goodbye my son.”

  12. LYT says:

    “Russell Crowe waffling on about how Clark/Kal is going to lead the human race… how the hell does he know ANYTHING about Earth? Does he know they get superpowers from the Earth’s sun? What if it turned out the sun weakened him? “You are destined to get your lunch money stolen and picked last at sports”.”

    Most versions of Jor-El, including the Donner/Brando version, have him knowing exactly what Earth will be like and deliberately sending his son there. Not new.

  13. Amblinman says:

    I’m with Spasky. Sure, the movie itself might actually suck but that trailer does everything you’d want a trailer to do, both for a summer blockbuster and a movie about Superman.

    Personally I find it impressive if for no other reason than I absolutely have movie superhero fatigue and that thing had me at the very first image of Krypton being destroyed.

    Good Lord, I love Hans Zimmer.

  14. Paul Doro says:

    Sorry. Just doesn’t look like my cup of tea. Not trying to be contrarian. What would be the point? I don’t like Snyder, I’m not sold on Cavill in the part, and I’m not a huge superhero movie guy. It doesn’t look awful, just not spectacular. But hey different strokes and all, right? I mean I didn’t call your kid ugly or anything.

  15. CG says:

    That suit is just plain ugly.

  16. spassky says:

    “As in DumpsterMan.”

    I don’t do this much but… LOL!

    @Paul Doro: FAIR. The language you used in the original post didn’t really make clear to me that you were not down with these movies– which is totally cool. Your opinion is vital, especially because I’m sure they’re trying to get some non-superhero-loving converts in the theaters for this one.

    some real world practical questions: Will it be a profit maker? If SUPERMAN RETURNS was as sumptuous as this seems to be, would it have?

  17. RP says:

    I’m in, even with no love for anything Snyder has done since “Dawn of the Dead”. Just the same question I’ve always had-why does Superman wear a cape?

  18. hcat says:

    The sound on my work computer is shot, but even watching this in mute has gotten me intrigued. I prefered the crisper Krypton of Donners version, this set design looks all brown tendrils and musty Alien-esque womb spaces, but that is just overall nitpicking.

    Never been all that impressed by Snyder, for all the style over substance arguements, but hopefully with a strong producer to edit and prod him along, this may turn into something incredible.

    And in a weaker looking summer, where even the Emmerich White House movie is starting to look good to me, this could be the standout.

  19. hcat says:

    why does Superman wear a cape?

    Some superheroes are very self-conscious about how their ass looks in spandex. There is a lot of strain and flexing when lifting a train above your head and you don’t want to be distracted by thinking about how you are going to look on the front page of the Planet when you are trying to save lives.

  20. Wilder says:

    Just call it DARKMAN. Because it’s not real unless it’s real dark!

  21. Paul Doro says:

    Why would that clarification be necessary though? I don’t really understand why so many people immediately get bent out of shape over someone’s opinion of a trailer for a summer blockbuster. Automatically you are cynical or unworthy of contributing to the discussion. Makes no sense.

  22. The Pope says:

    Paul Doro,

    Sincerely, apologies to you. I read at speed what you wrote and misread what you meant. You were not being sarcastic or cynical. You were as you said, merely saying it isn’t your cup of tea.

    Mea culpa.

  23. Paul Doro says:

    No problem. Thanks Pope.

  24. Spassky says:

    Hm: since you hold bias against the films genre its relevant but not necessary. Im not bent our of shape, just stating my opinion on your opinion just like you did to mine. Im sorry youre so offended, not my intention.

  25. Spassky says:

    Oh and i wasnt being clear: your observations didnt have anything to do with the trailer but with the film itself (or rather the cast and crew behind it). In your original post you didnt mention it not being your cup o tea, just that you thought ot didnt look “interesting”. These read as cynical, but sorry for not being more sensetive or whatever

  26. anghus says:

    Exceptional trailer. Crowe with “goodbye my son.” and Costner with “you are my son.”. Thats the kind of real human drama they need to draw in more than just the geeks and guys. More raw emotion and sentimentality than any superhero movie I can remember. Great casting. Shannon looks gonzo.

