Man of Steel vs Batman Begins

[Jake Cassidy]

Man Of Steel

 

[ConnorKon-El]

Batman Begins is a better made film
But
Man of Steel is more entertaining to watch.

 

[BH/HHH]

Batman Begins is a better made film
But
Man of Steel is more entertaining to watch.

Connor where's that quote in your sig from?

 

[Superchan]

Both films are eerily similar on paper, with both films starting with their respective characters as adults while utilizing flash backs to flush them out more. Both films surround their lesser known lead with highly acclaimed actors who in-turn occupy smaller but significant supporting roles and both films final acts are overtly prolonged action sequences that could've benefited from serious cutting in the editing room. Both films' endings involve the title character doing something that is morally questionable (or atleast questionable when considering the respective characters' history) and lastly both films end with a nod to the canon and a set up for future installments (ie joker and DP Clark).
However while both films were intended to be very similar in style, their execution couldn't be more different and here is where the Christopher Nolans of the world are separated from the Zack Snyders. BB was better from a story telling/pacing point of view.
When I first saw BB, I though it was good but not great (same as MOS) but the film grew in stature with repeated viewings not to mention the emergence of the dark knight, which added a profound prestige to an already well received film.
While BB was better received than MOS, it wasn't viewed as the masterpiece that it is now and it was the dark knight that got people to take a second look at the film and I hope that MOS 2 can do the same for MOS.

Being a superman geek I have to pick MOS, not to mention that the action in MOS (especially the smallville fight) was head and shoulders ahead of anything in the dark knight trilogy, but if was a non biased movie critic I would have to give the A to BB (by a small margin).

 

[Liam_H]

Batman Begins....easily. I wish that wasn't the case.

 

[MrMaooz]

BB to me feels more adventurous and fun than MOS.

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

^ I feel like Batman Begins ends up being more lighthearted in its last third than Man of Steel, with the Gordon/Batman banter and whatnot

 

[Shikamaru]

Also half the city doesn't get destroyed.

 

[Shazam]

BB was much better....Better written and it left no loose ends. You knew where everything was headed by the end of the movie. We talk about credit-ending scenes? BB didn't need any because of the way they wrapped up everything. Gordon gives Batman that Joker card on the roof. Alfred suggests improvements to the mansion.......everything is set up.

Superman?? Nothing.....we just shows up with glasses on. But we don't know where Zod's body is. Didn't Lois show up at the Kent house with the cops and yell out "Clark! I know how we can defeat them?" Jeeeez!!

A White House scene would have been nice with prez being introduced to a bald industrialist/ scientist/ billionaire who has a solution to this new super-powered threat. Project Cadmus............

Give us something! But we got nothing.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I feel like there was just so much more thought put into BB. Like Goyer tried to copy the basic template, but didn't really capture the same emotion or dramatic poigniance, and seriously messed up the technicalities of the writing.

A couple of examples stick out of where I feel it was a stronger film:

1. Thomas/Bruce Wayne relationship - there are several moments between Bruce and his father that I absolutely love, and they all feel utterly natural and touching.

Now that's part because they allowed for simple father/son moments that were full of HAPPINESS. Them laughing together. His father comforting him when he is scared or hurt.

All the scenes between Clark and Jonathan are heavy speeches about how important he is and how he has to hide and what kind of man he needs to be. Kevin Costner smiles ONCE in the film, when Mrs Ross says the bus save was an act of God. The rest of the time he looks like this deeply burdened/tormented man.

The only moment that shines is him watching kid Clark playing in the grass at the end of the film... Which came way too late IMO. I'd have loved to put that much ealier on in the film, and even had him go over and join him playing. Something that really showed they are occasionally HAPPY in Clark's youth.

2. Another moment I love in BB is the exchange between Bruce and Falconi after Joe Chill's death.

I think it's a great bit of writing, and so clearly defines the WHY of Bruce's quest to understand.

I think it would have been great to have a moment when Clark's quest is actually instigated. First to make it clearer that it actually IS a quest (because I think you could easily just think he happened to wander across the spaceship while jumping from place to place hiding his identity.

It would have given the film a more focused direction during that first half.

