T w e n t y S i d e d
So…yeah, I saw Superman this week. Conversations and observations about that movie and its implications inspired today’s thoughts. But first, an update on my PC. I swapped out the power supply to see if that was the problem. My old PC’s power supply was new enough to have all the right connections, and as far as I knew was 100% OK. Sure, it’s been sitting in a dusty garage for a year, but I blew it out and wiped it off, so I wasn’t all that worried. Swapping out the power supplies on the new case turned out to be a bigger deal than I expected. I ended up having to disassemble the 3 1/2″ drive cage to get access to the modular power jacks on the power supply. And to even get it in, honestly. After re-connecting everything, the power up failed. I was getting power; the fans would turn for a second or two, then it would shut down. I checked everything again, hit the power button, and something popped. No smoke or smell; could have just been a breaker. But the computer wouldn’t boot at all, whereas previously it would start; it just wouldn’t stay on. So right now the plan is to replace the motherboard and the power supply. I keep wanting to just build everything into my old case, a 90-degree Silverstone Raven RV03. BUT that case takes a half dozen fans just to maintain proper airflow (it’s huge) and all of them need replacing. As a reminder, most of that computer was built around 2010. The new Phanteks case isn’t as easy to work with but can be cooled with only a few fans. Although I do have some concerns about the CPU cooler. I’ve always been a big believer in setting up a case for one-intake-multiple exhaust, with the intake on the bottom. The Silverstone is built for this, but of course you could just reverse-mount the fans if you really wanted. The Phanteks case that came with this computer seems to have all the fans but one *pulling in* air. This is problematic in a dusty area. Beyond that the CPU cooler is one of those that has a heat transfer/capture plate or box on the CPU that runs to a case fan/radiator combo mounted on the back of the case. But the radiator is mounted to the outside with the fan on the inside. Now, my experience says that the fan should pull air through the radiator, which means that setup is pulling air into the case as well. In fact, there doesn’t seem to *be* an exhaust fan…*everything* is pulling air into the case. The front fans, the bottom fan, the case fan, the top fan…all pull air into the case. The top and bottom fans have external filters. The front fans don’t, and of course the radiator doesn’t (so it gets clogged with dirt, too). Any heat generated seems to be meant to be exhausted passively through various vents and holes. Not a fan. This is complicating my decision.
As you can tell from the title, I will do my best to not spoil the Superman movie. That’s not explicitly what I want to talk about after all. But I can’t promise that somewhere in the things I talk about there won’t be at least minimal spoilers even if I don’t get into the topic. I can already think of at least one thing I will talk about that hasn’t been in any trailer (that I saw), so if that’s problematic for you, please be warned. And I’m sorry.
Easy part out of the way: I *LOVED* this movie. It’s not even an issue of “I had expectations, and several of them were met.” Superman went *beyond* those expectations. I was wrong about some things in my first commentary back at Christmas-time, mainly in details. But one of the things I explicitly mentioned as that, if Gunn were smart, he would avoid using the John Williams Superman March until the credits. I’ll give myself a 99% on that, as nothing beyond the adaptations already seen in the trailers are used throughout the movie. We hear all of them implemented as parts of various themes during the credits, including a bit that comes *close* to echoing the original theme’s beginning…but it never plays. Additionally, there is only one credit that is given an entire blank screen around it: John Williams original music. As the internet has long known, John Williams Is The Man.
Casting was, and I don’t say this lightly, perfect. Corenswet isn’t “a version” of Superman…he is Superman. Nothing niggles at you throughout the movie. We got used to talking, in the Batman movie years, about how different actors made a better Bruce Wayne or Batman. Some of this shows up in the Marvel movies, but less so. Corenswet isn’t a better Superman or Clark Kent, he’s just the character. He is 100% believable. You accept his portrayal just about instantly. Likewise with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. She just is. Neither of these performers are playing somebody else’s version, they are just playing the character and it works.
I was probably most wrong about Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner. I’m not a particular fan of Fillion; I don’t dislike him but he’s not an actor I seek out. I actively dislike the Guy Gardner character in most of his portrayals (note this is based on his most common, revised character). But Guy Gardner was *the* correct Green Lantern for this particular movie. That character fit what was needed for the story. There are several possible stories you can tell with Guy Gardner from this point (which Fillion will apparently get to tell, at least on TV) including his possible replacement in the future in some regard. Not saying he should be; the Gardner character evolved in the comics. But it remains to be seen how this new DC universe is going to grow and tell stories.
I was also wrong about the identity of Hawk Girl. I had previously said this version appeared to be the second incarnation of the character; in fact it is the third incarnation, Kendra Saunders. Isabel Merced’s portrayal was fine, but Hawk Girl received the least characterization of any of the named characters, heroes, or villains. Considering the lack of Hawk Girl on the big screen, I would be least surprised to see an actual origin story for this character, although I’m assuming that as with Superman, the origin will be told in short snippets as part of a newer story.
Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor deserves mention for his spot-on portrayal, and his performance at the end of the movie. A lot of credit should be given to the writing and structure of the movie here, as well. Hoult isn’t reaching for new ground as Luthor; he is “simply” playing out the core of Luthor as he is perceived to spot-perfect precision. Again, as we have seen for several of the characters, this isn’t “a version” of Luthor. OK, we do have to acknowledge that the popular perception of Lex Luthor in the 21st Century does not match how the character was originally portrayed, for decades. Lex Luthor was originally a mad scientist and inventor and only later was he given the primary identity of tech-bro ultra-capitalist. The relationship between Lex and Superman may actually be the one true “spoiler” of the movie, so I’ll avoid it for now. (It’s not weird, secret, or special. In fact, it’s extremely refreshing how simple and honest it is; something that underlines the entire story.)
Now to the stand-out: Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. Mr. Terrific, I suspect, was initially thought of as “well, we can’t do Batman yet. So what other gadget-based, snarky superhero can we use? Green Arrow? Nah, too soon. Hey, what about Mr. Terrific?” Or not, I could be wrong. Just wouldn’t surprise me. But Mr. Terrific came as close to stealing the show as anybody could. And Edi Gathegi’s performance is *phenomenal*. I don’t know if it’s correct to say he played that character better than anyone else played theirs, but we spend more time with Terrific; he’s a bigger part of the main plot. For those keeping track, this is the second Mr. Terrific, Michael Holt. In comic book continuity, that is. What Gunn’s universe does hasn’t been detailed yet, but a short bit of introduction (and I *do* mean “short”) mentions that “metahumans” have existed for about 300 years, so there’s plenty of room to backtrack to previous versions if it’s important. While Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner has been confirmed for an upcoming television series, I haven’t heard anything concerning Mr. Terrific. If they don’t use this character while he’s hot it will be shame. Gathegi really shines in this role, getting small movements and gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice just right. “I don’t *need* help. I’m *Terrific*.” “This is why you don’t create pocket dimensions!” The only thing that makes me wonder is Michael Holt’s connection in the comics to Power Girl, a character that is is a *long* way from being introduced, if she is brought in at all. Mainly because of the other spoiler.
Right at the end of the movie, a new character is introduced. Briefly. Spoiler Warning. As many know by now, Krypto the Superdog is actually a character in this movie. While Krypto is portrayed as “Superman’s dog” in the first part of the movie, Superman clarifies in two instances later that Krypto isn’t really *his* dog, and that their relationship is more of a “foster” thing. Well, Krypto’s person shows up at the end: Supergirl. And I instantly understood why they felt they needed to recast for the movie. This Supergirl needs to portray “young and inexperienced” in a way that Sasha Calle, I think; just doesn’t embody. Milly Alcock’s Supergirl appears to be a giggling party girl of the “college freshman” variety. Maybe you know the type, maybe you don’t. Superman even comments that he had Krypto because Kara likes “partying” on planets with red suns…so she can actually get drunk. Teaser images for the 2026 Supergirl film seem to be embracing this idea. Some commentary, the source of which I haven’t been able to track down yet, suggests her constant partying and drunkenness have to do with significant trauma. And while there have been many versions of Supergirl, some certainly have origins that would lend to that understanding. I wonder if the intent might be to contrast Supergirl’s dislike of being a hero with Superman’s drive to save humanity. To confront her uncaring but genuinely well-meaning-at-the-core (I mean, she raised Krypto) and compare that with her responsible and genuinely nice cousin.
But that’s the thing about this new movie. Superman is a good guy. He just is. That can be complex, deep, and informative; requiring study and understanding. Superman makes that perfectly clear; it’s a major plot point. Superman gets up every morning. He doesn’t have all the answers. He just tries to do the best he can do. As demonstrated throughout the movie, he just wants people to stop being dicks to each other. And to the best of his ability, he will stop the worst behaviors. He is the role-model for “hero.” Hawk Girl, Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, and eventually Rex Mason are all superheroes. They are all metahumans. They all can do really cool, amazing, impossible things. But it’s not until we get the example of Superman selflessly, instinctively, trying to save the world that they become heroes. Superman is the idealization of “hero.” None of the rest matters without that possibility existing.
I said previously that Superman, done right, is the only way to form the root of a DC universe. Warner Brothers has that, now. We will see what they do with it. The door is open for character-based stories, rather than trying to create a bigger narrative. A big failure of the previous DCU attempt was to rush to Justice League in an attempt, I assume; to cash-in on the Avengers popularity. What Warner Brothers and/or DC seems to have missed is that the Avengers wouldn’t have worked without the preceding movies creating memorable characters. Even now when Marvel tries to launch new properties they get stuck on making the characters bland (some do better than others) while pushing the idea of “stay tuned for the important stuff!” And I’ll be honest; as someone who generally finds the super-event crossovers in comics more detrimental than interesting, I’m not looking forward to the eventual “Crisis” movies that are seemingly inevitable. But, that’s probably years away. Maybe we can enjoy the ride for a while.
The Terrible New Thing
Fidget spinners are ruining education! We need to... oh, never mind the fad is over. This is not the first time we've had a dumb moral panic.
Crysis 2
Crysis 2 has basically the same plot as Half-Life 2. So why is one a classic and the other simply obnoxious and tiresome?
The Best of 2015
My picks for what was important, awesome, or worth talking about in 2015.
