We’re pretty big fans of Superman around here. We always believed a man could fly and we always will.
Two years ago Jake Thomas posted a short film about the Man of Steel called One on One to YouTube, which you can watch below. It’s since resurfaced and we’re very glad it has.
Here’s the synopsis for it:
“Is it possible to believe in Superman and what he stands for, or is he mere child’s fantasy? “One on One,” the new fan film from director Jake Thomas, is a brilliant iteration of an ageless icon, a superhero film unlike any other.
Sarah, a runaway fourteen year-old in the city of Metropolis, encounters a persistent newspaper reporter named Clark Kent who won’t leave her alone until she agrees to an interview for his newspaper column. Ten questions — that’s all he asks. In their moments together, the fragments of her tragic life emerge, but her anger towards superheroes and Superman himself explodes in full force. If he is so great and so powerful, why is the world such a horrible place? Why doesn’t he do something about it? Does he even exist? In the end, the two realize that even when there are no easy answers, it’s possible to “look up in the sky” with hopeful eyes.”
This film is able to get to the very human heart embedded in the mythology of Superman in just a little over 10 minutes. It does what Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel tried to do before it got too bogged down by grittiness.
There are some unfortunate stereotypical tropes in the short film but it’s ability to understand Superman ultimately shines above its flaws. Even if you’re not the bleeding heart Superman fan that I am, it’s hard to not be moved by the film.
Superman can’t save everyone and that’s a very important theme throughout his story. Christopher Reeve’s Superman got that and this short film does too. He’s doing the best that he can and he really does cherish every human life. But the stance this film takes towards him – anger from a Metropolis citizen – is interesting and thought-provoking.
I used to believe Superman was boring, too powerful, all of the things that are still believed by some. I’m glad I’ve grown out of that way of thinking. Superman has a lot of flaws, many of which cut deeper than Kryptonite ever could. Yet the hope that prevails with any Superman story is the most incredible thing that can come from a superhero. That’s what superheroes are all about, right? Hope, change, a better future. That’s what Superman is and Thomas really nailed it in this short.
What do you think of the film and about Superman in general? Watch it and let us know in the comments below!
