Up In The Sky!

In the wake of the unexpected phenomenon that was Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ it would seem that the bigwigs at DC Comics are trying to seize an opportunity to match the sudden rise of Marvel Studios, currently raking in a considerable profit from ‘Iron Man 2’ DVD sales, with no fewer than three expected blockbusters- ‘Thor,’ ‘The First Avenger: Captain America,’ and the highly anticipated ‘The Avengers’- forthcoming.

While the writers at DC haven’t the luxury of their own film studio, next year will see the release of ‘Green Lantern,’ starring the action hero/funny-man Ryan Reynolds, and based on the fan-favorite hero of the same name. As with Marvel’s upcoming ‘Thor’, ‘Green Lantern’ is new to the big screen, leaving him plenty of space to thrill audiences with only a passing familiarity with the source material. And as we all learned from ‘Iron Man,’ a little originality can go a long way at the box office.

Of course, originality isn’t always such a good thing, especially when you’re dealing with, say, a character who has been around for over 70 years and whose storyline is familiar to most Americans born after 1938.

We’re talking, of course, about Superman, soon to return to theaters courtesy of producer/general overseer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder (‘300'). Considering that Nolan and Snyder are respectively responsible for two of the most successful conservative films in recent memory (referring to ‘300’ and ‘Dark Knight,’ of course), news that they’d be working together on any project would be enough to thrill the countless blacklisted Hollywood conservatives, not to mention the legions of conservative audience members currently starving for an ounce of sanity from American filmmakers. But a SUPERMAN film, of all things?

Be still my comic-loving heart.

Now, is there still a chance they’ll screw it all up? Of course. With a character as near and dear to America’s heart as Supes, that chance is multiplied tenfold. But besides the challenge of locating a suitable actor, finding the right balance and style for the visual effects, and the innumerable technological difficulties presented by a film as large in scope as the newest addition to the Superman franchise is sure to be, let’s just hope the filmmakers don’t forget about Superman himself. The story may provide the bricks, but the characters bring the mortar.

Correctly identifying Batman’s unshakable reliance on Moral Law and sheer willpower was one of Christopher Nolan’s most important achievements in ‘Batman Begins,’ one that was only magnified in ‘The Dark Knight.’ Removing or diminishing this feature of Batman’s personality would remove the foundation upon which the new Batman franchise was built. In Superman’s case, the most important character trait that Snyder and Nolan must remember is Superman’s unshakable virtue. Like it or not, the king of the superhero genre is still just an old-fashioned Kansas boy, a Boy Scout who, despite all his godlike power, wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless this particular fly posed a danger to the Earth. Or maybe just Lois Lane.

Anyhow, here’s to you, Mr. Snyder, in the hopes that you can find it in your gory, Spartan heart to give audiences, especially children, the Superman they deserve, a Man of Steel who still fights for Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

You know what they say: You don't tug on Superman's cape.