Starting Over: Superman

As a child, I loved the first two Superman movies. The first one did an excellent job of re-introducing the character for a 1978 mainstream audience, had a great cast, and established the core mythology of the character. The second one explored the idea of Clark giving up his powers to be with the woman he loved, only to sacrifice that desire to combat a huge threat in the form of Zod (Terrance Stamp rocks!), Ursa, and Non. It was a great balance of character exploration and hi-octane action. For the longest time, I felt that these two films established the model that most successful superhero movies tended to follow: set up in the first flick, take the ball and run on the sequel. The first two X-Men films did this, as did Spider-Man and the Chris Nolan Batman movies. The Iron Man film franchise seems poised to do the same.

Superman Returns wasn't a bad film. Unfortunately, several decisions were made in the casting, writing, and performance that cast a green glow upon it and did not allow for it to be a really great movie. The first was the initial concept. Instead of rebooting the franchise, the new film was a sequel of sorts to the first two Christopher Reeve/Margot Kidder/Gene Hackman films, but wisely ignoring third and fourth movies. As a result, Superman Returns played more like a love letter to first two films rather than a movie that entertained on the merits of its own red booted feet. Also, the casting was weak. Brandon Routh was primarily brought in due to his looks capturing the ghost of Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth just didn't have the physical presence of Margot Kidder or her charm. Kevin Spacey, who is usually a fantastic actor, channeled his inner Gene Hackman and didn't really put his own spin on Lex Luthor. To tell you the truth, the most interesting character in the movie was Lois' new man played by Cyclops himself, James Marsden.

I purpose a hard reboot. Let's start the Superman movie franchise over from scratch. Let's take the best of the Superman comics and the movies and boil it down to a great movie for the 21st century. The first one should follow the model established by the 1978 film: introduce the character and have him face his first big crisis. Also, introduce the important players of Clark Kent's world as well as his arch-nemesis. Superman Returns did have some fantastic special effects and the costume looked really cool. Bryan Singer can direct the hell out of a movie, so I'm not adverse to giving him a second go.

So, who do I see playing the three most important roles in this reboot?

Superman/Clark Kent: Michael Trucco
If you're a fan of Battlestar Galactica then you know that Michael Trucco not only looks good and is physically fit, but he's really, really grown as an actor over the past two seasons. The problem with Routh was that he was just... there and I didn't get a real sense of who Clark Kent was (also the script turned him into a creepy super voyeur). Trucco is more than good enough for an exploration of a man raised by Kansas farmer who has moved to the big city to further his career, as well as a superpowered alien Jesus figure. I think he is more than capable of finding the human underneath the alien (he'd done it before). He can also act and look younger than he actually is.

Also, look at the man. He's tall, athletic, and he would only need to do a little working out just to bulk up a little, but that's it. How would he look in the glasses though? Clark Kent is a disguise and it's all about the body language and the delivery. I hate buffoon Clark. Clark can have as a distinct personality and presence as Superman without looking like an incompetent fool. I say make him behaviourally different than when he's in the cape, but still attractive and skilled enough to draw Lois Lane's attention in a way that she's intrigued by both men.

Trivia note: Michael Trucco was in a car accident in December of 2007 in which he fractured four of his vertebrea. He's made a full recovery from an injury that doctors say was almost identical to that sustained by Christopher Reeve.

Lois Lane: Rashida Jones
First off, she looks and sounds sort of like a young Margot Kidder, only in my opinion, Rashida is prettier. I know what you're saying, "But, Paul, you didn't like that they cast Routh for similar reasons!" Homage is fine as long as you can build on it. I think she's a far better actress than Kate Bosworth and she's got some decent comedic timing which is a nice element for the quick-witted and savvy Lois Lane.

The daughter of music pioneer Quincy Jones can do that. Look at her character of Karen Filippelli on The Office (US). She wasn't just book smart, but she could hold her own with the pranksters and smart-asses around her. Her Lois would be similar but with more of a proactive edge to get the story and sharpness that would allow her to hold her own in a room with either a superpowered Kryptonian or a the world's smartest man.

Lex Luthor: Bruce Willis
I think that Lex Luthor should as be charismatic as he is intelligent. He knows how to manipulate the world around him and that includes people. I think Willis could easily pull this off. I also like Lex to be older than Superman. Here's a man that has worked hard to establish himself as Metropolis' main businessman and innovator, then along comes this guy who can lift a 747 over his head and everyone forgets about the first guy. Superman becomes one part target of envy and one part riddle needed to be cracked and another part obstacle of Luthor's ambitions.

Another thing is that Willis has a physical presence that can be conveyed without the maniacal rantings utilized by Hackman and Spacey. I want a calm, cool Luthor where the wheels are always turning behind the eyes. Luthor is not a wimp mentally and I don't think he needs to be a wimp physically either.

Are Trucco and Jones too old to play Clark and Lois in a Superman film that restarts everything? That's a fair criticism. But let's look at some real world practicalities. If Lois Lane is supposed to be a hard hitting and respected journalist at one of the biggest newspapers in the country, she's not going to be a recent college graduate. She's going to have fought her way up the corporate ladder and made a name for herself in the trenches. I don't have problem with her being around thirty when we first meet her.

The same thing with Clark Kent. He's a farm kid that went off to school and got a journalism degree. Wouldn't it make sense that he worked a few years at a paper in Kansas first? He loves his family dearly and despite the ability to fly home in the blink of an eye, he could be a bit resistant about straying too far from the nest, especially as his parents get older. It's not until he hears Jonathan Kent's dying words that urge him to be something more and to use his gifts for a greater purpose, does Clark decide to move to the big city and eventually go public.

The last half of the film would be a battle of wills between Superman and Luthor. We would get to see how these two are perfect counter parts to each other. Superman is physically powerful, but not a dummy. Luthor has the mental advantage, but isn't a wimp. One thing I don't want to see is Lex Luthor in the real estate business. That "ultimate goal" always seemed a bit silly in the Hackman/Spacey version of the character. Also, no spinning the Earth backwards to undo events. Even as a kid I knew there was something totally false about the maneuver as far as the "science" of time travel is concerned.

I don't think Superman needs to go darker either. Superman is not Batman. Superman defends us from evil in full view. Also, his fight with Luthor is as much a public relations battle as a mental or physical one. A newspaper plays a major role in the story of Superman and the PR aspect could be crafted into the narrative.

Ultimately, I'd like a Superman film that is just darn entertaining. As Iron Man proved you can still have a fun and exciting superhero film that has serious character exploration, a strong plot, and solid acting. There's no reason why the Man of Steel can't have one in the next few years.