Most Memorable Scene: Lois Lane in the Arctic and Meeting her Mysterious Rescuer (Man of Steel)

Anyone who regularly visits my blog, know that I had quite a few issues with the Man of Steel movie. However, despite it not being one of my favorite movies, there were scenes in the movie that I did like. For instance, this scene of Lois Lane when she went to the Arctic to investigate what the mysterious object that the government had found buried in the ice. Despite being treated rather poorly she didn't let that stop her from being there. And being her usual inquisitive self, she spotted someone walking along the ice cliffs and followed him to see what he was up to. She totally found the most amazing story but who would believe her. Even Editor-in-Chief Perry White didn't believe her because her article read more as sci-fi instead of an actual news story.

Anyway, what I found interesting is that Clark Kent could have easily listened to the advice his paranoid father Jonathan told him and not helped Lois. Especially since she, unlike all the others (minus Pete Ross) he had helped would actually see him using his powers. He didn't know what could happen afterwards such as would his secret still be safe but thankfully he took the chance and saved her. Yes, afterwards she did secretly release the story that Perry wouldn't publish. Which had her on a journey for the truth about her mysterious rescuer but after a bit of soul searching with the truth after tracking down Clark, she decided not to release the in depth information and story she had gathered. The thing is if she had not gone to the Artic for the first story, she never would have uncovered the truth about Clark Kent.

Man of Steel's 7th Anniversary

It's the seventh anniversary of the Man of Steel movie. Despite being a big Superman fan, I admit I'm not the biggest fan of this movie and my list of reasons is long. Here are a few: I was disappointed with the story, this version of Clark Kent and Superman, the lack of chemistry between Clark and Lois Lane (which improved in the follow up movies), the terrible take on Jonathon Kent and the equally terrible ending.

Although I didn't enjoy the movie, I did enjoy the Man of Steel novelization by Greg Cox. I found it to be a much better version of the film, so if you didn't like the movie maybe think of giving the book a read.

Book: Man of Steel Novelization by Greg Cox

Description:

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers, and that he is not of this Earth. As he approaches adulthood, he journeys to discover where he came from, and what he was sent here to accomplish.

But then the world faces an unimaginable threat—an invading force the likes of which has never been encountered before. When this occurs, the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation, and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Fashion: Amy Adams and Henry Cavill at the London Premiere of "Man of Steel"

I still love this Valentino dress that Amy Adams wore to the 2013 London premiere of Man of Steel. It was so cute and flattering on her and what I like about Amy's style is that she doesn't has a standard look. She always wears a lot of different looks on the red carpet from long and slinky to something ultra-cute like this nude and black mid-length strapless gown. The only thing I didn't like about this look were the shoes, they looked really uncomfortable.

As for hair, I liked that it was a simple updo styled with a headband. I thought it was really cute and a fun take on a classic look. Not to be left out, Henry Cavill also looked pretty good in his suit. However, I thought the pant legs seemed a little long because they bunched around his ankles.

It's hard to believe it's been six years since the release of Man of Steel, I still remember how high fan anticipation was and for some fans still is for this movie.

Book Review: Man of Steel Novelization

Book: Man of Steel Novelization by Greg Cox

Edition: Paperback

Description:

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers, and that he is not of this Earth. As he approaches adulthood, he journeys to discover where he came from, and what he was sent here to accomplish.

But then the world faces an unimaginable threat—an invading force the likes of which has never been encountered before. When this occurs, the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation, and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Lois Lane Friday: Man of Steel's Lois Lane and her Journalistic Integrity

I might have a few issues (okay a lot of issues) with the Man of Steel movie but one thing that I love is Lois Lane killed her story about her mysterious rescuer a.k.a. Clark Kent. I think when she first went to the Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White with her story following what happened to her in Canada, it read more like science fiction than a news story. So when Perry said he wasn't going to print her story, that felt like a challenge to find out everything she could about her mysterious rescuer.

She followed the clues and found the truth about who and what Clark was but after gathering all the facts along with speaking with Clark, she made the decision not to reveal who he was in an article that surely would have won her plenty of accolades. She pretended her story lost traction and she ran out of leads.

Was the Man of Steel's Jonathan Kent a Bad Father?

I know it's been five years since Man of Steel was released in theatres but I still can't get over how bad Jonathan Kent's portrayal was. This movie got so many things wrong about the world of Superman but to feature a Jonathan Kent that was so uncaring and paranoid was not the way to go. I know it's been a while since I've seen this movie but I can't help wondering was Jonathan Kent a terrible father or did he simply give bad advice?

I noticed how Jonathan continuously gave Clark really bad advice which instilled fear in him instead of providing his son with the confidence he needed to believe in himself and do what he could to help others. Jonathan using fear as a motivator caused Clark to second guess himself and made him feel he had to hide who he was or people would fear or hate him. And not to mention he could be caught by the government and taken away.

