The last known survivor of a planet known as Krypton, young Kansas native and traveller Clark Kent unearths his true origins over time, while being simultaneously shunned and welcomed by assorted members of the general populace. Soon, relics from his newly discovered past find their way to Earth, and the super-powered being must protect his new home from these Kryptonian invaders.
For the half dozen of you who frequent/occasionally visit my blog, this may end up being the hardest review I've ever had to do for a motion picture. Not due to any difficulty with wording, or frustration with a property that I have a marginal amount of respect for being handled well or terribly, but due to having to bite my tongue when it comes to spoilers. It is a true burden sometimes for us geeks, in that our biggest complaints and compliments often can give away the best (and sometimes most integral) moments of a film. Man of Steel is one of those films. When it shines, it shines brighter than a thousand suns. When it stinks, it reeks of Krypto the Super-Dog feces.
I was one of the few people who didn't initially hate 2006's Superman Returns, though my opinion certainly hasn't been a popular one throughout the years. True, Superman didn't do much of anything in that film, and everyone was essentially turned into Mynah Birds with their performances, plus the angle of Superman being a deadbeat dad wasn't exactly smart, but...actually, that really wraps up why most of that film was a failure. I never thought Zack Snyder was a great choice for directing a Superman film, especially considering how his own body of work has arguably been getting worse throughout the years. Snyder has always seemed to favor style over substance, and he takes several liberties with the character's own sense of morals and beliefs which will draw the ire of longtime fans and geeks alike. Thankfully (and somewhat unfortunately), Zack Snyder delivers more than enough on the action front in this new reboot. Again, I will try my damndest to avoid spoiling anything.
Starting off with the obvious question: is Henry Cavill a good Superman? Well, yes. His version of the character does seem to be a bit more melancholy than we're used to seeing, but I get that they were trying to reach for a different demographic with it. He certainly made up for his lead role in 2011's very silly Immortals. The flashback scenes that litter the film do help build him up and slightly humanize him in the audience's eyes, something which has always been a complaint from non-fans. And my oh my, do those moments when he finally achieves flight feel magnificent. Bravo. Someone who I felt mildly disappointed by was Amy Adams' Lois Lane, who felt severely underwritten and didn't seem to have the best chemistry with her co-stars. Adams is a fine actress (in more ways than one...oh don't judge me), but I think that with more screen time, she could have been just as good as Cavill himself. Pa and Ma Kent, played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, do a good job considering that a majority of their time is spent in flashbacks. Lane was sporting a considerable amount of makeup in order to enhance the effect of looking "old," but I don't think it worked too well. It reminded me of the very strange makeup job done on Guy Pearce in Prometheus. Costner does give a good performance, and does seem to express genuine concern for his son's well being and place in this strange, oftentimes confusing world. In terms of the biological parents, Russell Crowe's Jor-El of Planet Exposition delivers an infinitely better performance than expected, though it did feel like Snyder had an obvious hard-on for the character, as he appears even more than the villains themselves.
But come! Let us talk about the villains chosen to oppose Superman this time around! Michael Shannon takes on the role of General Zod this time around, which is the first time the character has been seen on the big screen since Superman II. And...he isn't very good. Zod feels more comical than threatening this time around, though there are certain acts where he manages to get back onto his A-game. Personally, I found Zod's sub-commander Faora to be a much better, and ultimately more compelling villain. She was cold, ruthless, and willing to do whatever was necessary for the survival of her people, and for her General. She also takes part in the film's first real major battle with Superman himself, and it is quite the spectacle to behold. What, did you think my review was going to be nothing but minor gripes? I think not. The action sequences in Man of Steel are pretty remarkable and have their fair share of excitement, though the final one does feel slightly tacked on. Hans Zimmer also turns in a score that oozes emotion and triumph, and may be worth the price of admission alone.
The film does run rather long, and starts to drag a tad bit with its final act (oops, back to the gripes). While the previously mentioned action scenes are indeed impressive, they come at the expense of character development and decently written characters in general. I know I may sound like a broken record with this, but we've seen over the years that you can still make a good "comic book" film that doesn't skip out on either end and can satisfy most theatergoers. Look at what Marvel have done throughout the years, as has Christopher Nolan (who produces and co-writes here) with the Batman trilogy reboot. This was a complaint many had about Snyder's Watchmen, and there are many moments in this reboot that mirror the best and worst of that adaptation, though as I stated above, they are related to spoilers, something which I will avoid for the sake of this review.
Ultimately, Man of Steel feels more in line with a picture like The Dark Knight Rises than Batman Begins. It is certainly not a perfect film, nor is it a flat out awful one, and I suspect that with repeated viewings, my overall enjoyment of the final product may diminish. For now, it is a very flashy, flawed, and fairly enjoyable superhero romp that is worth a matinee admission.
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