Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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BridgeConsoleMasher
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

Post by BridgeConsoleMasher »

I think Superman can have really interesting dilemmas while the Jedi are kind of boring by design.

Death of Superman and Rise of Supermen I didn't think were that interesting of animated movies. They're more about the public image of Superman and it serves as a meta narrative about the hero's journey and DC's part in it. But I don't think it's interesting for Superman's character at all the way it plays out. . And those are both keynote concepts for Superman from BvS through JL.

Now that I think of it, Linkara's review might have brought that together for me, though I don't think the perception of Superman as a deity is out of touch really and is suitably provocative. It's an ace up the sleeve as far as just introducing Superman to the world, and is dovetailed nicely following Man of Steel's destruction.
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:05 pm I think Superman can have really interesting dilemmas while the Jedi are kind of boring by design.

Death of Superman and Rise of Supermen I didn't think were that interesting of animated movies. They're more about the public image of Superman and it serves as a meta narrative about the hero's journey and DC's part in it. But I don't think it's interesting for Superman's character at all the way it plays out. . And those are both keynote concepts for Superman from BvS through JL.

Now that I think of it, Linkara's review might have brought that together for me, though I don't think the perception of Superman as a deity is out of touch really and is suitably provocative. It's an ace up the sleeve as far as just introducing Superman to the world, and is dovetailed nicely following Man of Steel's destruction.
Honestly when we talk about the Death of Superman from the comics, it's a simple beat the big bad guy up sort of plot. There was no reason to make a sub plot at the time having Superman do things, that was established for hundreds of comics before. Doing a movie animated or live, has to figure out how to squeeze Superman history in a far smaller time frame.

The latest animated version is superior to the one that came out like 15 years ago. That is just my opinion.
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CharlesPhipps
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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The Jedi are an interesting balance since they are generally ineffective and tradition bound rather than corrupt.

And some go insane.

So they're Tolkien elves.
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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The best Superman tales are the ones where his morality and will, not powers and abilities, are put to the test. Or when he fails.
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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My Hero Academia. One of the most popular, best selling Manga out there, easily eclipsing anything the American Comics industry is currently putting out.

All Might - AKA Golden Age Superman. Easily the most popular character in said Manga and face of the franchise.

The idea that Superman cannot be interesting is simply not true. What is true is bad writing.

As for the Jedi, the only time I remember them being called evil was in the Sequels - which suck and are not worth the time of day. The Prequels took a far more nuanced approach in showing an organisation full of heroes who were nonetheless dusty and set in their ways.
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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CharlesPhipps wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:30 am The Jedi are an interesting balance since they are generally ineffective and tradition bound rather than corrupt.

And some go insane.

So they're Tolkien elves.
Not exactly. The Noldor's problems weren't being ineffective or tradition bound, it was overweening pride.

If you think that the adherence to the war to reclaim the Silmarils by the Sons of Feanor was simple tradition you ignore that their world has very real bonds placed upon those that swore oaths. That was the bind they were in where they were screwed either way.

Other Noldor, like Galadriel, went to Middle Earth more to be the greatest among the least and resisted recanting their deeds because it would mean returning to the Undying Lands in a reduced status than they had previously held there.
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:05 pmI think Superman can have really interesting dilemmas while the Jedi are kind of boring by design.
They didn't have to be. Nothing in the original movies painted them that way.

IMO, a major problem with Star Wars was that the original movies created an air of mystery in a wide, unknown universe and the everything else since then has worked to fill in those voids and rob the setting of what made it special.

Why do people reactively hate Midichlorians so much? They reduced the Force's influence on people down to a biological explanation when it was unnecessary in such a fantasy setting.

Star Wars was built from archetypes and it's been ruined by details.
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BridgeConsoleMasher
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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I mean if you're going to have a world then it's going to have details nomsayin
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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Beastro wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:21 pm
BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:05 pmI think Superman can have really interesting dilemmas while the Jedi are kind of boring by design.
They didn't have to be. Nothing in the original movies painted them that way.

IMO, a major problem with Star Wars was that the original movies created an air of mystery in a wide, unknown universe and the everything else since then has worked to fill in those voids and rob the setting of what made it special.

Why do people reactively hate Midichlorians so much? They reduced the Force's influence on people down to a biological explanation when it was unnecessary in such a fantasy setting.

Star Wars was built from archetypes and it's been ruined by details.
I can say that the Clone Wars show did flesh out the Jedi better to be less boring. Though they are still a bit boring, and I think they have to be that. Being stagnate, rigid, pretty much show one of the reasons why Anakin turned his back on them and became Vader.
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Beastro
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Re: Superman and the Jedi: Are They Boring

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BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:47 pm I mean if you're going to have a world then it's going to have details nomsayin
The issue is set up. Star Wars began with a limited scope and it's struggled to go beyond it. Too much of the stories revolve around reiterating elements of the original movies. Force users, light sabers, space dogfights, bounty hunters.

Its breadth wide, but its depth is shallow. It doesn't have to be that way but it's restricted for various reasons. I can appreciate attempts to try to get away from that and I think the Mandalorian works because it's a break, but not a major one that also draws on other outside archetypes, mainly the Western, so it isn't alienating.
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