Genre: Action
Premise: Finished in July 2002, Abrams’ Superman is an origin story about Krypton’s civil war, Superman’s arrival on Earth, Clark’s romance with Lois Lane. Only Lois is obsessed with revealing Luthor’s quest for UFO artifacts. Superman is killed, visits Jor-El in Kroptonian heaven is trained and succeeds in beating the four evil Kryptonians who have taken over Earth.
About: Brett Ratner signed to direct in September 2002 with filming to start in late 2003. Nobody wanted to sign. Not Josh Hartnett. Not Jude Law. Tony Hopkins to play Lex luthor. And Ralph Fiennes to play Jor-El (both from Ratner’s Red Dragon). Chris Reeves to project consult. Ashton Kutcher also rejected. Needless to say, the process took a long time and before anyone knew it Ratner was off and McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator 5) was to direct. Rewrites followed. Eventually, the whole thing ended up Bryan Singer’s lackluster Superman Returns in 2006.
Writer: J.J. Abrams (Regarding Henry, Forever Young, Armaggedon…isn’t that an odd line up? Two deeply personal films and a sci-fi blockbuster?)
The film opens with a very popcorn-driven Superman versus Ty-Zor (here’s a Kryptonian, big evil guy). Superman is then sent to Earth to avoid being killed. This is all really good, but Superman it is not. Of course, the classic scenes of Clark Kent’s youth as similar to how everyone imagines them.
But then it happened, the most head scratching moment of the entire script. Clark’s mom is nearly raped by a landlord who wants to exchange sex for rent so Clark pummels him. What? I reread it twice. Did I really read that? I did. I don’t know what it was doing in a Superman film, but there it was. Then Clark finds the Superman costume, which sucks itself onto his body. Ala Venom. And so it began, I entered a weird place that didn’t feel like the Superman universe and didn’t feel like any world of logic I’d ever seen. It was crazy Superman world.
Luthor once again has little to no moviation. He hates Superman because Lex is fired for pointing out Superman is a threat. And I mean, is that really supposed to suffice for a bad guy? It doesn’t. It’s just some annoying guy Superman has to deal with.
Lois flies with Clark and it’s romantic in a cheesy way. She’s eventually tied to a water tank and Superman having to pass Kryptonite to get there. His powers now gone, Superman still manages to punch a window then dies. How he does this I have no idea without any super powers whatsoever I have no idea. You ever try to punch through glass bare handed? Yeah, that works like a charm. And that’s what Superman is without his powers, just a regular guy like you or me. Krypton totally doesn’t make sense. And speaking of sense, if you were still logically invested to this story by the time we hit the mid point of the second act, stuff gets even crazies.
Superman is trained in the afterlife by a Kryptonian, then battle Lex Luthor who is revealed as another Kryptonian. There’s a dual and Superman wins. Then Superman flies off to Krypton which leaves the whole thing open ended for another segment of the trilogy Abrams had proposed.
Now I understand that logic might not always make sense. But, at the very least in a film about comic books I expect some loyalty to the series. But there isn’t any loyal to the Superman series in this baby. And then, on top of it all, half of the characters either don’t make sense (most of the crazy Kryptonians) or are just plain old boring, Lex Luthor.
Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)
Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)
[X] - Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)
Hot Rod (Good)
Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)
Daily Tip: I didn’t like this script a whole lot, but it was mediocre because it didn’t bore me. The attempted rape was shocking. The costume thing was a cool visual. And the afterlife/Krypton scenes at the very least entertaining in a way I hadn’t scene before. There’s an old Tennessee Williams quote how he learned early on his career that it was okay for a show to not be brilliant but to never ever bore the audience which means throwing in a gun or something shocking every now and then just to keep the reader invested. Abrams may not do much, but he follows this rule very well.
Isla Prospect: Isla as Lois Lane. Brilliant. Sleek, seductive, witty, sexy. She’d banter with Clark and be swept away by Superman. And the spotlight would be great.
Script Link: I have a copy. Email me if interested.
The film opens with a very popcorn-driven Superman versus Ty-Zor (here’s a Kryptonian, big evil guy). Superman is then sent to Earth to avoid being killed. This is all really good, but Superman it is not. Of course, the classic scenes of Clark Kent’s youth as similar to how everyone imagines them.
But then it happened, the most head scratching moment of the entire script. Clark’s mom is nearly raped by a landlord who wants to exchange sex for rent so Clark pummels him. What? I reread it twice. Did I really read that? I did. I don’t know what it was doing in a Superman film, but there it was. Then Clark finds the Superman costume, which sucks itself onto his body. Ala Venom. And so it began, I entered a weird place that didn’t feel like the Superman universe and didn’t feel like any world of logic I’d ever seen. It was crazy Superman world.
Luthor once again has little to no moviation. He hates Superman because Lex is fired for pointing out Superman is a threat. And I mean, is that really supposed to suffice for a bad guy? It doesn’t. It’s just some annoying guy Superman has to deal with.
Lois flies with Clark and it’s romantic in a cheesy way. She’s eventually tied to a water tank and Superman having to pass Kryptonite to get there. His powers now gone, Superman still manages to punch a window then dies. How he does this I have no idea without any super powers whatsoever I have no idea. You ever try to punch through glass bare handed? Yeah, that works like a charm. And that’s what Superman is without his powers, just a regular guy like you or me. Krypton totally doesn’t make sense. And speaking of sense, if you were still logically invested to this story by the time we hit the mid point of the second act, stuff gets even crazies.
Superman is trained in the afterlife by a Kryptonian, then battle Lex Luthor who is revealed as another Kryptonian. There’s a dual and Superman wins. Then Superman flies off to Krypton which leaves the whole thing open ended for another segment of the trilogy Abrams had proposed.
Now I understand that logic might not always make sense. But, at the very least in a film about comic books I expect some loyalty to the series. But there isn’t any loyal to the Superman series in this baby. And then, on top of it all, half of the characters either don’t make sense (most of the crazy Kryptonians) or are just plain old boring, Lex Luthor.
Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)
Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)
[X] - Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)
Hot Rod (Good)
Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)
Daily Tip: I didn’t like this script a whole lot, but it was mediocre because it didn’t bore me. The attempted rape was shocking. The costume thing was a cool visual. And the afterlife/Krypton scenes at the very least entertaining in a way I hadn’t scene before. There’s an old Tennessee Williams quote how he learned early on his career that it was okay for a show to not be brilliant but to never ever bore the audience which means throwing in a gun or something shocking every now and then just to keep the reader invested. Abrams may not do much, but he follows this rule very well.
Isla Prospect: Isla as Lois Lane. Brilliant. Sleek, seductive, witty, sexy. She’d banter with Clark and be swept away by Superman. And the spotlight would be great.
Script Link: I have a copy. Email me if interested.
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