• Tedesche@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I liked the movie, but could have done without the messaging. I dislike political messaging in media even when I agree with the message, because I’m going to said media to escape reality. I don’t need a reminder about it, and I particularly don’t need some allegorical moral instruction, like I’m some sort of child.

    I think there’s a place for political messaging in film—like when it’s the explicit purpose of said film—but I don’t like it being wedged in just anywhere.

    • ByteOnBikes@discuss.online
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      5 days ago

      I dislike political messaging in media even when I agree with the message, because I’m going to said media to escape reality.

      What movies do you like that aren’t political? I’m curious.

      • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        I’m a liberal and a progressive, so that shows how poor a room-read you have. Come back when you have better grasp of things.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
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      6 days ago

      I thought the movie was awful, but the message was good. The plot was just bad. The characters were so unrealistic that it was distracting. Like, the people Luthor had in his command centre. These ordinary people were eager to kill, or at least badly injure Superman? That detail needed an explanation. It wouldn’t have needed one if they hadn’t focused so much on those characters, but for some reason they were made an important part of the story.

      The only really great scene in the movie was when Lois Lane grilled Superman on his intervention in the war. It was good to see a good-hearted man who was confident he had done the right thing stumble when asked hard questions.

    • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      That was the explicit messaging of the movie. The scene with Superman not understanding why some people might have an issue with him saving lives, to him convincing the other Heroes to throw realpolitik to the side to do the same, to Lex completely not understanding altruism. It wasn’t just wedged in. It’s was the whole point of the movie.

      • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        No, it wasn’t the whole point of the movie, it was a thinly veneered plot that mimicked and commented upon real-world events. The central themes of the film were about identity being defined by one’s choices and actions, rather than one’s genetics or parents’ wishes. Films that explicitly critique society are films like Brazil or The Manchurian Candidate, and I have no problem with them because they’re explicit in their purpose at being political commentary. Making a superhero movie that’s purpose is rebooting the DCEU and inserting a political message into it is not explicit at all.

        • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          God forbid Superman ever get involved in politics, like Smashing the KKK or warning kids about landmines.

          And you can have more then one plot device in a movie. I’m actually tankful that the whole “defined by choices, not by birth” wasn’t the only plot line because I’ve seen that one countless times by now. “Kindness is punk” is a counter cultural idea by now and was refreshing to see.

    • NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      So, a character who is meant to embody protecting peace, justice, and freedom for all for as long as he has existed is now too political for advocating peace, justice, and freedom for all?

      How dare they impose their politics on such a blank and centrist slate.

      • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        No, I just don’t like political messaging in my superhero flicks. You’re misunderstanding my point (possibly intentionally, idk, it’s really not that complicated).

        • NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          I understand your point, you just don’t understand how character writing works. Removing the politics of a character is bad writing that panders to bad taste.

          • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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            6 days ago

            No, you don’t understand my point, because you think I’m talking about Superman’s “politics.” I’m talking about James Gunn’s politics and him using Superman as a mouthpiece for them. Superman doesn’t have politics in the sense I’m talking about. He’s just on the side of freedom, peace, and good. Classic moral tropes that virtually everyone supports, because without context, they’re just ideals. When you contextualize them with modern, real-world events though, they become political messaging, and that’s what I don’t like in a superhero movie.

              • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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                5 days ago

                No, they’re saying the specific choices Gunn made with the story is politicizing it. Making it a direct, near 1-1 allegory with two major conflicts in the world right now is a touch on the nose.

                … but that said, it’s still a stupid position to hold. There is a lot of bad crap going on in the world. Chances are, most scripts with Superman doing his thing would have some association to current events, since it’s set in a world close to “now” IRL.

                Wanting entertainment to be devoid of modern politics yet set in current time is just silly. It takes drastically different settings to make it easy to have both a compelling story with conflict and devoid of modern politics.