Superman Returns Kevin Smith Rips On Superman Returns

[El Payaso]

It's funny how everyone dismisses Smith's opinion because of his movies, but yet ignores the outstanding work he's done as a comic writer on Daredevil and Green Arrow, which shows he has a real insight into who these characters really are. Something basic that Singer failed to grasp.

But it's also funny how you think writing a comic means automatically directing a good superhero movie.

I wpould say Smith is not talented enough to direct a good superhero movie. But you know, he said that himself.

 

[Matt]

But it's also funny how you think writing a comic means automatically directing a good superhero movie.

I wpould say Smith is not talented enough to direct a good superhero movie. But you know, he said that himself.

way to take a comment completely out of context. It is called self-deprication humor. He is being sarcastic.

 

[El Payaso]

way to take a comment completely out of context. It is called self-deprication humor. He is being sarcastic.

He was trying to be sarcastic. Willingly or not he ended just describing himself. And no, he never made Green Hornet, just another light jokey flick instead.

 

[buggs0268]

Who cares. The guy has made successful movies. Even with all the faults of his script, which were Peters mandated, and which he got into arguements with him over, his script still had a better story and better Superman moments that were true Superman. True Lois and Lex. There was the genesis of a good story, but I really would love to see his first, untainted draft.

 

[Matt]

He was trying to be sarcastic. Willingly or not he ended just describing himself. And no, he never made Green Hornet, just another light jokey flick instead.

So what if he makes comedies? How does that make Singer the superior director? Again, is Singer a better director than Mel Brooks?

 

[El Payaso]

So what if he makes comedies? How does that make Singer the superior director? Again, is Singer a better director than Mel Brooks?

Yes he is.

But we have to watch a Smith's superhero movie before we can say but he... seems to be unable to do it. When he has the chance to do it, he turns it down. Then he talks against people like Burton who have suceeded - in a much bigger and significant way than Smith - at making movies (superhero movies amongst them.)

 

[Matt]

Yes he is.

But we have to watch a Smith's superhero movie before we can say but he... seems to be unable to do it. When he has the chance to do it, he turns it down. Then he talks against people like Burton who have suceeded - in a much bigger and significant way than Smith - at making movies (superhero movies amongst them.)

So you're saying an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winning writer/director who pretty much revolutionized comedic film is inferior to the guy who did The Usual Suspects because Mel Brooks doesn't do drama? I am not even going to bother responding to the rest of your points as you have lost all credibility.

 

[El Payaso]

So you're saying an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winning writer/director who pretty much revolutionized comedic film is inferior to the guy who did The Usual Suspects because Mel Brooks doesn't do drama? I am not even going to bother responding to the rest of your points as you have lost all credibility.

I applaud your Mel Brooks random and unneded inclusion. That made you able to deviate and distort the whole subject so you can claim it's useless to reply.

Anyway I see in your future... a reply to this.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Writing a comic and writing and directing a movie are TWO TOTALLY different mediums and venues.

I would agree with that, though I'm not sure how it's relevant to the point I made about Smith knowing the characters since no matter what medium they're in, the characters should at their cores remain unchanged.

This is like saying that a good video game writer who writes the script/concept of a video game would make a good movie if his games are good. It just doesn't translate. It's a false analogy, and not even because one is a comic book writer in this case and the other a movie director.

I didnt say Smith could make a better movie b/ c he's good in the comics. My point was that I respected Smith's opinion about Singer's SUPERMAN movie because Smith knows these characters inside and out.

No one's ignoring Smith's work. Everyone's placing Smith's comic work where it belongs -- in the comic books. It has no bearing on his film capabilities. Crafting characters on the page and sustaining interests in them for a ten minute comic book read is a totally different creature than a movie which has 2-hours to isninuate an entire history while sustaining an mass audience (comics only have to cater to a particular demographic) and maintain interest all the way through. So can you tell me where exactly Smith's comic book "depth" has any relation to Singer's film "depth?"

Again, you're refuting a point I never made. I never once mentioned Smith's film-making capabilities. My point was simply that Smith gets the characters whereas Singer does not.

The character of Superman is the same (or at least should be) no matter what the medium. If you understand the character basics from his source material well enough to be brought on to actually write it, you obviously have a good idea what makes the character tick and can be competent in commenting on another interpretation of him in another medium.

