Its nice to see my views on the latest Trek vindicated. I swear, JJ's method for making Trek movies is to take a generic action movie and slap pop culture Trek references into it and call it a day. He's managed to make Kirk into one of the least enjoyable protagonists I have had the displeasure of watching. Quite the achievement. I constantly felt as if someone was standing next to me winking at me or nudging me with their elbow through the movie "Tribbles! Khan! Praxis! Redshirts! You remember those right? *wink*" It got kinda obnoxious after a while, and strip away all the elements borrowed from other, better films like Undiscovered Country and WoK and you are left with another disjointed self-indulgent entry into the franchise. If there's anything positive I could say about it, it would be that at least it wasn't aping Nemesis like the last one, and they didn't blow up *two* major Trek planets for cheap drama.
The Big Picture: MovieBob's Worst of 2013
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I remember I had the same reaction to Le Miserables being number three on the list as I had now to Man of Steel being number one.
I can't really argue with something as vaguely stated as a subjective list of what someone thought was the worst thing to happen to movies this year, but it does feel more sensationalist than anything. Sure it's more fun to hear a movie torn to shreds (and it probably nets more views and comments) than hearing a reasonable critique of what was wrong with it that doesn't crank out the superlatives unless it's actually justified. But it's not half as interesting, and in the long run, it's not credible either.
I still think MovieBob is capable of writing interesting things, but this really isn't one of the things that lead me to that conclusion. In my personal view, it kind of undermines him as a critic.
I can't really argue with something as vaguely stated as a subjective list of what someone thought was the worst thing to happen to movies this year, but it does feel more sensationalist than anything. Sure it's more fun to hear a movie torn to shreds (and it probably nets more views and comments) than hearing a reasonable critique of what was wrong with it that doesn't crank out the superlatives unless it's actually justified. But it's not half as interesting, and in the long run, it's not credible either.
I still think MovieBob is capable of writing interesting things, but this really isn't one of the things that lead me to that conclusion. In my personal view, it kind of undermines him as a critic.
That's an insult to Adam Sandler, Movie 43 and Inappropriate Comedy set a new bar on how bad movies can get.King Whurdler said:
Man of steel is like watching my nephew play an instrument for a school talent show he wasn't meant to play.(which is good that he's a gymnast heh.) You want him to do good, and you know what notes he's trying hit but it never comes out right. Man of steel is pandering on a large scale, and it forgets what superman is or tries find it's own voice. I lovingly refer to it as Christopher Nolan's Transformers since it feels a lot like the Bay films (Zod is basically Megatron in this movie...which isn't actually a bad choice. Super villain from an alien world catches a plot device to rebuild his dying world on earth, and fights a red and blue hero who chooses humanity over his own race, to point he destroys the sole means of restoring said world to protect his new home. This is literally the plot of the first transformers movie heh.)...but without any of the fun or joy. No magical moments that make you say...well that's what I came to see. (autobots descending, or Forest battle in Revenge of the fallen are awesome moments.)
Like well Batman and Robin didn't work so lets go uber dark and gritty this time out...Ok, that shoe fits ok enough for Batman, but let's not forget at the end of the day it's a rich guy who goes out into the night and beats up criminals dressed as a bat. over does it, and Dark Knight rises is finally the emperor has no clothes I've been tell nolanites for years. So it made money...let's gritty up superman ...because gimmicks are easier to copy than genuinely make something of quality.
Ultimately a good writer can take the weaknesses of Man of Steel(while a better writer could made sure Man of steel was stronger in the first place. I know I came up with a better story than they did.) and make a better story out of the wake of the undesirable parts. I actually like when that happens, it makes the experiences you saw count toward a bigger narrative still then. I think rebooting is happening entirely too often with comic book films, and they need take a hint from themselves; The show must go on. Make the best of a bad day. Retcon the parts as needed, and use the parts that didn't work as catalyst to going in the direction needed. If comics themselves rebooted after every less than stellar story we'd never had them survive long enough to make movies about them.
I'd make the aftermath of Man of Steel really heart and sole of whats come next as that's the most interesting thing you can take form it all. The damage it did to both the world around him and Clark himself. I can't say I'd feel much like a hero if a major city was turned to ruins. I'd demand to be better, to do better. if I want the world to trust me, then I need be worthy of that trust is what I'd want for his character. The world would have consequences...similar to what Fury said in the avengers...we found out we aren't alone, and we are laughably out matched by it. Lex Luthor and company coming up with ways fight aliens makes perfect sense. Batman trying figure out his potential rival or ally. These are all plot points that could be addressed and go somewhere interesting. if Days of future past can turn X3 into a interesting story as a result of working thru the low points in a saga then Man of Steel can do the same in a sequel if someone cares enough to try.
