WHERE'S MY SUPERMAN MOVIE.....

 With trailers and images starting to trickle out for the new Superman flick 'Man of Steel' it's starting to look like we'll be getting a big screen Supes we've never had before, Superman the 'action hero' and it's about time it's just a shame we'll have to trudge through yet another origin story to get there. Who doesn't know the origin of Superman. With the success of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy the idea of making superheroes 'dark&gritty' looks like it might be getting a second wind whether it fits the character or not. the latest Spider-Man flick (complete with unnecessary origin story) was routinely described by it's director and cast as being 'grounded' as though this was something to be excited about (to quote my favorite Spider-Man artist John Romita in the documentary 'Once Upon a Time the Super Heroes!' "If you make him standing on the ground you've wasted Spider-Man") despite the success of Marvel Comics other properties (which led to the the Avengers movie) showing that it was OK to be faithful to the characters cartoon roots and handle them with a lighter touch putting emphasis on action rather than melodrama. Although I have hi hopes that Zack Snyder's Man of Steel will deliver here's my 2 bit idea for a no nonsense 'Man of Steel' flick.....

Shot 1: The credits scroll Star Wars style informing the hand full of coma victims who don't already know, who Superman is where he came from and why.
Shot 2: As Clark Kent (Matt Bomer) and Lois Lane (Rose Byrne) make their way through the streets of Metropolis (exchanging witty banter) a sudden bolt of energy rips through the city causing havoc.

Shot 3: amongst the chaos a silence grips the panicking crowds and the entire city looks up to the sky as a vast alien mother ship reveals itself.
(by this point we are at least 10 minuets in to the picture)
Shot 4: Clark runs into a phone box pulling his shirt open to reveal the 'S' symbol and in a flash he emerges in the full classic blue, red and yellow costume (including his red trunks) and takes to the sky to confront the alien ship.
Shot 5: Inside the ship Lex Luthor (John Travolta) informs Brainiac (as seen in Action Comics *868 and played by John Malkovich) that his plan has worked and that Superman is on his way.

Shot 6: Brainiac turns to General Zod ( Gerard Butler, dressed in a black and white variation of Superman's costume) and tells him to destroy the son of Jor-El.

For the next 90 minuets there is nothing more than all out war between Superman and Zod which goes from one side of the solar system (with occasional cuts back to Metropolis) to the other during which one or two other heroes (Green Lantern [Nathan Fillion], Martian Manhunter [Dwayne Johnson]...) show up but fail to stop the Kryptonian rampage which eventually ends with Superman punching Zod through the moon.
The final shot has Superman returning to metropolis, battered and broken but ready to confront the alien ship only to find Metropolis in ruins with Lex Luthor and Brainiac waiting for him with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen (played by 55 year old Marc McClure) locked in a cage made of Kryptonite and guarded by a 15ft tall Doomsday. As Superman lands on the rubble of Metropolis and faces off to his enemies the 1988 Batmobile can be seen pulling into view just over his shoulder, the words "to be continued" fill the screen as it fades to black.....the end.

TESTIFY....you know you want it...ooft.