In this week’s installment, you get two movie reviews for the price of one as Sean “Hollywood” Hunting and I explore both the 2006 Richard Donner Cut of Superman II and the 2013 disaster-comedy, Man of Steel. Michael Scally provided the image above. Click on it to download our reviews of both films, or CLICK HERE. Special thanks go to Ken Nabbe of Green Mustard Entertainment for purchasing the perk that inspired this show.
The Greatest Movie EVER! Zodcast
The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast 
While it’s generally agreed that the cartoon version of [insert DC superhero here] is always the best, I would note that this podcast is certainly not approved by WB Animation casting and voice director Andrea Romano, who for several decades has enforced with the iron will of a nun holding a ruler the edict that under no circumstances can the name “Lex Luthor” ever be pronounced “Lex Luther” by anybody in the animated DCU, contrary GME! common practice.
My ‘o’ sounds like an ‘e’.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to disagree with you about Man of Steel, but I still love you.
So you both liked MAN OF STEEL for all the wrong reasons, Paul?
You almost make me want to watch it – which is not something I thought I’d ever want to do, given I find Zack Snyder as creatively bankrupt as I do morally objectionable.
Aw, Hell – let’s just say he strikes me as a dick, and leave it at that!
Tim, I think what I found the most amusing was the sheer amount of money they poured into the movie even though Goyer’s script wasn’t up to snuff. It’s a multimillion dollar film with writing on par with the Dolph Lundgren Punisher movie. I expect Snyder to be all style and no substance, but how vapid the film actually is compared to how serious it was trying to be is just amazing.
Yeah, I remember how fond you weren’t of the script too, Paul! It sounded a lot like some of my rants every time CASTLE “goes dark” – like I want to see a gritty, blood-soaked goofy romantic-comedy/mystery series!
Superman has never been a driven avenger, but a fundamentally sunny person who believes in doing good because that’s what people who are given so much do. In a way, that explains why Lex Luthor has always been his greatest adversary – both are profoundly gifted people, but while Superman sees that as a reason to give back, Luthor sees it as as justification to grab as much as he can.
James, if you listen to the podcast, I make my feelings on Man of Steel abundantly clear.
The scene of Luthor and Zod being arrested at the Fortress of Solitude was used in a TV cut of Superman II, I believe. It doesn’t really jibe with either version of the film, except to soften the film by removing any doubt that the Kryptonians has survived.
I think the Christopher Reeve Superman films were the best Superman movies they could have done at the time. That is to say that they didn’t have the ability to do a pure action Superman film, so they did it about the character instead.
That doesn’t make them good films, although I think the Donner Superman had far better character development than Man Of Steel. My favorite part being that Clark, with all of his powers, was unable to save the life of Jonathan Kent. That’s a good dilemma for Superman.
…which is completely nullified by his ability to turn the world backward, but at least it was a good start.
Oh well.
Nerds.
Having grown up on the Christopher Reeves films, my view of Superman was shaped by that straight-laced Boy Scout role of the character that is certainly the opposite in “Man of Steel”. Interesting to see what Paul saw in that film that I might otherwise not care about simply for the asshole nature they made the character be.
James, listen to the podcast if you want to participate in this discussion. I’m not going to repeat myself in the comments.
So you’re a smug schmuck then, James Smith?
Good to know.
Why don’t you go troll a liberal blog or something instead…?
Don’t worry, he’s done.
James’s trolling comments have been removed, and his posting privileges have been revoked.
Okay, Paul – glad to hear it.
He can exercise his “Free Speech Rights” somewhere else – maybe on breibart.com….
James assures me that he is quite liberal. But he also called me a coward and claimed I banned him for having a dissenting opinion, the rallying cry of the troll. I explained to him otherwise via e-mail. Ah, well. C’est la vie.
And I believe that, Paul.
Is belief not writ large across my countenance…?
Yeah, Man of Steel is a better Dragonball live action than Dragonball E.
Whoever it was in your social media section who said that Superman was envisioned as a “run of the mill superhero” must be either a Superhero hater, or a Marvel homer. Superman launched the whole superhero thing! Quite a lot of people dislike/outright hate the character, but to downplay the character’s place in history and his iconic status is ridiculous.