I am going to come right out and say this and I am sure there are other people out there that share my feelings, but aside from the 1978 Richard Donner Superman movie, Superman himself has had one of the most horrible track records in franchise history. Before you all come out and essentially hate on me and say “what about Superman II?” I like that movie if only for the fact that we get the line, “KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!” and that’s about it. Something about Superman is just so hard to translate onto screen for audiences, like there is a sort of complex, but not complex reasoning behind why the movies of the past feel a bit hokey and uninteresting. I mean Superman II was okay, where III and IV where absolute trash. Superman Returns was a boring Superman movie and an exercise in trying to recapture the essence of the first movie for a more modern time. What worked, or sort of worked, in the past was that it was a product of its time. They all focused on a romanticized version of Superman, traipsing around Metropolis and longingly looking after Lois Lane while defeating the occasional villain who has a penchant for land grabbing schemes.
Does that sort of nostalgia fly now in a CGI heavy, action oriented crowd that wants to be dazzled and entertained when they go to the movie? Well look at how Superman Returns performed or was received. Critics obviously loved it cause it reminded them of that Norman Rockwell painting on their fridge and their love of the nostalgic 70s era Superman and audiences didn’t like it 'cause it was damn boring. No one wants to see a movie where a super powered god doesn’t throw a punch, but the guy who plays Kumar in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle does. Why can’t we get a proper Superman movie that balances a compelling back story, action and, well, something exciting?
For me, it’s the character at heart, meaning when you have a superhero that is virtually invulnerable, what the Earth are the stakes of the movie? How can you make a movie seem interesting to an audience when they know that their Superhero has essentially one weakness, but is basically the cheat code to a video game? This is the hurdle that has to be dealt with and is what makes it difficult to give us an exciting Superman movie. If you can’t find a way to make an immortal hero compelling, you get Richard Donner-esque movies that just aren’t exciting. Singer tried and didn’t make a compelling enough Superman for a modern time, but now, some 35 years since the first Donner film, Zack Snyder, along with David Goyer and Christopher Nolan are going to give Superman the Batman treatment with 2013′s Man of Steel.
Listen, you all know how the story is going to go with Superman. He is an alien from the planet Krypton who crash landed in Smallville, KS and is raised by the Kent family. He develops his powers, learns about his past, struggles with the idea of being the only one of his kind and a relative god amongst the people of Earth, and finally having to don the suit in order to fight against evil. It’s the same story told again and again, but it has become the holy trinity for any Superman movie, which mentioning the holy trinity is appropriate given the Christ symbolism that is every God damn movie. In order for this new reimagining of Superman, director Zack Snyder and company have to include the following three things; Krypton, Smallville, and Metropolis. More to the point, you also need baby Superman, kid Superman and adult Superman. Snyder attempts to tackle this with a non-linear story structure that goes back and forth between the past and present circumstances of Superman’s life, trying to balance a well-known back story along with an ever evolving character study.
The story of this Superman, for the sake of those wondering, is the origin story of Kal-El, from his brief time as a baby of hope for Krypton, to his early development and care under the house of Ma and Pa Kent, and to the Superman that we know today. He has to battle the looming threat of banished Kryptonians with their leader, General Zod at the helm and having to deal with the fact that he is now known to a world that might not accept him. It’s grandiose in nature, a story that spans into the science fiction realm with a detailed story of Krypton and the complexity of a God-like superhero having to choose his destiny. It’s the way a Superman movie should be, something monumental for even Superman to tackle.
Man of Steel incorporates all the elements that form the man known as Superman (Kal-El or Clark Kent) who is played absolutely perfectly by Henry Cavill. The chiseled adonis of a man portrays the idyllic image of Superman, a character that leaps into action, shows emotional conflict and even a bit of humor at times, although it does feel out-of-place. Cavill really embodies the idea of what Superman should be, during the early scenes of his self-discovery to the moments when he must make the decision between his Kryptonian roots and a person of Earth. Might I add, he also has the Man of Steel body? Ladies you are welcome for the eye candy. But it isn’t just the man that makes the hero, but the secondary characters of the film that make the man. Ma and Pa Kent (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner) all are phenomenal when it comes to being the strong, family roots where Kal-El develops his morals. Costner in particular is incredibly touching and moving as the surrogate father figure to Clark, shielding him from the world and protecting him as best he can. His moments of Kansas, down home lectures were heartfelt in instilling Clark with power of choice. Diane Lane is sadly not used to her full effect, but there is hope that he character will be fleshed out more in the coming sequels. Actually, all the female roles seem under-utilized, as Lois Lane (Amy Adams) gets a bit shifted in terms of her character as she goes from the hard-hitting reporter to the damsel in distress.
As for Clark’s real father, Jor-El, Russel Crowe is the surprising stand out of the secondary characters. Crowe is stoic, tempered and powerful as Jor, sacrificing everything for son he only gets to hold once in his life, but brings the most insight into the ideal that Superman develops over time. He is the way point, the guide, the bridge to Superman’s past and future. There is something so soothing about hearing Jor-El speak at length about his son and what he hopes awaits for him in the future. But the truly greatest cast member of the Man of Steel team, that honor goes to mister Michael Shannon as General Zod.