I think Jor El speech about Kal El at the beginning was really about DC trying keep up with Marvel haha. They'll stumble trying keep up with you, but one day they'll join you in the sun if you inspire them. May be DC will finally do something right with the next outing.
I showed my youngest brother Man Of Steel few days ago. I bought the dvd(I'd normally get the blue ray but this wasn't a movie I loved enough to get that.) Simply because as the resident geek of the family I felt obligated to own it and loan it out accordingly. If there's actually a decent universe spawned from it, id want to own for collection sake...but anyways my brother was like I hate this movie after like 10 mins of it. It never had a chance. That makes no sense was a sentence I heard repeatedly and I had to agree. Most of the film didn't. Afterwards he watched the extra clips for the hobbit/new Zealand and he said I'd much rather watched later. Truth is I would have too. Makes me wonder if Peter Jackson had made a super hero movie. I bet would been more fun and interesting than anything else DC has produced so far.
The only movie DC made that I actually could get behind recently is Green lantern, only one that actually remotely tried stay close to core of the character. I really wish it did better box office wise. I'd hate for them to waste the movie and reboot it, but DC seems to not know how drive this race car. They keep smashing it into walls, and eventually it will stop working if they do it long enough.
Like well Batman and Robin didn't work so lets go uber dark and gritty this time out...Ok, that shoe fits ok enough for Batman, but let's not forget at the end of the day it's a rich guy who goes out into the night and beats up criminals dressed as a bat. over does it, and Dark Knight rises is finally the emperor has no clothes I've been tell nolanites for years. So it made money...let's gritty up superman ...because gimmicks are easier to copy than genuinely make something of quality.
Ultimately a good writer can take the weaknesses of Man of Steel(while a better writer could made sure Man of steel was stronger in the first place. I know I came up with a better story than they did.) and make a better story out of the wake of the undesirable parts. I actually like when that happens, it makes the experiences you saw count toward a bigger narrative still then. I think rebooting is happening entirely too often with comic book films, and they need take a hint from themselves; The show must go on. Make the best of a bad day. Retcon the parts as needed, and use the parts that didn't work as catalyst to going in the direction needed. If comics themselves rebooted after every less than stellar story we'd never had them survive long enough to make movies about them.
I'd make the aftermath of Man of Steel really heart and sole of whats come next as that's the most interesting thing you can take form it all. The damage it did to both the world around him and Clark himself. I can't say I'd feel much like a hero if a major city was turned to ruins. I'd demand to be better, to do better. if I want the world to trust me, then I need be worthy of that trust is what I'd want for his character. The world would have consequences...similar to what Fury said in the avengers...we found out we aren't alone, and we are laughably out matched by it. Lex Luthor and company coming up with ways fight aliens makes perfect sense. Batman trying figure out his potential rival or ally. These are all plot points that could be addressed and go somewhere interesting. if Days of future past can turn X3 into a interesting story as a result of working thru the low points in a saga then Man of Steel can do the same in a sequel if someone cares enough to try.
I think Jor El speech about Kal El at the beginning was really about DC trying keep up with Marvel haha. They'll stumble trying keep up with you, but one day they'll join you in the sun if you inspire them. May be DC will finally do something right with the next outing.
I showed my youngest brother Man Of Steel few days ago. I bought the dvd(I'd normally get the blue ray but this wasn't a movie I loved enough to get that.) Simply because as the resident geek of the family I felt obligated to own it and loan it out accordingly. If there's actually a decent universe spawned from it, id want to own for collection sake...but anyways my brother was like I hate this movie after like 10 mins of it. It never had a chance. That makes no sense was a sentence I heard repeatedly and I had to agree. Most of the film didn't. Afterwards he watched the extra clips for the hobbit/new Zealand and he said I'd much rather watched later. Truth is I would have too. Makes me wonder if Peter Jackson had made a super hero movie. I bet would been more fun and interesting than anything else DC has produced so far.
The only movie DC made that I actually could get behind recently is Green lantern, only one that actually remotely tried stay close to core of the character. I really wish it did better box office wise. I'd hate for them to waste the movie and reboot it, but DC seems to not know how drive this race car. They keep smashing it into walls, and eventually it will stop working if they do it long enough.
Can't argue with #1. Man of Steel was disappointing. Not because it was terribly bad. But because you could see the missed opportunities and room for improvement while you're watching the movie. It's so sad.
