'Smallville' and the Legacy of John Williams

Over the past ten years, Smallville (CW, 2001-2011) has shown the weekly adventures of Clark Kent before he takes on the mantle of Superman. From the beginning, it has tied itself to the Christopher Reeve Superman films (Warner Bros., 1978, 1980, 1983, 1987) through a number of intertextual connections, including the casting of Terence Stamp (General Zod in Superman II) as the voice of Jor-El, the crystalline form of the Fortress of Solitude, and repeated musical references to the John Williams Superman March which so dramatically and distinctively introduced Superman: The Movie. This theme was used a number of times throughout Smallville, typically to indicate Clark Kent taking another step towards becoming Superman, but its most extensive reprise came at the end of the final episode, where Clark finally put on the blue bodysuit and red cape (primarily through the power of CGI, as the series used the Brandon Routh suit from Superman Returns (Warner Bros., 2006) as a prop rather than make a new suit for Welling). But why make these connections, and particularly why make this musical connection, one which is also retained in Superman Returns, rather than use an original theme by series composers Mark Snow (seasons 1-6) or Louis Febre (seasons 7-10)?

The opening credits for each episode of Smallville are backed by the rock track 'Save Me' by Remy Zero, a track which would be expected to connect more with the teen / young adult audience that is the primary target audience for the CW than an instrumental score. Indeed, the producers of the show used commercial music tracks by various popular artists throughout the programme to underscore particular scenes, a practice found throughout programming aimed at this age group throughout the '90s and onwards, as in Dawson's Creek (Warner Bros., 1998-2003) or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (20th Century Fox / Warner Bros., 1997-2003). However, the use of the John Williams themes allowed a nostalgic connection back to the Reeve movies, acknowledging, as did the repeated use of other elements and cast members from the films, that there was a pre-existing audience for the character that extended beyond the core CW audience, one that was familiar with the Reeve films. This acts in a similar way to the appearances and mentions of other characters from the wider DC universe within the show (see our post on the trailer for The Avengers and subcultural capital), but reaching a potentially broader audience rather than seeking to connect with comics fans specifically.

In addition to its intertextual importance, the theme also has its own musical significance, well-tailored to the character of Superman in its balance of powerful martial drums and brass with sweeping, romantic strings and playful woodwind. For a character known to balance enormous power with a conscience, a sense of right, a smile and a wave for onlookers, and a romance with Lois Lane, this combination works to sum up the character as much as it works at the start of Superman: The Movie to suggest the movements of the coming film. Thus, its appearance throughout the run of Smallville in small segments, in call-backs to the melody (for example, the distinctive first five notes of the theme on a lonely trumpet to indicate the initial revelation of the ship which brought baby Kal-El to Earth) serves to suggest that the elements of the Superman character are there and are gradually coming together. This all culminates in the extended use of the full theme at the end of the last episode, following Clark Kent's most extensive and impressive displays of power yet, in full costume, finally flying under his own full control and volition, Superman at last.

LEGO Heroes

As part of a strategy to expand interest in their construction bricks LEGO have licensed a number of popular film properties. All of these properties have cross generational appeal and include Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and most recently Pirates of the Caribbean. In addition to producing themed construction sets, LEGO has also licensed the LEGO property to TT Games to create video games based around the figures.

LEGO Batman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt_uAXRdzRw

Most relevantly to this blog is the LEGO Batman game, which, unlike the other games is based around the comic book version of Batman, rather than any specific film release. This is reflected in the choice of characters, their costuming and the way the narrative is framed. Unlike the other licensed properties which use the existing narratives from the films, the LEGO Batman game uses a story specially written for the game. This enables the game's most interesting aspect - the opportunity to play each level from the perspective of both Batman and his heroic friends and the Joker and his villainous cronies.

However the LEGO Batman game is ultimately less successful than the other licensed LEGO/TT Games products. The pleasure of these games lies ultimately in the chance to control familiar film characters and guide them through their stories. This allows us to experience the narratives from a new perspective, that of a protagonist, rather than the passive viewer. In addition there is a fascination about seeing the familiar characters reconfigured into LEGO bricks. The cut-scenes of these licensed games are not direct LEGO recreations of sequences from the films the game is based on. Instead they frequently satirise the films infecting the games with a sense of ironic knowingness. In the case of LEGO Batman there is only a limited element of familiarity so it has to stand a lot more on the quality of its gameplay, narrative and characterisation, while there is no opportunity to satirise an original version. Batman is heavily rooted in camp but the overriding comic quality of all LEGO games does not work to the advantage of the LEGO Batman game. Instead it makes the game feel trivial, rather than a serious superheroic quest.

LEGO Harry Potter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxdX1OhRYA