 

[Lily Adler]

I think the problem stems from Goyer himself. He admitted he couldn't write a Superman film and MOS sort of proves it to a point. He glossed over certain things I would have loved to see explore like Becky pointed out. I wanted to see the creation of the disguise, I wanted the emotional moments to be more poignant, I wanted to see more happy moments during Clark's childhood, I wanted more development with supporting characters, and I wanted a cup of coffee with my Hostess doughnuts.

Although, I do like that Clark became a wandering nomad, but agree with Becky that maybe giving that journey a purpose instead of him just running away from painful memories could have helped.

 

[Skrilla31]

I think the problem stems from Goyer himself. He admitted he couldn't write a Superman film and MOS sort of proves it to a point. He glossed over certain things I would have loved to see explore like Becky pointed out. I wanted to see the creation of the disguise, I wanted the emotional moments to be more poignant, I wanted to see more happy moments during Clark's childhood, I wanted more development with supporting characters, and I wanted a cup of coffee with my Hostess doughnuts

If they really wanted to distance themselves from the Donner movie, and if they really wanted to spend more time developing Clark than they should have ditched the whole Krypton prologue altogether. Start the story with young Clark and take the audience on that journey with him. Show him growing up different. Show him battling with his inner demons. Show us what shapes him and motivates him to don the suit. Don't worry about showing us the origin because we don't need to learn that until Clark does.

Then again even if we got that story instead, Snyder would still be directing so it doesn't matter. The feelings still wouldn't be there.

 

[The Guard]

BB was much better....Better written and it left no loose ends. You knew where everything was headed by the end of the movie. We talk about credit-ending scenes? BB didn't need any because of the way they wrapped up everything. Gordon gives Batman that Joker card on the roof. Alfred suggests improvements to the mansion.......everything is set up.

BATMAN BEGINS left plenty of loose ends. The Joker was an open-ended issue, as was the issue of escalation, and the escaped Arkham inmates. We also didn't really know how Gotham as a whole had reacted to the appearance of Batman, and the love interest angle between Bruce and Rachel was up in the air as well.

Superman?? Nothing.....we just shows up with glasses on. But we don't know where Zod's body is. Didn't Lois show up at the Kent house with the cops and yell out "Clark! I know how we can defeat them?" Jeeeez!!

Umm...we never found out where Ra's Al Ghul's body was, either in BATMAN BEGINS. How is this relevant?

 

[Lily Adler]

If they really wanted to distance themselves from the Donner movie, and if they really wanted to spend more time developing Clark than they should have ditched the whole Krypton prologue altogether. Start the story with young Clark and take the audience on that journey with him. Show him growing up different. Show him battling with his inner demons. Show us what shapes him and motivates him to don the suit. Don't worry about showing us the origin because we don't need to learn that until Clark does.

Then again even if we got that story instead, Snyder would still be directing so it doesn't matter. The feelings still wouldn't be there.

Snyder wasn't that bad, IMO.

 

[Shazam]

BATMAN BEGINS left plenty of loose ends. The Joker was an open-ended issue, as was the issue of escalation, and the escaped Arkham inmates. We also didn't really know how Gotham as a whole had reacted to the appearance of Batman, and the love interest angle between Bruce and Rachel was up in the air as well.



Umm...we never found out where Ra's Al Ghul's body was, either in BATMAN BEGINS. How is this relevant?

That Joker card was a set-up for the next move....not a loose end....

What happened to Zod's body?? Ras has a League of shadowy disciples who could easily take him away. Zod had no one. And his death was in the open......Ras was on the train. But no one knew he was on board.

 

[The Guard]

That Joker card was a set-up for the next move....not a loose end....

And, likewise, there are things in MAN OF STEEL that were set ups for the next movie.

What happened to Zod's body?? Ras has a League of shadowy disciples who could easily take him away. Zod had no one. And his death was in the open......Ras was on the train. But no one knew he was on board.

And no one could have easily taken Zod's body away?

Come on, now.

 

[DCW]

Batman Begins, but not by much.

 

[Shazam]

And, likewise, there are things in MAN OF STEEL that were set ups for the next movie.



And no one could have easily taken Zod's body away?

Come on, now.

Yeah...but who??

 

[shauner111]

Also half the city doesn't get destroyed.