Review of Man of Steel (2013) by Anthony M — 17 Aug 2017

With breathtaking cinematography, action sequences, and a sophisticated modernization of the first + greatest superhero, Man of Steel is a work of art. 8.7/10.

*Possible spoilers ahead*.

To say Man of Steel was the most anticipated film of 2013 and one of the most anticipated superhero films ever would be a truly monumental understatement. After the colossal success and even All-Time greatness that was Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, all eyes were glued to DC when the first similarly-styled trailer was released for the first and greatest superhero of All-Time: Superman. Arguably the most recognizable character in ALL of fiction across the world, Superman has had as great a history at the movies as he did in the comics with the first superhero movie in Donner's 1978 masterpiece Superman The Movie and sequel Superman II, as well as the underrated Superman Returns, which was artistic and beautiful, yet somewhat tedious and action-lacking leaving some fans unsatisfied. Well, the new Superman movie will sure rock those critics' world.

Let's start with the pros, so many to count and many that are shockingly overlooked or downplayed by the general public. First of all, the movie is STUNNING to look at. Zack Snyder has always had a gift in cinematography and pure visual splendor, but Man of Steel takes the cake. Although I wish the colors were slightly brighter (will talk about later), there is no denying that the film is a work of art visually. Scenes like Superman's First Flight Scene (the new greatest Superman scene of ALL-TIME in my opinion) almost made me cry as a Superman fan with how incredibly and carefully crafted they are.

This breathtaking visual splendor extends to the other greatest pro of MoS: the action sequences. Not only are the fight scenes stunning to behold, they are as grand scale as humanly possible in a film, with stakes as high as one can even imagine, and with a power unseen before in any superhero film. For example, the Superman vs. Faora/Namek fight in a small Kansas town has the Kryptonians trading blow for blow and even throwing things like 18-wheelers and taking down fighter jets without even blinking. But nothing compares to the Superman v. Zod final 1v1 Metropolis fight. They literally take down entire buildings themselves without even batting an eyelash, which besides the casualties (will definitely discuss later) shows Superman's power and status as the greatest and most powerful superhero ever exactly as I want it to be shown as fan.

Next, the acting. Man of Steel features phenomenal acting performances all-around by a stellar cast. Russell Crowe steals the show as Jor-El and a God figure bring Superman as Jesus to Earth, Henry Cavill brings a brooding beauty to the role of Superman never before seen but radically different and even likable while also displaying the troubles Superman would face in a xenophobic modern society, and Michael Shannon gives the performance of his career as General Zod.

General Zod is an incredible choice of villain as well. I'll admit, I did not like the decision to not have Lex Luthor as the main villain at first because he is the most iconic villain of Superman and one of the most of all superheroes. However, I am happy they went with Zod as it goes so well with explaining Superman's origins as well as the internal dilemma that must take a serious toll on him: Which place is home, Earth or Krypton, and who do I belong with? Michael Shannon gives a terrifying, but compelling and even dare I saw sympathizable performance as Zod just trying to fulfill his duty and preserve his race, and he matches well with Superman as his sort of opposite (as the best villains are) as well as one of the few beings who can match Superman's godly power on the battlefield.

The soundtrack and tone of the film are also absolutely brilliant. Hans Zimmer is probably the best scorer in cinema, having shown it in The Dark Knight trilogy and adding to it here with a hopeful ballad that reinvents and pays ultimate homage to Superman the way Zack tries to with his vision. The tone of the film is also refreshingly sophisticated and Dark Knight-esque, the prevailing feeling from the trailer that carries through to the final product. While the tone could've been a little lighter (although it does have some very good humour and light moments, they're sparse), I am much more content having superhero films that push the envelope artistically and try to stand for something serious and different instead of basic, formulaic happy-go-lucky childish movie tones like Marvel is sometimes guilty of.

Finally, the suit. I can not say enough how much I love the way this Superman looks. No colored undies on the outside, no latex or other strange materials, the suit is without question, the most beautiful superhero suit I have EVER seen. I wish the blue was a tiny bit brighter and he had the curl, but these are small things in what is otherwise an absolutely stunning sight of a suit to behold and one that looks even better in action.

There are so many pros in Man of Steel (far more than cons in my opinion), but also some big flaws that cannot go unnoticed. First of all, the colors. A big complaint for many people about the film, and rightfully so, is the the colors are strangely washed out and seem purposefully dulled in saturation. This creates a darker mood visually and is unenjoyable to many understandably expecting a hopeful, brighter film as Superman is one of the most hopeful and triumphant heroes. This is a legitimate concern, and while blown somewhat out of proportion as the film and cinematography is still visually stunning, it is perplexing and obvious it was darkened and that is frustrating, as it could have been PERFECT and even more visually stunning without this decision.

