2013: The Year in Film: "Man of Steel" Review

It seems odd in this present era where comparatively minor superheroes like Iron Man, Thor and Captain America are the stars of hit movies that the original and arguably greatest superhero of them all, Superman, hasn't had a successful film in more than 30 years. Bryan Singer left the X-franchise to make the stinker that was "Superman Returns", which was too concerned with the past to really make any narrative strides with Superman, and in the meantime Batman was the center of one of the best movie trilogies of all time while Marvel built a cinematic dynamo around Robert Downey Jr. and the Avengers properties. Enter Zack Snyder, the guy behind the somewhat disappointing (but visually stunning..) Watchmen and 300. That alone is not all that promising, but when you throw in that the film was produced by Chris Nolan and written by Nolan writing partner David S. Goyer things become a bit more promising. Throw in a potentially great cast: Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, and a compelling trailer, and this movie became a "must-see".

This film serves as a "Batman Begins"-style origin story and reboot/reinvention of the character of Superman/Kal El/Clark Kent.  We open with a fascinating, innovative and compelling look at Krypton in its dying days and get a powerful look (through a mix of flashbacks) at Clark's childhood and life in Smallville and his quest to become Superman. When a Kryptonian menace threatens life on earth itself, Clark is forced to become Superman, confront his past, and save humanity.

The Good: the cast is spectacular. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are completely believable as Ma and Pa Kent, and all of the flashback scenes to Clark's childhood are simply great. Similarly, Russell Crowe is better than he's been in years as Jor-El.. this is the multiple Oscar nominee we all know and love. (Slimmed down, too!) Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent is tremendous, and really brings an inner turmoil to the character that we haven't seen before. The always good Amy Adams brings a believable journalistic drive to Lois Lane, something that has often been lost in older iterations of the Superman story. Michael Shannon as Zod is suitably menacing and relentless, while not completely evil. By focusing on the character and growth of Clark Kent, the first hour of the film is as good as anything I've ever seen in a superhero movie. I'd really compare it to Batman Begins in that way, but instead of Batman's darkness and obsession we get Clark's sense of wonder and discovery. That's a good thing. The film also wisely (and in stark contrast to Superman Returns) marks a complete break from the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeves mythos of the past. New look, new score, new story. A Superman for our time, and that's definitely a good thing. Since it's Zack Snyder, we know that the visuals and the effects are going to be tremendous, and they don't disappoint. There are some spectacular (of course) action sequences, I especially liked the fight on the streets of Smallville, and the villains are sufficiently powerful to challenge Superman on his own terms. In addition, I particularly enjoyed the film's depiction of Krypton. These weren't just humans in funny costumes, this was a foreign feeling culture and society, and the film really does a good job establishing that Superman is indeed a child of two vastly different worlds.

The Bad: the final action sequence is at least 15 minutes too long. The film has a rather relentless final hour, that coupled with Snyder's shaky-cam can be rather exhausting. There's also the issue of the mindless destruction. Yes, Earth is under attack from Kryptonians, but at times it feels like Superman is making no effort to limit the damage. This is troubling, both from the perspective of what Superman has historically been presented to be, and from the implication of a Superman who doesn't care that his actions result in massive destruction. Think back to Avengers, there are multiple scenes of the heroes saving civilians or making an effort to lead the battle away from civilians. Great power, great responsibility, etc. Along the same lines, there is some sketchy, if sensible, advice from Jonathan Kent. While undoubtedly a great man and a great father to Clark, Pa Kent also advises him to keep his power a secret. There seems to some middle ground there. [insert secret identity here]

In all, this is a fine film, and is the best Superman movie ever made. With the strength of the cast, I'm optimistic for the Superman franchise moving forward and hopefully the creation of a wider cinematic DC universe. On the quality of the performances and the greatness of the film's first hour, this is a fine, if ultimately flawed (mostly morally) film. Well worth seeing, but brace yourself for massive and often mindless destruction. 

8/10.