I went into this film with slightly lower expectations thanks to the recent onslaught of rotten reviews on the site that grades films based on total reviews deemed negative or positive. But even still, I feel like I'd have walked out of it feeling the same level of positive thoughts had I went in with much higher hopes.
I'm not some comic book aficionado, but apart of me feels like I do know a genuinely well made film when I see one. And well made Man of Steel was. I knew this film wasn't doomed for suckage the moment we see the film open on the planet Krypton. Russell Crowe's acting chops, playing Jor-El, more than lure the viewer into feeling this Superman film is legitimate. (much the same way Marlon Brando gave Superman The Movie the same kind of gravitas) Add to it Michael Shannon's intensity as General Zod (all in the eyes!) the moment he confronts Jor-El and it's easy to feel sucked right into the ensuing chaos on Krypton. Let's not get into the origin story recap of how Superman is born and makes it to earth, but I will say by the time Jor-El and his wife Lara send off the blue boy before Krypton goes kablewy, you are actively rooting for them to succeed. That right there tells me this film has a pulse, and isn't just for show. I was sold from that point onward.
By the time we get to the events on earth, we see Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman as an adult already, played by Henry Cavill. Let me just say he owns the part. He oozes Superman through and through. I've read some reviews that are proclaiming he didn't have enough to say or wasn't funny enough in the film and I think those claims are completely missing the point. Superman isn't a damn comedian, and yet Henry Cavill provides just the right amount of subtle mannerisms and emotion in his eyes for him to NOT NEED to say more than what was scripted for him in the film. After all, he's playing a version of Superman that's still learning his way in the world and predominantly hiding from his real identity as we catch up with him on earth. All of the moments where we get to see a child version of Clark, and a teenager version of Clark are in the form of well done flashbacks to his life growing up in Smallville. This brings me to giving credit to Kevin Costner and Diane Lane who play Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent. They're great, and it's an example of how this movie, for my money, couldn't have been casted better (whereas the previous Superman film couldn't have been casted worse) The interactions between Costner's Jonathan Kent and a young Clark truly make you feel the father/son dynamic at work here. I can't say enough good things about how those scenes played out, catching us up with how a young Superman was raised and the moral dilemmas he faced (along with his parents) for now revealing himself to the world too soon. Oh, and don't slam the writing for having Jonathan Kent go back to save their dog during one of the films key flashback sequences. Sorry for spoiling the dog rescue, but there were some knuckleheads on various film sites slamming this plot point and all I can do is scratch my head. I'd hope that any humane person would go back for their furry friends, even if it means getting swept away by a monstrous tornado. It's still the right thing to do. That sequence just goes along with the theme of the film, i.e. doing good, having courage, and being selfless no matter how dire the circumstances are presented.
Now once the films main antagonist, General Zod, played to the perfect pitch of intensity by Michael Shannon, arrives on earth, this is when the real fun begins. Director Zack Snyder did a great job making the action scenes between Superman and Zod and co. look like we can see the comic book pages turning. I guess what I mean is as you're seeing this mass destruction unfold, it's finally the kind of action you'd normally would have needed to either watch an animated Superman film, or just read a comic book to see. That's no easy task to project that to live action and I honestly think Zack Snyder nailed that look of the every action sequence (along with the rest of the film for that matter)
I also have to mention Amy Adams, who finally brings a Lois Lane to the big screen who is not just beautiful and elegant looking, but also a very likeable version of the character we DID NOT see when Kate Bosworth played the character in Superman Returns. Regardless of comparison, Amy Adams owned this part, and also showed a feisty side to the character I would think an investigative reporter would need to have to be believable. Her boss, played by Laurence Fishburne, played Perry White with the perfect mix of firmness and compassion a character like Perry White would need to be believable as the editor and chief of a big newspaper. He even has a moment late in the film, where he stays at the side of another member of the Daily Planet, when shit is truly hitting the fan across Metropolis. That right there made me feel as if the continued theme of perfect casting for this movie was untarnished.
As far as the rampant action for the last 20 minutes of the movie that some reviewers have complained was in excess, I couldn't disagree more. This is a freaking Superman film people, it's about damn time we see him zipping across the screen, slamming the occasional bad guy into the side of a building, and all the carnage that goes with it. And even with the relentless action, I felt like I was still able to track what was going on, what the focal point was, and that was indeed a major concern I had going into this. Zack Snyder framed everything just right so you could still get the gist of what's going on.
I don't want this to be one of those reviews that goes on and on and one when I could just wrap this up and declare this was the best incarnation of Superman I've ever seen on the big screen. I'm no comic book guru, I'm no Roger Ebert, but I just felt like everyone involved with the making of this film nailed the right aura for such a big-budget film. Even the ending, which I won't spoil, was a perfect set-up for future films (very much a similar style to how Skyfall set up James Bond for future films) It just worked dammit! I should also mention, before I forget, that Han Zimmer's soundtrack for this film provided the exact pulse a film like this needed. Did I still miss the John Williams main theme? Yeah, but it's a credit to the work done by Zimmer that I didn't miss it too much. No easy feat.
Lastly, I left the theater wanting to see the next adventure with this Superman right away. Just imagine if they cast the right actor to play Lex Luthor in the follow-up. (Bryan Cranston anyone??!?) There's a multitude of possibilities now that we finally have a winning Superman movie. Maybe even cast a great actor to play Braniac. With special effects so advanced now we'll get the chance to see some of Superman's villains in a way we didn't get to in the 80s. Don't get me wrong, the original Christopher Reeve films served their purpose and have a certain charm we'll never see in films again, almost to the point it's really unfair to compare this new iteration with the old. Dare I say this is the best of the summer blockbusters? Indeed I do. Oh and how appropriate the timing was that as I walked back to my car after the movie ended, I observed someone had placed an empty beer can right in front of someone else's back tire, thus inclining me to do something about it. If even for a split second, I felt "Super" for doing the right thing and removing said can. Good films will empower you sometimes....
Nuff said.
3 1/2 out of 4 stars
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