Thoughts on the Superman Returns Trailer
While at the theater yesterday, we saw the trailer for Superman Returns. I had seen it on the internet, but it’s much better in the theater. I can understand why people dislike thecostume or the messianic aspects of the trailer. Personally, I like the trailer, but pretty much for just one reason: the music.
You really have to see the trailer in the theater to appreciate it — computer speakers simply won’t work. As the Warner Brothers emblem appears on the screen, the familiar low roll of the music starts. As the DC sigil appears and the trailer itself begins, horns come in. More horns join in and then the tympani. You are immersed in the full majesty of one of the most perfect pieces of cinematic music — the Planet of Krytpon Theme. Hearing it reverberate from the the vast theater speakers made the trailerworthwhile. I understand there may have been some movie footage in the trailer too, but I missed it; I was listening to the music.
The main theme from Superman is another excellent piece of music, up there in my top five movie themes of all time (with Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Last of the Mohicans, and The Princess Bride). The Planet of Krytpon Theme remains my favorite piece of movie music ever.
Should it be worrisome that they’re trying to sell the new film by using the music and Marlon Brando voice over from the first Christopher Reeve film?
If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m more than a little partial to the Planet of Krypton Theme.
It was part of the music in our wedding. In addition to designing the cake topper, my wife also let me choose the music for the ceremony. For the most part, I kept to the traditional music and some common baroque favorites, but I threw in a few fun extras here and there just to see if anyone was paying attention. For instance, my wife and her bridesmaids kept the traditional processional music and bridal march — but the groomsmen and I, we entered with the Planet of Krypton Theme.
November 28th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
I can beat that, Scott! The groomsmen and bridesmaids at my wedding entered to the Star Wars theme. My wife and I came in to the Superman theme. I wish I could take the credit for that, but it was my wife’s idea. :)
November 29th, 2005 at 12:33 am
“Should it be worrisome that they’re trying to sell the new film by using the music and Marlon Brando voice over from the first Christopher Reeve film?”
Should it be worrisome that for no reason at all they changed Superman’s costume? I LOVED the sad explanation Singer gave-
‘Routh didn’t look right in the traditional one’.
WHAT?
He didn’t look good as the character he’s playing, but shrinking the “S”, putting the belt well below his waist, adding a second “S” to the belt buckle, and darkening the colors…that made Routh look good?
What does he take the fans for? Fools? They changed the costume because someone wanted to say they had and enjoy their “creativity”, and possibly because it was hoped a new version of the costume would lead to new action figures kids would want because the uniform was different.
As for Brando’s voice-over, the first trailer for the original Reeve film was nothing but shots taken by an airplane flying thru clouds. Nothing from the film at all. I think they’re just trying to make it clear this is something close to the same continuity as the Reeve films. I’m not worried about the film just yet (except for being ticked about the costume.)
Where the voice itself is concerned, I think if you listen carefully, you’ll realize that’s not the recording from the original. (Different inflections, different pauses…sometimes subtle, but for sure a different recording than the sames lines spoken in the original Reeve film.) It’s actually an alternate take which Warner also still had, along with a huge amount of other material they were able to pick and choose from to make sure Brando made a decent contribution this time around (unlike what was done in Superman II).
Oh…they take huge pains where the Jor-El from the first film is concerned, but they go and change the costume? (I’ll never stop griping until Singer agrees to use the traditional one in any sequel. *grin*)
July 25th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
ok, to be fair. If they’d put the poor kid in Reeves’ up-to-the-nipples waist belt, which I’m sure was the height of fashion in the seventies, he would have looked a fool in 2006! The sfx and storyline update would not have been complete without a costume update. Can you imagine Michael Keaton having to prance around in a spandex suit for the Batman movies, just because the original TV series had it that way… noooo.
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