The story acknowledged that Jonathan had a belief that his son was destined for greatness but if he constantly instilled fear in his son how was Clark going to find out what he was destined for if he was too afraid of his secret being discovered?

For instance, in the scene after Clark rescued a group of his classmates who were trapped on a sinking school bus, his father pretty much told him that he should not have rescued those kids. Clark asked his father if he should have let a bus full of kids die instead of using his powers and guess what dear old dad had to say. He said "I don't know. Maybe". Why would they write him saying that? Jonathan was so afraid that someone would find out about Clark that he gave out that particularly piece of terrible advice. I get it, he doesn't want anyone to find out about the things his son can do but for him to prefer Clark let kids die so his secret can be safe is horrible.

And I still find the tornado scene to be ridiculous because Jonathan didn't want Clark to rescue him, he just stood there while the tornado engulfed him. He would rather die in a storm instead of letting Clark save him which is something that he could have easily done without anyone seeing. I don't understand how this scene was even written with Clark just standing there not going out to save his father. This was easily one of the most preventable deaths.

The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) version of Jonathan Kent (and to some extent Martha Kent) didn't nurture or guide Clark into being a caring, confident, intelligent and proactive person. Growing up, Clark never got the chance to figure things out for himself and even after his father died he was still being influenced by how he was raised.

Jonathan did a great job of teaching his son to be fearful because Clark was so afraid of building connections he roamed the country going from one dead-end job after another. He didn't have to worry about someone getting to know him or questioning him because those jobs allowed him the opportunity to stay anonymous. Although he had trust issues (thanks to dear old dad), he at least didn't stick with his father's terrible advice of not helping others. Because while working those jobs he wound up helping people such as a waitress that was being harassed by truck drivers to saving workers on an oil rig that caught fire.

However, when the time came for him to save the world against the Kryptonians it gave off the appearance that he was reluctant to do so. It's like he didn't mind doing things on a smaller scale but revealing himself to the world was too much to handle. Thanks to his fearful upbringing, it felt like he was only going in to fight the Kryptonians only because he was forced to.

I don't know if Jonathan Kent was a terrible father or just gave out bad advice but in the end Clark had to eventually decide for himself who he wanted to be. A person of fear or someone who is willing to trust others? But it would have been nice if his parents had been more nurturing and supportive to help him on his way to becoming the superhero he ended up being.

Art of the Day: Superman and Lois Lane

Artwork: Man of Steel by daekazu

Art of the Day: Lois and Clark

Artwork: Lois and Clark by crylin

Art of the Day: Superman and Lois Lane (Man of Steel)

Artwork: Superman and Lois Lane - Man of Steel by Des Taylor

Art of the Day: Lois and Clark (Man of Steel)

Artwork: Superman and Lois Lane (Man of Steel) by naooh

Art of the Day: Lois Lane (Man of Steel)

Artwork: Man of Steel: Lois Lane by Brandon Pike

Art of the Day: Lois and Clark (Man of Steel)

Artwork: Man of Steel by daekazu

I may not be a fan of the Man of Steel movie but I really like this artwork.

Art of the Day: Lois and Clark

Artwork: Lois and Clark Kissing by naooh

Art of the Day: Lois and Superman (Man of Steel movie)

Artwork: Clark + Lois by naooh

Even though I absolutely can't stand the Man of Steel movie, I really like this picture. Why does this one picture show more emotion than any of the scenes in that movie?

At the end of the day, I would pass on ever seeing that movie again but I would love to have this hanging on the wall.

Why is Batman in the Man of Steel Sequel?

By Book Girl

I have put off mentioning anything about the Man of Steel sequel but my lovely but annoying friends keep asking me what I think (since I was very disappointed by the first). I guess I'm the residential Nerd Girl and they want my opinion.

Here are my thoughts, I'm not the biggest fan of the first movie but I find it strange that Superman can't even have his own movie franchise. Why incorporate Batman into the Superman trilogy? Something's wrong if the Man of Steel can't carry his own series. Either the writing for the sequel wasn't strong or they finally realized Henry Cavill's acting isn't good and they need something to distract the viewer from that. Most likely with Batman stealing most of the scenes.

It makes me wonder why Batman? And why now? Especially since neither Superman nor Clark Kent have barely been established and now they are bringing in Batman. Hopefully they are still not trying to play catch up with Marvel.

I find it interesting that in the most recent Batman franchise they didn't include any characters that were outside of Batman's world. No Martian Manhunter, No Wonder Woman and certainly No Superman. Especially since they didn't even include Batgirl, Robin (that mention in TDKR doesn't count), or Poison Ivy.

Another thing, there is nothing that distinguish this Superman from Batman. This Superman is shown as dark and broody what will Batman bring to the film besides being even more dark and broody. Who will bring the hopeful positive attitude? Perhaps they saw the error they made with creating such a dark Man of Steel and they plan on fixing that for the sequel. But I'm not holding my breath and waiting.