These darkened visuals also match the darkened tone, another major complaint by many and, again, rightfully so to an extent. Superman is not a dark hero like Batman by any means imaginable, so having his movie have a similar tone to The Dark Knight is a ballsy move, and one that while it is refreshingly different, is also somewhat a misread of the character. Things like the flashbacks to when Clark was a kid are extremely dark (and unnecessarily frequent) centering on subjects people aren't crazy to watch in a superhero film like children drowning on a schoolbus. There is humor and light moments in the film, but they are relatively scarce especially for a film about the Man of Steel, and that is something that could have and should've have been fixed looking back.

Finally, the destruction and casualties. This is without question the biggest flaw of the film and one I absolutely agree is undefendable. It is shocking how little Snyder seems to care about human life in the background, especially for a superhero movie where the whole point is to save people. In Superman vs. Zod's final 1v1 Metropolis fight, the destruction seems like it's straight out of a Michael Bay movie, with entire buildings coming down by the hundreds and explosions as far as the eyes can see. I get Snyder wanted to show how powerful Kryptonians are, but to have 30 mins+ of it is too generic blockbuster-y and frustratingly soils what is otherwise an immaculate Superman film before it and title fight scene. Related, it is thoroughly depressing and disheartening how many completely unnecessary casualties there are in the film. We are literally forced to watch entire buildings fall on and crush people. ENTIRE BUILDINGS. I don't think there is a person on the planet that would find that or even the idea of that enjoyable, and it happens by the hundreds as innocent people on the sidelines are killed for no reason, making Superman seem less heroic even though he's trying to save the world. Gosh, I wish someone would've watched this and said "Woah, this is a little f***ed up, we should change it or not focus on it in this scene" during editing. Just infuriating.

While there are a couple of major flaws and some smaller ones (don't like Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Krypton could've looked better with less CGI, Superman killing Zod a plot point that could've been avoid to limit backlash (although what was he supposed to do in that impossible situation)), the film does so many things right for the first and greatest superhero ever in Superman that I still thoroughly enjoyed it and walked out the theater in awe. While there are legitimate concerns and criticisms people have cited, Man of Steel is far superior to most superhero movies that just do the same basic formulaic thing over and over and deserves so much respect for bringing Superman into the 21st century and doing probably the most well-known origin story in all of fiction again while having it feel new and exciting. It is not perfect by any means, but Man of Steel is still a work of art that will be fully appreciated with time as one of the best superhero origin films.

Most Memorable Moment: 1. Superman's First Flight scene (greatest Superman scene of ALL-TIME), 2. Superman v. Faora & Namek Kansas town Fight, 3. Superman v. Zod final 1v1 Metropolis fight.

Pros: Absolutely stunning cinematography and visuals, breathtaking action sequences, Superman is shown with extreme power, General Zod a compelling and even at times sympathizable villain, fantastic acting all around especially by Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, and most of all, Henry Cavill, Cavill brings a brooding beauty to the oldest and greatest superhero of All-Time in Superman and does the character justice, unbelievable soundtrack by Zimmer that exudes an overarching sense of the hope Superman is famous for, good humor in shocking contrast to later darker DCEU entries, phenomenal cast with strong acting from even supporting actors and actresses, Superman's First Flight scene the greatest Superman scene of ALL-TIME (even more impressive considering the 85+ year history of the character and long TV and film history as well), fitting and respectfully done Jesus and God parallels with Kal and Jor-El, Love the Alien/extraterrestrial addition, Superman v. Faora & Namek Kansas town Fight stunning, Superman's suit the most beautifully-made superhero suit I have ever seen (wish it were a little brighter blue but still phenomenal), sophisticated tone that just may be too smart for the general public/critics, Superman v. Zod final Metropolis 1v1 fight absolutely jaw-dropping in scope and power,.

Cons: Too much destruction and shockingly unnecessary casualties in the end fight, frustratingly washed out colors and darkened/dull saturation, tone is too dark overall for Superman who is the veritable symbol of hope (can see where critics are coming from even though way overreacting), Krypton could have looked better (too much CGI), flashbacks very dark and unnecessarily frequent, not a fan of Amy Adams' Lois Lane (great actress but doesn't fit the part imo, liked Kate Bosworth in Returns better), slightly overlong (could've been ~20 min shorter), Superman killing Zod a plot point that could've been avoided (although what else was he supposed to do in that impossible situation?).

Overall Rating: 8.7/10.