Debate of the Day: Man of Steel vs. The Dark Knight Rises
I think it’s safe to say that Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Rises are probably the two most anticipated movies set to be released right now. But today I want to pose the question about which one you’re MORE looking forward to and why. Here’s the way I see it.
Man of Steel – The Good
Chris Nolan is involved in some capacity even if he’s not directing. Zack Snyder is directing, and he did 300 and Watchmen. The new Superman costume looks amazing, as do the other ones on the set. Superman is probably the most iconic hero of all time.
The Bad
Live action Superman has been sort of shitty lately between Superman Returns and Smallville. Zack Snyder is directing, and he did Sucker Punch. Superman may be iconic, but has trouble being relatable. I’ve always thought Kryptonite was lame.
The Dark Knight Rises – The Good
Chris Nolan is back, the man can pretty much do no wrong. Bane and Catwoman are cool villains. The past movies give every indication that this should be a home run.
The Bad
It’s almost impossible to top The Dark Knight. Bane isn’t huge, Catwoman is Anne Hathaway, which is sort of weird. Still miss the Riddler. Hard to be the third movie in a trilogy, just ask Return of the Jedi or Spider-Man 3.
I’m almost more excited for Man of Steel because it’s a more unknown property, where we know generally what to expect from The Dark Knight Rises as it’s the third film in a series by the same director. The spy shots on set have me a little wary, but Ledger’s Joker taught me to have faith in Nolan. Fortunately, he’s involved in both films.
What do you think?
I agree with your points except that I think the two most anticipated movies right now are TDKR and the Avengers
Are there really any other super-hero films besides a Chris Nolan-directed Batman film to get excited about?
Also, you listed Zack Snyder in the good and bad category for Supes. I think its pretty unforgivable that he directed Sucker Punch.
I’m a little confused about why you listed Spiderman 3 and Return of The Jedi as two movies that prove it is hard to be the third movie in a trilogy. One of those is the greatest third-movie-in-a-trilogy ever, while the other is a piece of crap film with insane product placement, and an emo superhero who messes up his hair as the only difference when he turns “evil.” First, I don’t think your point is proven at all with ROTJ. Second, I think you’re insulting it just by the act of pairing it up with that phenomenal pile of crap, Spiderman 3.
As a parallel, it’s like saying it’s hard to be a sequel, as Godfather Part 2 and Caddyshack 2 both prove. See how that sentence makes no sense because one film is amazing and defines the exact opposite of what you’re talking about (Godfather II) while the other film is a huge load of crap?
I’m a big fan of all forms of media, so I can honestly say above all else, I’m more looking forward to Arkham City for a story than any superhero movie atm.
Batman. Superman is boring, where’s the tension around a character that can’t be harmed except for when the magic rock is about?
Also, all superman films are generally kind of boring, as are most batman ones, but the new Batmans are at least interesting in their ideas. Maybe the star of this next one won’t be any actor but the actual plot…
I have to go with TDKR all the way, Although i see your point about the third film in an installment not living up to expectations, I don’t think it’s a strong enough argument to be actually considered a “con” – if anything it just means we are in “better hands” – so to speak
furthermore, i just have to go on the record saying Im actually more excited about the Spiderman Reboot than Superman….
just …EVERYThing about the direction that movie is going in, seems so right to the TRUE spidey fan…. (yes webshooters YES!)
@Jim Lahey
He’s not comparing ROTJ and Spiderman at all, he’s just saying that they were the worst films in the trilogy and that they were both 3rd and last film. And he is right. Return Of The Jedi was a merchandising whore of a movie and by far the worst of the three and Spiderman 3 was simply an abomination. I’m not sure why you think he is putting them in the same league as each other, all he said was “Hard to be the third movie in a trilogy” because it’s incredibly hard to live up to expectations.
Anyway, I’m a huge superman fan, but I am very weary of a director like Zack Snyder making the new film … He certainly does not have a consistent track record and his style is too weird for a superhero like Superman; I hope he doesn’t fuck things up and he listens to Nolan.
As for The Dark Knight Rises, the trailer REALLY hits a cord with me, especially the brief scene with Bane walking towards Batman. So much emotion in just a few seconds. I have a feeling that Tom Hardy will be amazing in that role, huge or not.
Rocky 3 AND Rocky 4 are better than Rocky 1 and Rocky 2. That is all.
ROCKY BALBOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Dark knight for sure. Superman is boring. I was worried about bane when I first saw pics, but i also worried when I heard Heath was joker.
Everything Nolan has done is gold, except insomnia, so I’m sure it’ll be great. Plus I hear bane will be bulked up in post. His mask will still probably look retarded though…
It will be a nightmare trying to top TDK with Heath Ledger mopping the floor with every other super-villain in history. Especially with Anne effin’ Hathaway of all people playing Catwoman. I’m just hoping Chris Nolan keeps up that incredible talent of his!
My vote is for Superman, but mostly for any possible fresh emotional character study!
The true tragedy of Superman is that he will outlive everyone that he loves and fights for. Sure, keeping his identity a secret adds a bit of tension, but the most visceral element to his character is his nigh-immortality and how it affects those around him (as well as his personal well-being).
But it sounds like Snyder is going with an origin story, so it’ll probably end up being a snooze-fest. He can redeem in 2 ways tho:
– not going into “visual overload” mode like Sucker Punch,
-cutting the origin section as short as possible, going more for an emotional character study like Jason said.
The Return of the King is an excellent third part. Much better than the previous ones. It helped that the story had a plan and the director an creative team stick to it. TDKR is no TLOTR,ROTK, but we can see the plan that drives it. Just let Nolan do his thing.
Definitely looking forward to Superman, being a huge fan. I will of course pony up for every superhero film that comes along, being a shameless comic-whore anyway.
And for no other reason than to be a fanboy; people who call Superman boring are the same ones who haven’t picked up a comic book since they were five. I’m no longer impressed by the generalisation; i would rather have some substantial critique than this rehashed rubbish of a throwaway statement.
I’m looking more forward to Superman than the new Dark Knight.
Superman, after all, is the most iconic superhero of them all. Let’s hope they get it right.
…and this is why people like you shouldn’t write reviews. Return of the Jedi was one of the greatest conclusions to a trilogy ever and I just watched Dark Knight Rises. And in regards to Anne Hathaway, people said the same thing about Heath Ledger as Joker, and the dude won an oscar. Anne Hathaway was absolutely amazing. She stole every scene she was in and looked incredibly sexy doing so. And if your argument against Bane is only his size, then I feel ashamed of you. Bane was an amazing villain. He was an absolutely terrifying villain and his first stand-off against Batman will probably be one of the most remembered fight scenes in cinema history.