My top 11 and bottom 9:
TOP:
1. The World's End
2. Much Ado About Nothing
3. John Dies at the End (technically a 2012 film, but it didn't get released in any form where someone living in Wisconsin could legally get ahold of it before 2013, so who cares)
4. MLP: Equestria Girls
5. Frozen
6. Man of Steel
7. Pacific Rim
8. Spring Breakers
9. The Spectacular Now
10. Mandela
11. The Act of Killing
Bottom 9:
1. Romeo and Juliet (just... what the fuck?)
2. Delivery Man
3. Oblivion
4. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
5. A Good Day to Die Hard (AKA, "This Series Needs To")
6. The Way Way Back
7. Inside Llewyn Davis (yes, I said it)
8. The Smurfs 2 (would probably be higher if I'd watched more than 5 minutes of it)
9. Scary Movie 5 (see previous entry)
TOP:
1. The World's End
2. Much Ado About Nothing
3. John Dies at the End (technically a 2012 film, but it didn't get released in any form where someone living in Wisconsin could legally get ahold of it before 2013, so who cares)
4. MLP: Equestria Girls
5. Frozen
6. Man of Steel
7. Pacific Rim
8. Spring Breakers
9. The Spectacular Now
10. Mandela
11. The Act of Killing
Bottom 9:
1. Romeo and Juliet (just... what the fuck?)
2. Delivery Man
3. Oblivion
4. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
5. A Good Day to Die Hard (AKA, "This Series Needs To")
6. The Way Way Back
7. Inside Llewyn Davis (yes, I said it)
8. The Smurfs 2 (would probably be higher if I'd watched more than 5 minutes of it)
9. Scary Movie 5 (see previous entry)
My perception of Man of Steel was affected by that I expected nothing but mind-numbing mediocrity from a blockbuster movie about a character that stands for everything I find boring in story-telling. I can't say I wasn't disappointed, but I definitely wasn't surprised.ImBigBob said:
If anything, it serves as a prime example of Summer Blockbusters as a concept: shiny mediocrity, remarkable only in blandness.
I was extremely happy to see Man of Steel at the top of this list. My girlfriend and I went to see it opening night, and left half way through. After Clark lets his Dad die for a dog they chose to lock in the car, I was just baffled. At least in Smallville the reason Clark's dad dies is because of his own inability to accept the fact that he cannot save everyone. It just felt so meaningless in Man of Steel, I mean, we actually laughed out loud during that scene based on how stupid it was. The moment I decided to walk out was the first time he was flying around in his new Superman suit. He broke the sound barrier, then in every following shot, proceeds to break the sound barrier again, and again, and again. Then he flies out into space....and somehow breaks the sound barrier on his reentry....in space...a vacuum....and we were cracking up because we imagined Superman breaking the sound barrier the first time, and being like a kid with a new toy and slowing down and speeding up just to keep doing it.
Hell, I knew it would be in there BEFORE even watching the video. MovieBob and Nostalgia Critic have so much bile for the film, I find it hard to believe that they saw the same movie as...say...AngryJoe.Bittersteel said:
Granted, MoS wasn't inspiring. Oddly enough, Superman Returns had more of that iconic feel, although the plot and characterizations in it were atrocious. I found both to be interesting distractions, but neither was compelling.
Still, MoS created a decent enough framework for what hopefully follows (not something I could say about Returns).
Of course, they keep announcing stuff about MoS's Sequel...and it keeps sounding like an oncoming trainwreck.
Blandness I can tolerate, at least blandness is forgettable and I don't have to waste time/energy on it.Kargathia said:
But when a movie actively INSULTS the audience's intelligence...that's when it really gets on my nerves.
Man Of Steel has so much stupidity, destruction, more stupidity, plot holes and unlikeable characters that thinking about it makes my brain hurt. This quote from another Man Of Steel review [http://comicsalliance.com/man-of-steel-on-my-planet-the-s-is-for-sucks-spoilers-review/] sums it up well: ""Wouldn?t everybody be a whole lot better off if Superman never landed on Earth?? That?s not a question anyone should come out of a Superman movie asking."
It becomes especially evident in the Nostalgia Critic vs AngryJoe review where AngryJoe spends the entire time desperately pulling excuses/defenses/explanations for everything awful about the film, while Nostalgia Critic is on full offense.Seracen said:
Also can someone please send Zack Snyder a note (tied to a brick, aimed at his head) that nobody enjoys this shit:
I wish this was photoshopped/exaggerated, but it's not. All the above took place in a span of 0.5 seconds, I'm not even epileptic and I almost had a fucking seizure. The lensflare in Star Trek movies was relatively tame compared to this new strobe-seizure-style thing he put into Man Of Steel.
"Stupidity, destruction, more stupidity, plot holes, and unlikeable characters" is a pretty apt summary of what one should expect out of most big action movies. And truly, that audience already insulted itself by considering Inception's plot to be the height of complexity.Yuuki said:
But this all seems rather straightforward: Man of Steel is by all rights a mind-numbingly mediocre movie, and beyond that our perception is mostly based on whether we expected or hoped for anything better.