[new Superman Movie and trope discussion] so based on the trailers, I'm really excited for this movie. I think Gunn really knows what he's doing with Clark. HOWEVER, it does also look like its doing a certain trope that annoys me
and that trope is the Debate and Switch
(I cannot take credit for the name, it comes from this video:
Debate and Switch - The Trope That Ruins Stories
Debate and Switch - The Trope That Ruins Stories
and basically it's when a movie opens up with a genuinely interesting philosophical dilemma and then forgets about it about half way through in favor of beating up bad guys
from the trailer, it looks like we've got:
Superman uses his power to stop a war
People are pissed that Superman is using his powers to basically make whole government bend to his own moral judgements
Some stuff happens (unclear what from the trailer)
Now there's real big bad guys for Superman to fight
Superman uses his power to stop a war
People are pissed that Superman is using his powers to basically make whole government bend to his own moral judgements
Some stuff happens (unclear what from the trailer)
Now there's real big bad guys for Superman to fight
Reminds me very much of Avengers: Civil War
starting with an interesting dilemma about who the Avengers should be accountable to, never really resolves that and just becomes an excuse for us to watch Capt America and Iron Man punch each other
Maybe this Superman movie will handle it in a way where it doesn't feel like they just forget about the dilemma of who Superman is accountable to
we'll have to see
and honestly even if they pull the Debate and Switch I will likely still enjoy the movie and it will just be one of those plot things that I'm annoyed at but whatever
I honestly think that the debate in question kind of clashes with the tone the trailer is going for, like
should the movie about putting hope and goodness and compassion back into the DC movieverse have a major plotline about whether or not Superman is a terrorist who needs to be controlled by the government
I don’t think the trailer is framing Superman as a terrorist, though, like at all
It just seems more that the US is big mad that Superman is flexing his power to interfere with the military actions of other countries
I don't mean the trailer is
Only the US is allowed to do that
I mean the story getting bogged down into that debate is a lot darker of a tone than the other stuff we see
well, I think if I were writing a story where Hope is the main theme, that cynical issues like this would have to be presented for hope to triumph over
I mean that is basically what MAWS has already done
I think the main issue is that this question of "Who is Superman accountable to?" has been brought up already in a BUNCH of Superman stories already
and none have really actually answered it
because like, it IS a reasonable objection to Superman