The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is three films deep and, with the announcement that a sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel is on the way, now is a pretty good time to take stock of what we’ve seen so far. Whatever you think of the DC films so far is fairly irrelevant—they’ve been released and this is what we have. Proclaiming your love or hatred for these offerings isn’t going to change anything. What we can do, however, is look at ways to improve the universe going forward, and to do so, I want to turn the clock all the way back to the late 70s and early 80s Superman movies.
As an 80s child, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I had only extremely foggy recollections of Superman and Superman II. I mean, I’d definitely seen them…but most of the plot points were muddled and hazy at best. So I sat down and re-watched them this weekend, with a mostly blank slate, and with an eye for what DC ought to steal from the original “Man of Steel.”
Mostly, I was surprised. I was sure that most of my recollections were based on nostalgia rather than the actual quality of the films. And while certain elements of the movies are very painfully dated (special effects, editing, pacing…whatever Gene Hackman was doing as Lex Luthor), overall, these films are simply brimming with a boundless, irrepressible sense of fun. It’s hard to watch them without grinning.
I’m not going to belabor the decision for the reboot to focus on grit, darkness, and conflict. However, what I found interesting about the originals was that the serious moments (and there are a few), land more effectively because they were neatly folded into scenes full of tongue-in-cheek. For example, you really sit up when Pa’ Kent dies, when it’s immediately proceeded by a young Clark Kent sticking it to a car of high school bullies.
The original movies trounce all comers (Marvel included) when it comes to the score. John Williams is the undisputed king of film composers and he turns in one of the all-time greatest here. It soars, inspires and flat-out brings this thing to life. Danny Elfman’s Batman theme is a close second but after that…yikes, it gets ugly. Watching this movie made it clear just how lacking quality scores are from modern superhero films.
Marlon Brando kills it as Jor-El and reminded me of his character’s importance. His morality, empathy, and intelligence are a compass for his son, and provide an insight into why Superman actually suits up. I was surprised by how much weight and coherence he provided to the film in such a relatively tiny amount of time.
Christopher Reeve, man. Where do I start? I absolutely adore what he did with Clark Kent. He’s bumbling, tongue-tied, and the straight man to everyone else’s joke, yet he doesn’t become annoying because his kindness shines through. It’s this inherent sweetness that really ties Clark and Superman together. They make him approachable, accessible and above all, makes you root for him. He’s Charlie Brown and Kermit the Frog, providing quiet optimism that makes you want to help them.
Going forward, here are the things DC should look to swipe from the originals:
- There is nothing wrong with being serious and grown-up. I’m all in favor of mature superhero content (as shown in my adoration of Deadpool). But levity is important in a film and to characters—it helps gravity land. Finding more opportunities to bring joy into the story will help provide more balance and weight to the serious stuff.
- Please hire a competent composer. Weird piano smashes and guitar moans are not enough.
- Invest more into the Jor-El/Kal-El relationship. If at any point Jor-El is riding a dinosaur away from a spaceship, you’ve made a terrible mistake.
- Figure out what to do with Clark Kent. Personally, I enjoy Clark and think he’s an invaluable way to get inside the Man of Steel. He needs a coherent story and coherent motivation, and just as importantly, he needs to give us a reason to root for him. Having great abs isn’t enough.
- Make Superman the warm, compassionate center of your universe. He doesn’t always need to be happy, he doesn’t even have to be funny, but he should always be kind. Otherwise, it’s tough to figure out why he bothers to keep doing this.