Review of Man of Steel (2013) by Sober_Dude — 13 Jun 2013

Ok here goes:

I loved this movie. This is the kind of Superman movie that has, for whatever reason, been absent from existence for far too long. You can get a Superman movie like this but you have to look in the DC Comics animated universe. You know, the ones that go straight to Blu-ray Disc. I can't believe it has taken 75 years for Superman to be seen on the big screen in this fashion. It has literally everything the giddy nerd in all of us wants to see from Superman. Intense action, glorious set-pieces, a plot that puts more than one hemisphere in danger and through it all an actor playing Superman who nails every moment he is on screen. I loved Superman Returns but this movie is such a big you to the emo baby mama of that movie. Gone are the days when Lois Lane is just a pretty face and villains exist to have a villain.

No. This is the one we've all been waiting for. It's finally here.

As an origin story, the plot is such a solid take on the sci-fi elements of the comics regarding Krypton that I had a grin on my face basically the entire first 20 minutes. I was hoping the helpful grey levitating droid was going to be named Brainiac but it had a different name. Oh well. Not a big deal.

The fact that Zod is given a heartbeat in this movie is one of the best decisions Goyer and Nolan made when writing this thing. There is a perfect logic behind everything Zod does and you see his point of view with each word from his mouth. He is trying to save the race of people he swore to protect from extinction. A noble cause that a society would expect from all their Generals.

The balance that is struck between Kal's dual heritages and morality is basically the theme of the entire film. Jor-El is all about destiny and being a leader for a lesser people, while Jonathan just wants to protect his child and preaches restraint above all else. The "first contact with an alien" aspect is touched upon but not as much as I thought it was going to be. I guess that's my fault for reading so many interviews with creators and producers.

All the actors nail it. Literally every one of them. I can't think of a weak spot as far as casting. Faora is ****ing BAD ASS. She kicks so much butt in this movie I'm creaming my pants right now remembering her scenes. Look for her to give you that wow factor as far as action scenes. The Kents serve their purpose with such grace, it makes me sad to say they were barely on screen. Jor-El on the other hand has a good 20-30 minutes of dialogue spread throughout the film. Add him to the bad-ass list, by the way. Scientists get combat training on Krypton, believe that. Michael ****ing Shannon. That is all. That SHOULD be all for anyone who doubts him. Amy Adams and Henry Cavill probably needed more screen time together to get a good chemistry going but this movie is not about them. This is an origin story, not the love story that I'm sure will be more fleshed out in a potential sequel.

Hans Zimmer's score isn't as memorable as Williams' but it's about ten times more powerful and visceral. Tonally, it goes perfectly with everything that is going on on screen.

It seems like the last third of the film being nonstop action and ultimately an entire city block of Metropolis being turned into ashes is being used as a scapegoat for critics. There more collateral damage in this movie than I've ever seen in a superhero movie. Some may find it off-putting for a Superman movie but I didn't find it jarring at all. You have to believe a city battle between Kryptonians is going to destroy a few buildings. It's either that or have a castrated final battle between Zod and Superman. No thanks. Give me MORE explosions and MORE destruction if the world is at stake.

One final thought on Henry Cavill as Superman. As an actor, playing the role of Superman should be relatively easy on paper, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, the character is relatively complex. He has to know what to do without knowing who he is. He has to know what to say without knowing how to feel. There is a boy scout stigma attached to the character that the script lets Superman break free of, but would have been utterly pointless with the wrong person at the helm. Henry Cavill is not only the right actor for the job, he's the right face and aura. The right voice tone, the right rhythm to his speech, even the way he looks at General Swanwick at the end of the movie after he downs a drone and tells the Army basically "I know you're spying on me, stop it". The look is one of quiet dignity and utter confidence in what he's saying while still conveying the strength and leadership only Superman can. This is the leader of the Justice League. Routh, for all his similarity to Reeve could NEVER lead a League of superheroes.

After seeing the film, the only thing I could think was "I can't ****ing WAIT for MOS 2 and Justice League." That's a feeling most Superman fans have been waiting for for a long time.