Superman: Man of Christ

[GeoBQn]

This article from CNN talks about how Warner Bros. is actively marketing Man of Steel to churches.

religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/14/superman-coming-to-a-church-near-you/?hpt=hp_c2

I didn't know that movie studios were marketing more mainstream movies to churches. The Christ metaphor in this movie sounds incredibly sledgehammer-y.

[PennySycamore]

Why the fuck would they do that? It's not like they really need to drum up more business! They may have lost mine, though. I probably would have gone to see the flick before, but now I don't know if I will.

[Arete]

There is no power in Heaven or Hell that is going to keep me from watching Henry Cavil for 2 hours, but WB has still pissed me off.

[gilamomster]

There is no power in Heaven or Hell that is going to keep me from watching Henry Cavil for 2 hours, but WB has still pissed me off.

Amen sistah preach it. :worship: :worship:

[Loveday]

Amen sistah preach it. :worship: :worship:

Can I have a hallelujah? As a card-carrying member of the Cavillry, I wouldn't miss this movie even if Bill Gothard, the Maxwells, and Doug Phillips is a tool endorsed it! :cracking-up: :lol:

[debrand]

I have no desire to see Superman. The character is just too perfect and all powerful for me to enjoy. My dislike has nothing to do with religion though.

Even as an atheist, I still find something slightly offensive in making Superman a Jesus figure. It isn't that I don't think that it is impossible for a fictional character to possess qualities that mirror some Christian beliefs about Jesus. Superman just doesn't seem appropriate. Also, if the symbolism is too heavy handed it ends up seeming cartoonish and losing its deeper meaning. Why would a Christian want to do that with something that is deeply meaningful to him/her?

I think that the young girl dying in Pan's Labyrinth to save her brother might be a good 'Jesus' figure that doesn't seem forced.

Is any fictional character that sacrifices themselves for the greater good a 'Jesus' figure? Or does there have to be certain other qualities?

[JesusFightClub]

There is always this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman:_Red_Son

:whistle:

[Sola]

There is no power in Heaven or Hell that is going to keep me from watching Henry Cavil for 2 hours, but WB has still pissed me off.

I've just spent the last four weeks watching the entire Tudors boxed set. The fact that Henry Cavil was in all four seasons was the icing on the cake. That man gives me naughty thoughts ;)

[No Cure for Stupid]

I don't really know how religious Christopher Nolan is, but I've noticed that The Dark Knight Rises also seemed to have Christ connotations in it.

I've been curious about this movie because everyone was proclaiming it would be a "darker and grittier reboot" of Superman. I've always wondered about how it was even possible to make Superman dark and gritty since he seems to be such a Boy Scout so I was looking forward to it; that and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was sort of a guilty pleasure back in the day.

[Arete]

I've just spent the last four weeks watching the entire Tudors boxed set. The fact that Henry Cavil was in all four seasons was the icing on the cake. That man gives me naughty thoughts ;)

Would you believe I watched "The Tudors" for the historical accuracy? No??? Smart woman. :D

[GeoBQn]

I have no desire to see Superman. The character is just too perfect and all powerful for me to enjoy. My dislike has nothing to do with religion though.

I think that's why pretty much everybody today prefers Batman.

I also find it funny that they are playing up a Christ metaphor when Superman's creators were Jewish, and the whole secret identity scenario has been seen as a metaphor for everything from being Jewish to being gay.

[Childless]

I have no desire to see Superman. The character is just too perfect and all powerful for me to enjoy. My dislike has nothing to do with religion though.

Even as an atheist, I still find something slightly offensive in making Superman a Jesus figure. It isn't that I don't think that it is impossible for a fictional character to possess qualities that mirror some Christian beliefs about Jesus. Superman just doesn't seem appropriate. Also, if the symbolism is too heavy handed it ends up seeming cartoonish and losing its deeper meaning. Why would a Christian want to do that with something that is deeply meaningful to him/her?

I think that the young girl dying in Pan's Labyrinth to save her brother might be a good 'Jesus' figure that doesn't seem forced.

Is any fictional character that sacrifices themselves for the greater good a 'Jesus' figure? Or does there have to be certain other qualities?

I agree. It's the same reason I didn't care for Captain America. To goody two-shoes for me. I'm more of an Iron Man type of gal. :D

[lizziesmom]

I've heard the movie is a bomb. That may be the strategy behind marketing to churches -- get more butts in the seats.

[Arete]

I've heard the movie is a bomb. That may be the strategy behind marketing to churches -- get more butts in the seats.

Really? It seems to be getting pretty good reviews from the ones I have been able to read.

[PopRox]

Mark Sandlin wrote a piece about this the other day. He was disturbed by the Jesus-y parallels because of the violence. I'm not good at summarizing, so here's a blurb:

Jesus was the antithesis of the might-makes-right solutions which we find in superhero stories. In the Christian story, salvation is offered through a cross, through the hero laying down his life rather than wiping out all of the bad guys. His life and death are the embodiment of an argument which says, "there is nothing redemptive about violence."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-sand ... 44361.html

[RosyDaisy]

I don't get it. Why would fundies even want to see any Superman movie since it involves the supernatural? Anyway, Christopher Reeve IS Superman to me. Nobody can fill those shoes. Although, with Henry Cavil in it, I just might watch it. The only show I've seen him in is the "The Tudors". He is one fine piece of man flesh.

[Sola]

Would you believe I watched "The Tudors" for the historical accuracy? No??? Smart woman. :D

Funny thing, was sat watching it the other night, hubby mentioned how much of it I'd watched recently, and I said that it was interesting because it was important history. Henry Cavil came on screen, hubby looked, rolled his eyes and said 'yeah, historical'!

[fundiefan]

There is no power in Heaven or Hell that is going to keep me from watching Henry Cavil for 2 hours, but WB has still pissed me off.

:eleventy:

[VooDooChild]

Huh? When the hell did society become so christ-centric that a person can't go to the movies just to enjoy Henry Cavill a movie? I watched it last night and The only time Christ crossed my mind was when I thought "Holy christ! Superman is hot!" Must we make christ parallels in everything?!