Finally saw the movie last night and really enjoyed it. I like that we joined the universe already in motion; felt very comic book-y, but in a good way. Allowed more time to get to know the characters and have fun with them. That sense of "fun" was pervasive, and really injected some much-needed likability into the characters. As much as I enjoy Cavill, and enjoyed Man of Steel at the time, it's literally night and day between the two. This Superman was fun, boyish, charming, warm- everything I felt Cavill's Supes wasn't (or wasn't allowed to be too much of), and I can't wait until he shares the screen with more of the dour, dark characters. Even the juxtaposition of him with Mr. Terrific was really nice, and Batman is way more brooding than Terrific.
It was very- almost
too stylish at times, but I saw something on the internet the other day that said a lot of it probably looked strange because it was a style that our brains hadn't yet seen much of- everything that we know and love and feels special and unique in movies was, at one time, new and jarring. It was a very unique, new-ish style that almost flies in the face of a lot of the more realistic comic films these days.
Really liked seeing some of the lesser-known (or at least lesser-used) characters too. Mr. Terrific was definitely the highlight, and it sucks that I can't just go and get his Multiverse figure. Hope if and when Mattel gets around to making him in the future, they don't pull the same shenanigans. Guy Gardner was a lot of fun too, and I think Fillion played him perfectly- just like I imagined him in the comics. I liked their take on Lex too. A barely contained, self-aggrandizing toxic manbaby is exactly who he'd be in our day and age; there's still plenty of time for him to evolve into the calm, calculated, controlled villain we all know. Metamorpho and Hawkgirl were, admittedly a little under-whelming, but I think they still stood out for the short amount of time they got. It's a shame Metamorpho's figure didn't come with any other sort of hand- Kryptonite, that big hammer, etc. or a little squiggly body to put his head onto; they easily could've made him a theatrical deluxe as well.
I do agree that it felt a little
too episodic at times, but I liked it- helped it feel even more like a comic book come to life, and the movie was the full trade paperback. I know Gunn said each movie will have its own feel and identity, but I really enjoyed the feel of this one- hopeful, inspiring, and just what we need in these dark times. Some of those scenes- the one with Pa Kent and Superman's speech to Lex at the end- definitely struck a nerve (in a good way). I'm still a Batman guy through and through, but this was maybe the first time I really found myself enjoying Superman, and I'm eager to see where the universe goes from here.
Now to try and track down the figures.
Oh, Todd, why do you play these games with us? If he'd just made Terrific and the Robots regular releases, I'd argue they'd still fly off shelves; Terrific was a standout, and the Robot is an army builder. Definitely want at least Superman (and Krypto, of course), Terrific, and Lex.