Lastly, there does seem to be a bit of good news Perry White, Martha Kent and Lois Lane will be returning and hopefully they won't be pushed even more to the sidelines to promote more action and of course more Batman.

As much as I love Batman, I feel like DC is over using him. They should just let Superman have his own series then create a Superman/Batman movie then a Wonder Woman, Flash, and a better Green Lantern movie before giving fans a really good Justice League Movie.

Art of the Day: Faora from Man of Steel

Artwork: Faora by le0arts

Yes, she was a villain but she totally kicked butt in that movie.

My Disappointment with Man of Steel's Lois and Clark

Man of Steel did not do any justice for Lois Lane and Clark Kent (or Kal-El), both were devoid of personalities and felt one dimensional. There was nothing likeable about them let alone inspirational. There was also absolutely zero chemistry between these two and the movie failed to capture what made Lois and Clark so amazing. The crappy script didn't help either.

By now if you've visited my blog you know that I'm a big Lois and Clark fan whether they are together or not. I still think they are awesome. I didn't enjoy the Man of Steel version. When it was first announced that a new Superman movie was going to be made I was excited even when they announced who were going to play Lois and Clark. But once the trailers started to air, I started to get a little apprehensive because what I saw seemed awfully dreary and dull. But I was still willing to give it a chance and when I went to the movie I went in with an open mind. I was very excited about seeing it and then I saw it.

I feel like this movie did a horrible job with the way they presented all the characters (except for Perry White, Martha Kent and Faora, they were great). There was hardly any character development and I found myself not really caring about the characters (except the three I mentioned) as the movie went along.

There was nothing new or refreshing about this version of Lois and Clark. Kal-El was absolutely dull and dreary. He's 33 years old but still acting like a moody teenager. Henry Cavill brought nothing to that role, like I said in my review they could have just used a mannequin because he exuded nothing. Lois Lane went from one scene to another showing no real emotion or personality. She was too quiet and reserved. Those two things do not go with Lois Lane. Lois is a true force to be reckoned with and there was no trace of that in the movie.

This will probably be the last post I write about this movie because I really don't feel like wasting any more time on this horrible movie.

An Update to my Man of Steel Review: An Amazing Character I Forgot to Include

When I posted my Man of Steel review yesterday, I forgot to include Diane Lane's Martha Kent on the short list of good characters (Perry White and Faora). Martha was the star of her scenes especially when she was along side Henry Cavill (whose performance was awful throughout the movie). Martha was strong yet kind, she had a warmth that made you instantly care and knew that she cared about her son. Diane Lane did an amazing job, I just wish the movie had been better.

Movie Review: Man of Steel (Spoiler Free)

Rating: 1 star

Well, I saw Man of Steel this morning. I was very disappointed with this movie, it was awful. This was really horrible from the beginning to the end. It was so dull and boring. There was a lot of action but no real story or plot. It felt like a lot of senseless destruction and for all of Kal-El's supposed cares for humans he didn't stop to think about taking all the fights to less populated areas.

This movie just felt empty and hollow. It felt like I was watching a cross between Thor, Star Wars, Independence Day and some random destruction movie instead of a Superman movie. There was no heart in this movie, the best of Superman was missing from this.

Henry Cavill's Kal-El (he was barely called Superman or Clark) was so dull and had absolutely no personality. They could have just placed a mannequin in a super suit and dubbed the lines because it would have made no difference in the scenes. Amy Adams' Lois Lane wasn't much better, she was life less, dull and weak. For all the reviewers who praised this Lois by saying she wasn't a damsel in distress anymore must have been looking at a different Lois because I don't know how many times she had to be rescued throughout this movie. It was embarrassing because this was "supposed" to be a new type of Lois Lane (yeah, right). Lois hasn't had to be rescued this bad in a long time.

Perry White (Laurence Fishburn) was extremely underused in this movie but the scenes he were in, showed how great he was. But the star of this movie to me was Faora (Antje Traue), she was awesome. I wish the rest of the characters (minus Perry White) were as well written as her. She was just so cool, never thought I would be rooting for the villain but she was really great. Unlike Zod (Michael Shannon) who was like a caricature.

The ending was another awful point to this horrible movie, I felt like Superman should have found a way instead of doing what was done. It just didn't feel like Superman at all.

If this is the new direction of Superman (movie wise), then I don't think I plan on seeing the sequel unless the script will be extremely well written and possible recasting Superman and Lois Lane.

Superman: The Animated Series Marathon Trailer (Man of Steel style)

The Hub network will be having a Superman: The Animated Series marathon on June 14th to celebrate the release of Man of Steel and this syncs up perfectly with the movie trailer.

For the trailer they actually got several of the voice actors to reprise their roles for the trailer such as Tim Daly (Clark Kent/Superman), Dana Delany (Lois Lane), Mike Ferrell (Jonathan Kent) and Christopher McDonald (Jor-El).