I always say this, but since the film industry has been in a real slump, there hasn't been a lot to review unless it's something old, or something dealing with TV. I want to keep doing The Freaking Film Fanatic, but since I live in a small film market, meaning that Salt Lake City doesn't have millions of people, and so the bigger film markets, New York, L.A. and for some odd reason, Huston, we haven't been getting advanced screenings to review, and so there are a lot of critics all over the country to wait until films and TV shows are released. So because of that, I have been waiting for new things to come out. I know that there are a lot of films that are starting to prep to start filming, so in about a year is when I will expect to have early screenings, so that's why I have been doing a few reviews on this blog instead of the my podcast.
I have mentioned before that ever since I was a little kid, I have loved comic books, and Superman was always my favorite when I was little. Now that I have been introduced to all of the amazing Marvel comics, which when I was little didn't have any movies or cartoons or TV shows from Marvel, so growing up, I was always a DC fan.
I don't know if I need to apologize or not, but about ten years ago, I really disliked The WB Network, which is now The C.W. Network. I did watch Smallville, which was about Clark Kent growing up through high school before finding out he was Superman, and it was fun to see that show because it kind of showed a side of Superman we hadn't really ever seen. However, it was really cheesy, filled up with tons and tons of product placement, which I know that producers need to get the money to produce the show somehow, but I still hate blatant product placement. Smallville was the only show I watched, but the longer it went on, they had to add new content to keep the show interesting, which usually was the writers introducing other superheroes to and characters, but after ten seasons, it had to die.
About two years later, The C.W. Network introduced a new show about a hero, The Green Arrow, but the show was simply called Arrow. I didn't have a strong desire to watch it because I had my fill of cheesy superhero shows, but around season three, I decided to give it a chance on Netflix, and I binge watched everything I could. I really, really liked Arrow. It was darker, and not as cheesy, but when that was successful, The C.W. announced that it would be starting a new DC comics show, The Flash. I absolutely love The Flash. Then they started Supergirl, Black Lightening and The Legends of Tomorrow. Last year, they started a Batwoman show, but honestly, it was pretty awful. The main star even quit, and they had to recast the role, but instead of keeping the same character, they wrote a little side story where she went missing, and the new girl playing Batwoman found the suit and made herself the new Batwoman, but the show is still pretty lame, in my opinion.
Arrow was also ended it's run last season, not because it was bad or canceled, they just decided that it had run it's course and that it was time to end. The Flash is still going strong, as well as Black Lightening, although that one is in it's last season as well, but it's great. Legends of Tomorrow is a lot of fun too. I also want to mention here that the C.W. show, Riverdale, is based on the Archie comic books that is also a DC comic book, but Riverdale is dark, and there's a ton of drama, whereas the original comics were cheesy, but there have been tons of storylines that change up the characters quite a bit.
Supergirl is produced by the same people, but started out on CBS, and after one season, which people loved, but went to the C.W. to keep going. That show has been fun because there are other superheroes on that show, especially Martian Manhunter, who is so freaking cool. However, once in a while we would see the man himself, Superman. Played by Tyler Hoechlin, his Superman character reminds me more of the Christopher Reeve Superman. He's funny, charming, and looks great as Superman. I remember telling a friend that I hope C.W. would do a Superman show at some point because Tyler Hoechlin was so cool as Superman in Supergirl, even though we didn't see much of him, but the C.W. did something really cool.
Just about every iteration of Superman has him traveling to Earth as a baby, growing up in Smallville, learning about his powers in his Fortress of Solitude, and then becoming the Man of Steel himself, which has him saving the world, and then having a on and off again relationship with Lois Lane. So when the C.W. announced there was a new Superman show in the works at the C.W., and that their budget was going to be more generous to produce the show since the streaming service HBO Max had taken over all of the Warner Bros. projects, I was wondering if it was just going to be more of the same stuff we have seen before. How wrong I was.
I was able to get three advanced episodes to write and review about, and they took Superman in a whole new direction that I have never really seen or thought about. The new title is Superman and Lois, and it's got a great premise behind it. We learn that Superman is still the amazing superhero that he is, but he has been married to Lois Lane for sixteen or seventeen years, and they are the parents of two twin boys, Jonathan, named after Clark's Earthly father, and Jordan, after Jor-el, Superman's biological father from Krypton. However, although their twins are in high school, they don't know that their dad is Superman.
When the death of Martha Kent brings the family back to Smallville for the funeral and to figure out what to do with the farm, Clark and Lois decide that they are going to move back to Smallville. Their son Jonathan is a gifted athlete, and Jordan has some emotional issues, but when they go to a party, and Jordan kisses a girl, not knowing she has a boyfriend, the boyfriend and Jonathan start to fight, but something happens to Jordan. He shows a small ability that just might mean he has more of his dad's DNA.
The day after the scuffle, Clark finally decides that it's time to tell his sons who he really is. What's really great about this premise is that it's a Superman story where the world still needs him, but so do his sons and Lois. Also, we find out that there is a Lex Luther from a different multiverse, since the other DC heroes on the C.W. are connected through a multiverse where there can be tons of the same characters, but they are different, and Lex has a score to settle with Superman, but it's not the exact Superman that destroyed his world, so the show feels grounded in a way where it deals with the family and their relationships, but still has some great Superman action too. It looks incredible. You can tell where the extra money given to them to produce the show. It looks very cinematic and the special effects are so cool.
That's all I'm going to say. Superman and Lois airs on The C.W. on Tuesday evenings, so check your local listings for the exact time.
I hope you are all doing well. This pandemic sucks, but I'm glad that vaccines are getting out there. My dad actually got his shot a couple of days ago, but it doesn't mean everything is better, it could take months and months, if not a year or two before we can start living like we used to two years ago. Be careful and safe. It would break my heart if any of you came down with Covid-19. So, until next time, stay safe, and watch Superman and Lois, it's great!
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