Ummmm.... Someone here posted.... "why would they present a whole track a month before the movie's release? That never ever happens"
Ummmm.... IT JUST DID!
Can you whistle it?
I'm not sure why I'm responding to you, since you like to contradict yourself, but who cares if you can whistle that track? That doesn't matter one bit.
I'm going to share a controversial opinion with you all now, and I could care less if you think I'm trolling or "don't appreciate it like I do" so save those comments and try and have a discussion with me as this board was intended.
I re-watched Donner's first Superman: The Movie and his cut of the second film on Blu Ray over the weekend with my very best of friends. He and I grew up on this film and have had a healthy love of it since we were both kids -- watching it together. We are both great Superman fans (as well as other DC Comics characters and Marvel as well) and anticipate seeing Zach Snyder's The Man of Steel together next month.
I repeat, Superman: The Movie is a movie which I have oodles of affection for.
Now, the controversy herein lay in this: exactly what is so good about Donner's film? To my opinion, of course you have John Williams rousing and wonderfully iconic music, but outside of that only Christopher Reeve's brilliant characterization of Superman makes this film anywhere near a classic. Reeve owns Superman with his performance and makes him live and breath unlike previous actors like George Reeves (despite the charm to be found in his serials). Jackie Cooper and Glenn Ford also deliver fantastic performances (Ford as the understated and noble Pa Kent, and Cooper as the scenery-chewing Perry White) -- although it could be argued they could sleepwalk those roles by that point in their career. The rest of the cast feels like a waste to me. Donner's direction is fine if as workmanlike as the rest of his career. Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography is rightly majestic but this guy shot 2001: A Space Odyssey and Cabaret before Superman and his best was behind him.
I will counter that I believe the opening act in Smallville is the pinnacle of the film, but outside of that I'm rarely invested in the plot or actions of the characters outside of Superman's own humility in the presence of being tasked with saving everybody (a routinely boring trait of Superman). The less said of Gene Hackman's hammy Lex Luthor (the least threatening villain in all of cinema history) and his bumbling henchcrew the better we all are.
In my opinion, only the Fleischer Brothers and the team of Bruce Timm & Paul Dini have captured a truly SUPER moving image incantation of the Man of Steel. And both of these teams are animation titans (perhaps Supes works best in the 2-dimensional space of living artwork?). I say there is a lot of room for improvement in Superman's silver screen journey; as well as a in-depth examination of his origin. Let's face it, these hero's origin tales are infinitely more rewarding as dynamic storytelling compared to them saving the world for the hundredth time from some villain of the week.
I always found Superman to be boring compared with Batman and some of the Marvel characters. Super strength, yawn, can fly, ho hum, xray vision, impervious to bullets, whatever. He always seemed to make a meal out of his adventures considering all his natural advantages. The only interesting parts of the comics for me were the different types of kryptonite that kept cropping up. That general lack of interest held over into the films.
And another thing - everyone I know well would recognise me with or without glasses. A stretch too far, even for the child I once was.
I'm hoping the new film will actually add some grit into the basically tedious premise.
I dont know if this has been posted yet, but I found this on Amazon. And...if you look at the picture in the center it will look like an orchestra on a sound stage...but in reality...when you zoom in, its ALLLLLLL drum sets. Thats our new Superman score folks.
Apparently, in the "feature musicians" section, it mentions guitars, female voice, solo cello,bass and violin. Also, it says "Music composed and arranged by Hans Zimmer".
Well, it is "easy listening". Not challenging, not artfully constructed nor orchestrated. Just... hummable. And of course rousing for those kids who love to hammer on tables to make their points.
It could have been worse. But it should have been so much better.
Zimmer is not even trying anymore. He´s on autopilot.
Yeah, I'm back. I recant what I said earlier. The more sound clips I hear the more disappointed I get. The music might still work well in context but I'm not interested in spending my $$$ on this soundtrack. And after listening to Brian Tyler's Fast Five and other scores, yes, I do think he would have delivered an interesting, exciting score. More orchestral and theme driven for certain...
