Collateral damage in action movies

I'm not a comic book guy, but I'm pretty sure that Superman is the good guy, right? So I'm trying to wrap my brain around "Man of Steel" that I just saw last night. Yeah, yeah, I'm slow to getting around to movies these days.

If you're one of the five other people who haven't seen it yet, let me spoil it/bring you up to speed:

The planet Krypton is imploding because the government mined its core. The military leader, General Zod, leads a coup against the government because he says their "degenerative genes" have led them to make this decision. So he's a militant environmentalist and racist, I guess. Anyway, his coup fails and he's put into a "black hole."

The scientist Jor-El sends his infant son, Kal-El, to Earth in a spaceship, along with the "Codex" which is a repository containing the DNA of a billion Kryptonians. Krypton is destroyed, thus freeing General Zod and his troops who go out in search of the Codex.

Meanwhile, Jor-El's son grows up. Even I know the story-our yellow sun gives him powers. In this movie, he's confused and scared by his powers, but begins using them to help people. So far, so good.

Then, when Kal-El (now Clark Kent) turns 33 (Christ metaphor, anyone?) Zod shows up and wants the Codex. Clark won't give it to him. Zod begins to terraform Earth to prepare it so that the Kryptonians can live there. Of course, this will mean the death of pretty much all humans. And that's when things get really screwy.

We discover that the Codex is inside Clark Kent, and Clark is perfectly content to stop Zod and destroy the machinery that will allow Zod to bring the Kryptonians to life-just so Clark can save Earth. Let me say that a different way: Superman is willing to sacrifice a billion of his own race in order to save 7 billion of another.

The battle for the Codex is nothing short of a holocaust. Clark's boyhood hometown of Smallville is pretty much leveled, and so are large portions of Metropolis. Hundreds of thousands of people are killed in what looks like twenty 9/11's put together. The collateral damage is horrifying-and nobody seems to care. What's the message here?

Zod is made out to be the villain for trying to save his own people, and Superman is the hero for sacrificing them. Is that what Superman stands for? It reminds me of the Star Trek film from a couple of years ago where Spock sacrificed his home planet Vulcan in order to save Earth.

Now, you can argue that Zod was evil because he wanted to kill humans, but look at it this way: had Zod not tried to terraform Earth but had just beaten Kal-El (which he could have) and taken the Codex, he would have set up shop on Earth, making Kryptonians. Because of Earth's yellow sun, they would have all had superpowers. Imagine an Earth with a billion supermen on it. They would quickly become the masters of the planet and enslave humanity. Zod's plan of extermination was actually merciful by comparison. Again, what's the message? Genocide is bad. Unless it's to stop more genocide, then it's good.

I see this trend in movies lately-"The Avengers" and "A Good Day to Die Hard" come to mind-where tons of civilians get wiped out and nobody reflects on it as long as the "bad" guy is killed or brought to justice, and it disturbs me greatly.

Very interesting thoughts and perspective. I'll admit to blowing off the collateral damage aspect as to me it's just a movie (or comic.) Guess there is the possibility of some mind manipulation to desensitize us though. It will however only work on people who have not witnessed collateral damage for themselves.

As far as the Kryptonian \ Earhling \ genocide aspect that doesn't really apply. The Kryptonians are already dead, the humans are not. Being raised human would most likely be enough for Superman to side with humans. Also if he really wanted to resurrect Krypton he could simply fly to another planet and terraform it and then bring his people back.

Try to get a body count for the avengers,

As far as the Kryptonian Earhling genocide aspect that doesn't really apply. The Kryptonians are already dead, the humans are not. Being raised human would most likely be enough for Superman to side with humans. Also if he really wanted to resurrect Krypton he could simply fly to another planet and terraform it and then bring his people back.

I'll admit to not picking up on the whole story behind the Kryptonians that Kal-El had inside of him, or how that would even work, but they seemed like unborn rather than dead. So maybe it's a metaphor for abortion (?)

I also don't know if Superman could do as you suggest. He'd have to find another transformable planet- a nickel core planet the correct distance from a star, etc. He destroyed the terraforming machine that changed atmosphere and gravity, and he destroyed the "matrix" (womb) where Kryptonians could be born-did he have the technology/know how to make more? How could he get the DNA out of himself? And could he survive long enough in space to travel the distance to find the new planet?

reply to post by Snsoc

It reminds me of the Star Trek film from a couple of years ago where Spock sacrificed his home planet Vulcan in order to save Earth.

That must of been a different Star trek movie I and others watched because Spock didn't sacrifice his own planet in order to save earth.

His planet was destroyed by the villain of the movie (Nero) in a revenge act for Spock not saving Nero's home planet of Romulus when it was destroyed in the original timeline.

Imagine an Earth with a billion supermen on it. They would quickly become the masters of the planet and enslave humanity.

Enslave humanity? for what purpose, what could humans do for these Super beings that they couldn't do themselves and needed slaves?

We discover that the Codex is inside Clark Kent, and Clark is perfectly content to stop Zod and destroy the machinery that will allow Zod to bring the Kryptonians to life-just so Clark can save Earth. Let me say that a different way: Superman is willing to sacrifice a billion of his own race in order to save 7 billion of another.

How so? How does he sacrifice the billion of his own race?

The codex is still a part of his genetics and most likely will be a part of future movies same as the collateral damage.

It is said that the destruction will be explained in the Batman vs Superman movie which is the sequel to Man of steel.

reply to post by Snsoc

He destroyed the terraforming machine that changed atmosphere and gravity, and he destroyed the "matrix" (womb) where Kryptonians could be born-did he have the technology/know how to make more? How could he get the DNA out of himself? And could he survive long enough in space to travel the distance to find the new planet?

All of this can be left for a movie after they join and form the Justice league.

Especially if they introduce Martian Manhunter which could easily then open up many explainable stories to continue the movies and answer any questions left unanswered by previous movies.

That must of been a different Star trek movie I and others watched because Spock didn't sacrifice his own planet in order to save earth.

His planet was destroyed by the villain of the movie (Nero) in a revenge act for Spock not saving Nero's home planet of Romulus when it was destroyed in the original timeline.

You're right; my bad. That's what I get from having an unreliable person explain the plot of a movie to me. Sorry.

Superman begins and ends with the Christopher Reeves movies for me...anything else is just something else entirely.

In those movies, Zod was just out to become a ruler, nothing more, nothing less. This new "reboot" makes Superman less a hero, and Zod as a protector of his race. Geez...