    Very much on board. And this is from someone who thinks Zach Snyder is so painfully mediocre. Didn’t like 300, Watchmen, or Sucker Punch.

    And yet, this trailer looks amazing.

  27. Paul Doro says:

    I am not biased against them (nor am I offended). I even like some of them. I just said they are not my favorite, and this trailer didn’t knock my socks off. But I’m not biased against superhero movies. No doubt the supporting cast is good, but people are on board with Cavill? I’m not familiar with the comics, but he doesn’t look right to me.

  28. greg says:

    Completely on board. That looked tremendous and I’m not a Snyder fan at all.. tremendous trailer

  29. spassky says:

    I hate to be that guy, but I kind of feel uncomfortable with a non-American playing Superman. I know that’s stupid and borderline xenophobic, but it’s such a fundamentally American mythology. I guess I’m not not on board for Cavill, and I am certainly not familiar with the look of the comics, but he doesn’t seem like an actor that DOESN’T look like superman, i guess. Superman always seemed pretty bland in appearance, so the only definitive detail in my mind is dark hair, ripped. That’s about it.

    My question is what he looks like as Clark Kent, the reporter, later-in-life Clark, nerd Clark. I think that’s where he could utterly fail.

  30. hcat says:

    He looks like a dashing 20’s movie star in the suit, has a high wattage smile, cosmetically seems like a pretty good choice. As for nerd Clark, its possible we will not be getting much reporter Clark in this except maybe in a denouement where he establishes himself in Metropolis.

    As far as a non-American, well just tell yourself that America means people coming from everywhere to take part in the country and its mythology. There is nothing foreign to America since it is all made up of foreigners. Schuster and Siegal were first generation Americans and what is Superman if not the ultimate immigrant fable?

  31. spassky says:

    “There is nothing foreign to America since it is all made up of foreigners.”

    okay, ditched my earlier thought. I’m actually more comfortable with a foreigner in the middle of a hyper-americana setting. [Can see you-know-who coming by and being all “well if that doesn’t matter, then let’s just cast Idris Elba as Clark Kent”]

  32. RP says:

    This looks/feels like it’s going to be longer than the 2 hours 28 minutes listed at IMDB-lots of ground to cover. And we know Snyder’s specialty is ‘length’.

  33. Lex says:

    Looks absolutely awesome EXCEPT for Grandma Adams. Then again, we grew up with Margot Kidder shot through smear of cream cheese on the lens, so other than Bosworth they’ve never had a hot cinematic Lois. But Kunis would’ve been so, so much better AND a way bigger draw– Adams is one of those buzzkill redhead critical darlings who ABSOLUTELY no one buys a ticket to see. Kunis would’ve been more appealing to teenage boys and guys in their 40s like me.

    Or it could’ve been K-Stew.

  34. Double D says:

    Well compared to that mundane, silly-looking Lone Ranger trailer that just came out… this looks much better.

    I’ve never liked Zach Snyder, only Dawn of the Dead stood out for me. And I loathed Watchmen and Sucker Punch. Loathe. So i’ll wait for word of mouth on this one.

    WB has got this and Hangover III to deliver. They could have a great year.

  35. SamLowry says:

    Another floating tentacle monster? If the virtue of Japanese schoolgirls is not in danger, then heck no.

    Also, Siegel was born in Ohio, and though Shuster was indeed a first generation American, he was born in Toronto, which is hardly your traditional “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” kinda relocation. But you can say that their parents were European Jews looking to make a better life for their families by eventually moving to America.

  36. LYT says:

    In answer to why Superman wears a cape, it’s because when he was first created, the closest thing kids had to larger-than-life, superhuman characters were circus performers. Who wore capes out of showmanship.

    Batman, however, has one because his design is based on Leonardo Da Vinci’s glider drawings.

  37. anghus says:

    “Or it could’ve been K-Stew.”

    You know some exec at Warner Brothers was pushing that. Thank god it didn’t happen. I’ll take talent or vapidity any day of the week. No matter how old that week is.