What we can judge is Smith's history on movies that he's been rejected or fired from. He gets bitter. He gets petty. He disowns what's bad about what he did and throws it to others while leaving himself blamless.

Why?? Smith's movies have nothing to do with the comic characters. Smith wasnt critiquing Singer's directorial style, he was commenting on the content of the film which was about Superman. You're belittling the guy's opinion on Singer's film because his own movies are full of sophomoric dick jokes, when he's got an entire other aspect to his career that show's a love and understanding of these characters. What you're saying almost amounts to that you have to be able to direct a better film than Singer in order to be critical of the content of his film, and that's just not the case. He obviously doesnt have some kind of personal vendetta against Singer since in the very same interview he listed X2 as one of his favorite films.

We've seen of his movie skills, they've been sub-par and simply mediocre. I mean, are we really coming down to comparing Bryan Singer to Kevin Smith? Most of Hollywood's most respected would be laughing at us right now if they saw it.

I'm not comparing the two of them as directors, you are. I simply said that Smith's directorial efforts dont invalidate his opinion on SR, and based on his work in the comics I believe he has a much better grasp of who the character is.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

But it's also funny how you think writing a comic means automatically directing a good superhero movie.

I wpould say Smith is not talented enough to direct a good superhero movie. But you know, he said that himself.

*smacks head*

I didnt say Smith could direct a good superhero movie. My point was that by his work in the comics, I know he GETS the characters so that is why I value his opinion on the CONTENT of Singer's film. Whether he is a good director in his own right or not is irrelevant to that since he wasnt critiquing anything about the direction of the film.

It's funny when Mark Millar came out and said he liked the film (before later recanting those statements) there was a thread here dedicated to that. Why? Because he was a writer on the comics, and people respected his knowledge of the character. But when someone from the comic world like Smith, or Byrne or Alex Ross, says something negative about the film, we get "they dont know anything about doing a movie." God Bless the Internet!

 

[El Payaso]

*smacks head*

I didnt say Smith could direct a good superhero movie. My point was that by his work in the comics, I know he GETS the characters so that is why I value his opinion on the CONTENT of Singer's film. Whether he is a good director in his own right or not is irrelevant to that since he wasnt critiquing anything about the direction of the film.

If for that, many people in here know and get the characters totally. And still I reply to them, why not to Smith?

It's funny when Mark Millar came out and said he liked the film (before later recanting those statements) there was a thread here dedicated to that. Why? Because he was a writer on the comics, and people respected his knowledge of the character. But when someone from the comic world like Smith, or Byrne or Alex Ross, says something negative about the film, we get "they dont know anything about doing a movie." God Bless the Internet!

I'm not against Ross or whoever, but at this point I'm a little tired of Smith because he's often attacks people with artistical arguments because he doesn't like them. Okay, no one wanted to work with his script, get over it.

 

[Kid_Kaos]

If anyone is interested, there are two new videos on youtube where Smith talks about his version of a comicbook movie and what he thinks about Bryan Singer and his X-Men movies:

Part 1: about CB movies and the Green Hornet
Part 2: about Singer and X-Men

(Note: That was recorded before SR came out.)

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

So you're saying an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winning writer/director who pretty much revolutionized comedic film is inferior to the guy who did The Usual Suspects because Mel Brooks doesn't do drama? I am not even going to bother responding to the rest of your points as you have lost all credibility.

Are you suggesting that Mel Brooks should write and direct the next Superman movie?
Superman: Alien in tights.

 

[dark_b]

If anyone is interested, there are two new videos on youtube where Smith talks about his version of a comicbook movie and what he thinks about Bryan Singer and his X-Men movies:

Part 1: about CB movies and the Green Hornet
Part 2: about Singer and X-Men

(Note: That was recorded before SR came out.)

this was extreme funny

 

[dark_b]

was this already posted?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeolO939joY&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDjY340kNM&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPp4q7_HtDA

 

[Justice Bringer]

Wow.

Why does he say we have to discount the Donner cut and follow Lester's elements when Singer never said he was using them.

The Donner Cut lines up perfectly with Superman Returns for me. Obviously Jason was conceived much later after the events of Superman II (given Supes was on earth for 5 years before he left).

Regardless, his theories about Lois not being able to bear a half Kryptonian child just got pwned. Thats probably whats pissing him off.

