Superman Lives -- Unproduced Tim Burton Film

[Redstar]

I'm sure everyone has heard of the unproduced Tim Burton version of "Superman Lives", which featured Brainiac as the villain in the most inane depiction of a superhero since Batman & Robin. It's an interesting look at what-could-have-been, especially now that we've seen Superman Returns by Bryan Singer and have The Man of Steel by Zack Snyder coming.

Jon Schnepp of several Adult Swim hit shows is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund a documentary on the film's development. This work might feature interviews with Burton and writer Kevin Smith, which more than makes it a source of interest.

Any thoughts on the film or this project?

[Phlibbit]

I'm so down for this. Especially if they got Burton and Smith. Or even both of them in one room...THAT would be hilarious. I'm sure this film would've been a train wreck, but I'd rather have taken it over Superman Returns.

[ultimateemail5000]

I read the producer wanted a giant spider in the movie Smith and later on the producer wuold go on to Wild Wild West which had a giant spider. So he got his giant spider in something eventually. Dunno why he wanted that so badly.

[Redstar]

I'm so down for this. Especially if they got Burton and Smith. Or even both of them in one room...THAT would be hilarious. I'm sure this film would've been a train wreck, but I'd rather have taken it over Superman Returns.

Seriously? I loved Returns! Admittedly, it's not the return to form that we should have received, but as a love-letter to the original Donner films it's emotional impact cannot be denied.

Still, I love trainwrecks... Would've loved to see this movie made!

[Phlibbit]

In regards to Superman Returns...

I had a very "meh" reaction when I first saw it, and I only dislike it more and more as the years go by. You mention that it's a love letter to the Donner films, and yes, it is a HUGE love letter, but that also makes it a HUGE problem. It essentially "locked" Superman, Lex Luthor, etc. into their characterizations from those films. Not only did they use Lex as the main villain again, but they made him just as goofy as the Donner films. Superman doesn't really get to be "Superman" and he spends the whole movie moping around. Its just a very misguided movie, and certainly not the Superman movie we needed.

[Serum]

If you've ever seen the documentary "An Evening With Kevin Smith," he goes on a forty five minute rant about his experiences writing the script and how the executive producer Jon Peters insisted on three things: One, Superman cannot fly in the new movie. Two, he didn't want to see Superman in his Superman suit. Three, in the final act, Superman had to fight a giant mechanical spider.

When Peters explained this to Smith, Smith went back to the head of WB and the suits there said "Okay, good, you met with Jon... did he bring up the spider?" And Smith said "He did! How'd you know?" To which someone replied "It's everyday with that stupid spider..." The movie never got made, but the next year, Smith said he went to see a movie called "Wild Wild West," which Peters produced-- and we all know what's in the third and final act of that movie.

[Prime Evil]

If you've ever seen the documentary "An Evening With Kevin Smith," he goes on a forty five minute rant about his experiences writing the script and how the executive producer Jon Peters insisted on three things: One, Superman cannot fly in the new movie. Two, he didn't want to see Superman in his Superman suit. Three, in the final act, Superman had to fight a giant mechanical spider.

To be fair to Jon Peters, though, Superman originally couldn't fly, but he could leap an eighth of a mile. Flying wasn't added into the mix until the Max Fleischer cartoons.

Superman doesn't really get to be "Superman" and he spends the whole movie moping around. Its just a very misguided movie, and certainly not the Superman movie we needed.

So...rescuing an out of control space-plane and bringing it down safely in the middle of a baseball game; taking the full force of a gatling gun like it's no big deal; and struggling to hurl a Kryptonite-laden artificial island out into space, even while it's gradually robbing him of his powers...You, sir, have some peculiar ideas about what it means to be Superman.

[Phlibbit]

You, sir, have some peculiar ideas about what it means to be Superman.

I will agree, the plane sequence is the best part of the film, and as a standalone piece, it's pretty cool. What I guess I'm trying to say is that he doesn't get to be "Superman" enough because he spends most of the film moping around.

[Serum]

I thought Superman Returns was really good until Kevin Spacey revealed his ridiculous "Doctor Evil" plan of creating a continent made entirely out of Kryptonite. I just expected him to turn to the camera and do this pose after explaining his train wreck of a "grand scheme..."

[Prime Evil]

I thought Superman Returns was really good until Kevin Spacey revealed his ridiculous "Doctor Evil" plan of creating a continent made entirely out of Kryptonite.

I dunno; I kinda liked that one, too. What's good about it is, it doesn't come totally from out of left field--it follows the rules of the Superman movie world. One crystal of White Kryptonite in the first movie created the Fortress of Solitude; White + Green Kryptonite creates something very dangerous.

So, moral of the story: Supes, lock yer damn door.