    And man, after Oz, if i don’t ever want to see Kunis trying to play anyone other than Kunis again. Holy shit is she terrible. It’s funny watching her do so well in modern stuff like Ted and Black Swan, but when it requires her to actually try and be someone else… pain… so much pain… All i hear is Meg.

    And Bosworth is a skeleton covered in skin. You claim to never have nailed a California 10. Here’s the secret: it’s overrated. Fucking a bony pelvis is no fun.

    As for the whole ‘Cavil not being American’ thing, come the fuck on. Do we still live in that world. Wolverine is Australian. Spiderman is British. Who gives two fucks where the actor who plays the alien from another planet is from. If that thought goes through your head when you watch that trailer, you are part of the fucking problem. I mean, say this sentence out loud instead of typing it:

    “I wish Superman had been played by an American.”

    How do you not sound like a dick saying that?

  38. spassky says:

    [it’s not worth it]

  39. spassky says:

    [not worth it]

  40. anghus says:

    No man, bring it. Come on, give me that xenophobic jingoistic bullshit and try to spin it as authenticity or some such nonsense. I’m dying to hear you justify this statement…

    “Superman is ‘Murican and should be played by a ‘Murican.”

    The die is cast. I need to hear someone rationally try and justify this. So please, have at thee. Trust me. For my entertainment value alone it will be soooooo worth it. Get up on that soapbox and preach it, captain. Here, i’ll give you a starting sentence:

    THEY TOOK OUR JOBS!

    And go!

  41. spassky says:

    Anghus, I was self-conscious about the comment when I made it (even said the word ‘xenophobic,’ too). Then I retracted it. You’re being an arrogant prick right now.

    This is the same reaction a lot of people would have if an American was cast as Bond. And either way — I retracted it.

    But thanks for being a patronizing asshole about all of it and assuming a whole lot about me.

    Go fuck yourself and the high horse you rode in on.

  42. spassky says:

    Oh, and you’re type of know-nothing buzzword-strewn trolling asshole liberal bullshit is the stuff that gives the rest of us a bad name.

    GO BACK TO REDDIT

  43. anghus says:

    Dont need a high horse for the high ground on this one my friend. The question you should be asking yourself is:

    “Why do i care where the actor who plays Superman is from?”

    You said:

    “This is the same reaction a lot of people would have if an American was cast as Bond.”

    Nothing better than a deflection defense pointing out the potential hypocrisy in others based on a complete hypothetical. Im sure people would be bothered like that. When and if that happens, i guarantee i’ll be asking them the same question.

    I wonder if they will also wish i die in a housefire?

    And man, way to darken up the conversation. You went from normal conversation to wishing someone was dead with alarming ease. Do you wish death upon the drive through window cashier at McDonalds when they mess up your order?

    I liked that you retracted a statement about a brit playing Superman and yet have no issue wishing death upon someone. You sir have an interesting moral compass.

  44. Uh, getting stuffy in here…

    Let me just say it may be an American mythology but Superman is a freakin’ ALIEN. No reason he has to be played by an American.

    No reason to jump down someone’s tonsils for going there, either, of course. But, well, it’s the internet.

  45. spassky says:

    Well I’m never coming back here.

    I love being called a xenophobe and implied to be an idiot though, thanks Anghus. Way to make your argument. You are the one that escalated the language, so again go fuck yourself. I HATE HATE HATE when people assume things like this because they over-extrapolated on an opinion of the casting in a movie. You assumed and implied I am some of the things I hate the most, and for that I would rather you not exist in this world, yeah. You’re the type of person I hate the most.

    I would normally have just said “yeah, you’re right, it doesn’t matter, my bad” but the offensive shit you said about my comment is fucking repugnant. What type of response did you expect? Do you really believe this type of rhetorical attack is effective?

  46. spassky says:

    “Let me just say it may be an American mythology but Superman is a freakin’ ALIEN. No reason he has to be played by an American.”

    And I even admitted this and retracted my earlier statement.

    Anghus: you’re a troll. And even worse a self-righteous one.

  47. anghus says:

    Tapley, its getting very stuffy, but to the point.

