VOTD: What If 'Man Of Steel' Was In Color?
Seems like everyone has a strong opinion about Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, and technology allows some to express them more vividly than others. The film's color palette, seemingly crafted to make the film sit alongside Christopher Nolan's Batman films while also creating a more "modern" Superman, doesn't sit well with some fans who want a sunnier man of steel. One group has gone so far as to re-color the movie with a bright color palette more in keeping with Richard Donner's 1978 film. Check out the video essay that presents Man of Steel in color.
I'll admit, it's fun to see the tinkered-with footage, but this video is still hugely presumptuous. (And some of the colorization looks terrible, such as one of the shots of Zod early on.)
There's no "restored color" to be had here. The film is the film, and it looks a specific way because that's what the creators consciously decided to do. It is possible to play with the footage, but there's no exerting actual ownership over it. It's easy to insist that "Superman should fly in blue skies, not grey ones," but that's not what this Superman is. Playing with the color balance won't change that.
Check out this statement from creators VideoLab, which starts off with a profession of fandom for the movie before suggesting that it fails.
We're big fans of both Superman and the film Man Of Steel. That's why this was a fun project. But Superman isn't just a brand. He's a worldwide icon that has lasted 77 years. When you make a Superman movie, and not every kid running out of the theater wishes they were Superman... you've done something wrong.