The story begins on the world of Krypton and the birth of Kal-El. Not a very happy time, as it is quickly shown that Krypton will not survive much longer. His father Jor-El had a plan to save his young son, sending him away from the doomed planet in order to have a chance to live. This planet was obviously Earth . . .
A couple took in the baby but gave him the name Clark Kent, passing him off as there own child. Martha and Jonathan done everything they could to protect him, hiding the spaceship he arrived in the barn at their house and farm. I really liked the way the film approaches the story and we see Clark’s childhood and teenage years in flashback form. As he tries not to reveal what he can do to those around him, this causes him to keep moving and taking on different jobs. But one problem with that Clark cannot stop himself from helping and saving people.
It was never going to be that easy General Zod killed Jor-El and promised he would find Kal wherever he had been sent too. Which leaves the viewer wondering when it was all going to happen. The action scenes are very impressive, I saw the film in 2D and wouldn’t really fancy the 3D version with the flying and fighting, I can imagine that being overkill.
Lois Lane’s introduction was good as well, in a different way to how we’ve seen Superman films in the past. The relationship between Lois and Clark really does quickly escalade without any reason or good story behind it really. But we all know it was going to happen anyway, something that possibly could have been a little different really.
I thought Henry Cavill was impressive as a man trying to decide what would be best and fighting with the urge to use his special abilities to help others. The character development was very much-needed for the audience to care about him at all. Which I think works well with some very key scenes which I will not spoil, I’ll let you work them out for yourself as should be pretty obvious when you watch the film.
A reboot was well and truly needed for this franchise with the awful Superman Returns attempt a few years ago and this totally blows that away. It has a bit of everything and Michael Shannon as General Zod really is impressive from start to finish. A good action and superhero film, which I am sure will keep pulling in the audiences.
I still haven’t been totally won over by the whole Superman thing really, I am still firmly a Batman girl and this film didn’t do anything to change that. It was enjoyable, but at times it felt long and I found myself actually wondering when the end was going to come. It had a few moments when it could have ended. I wasn’t impressed with the final ending, but I am sure hardcore Superman fans are? It certainly sets it up for part two . . .