    Batman/American = Played by Welshman (Is Welshman a word?)
    Spiderman/American = Played by a Brit
    Superman/Alien = Played by a Brit
    Wolverine/Canadian = Played by an Australian
    Thor/Norse God = Played by an Australian
    Magneto/German = Played by a Brit

    Why is Superman the sticking point? To spassky’s point, is that the American version of Bond? No one seemed to give two shits when Bale was cast as Batman. Everybody was just happy a really good actor was cast in the role. But do you remember anyone being anything other than psyched for Bale in Batman Begins? Why is Superman more intrinsically American than Batman?

    Is it that Cavil is generally unknown to American audiences. Is it that an unknown Brit has been cast as Superman?

    EDIT

    “Anghus: you’re a troll. And even worse a self-righteous one.”

    and yet, i never wished you would die in a house fire. So i have that going for me.

  48. spassky says:

    I already conceded much earlier in the thread that it isn’t a valid point. My parenthetical aside (“”well if that doesn’t matter, then let’s just cast Idris Elba as Clark Kent”) was meant to illustrate how ignorant the original comment did sound.

    I want to apologize to you, Anghus, the blog, and anyone else that was offended. I won’t be commenting on this thread any further nor any thread in the future. My sincere apologies.

  49. YancySkancy says:

    Well, Superman is the only one of those heroes who was specifically associated with “truth, justice and the American way,” beginning with the radio serial during WWII. Doesn’t mean he needs to be played by an American, of course, but I kinda get the kneejerk impulse to think otherwise. Moot point, because even when Brits are cast in these roles, they put on their best American accents.

    Hey, why doesn’t anybody ever do Hamlet with a Danish accent?

  50. spacesheik says:

    I’m sold.

    This looks great.

  51. LYT says:

    The one time Bond was played by an Australian, people got upset.

    Though nowadays, I know many who call it the best Bond ever.

  52. Lex says:

    Connery — Scottish
    Lazenby — Australian but actually had lived in UK forever when he was cast. He was basically a British model.
    Moore — British
    Dalton — Welsh
    Brosnan — Irish
    Craig — Britsh

    WHOO

  53. RP says:

    If there are still any questions about whether or not Superman was developed as or has evolved into an “American” superhero, see:

    http://www.newrepublic.com/article/112941/superman-75th-anniversary-how-man-steel-changed-times

    That being said, most people will probably have no idea Cavill is British when they watch Man of Steel. Did anyone know/care that Sam Worthington was born in England and grew up in Australia when he was playing a Marine in Avatar? Is there anything more “American” than playing a member of the Armed Forces?

  54. hcat says:

    Cyclops/American- Played by a sentient Sea Sponge

    Given the increased volume of cinematic superheros in the past decade, is it a suprise we would have to outsource some of the roles?

  55. Sonny Hooper says:

    Was anyone upset about Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln? I’m thinking Lincoln is a far more American role than Superman. Weren’t we all just happy he was being played by a great actor? On the upside, Zod is now played by an American. Or is that the downside?

  56. Geoff says:

    Yeah getting upset about a British actor playing Superman is really a non-starter. For any of The Walking Dead fans out there, am I the only one who has gotten a kick out of seeing a lot of the cast interview on Talking Dead and it seems like every bad-ass character with a Southern drawl on the show ends up talking with a foppish Brit accent in real life? David Morrissey, Andrew Lincoln, Lennie James….I was kind of surprised when Norman Reedus came on and JUST sounded like some dude from Southern California.

    The trend that I’m really digging as a Jewish person…and I know it’s silly…is that you have a growing contingent of superheroes now being played by Jewish folks. Still cool but not really shocking when the recent Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is Jewish considering that Shat, Nemoy, and Koenig were all Jewish on the original cast.

    But now we have a Jewish Spiderman (Andrew Garfield), Iron Man (people keep forgetting that Downey is Jewish), we had a Jewish Superman (Brandon Routh, though I’ll admit he was pretty lame) AND James Bond….though I have heard mixed things about just how observant Daniel Craig is.

