Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Superman: Even So Come Quickly!

I just finished catching the new teaser trailer for the Superman Returns movie to be released Summer 2006. First off, what is with the title? Superman Returns? Did he leave for a trip? From the look of the trailer, I see it as a total remake starting from the beginning, so isn't the title already misinforming? Wouldn't a better title for this remake be Superman Begins, similar to the Batman Begins from last Summer?

The story link seems to suggest that Superman has returned after a long absence. Does this new Superman movie pick up where the Chris Reeve films ended? In the new teaser trailer, the narrator, Marlon Brando - the closing of Jor-El's monologue in the Fortress of Solitude, from the 1978 Superman, who I am guessing is Superman's father, tells about how he is different from all the other people of Earth, because he is from another world.

The narration is underscored by the original John William's Superman Krypton theme and it builds up to the final shot of the trailer which is Superman hovering above the Earth at the edge of space. It is the words at this point that caught my attention. The narrator says something like this: There is good in these people; that is why I am sending them my only son. I thought, "Hmmm, where have I heard that before?" A guy who is not like the rest of the people, has great powers and abilities, and is an only son sent from another world.

I am only curious if Saddleback Community Church, in conjunction with Fuller Seminary and Christianity Today, will put out a study guide to help aide the discussions in small group Bible studies as to the Christian imagery found in the movie. Can't wait to see!

Say it! The whole Superman mythos is about a "heavenly" father sending his all-powerful son to Earth to be raised by a human family and save the world. How much more Messianic can you get, really? Really?

1 comment:

Glenn Layne said...

Hey Ron saw same thing. As i understand it, from the beginning there were Son of God references in the Superman story and that they were intentional.