I had a chance to listen to Williams' Superman and while I know it wouldn't work in Snyder's film vision of the caped crusader, I'm having a very hard time matching up Zimmer's sound examples to the visuals presented in the trailers. Where is that theme from the third trailer? I like that.
Still going to see the film in theatres but I'm not as hyped as I originally was. I'm more excited to see Pacific Rim (except the score from that too).
Let's face it, these hero's origin tales are infinitely more rewarding as dynamic storytelling compared to them saving the world for the hundredth time from some villain of the week.
This is where I disagree. I don't need to see the origin of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, X-men, ... for the umpteenth time. We know these characters, people who don't know them will get to learn about them in the process; no need to spoon feed the same old origin story over and over. And yet with every reboot you get the same trappings with maybe a hint of a variation.
The best recent comic book adaptation "Dredd" had zero exposition on its hero, zero origin aside from a brief one minute voice over establishing the universe before you got thrown into the action. You got to know the characters through the (visual) storytelling, the actions, the dialogue. And it had a hell of a 'villain of the week'. I wish more movies would follow that approach instead of "once upon a time..."
Let's face it, these hero's origin tales are infinitely more rewarding as dynamic storytelling compared to them saving the world for the hundredth time from some villain of the week.
I agree with Francis above. Also, there's more to do with superheroes than have them save the world from supervillains. With Batman, they could focus more on his Detective Comics background than on the Dark Knight or Campy Crusader sides. With Superman, they could focus more on his struggle as an extremely powerful alien to fit in with the people he loves and wants to both live among and protect. As I understand it, one of the goals of the whole Avengers film project is to leave the huge saving-the-world battles the the Avengers films and allow for other, more character-based things in the individual character titles. Certainly the new Wolverine movie looks more character-based; that character for sure has enough history that they can do different things with him. With a little creativity you can design any number of superhero movies that aren't just whaling on supervillains or whatever.
Let's face it, these hero's origin tales are infinitely more rewarding as dynamic storytelling compared to them saving the world for the hundredth time from some villain of the week.
This is where I disagree. I don't need to see the origin of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, X-men, ... for the umpteenth time. We know these characters, people who don't know them will get to learn about them in the process; no need to spoon feed the same old origin story over and over. And yet with every reboot you get the same trappings with maybe a hint of a variation.
The best recent comic book adaptation "Dredd" had zero exposition on its hero, zero origin aside from a brief one minute voice over establishing the universe before you got thrown into the action. You got to know the characters through the (visual) storytelling, the actions, the dialogue. And it had a hell of a 'villain of the week'. I wish more movies would follow that approach instead of "once upon a time..."
I agree. DREDD was a terrific comic book film. No pretence at all.
Maybe I shouldn’t post anymore, since everytime I write up an honest opinion – some people seem to defend this score, because it’s simply their kind of taste in film music.
So I apologize to the people who appreciate this Hans Zimmer Score.
But what I need to say is, that the latest Batman Trilogy – featuring Christian Bale as the iconic hero – HIS BATMAN SCORE AND THEMES WERE FAR MORE MELODIC THAN THE MAN OF STEEL SCORE I’VE HEARD SO FAR. (I don’t think it will grow on me as the Batman Scores did – those scores HAD THEMES!)
Some people have mentioned that since we are getting Hans Zimmer to score the “Man of Steel” score – we have been warned to get a theme that instantly has only two notes.
Unfortunately; they were spot on – as what I imagine, hearing this Flight theme, and that trailer music, the main theme seems to be - two notes.....
Bom – Bom.
The two notes from the Batman films was much better than this variation!
Superman should be the better score – AND FILM!
But then, who am I to complain?
Modern films can have fantastic scores - I've seen "Star Trek - Into Darkness" and it's an instant classic film - AND SCORE!