    I know it seems inconsequential but growing up Jewish and ALWAYS seeing the typical lame icons being associated with being Jewish like Woody Allen and Barbara Streisand and sorry…but Adam Sandler was not really an improvement….it’s refreshing to see upright heroic types played by members of the Tribe.

    Oh and Daniel Day Lewis is also Jewish….dude’s fucking Irish, how cool is that??

  57. Geoff says:

    And seriously Lex….Grandma Adams?? She’s 38 for Christ sakes and is ten times hotter than Kate Bosworth ever was….not to mention, I buy her a lot more as a hard-nosed reporter than Bosworth who looked like a little girl playing dress-up in ‘Returns.

    You’ve got a point about Kidder, but as far as I’m concerned, the actual hottest Lois Lane is still Teri Hatcher (at her peak years before she starved herself for Desperate Housewives) though I never watched much of Lois and Clark. And if you wanna go for hotness with the first cinematic iteration of Superman, no one beat Annette O’Toole.

  58. YancySkancy says:

    It’s all personal taste of course, but Amy Adams does WAAAAAY more for me than Kate Bosworth, and always has. Face, physique, talent…no contest. Neither one of them seems like ideal casting for Lois Lane, but maybe that’s because I grew up with brunette Lois.

  59. storymark says:

    Bosworth was a joke in that role. Terriblly mis-cast, if for no other reason than just simple chronological logic – a 22 year old single Mom… with a Pulitzer, who was already a successful, mega-star reporter from what, the age of 15?. Sure. And Im one of the few who actually liked that flick…

  60. anghus says:

    The following superheroes would have been better played by Brits or Aussies.

    Daredevil
    Ghost Rider
    The Phantom

    Better as Brits or Aussies

    Judge Dredd
    Batman
    Spiderman

  61. palmtree says:

    So to recap…we’re all buyin’ except for one guy.

  62. Paul Doro says:

    Well that guy must be a real loser.

  63. palmtree says:

    Paul, don’t be so hard on yourself. After all, Superman was the only one of his kind around.

  64. Paul Doro says:

    Now I will scour America (and if necessary the world) in search of someone else who doesn’t love the trailer. I’ll report back when/if I find them.

  65. hcat says:

    Well IO hasn’t weighed in yet, entirely possible that he will hate it with the fury of a thousand suns.

    Or he will absolutly love it and then in a year hate it with the fury of a thousand suns.

  66. Paul Doro says:

    Does he still post here? Can’t say I miss him.

  67. RP says:

    Anybody seen these guys on the FBI tape? Over/under for how soon they get caught from that tape? 36 hours?

  68. Don R. Lewis says:

    hcat- and either way, no one will *really* care but a whole new section of rants and barbs will be launched nonetheless.

  69. leahnz says:

    looks ok, pretty much like every other movie of its ilk, lots of brooding and angst, so sick of angst. nice flying though. the word ‘son’ is used like 28 times.

    (oh and the new Judge Dredd, not played by a brit or an ozzy for fucks sake)

  70. tbunny says:

    Anti-reboot on principle. I’ll wait for cable in a couple years.

  71. anghus says:

    Isn’t Australia and New Zealand basically the same place?

  72. hcat says:

    Watched Man with the Iron Fists last night and am wondering if Crowe was able to wear Brando’s original Jor-EL girdle for this role.

  73. doug r says:

    Loved this trailer been watching it a couple of times a day since it came out-this and the trailer for RIPD were the best parts of Oblivion, an otherwise meh film.
    If it makes you feel better, Cavill is from Jersey. Just not the “New” part. And Shuster was a Canadian who came up with the idea. Siegel drew it. You think a kid from Jersey isn’t going to get teased in insular British society? Give me a break.
    Oh, and they shot large parts of the Chris Reeve Superman in Calgary and Man of Steel in Vancouver, btw. 🙂

  74. BoulderKid says:

    RIPD looks like one of the most wretched things to receive a major marketing push in a long time. That Bridges voice is DEADLY. Ryan Reynolds is a total cypher in any straight man role. It makes you sort of respect what Sonnenfeld was able to do with MIB3.

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