We have been truly blessed as a film going audience with the bevy of fantastic actors and actresses portraying iconic characters. The last great character villain I saw was Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, but Shannon steals every scene he is in with his portrayal of the banished Krypton General, Zod. If you have never seen any of Shannon’s previous roles, you are in for a treat of pure scene chewing and incredible intensity as an actor. This Zod puts the Terrence Stamp version to shame, with unbridled intensity and a general zeal for playing such an iconic villain. Every sentence drips with barbs of rage and Shannon brings that steely gaze into a role that commands attention. Without a doubt, the perfect choice for such an amazing villain.
The acting is wonderful, bringing together many elements that ultimately shape Clark, Kal, Superman in the man we know today or have known for some time with the comic books. This is the new beginning of Superman, where we see the roots of his past and upbringing take hold and mold him into the defender of truth, justice and American way. It’s through his adversity that the machinations of his character comes into play, choosing between continuing the lineage of Krypton or fulfilling the destiny of co-existing two races that Jor-El had hoped for. The director does an admirable job of making the audience see these connections, from the difficult decisions that plague young and old Clark Kent, with the conflict of realizing that he is not the last of his kind. The non-linear story telling makes things a bit muddled from time to time, but the movie blazes along to the high points of the story, while drowning the lows in the crumbled steel of the action sequences.
What was missing from a lot of the Superman movies is the kinetic action that we expect to see from a being who has a pool of powers to utilize. Everything from the X-Ray vision, super strength, flight and just about everything you want in a summer blockbuster flick is on display here. The action scenes are some of the most chaotic and taxing things you will see, but they are incredible to behold. The final third act of the movie will be the roller coaster descent that caps off this movie. But it isn’t just the action sequences that we always wanted, rather the expansion of the universe to include a more detailed depiction of Krypton helps add the science fiction lean-to this movie instead of just being another comic book movie. The look of Krypton is gorgeous and impressive, from the tower landscape of the city to the rustic, but technologically advanced society all add more to the mythos of Superman, giving the viewer more to latch on to. The time when Clark is a young boy are some the most emotional points of the film, giving us this beautiful, nostalgic touch that brings to life the early beginnings of his childhood.
Now a few nitpicks that hamper a bit of the enjoyment. One is the direction and pace that Zack Snyder uses in the film. It’s too fast, I mean real fast in terms of getting from point A to point B. Look, the biggest decision that is posed to Superman is the decision to choose the Krypton continuance or leave it all behind to be a member of Earth. This is posed in the final battle between Supes and Zod and once that decision is made, we get maybe a small moment of anguish on Clark’s face and then “poof” we are taken to the next scene. There is no time to linger, no time to let the biggest decision of Clark’s life sink in and be absorbed because the movie is just jammed packed to the point of being just another blockbuster. I realize that Snyder and crew have an ambitious goal to reboot the franchise and need to get everything in the first shot, but a little tact and slow build helps out. The final act is nothing but a constant barrage of action and little time to linger on the emotional points of the flick. Secondly, Snyder (more so the studio I am guessing) apparently need to retell the entire history of the destruction of Krypton again and again and again. Listen, we got that the plant is destroyed in the first moments of the film, but my God, I don’t need to see some moving statues used to tell this story Clark again, nor do I need the villain to have a flashback sequence to tell me all of this again!
Man of Steel isn’t the greatest movie out there, nor is it the be all, end all of comic book movies. As far as a Superman movie goes, this is the movie we deserve as an audience. Those that have been wanting to see Superman be Superman will fully enjoy the action filled Man of Steel more than anything else. Why the movie is currently split down the middle of the love it or hate it crowd is beyond my comprehension. It seems critics are wanting to cling to the vestiges of the Superman they remember, a man who is romanticized to the point of being a Daniel Steel novel. I remember reading the comic and seeing Superman do amazing things and have incredible battles and now we got a movie that fulfills that role. If I want to watch a Superman movie about a superhero that has the sad Charlie Brown song playing all the damn time, I will watch Returns or the Donner series. This film is the wallop that is needed to make it exciting to watch Superman on the big screen. Sure we are getting basically a giant dose of CGI and action to the point where it can become one giant white noise to the audience, but at least everything is moving with a purpose.
I have nitpicks of the films, mainly the pacing and story telling, but the acting, characters and action is enough to make me yearn for another installment of the series. This is the new beginning for Superman, learning about his origin and progressing as a character is what makes this exciting to witness. If you want a character that is still stuck in the past nostalgia of a bygone era, then you won’t like this at all. You will be wondering where the humor and romance of Superman went in this movie and frankly, it’s understandable. But Superman Returns is the movie you want and this isn’t it. This is the reboot that will hopefully define the series and pave the way to a richer character arch and exciting times for Superman. This is worth the price of the ticket, even more so the visuals and action payoff big time. It’s loud, bombastic, kinetic, and fun to watch all the pieces of the movie come together. Sure it is loudly put together and there is a feeling of being rushed, but at 143 minutes, you are in for an amazing time.
Rating: 4 pieces of Kryptonite out of 5.