The sad thing is Lois has done this in the comics and I dont think he even knew that, most noteably in "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tommorow"

 

[Justice Bringer]

More Kevin Smith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JieDtKAj0P4

At least he has faith Singer will rock the sequel........but his 'Jon Peters was right, this film needed a thanagarian snare beast' comment disturbs me.

 

[Crooklyn]

More Kevin Smith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JieDtKAj0P4

At least he has faith Singer will rock the sequel........but his 'Jon Peters was right, this film needed a thanagarian snare beast' comment disturbs me.

It was clearly a joke on the film's much needed action sequences.

He's right, you can tell good Superman stories without fights, but when you're making a summer blockbuster...that's not the right story to tell.

 

[Justice Bringer]

Well yes, from a marketing point of view. But I dont work for WB, I dont care about their finances, I just care about the film.

But it did seem more like an artsy film better suited for winter release, not to diminish the quality of it though.......but it wasnt a summer popcorn flick.


X3, Potc 2, crappy films with low critical ratings....BUT great summer popcorn flicks that would draw in the masses.

 

[NotFadeAway]

I hope all of you posters here will one day understand that Kevin Smith, and posters like Matt for that matters, are dead on about this film. Superman Returns is a film about a whole lot of nothing based of bits and pieces of a 25 year old movie. It's sad and hilarious at the same time that Superman Returns tried to be so emotional but it fell flatter than Nicole Richie's ass. I understand some of you hate Kevin Smith, but put that to the side. And do the same with Bryan Singer's past accomplishments, although I personally think his X-Men films were overrated, and think about it. It's also sad and hilarious that instead of defending Bryan Singers work on Superman Returns with evidence FROM Superman Returns, posters will bring up his PAST movies. Im sorry, were not talking about Usual Suspects, were talking about Superman Returns.

I'll personally never forgive Singer for taking Lex back in time to the lamest version of the characters, a real-estate mongul. What a joke, after all the beatiful work that his been done on the Luthor character over the years, and the current climate of today's world, and Singer wants Lex to go after Real-Estate and have bimbo female partners. Screw you, Singer!

 

[NotFadeAway]

Well yes, from a marketing point of view. But I dont work for WB, I dont care about their finances, I just care about the film.

But it did seem more like an artsy film better suited for winter release, not to diminish the quality of it though.......but it wasnt a summer popcorn flick.


X3, Potc 2, crappy films with low critical ratings....BUT great summer popcorn flicks that would draw in the masses.

Ok, Im gonna try not to get mad at you, but Superman Returns is NOT an artsy film, it is a flat one. Please don't insult artsy films with comments like that, it is disrespectful and rude to the Directors and Writers of artsy films.

Listen, I don't care that you like Bryan Singer, it's ok. But every Director makes a bad film or two, a mistake if you will, and Superman Returns was his.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Ok, Im gonna try not to get mad at you, but Superman Returns is NOT an artsy film, it is a flat one. Please don't insult artsy films with comments like that, it is disrespectful and rude to the Directors and Writers of artsy films.

Listen, I don't care that you like Bryan Singer, it's ok. But every Director makes a bad film or two, a mistake if you will, and Superman Returns was his.

I'll treat you with the same courtesy and try not to get annoyed at your low-brow, snobbish attitute and complete lack of understanding of film.

 

[Justice Bringer]

Ok, Im gonna try not to get mad at you, but Superman Returns is NOT an artsy film, it is a flat one. Please don't insult artsy films with comments like that, it is disrespectful and rude to the Directors and Writers of artsy films.

Listen, I don't care that you like Bryan Singer, it's ok. But every Director makes a bad film or two, a mistake if you will, and Superman Returns was his.

All your opinion, nothing more.

I'm going with the overall high critical ratings success of the film that placed it in that genre.



Superman Returns is the movie that made me a fan of Bryan's work. It's a great film.


I enjoy Kevin Smith's movies as well but obviously don't place them in the same genre or level as this. I like hearing Kevin's views but even he admitted that he could never handle anything close to a huge superhero motion picture and these projects are best suited for men like Bryan Singer.

 

[Justice Bringer]

I'll treat you with the same courtesy and try not to get annoyed at your low-brow, snobbish attitute and complete lack of understanding of film.

I wouldnt say snobbish, but low-brow is applicable based on his statements

 

[Pickle-El]

Harry Knowles and Kevin Smith cancel each other out. (Kevin disliked SR, Harry liked SR) I guess there is some sort of balance in the universe.