A Telltale Autopsy
What lessons can we learn from the abrupt demise of this once-impressive games studio?
My Music
Do you like electronic music? Do you like free stuff? Are you okay with amateur music from someone who's learning? Yes? Because that's what this is.
YMMV, of course, but I find I enjoy supes movies in inverse proportion to the number of supes in them. Too many characters and it starts to feel like a strung-together series of toy ads rather than a story. I absolutely felt that way about Endgame. So yeah, with you on not being in any rush for the inevitable Justice League stuff.
I’m not a fan of “trust in the current showrunner” but we’re kind of stuck until we get a better idea of where Gunn is going with this. He did a good job with the additional superheroes in Superman, which is to clearly contrast the sponsored-and-paid-for Justice Gang* with Superman. They had a role in the story, and good casting, directing, and acting (don’t want to leave their contribution to the formula out) made them good characters.
*name pending (this is a reference to something in the movie. it’ll be hilarious in a few months)
While Sasha Calle didn’t embody “young and inexperienced” in Flash, not using her is, imo, a terrible, terrible waste.
Gunn shines at writing groups and interactions between variously differing characters, so clashes between Corenswet’s Carrot-like optimism, charisma, and “a living being was about to DIE!” approach and Calle’s Supergirl learning why should she even bother helping humans of all beings on one side, and her cynicism and world-weariness and the Justice Gang realising she’s serious on the other… man, with Gunn at the helm that’d be some great cinema.
And for the record yes, I do believe Calle’s portrayal of Supergirl is the best thing DC has given us right untill this Superman’s premiere.
And to be clear; I don’t disagree. But I *do* see where the idea might require a different take. And there’s the possibility that a deal with Calle just couldn’t be worked out. I *think* I see where this is going and Alcock could be the better choice, but at this point the die is cast and we’ll just have to see.
Something I should have included and didn’t, either in the post or in my comment. I was talking with my spouse about intentions and designs of the upcoming DC Universe, and what properties were currently more unavailable vs less unavailable. That is, anything that pre-dates this new vision is kind-of off limits, and it’s possible Calle’s Supergirl was unavailable solely for that reason. A big portion of the Arrow-verse is touchy, at best; as the most-successful current incarnation (prior to Superman) of DC. Batman is probably a long way off, both because there is a semi-recent movie and the Batman character on its own has been a cash cow for WB. Wonder Woman has a lot of tripwires at the moment, meaning that character is probably off-limits.
The left-hook of all this *is* Supergirl, which is a current character on TV, in a movie; AND has had a recent TV series. My primary take is that Gunn has a VERY specific vision for this character that he believes is fundamental to the on-screen universe.
Aye, Gunn has shown us he has his vision, and after this Superman we can have high hopes it’s a solid one and he can pull it off (provided no executive meddling), with all signs so far pointing to us not ending up dissapointed.
That being said it’s always sad to see a seed of great potential just vanish to multiple reasons, starting with universe reset.
Superman is apparently tearing up the box office right now; even domestically in the US, which is quite remarkable considering that a broader “superhero movie fatigue” seems to have been setting in in recent years. Without getting too political, I think that a large part of it is due to what you mentioned in this article: “Superman is a hero.” He’s not nuanced, he’s not shades of grey, he’s not (supposed to be) angsty. He is the archetype for what being a superhero MEANS, someone who is not just aspirational, but someone on whom you can count on, even pray to, when all hope is lost. And in this last decade, I think that kind of pure optimism and selflessness is exactly what a lot of people, maybe even the world, needs right now. Somebody pure and good to believe in, without pretenses, without ulterior motives. If you need help, Superman will give it, no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done. He is here for all of us.
I really think the movie pushes that idea. Not overwhelmingly, but not all that subtly, either. Clearly that is who Superman is, especially contrasted with the world around him: fickle and self-serving.
I really enjoyed this movie — great combination of homages and references to Silver Age Superman and the 70s movies and some deep comic book cuts, but also lots of new (to me) stuff. Also I’ve seen a lot of super-hero movies and the action scenes/big battles have started to feel a little bit all the same to me, but that was not the case with this movie. There were times when I actually felt concerned about whether or not Superman would survive
(despite knowing in my head that they’re not going to kill him off in the first movie of a reboot). I also liked having the other superpowered characters in it, a nice mix of well-known and less-so.Indeed. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how WB and Gunn move forward with this new universe; which heroes can be brought in and which ones are (possibly) off limits. Like Batman and very likely Wonder Woman, for the moment. There is a chance to make many lesser-known characters shine. Although, to be honest, the Arrow-verse brought in a LOT of the secondary and tertiary heroes, even if some were given only limited exposure. It’s going to be interesting to see which characters Gunn has ideas for.
It’s not clear from the article whether this is the problem, but just to be clear – modular power supplies do not share a common standard. Plugging cables from one modular power supply into the sockets on another modular power supply is likely to short some power rail to ground, or give 12V instead of 3.3V, or other similarly harmful erroneous power or ground placements. This may have harmed a motherboard, GPU, CPU, RAM, or the power supply itself depending on what exactly happened, if this is the problem.