Man of Steel Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: With the destruction of Krypton impending, Kal-El is sent to Earth where he becomes Superman.

Review: This movie receives harsher criticism than it deserves. Sure, it has a lot of flaws, but I think they captured Superman reasonably well; it was certainly a better portrayal than "Superman Returns" that's for sure. While the Jesus parallels were annoying, we are shown the reasons why Superman has the boy scout attitude and how he deals with the challenges of having so much power. We are also finally offered the kind of epic battles that this mythos is capable of displaying. Honestly, all of my problems with this film revolve around the peripherals rather than Supes himself. Considering this is the third theatrical version of the character, they managed to meet my expectations.

The good: Henry Cavill has the right look, build, and enough charm to pull off Superman...though, I wish they used an actual American actor. Mr. Cavill tries to bring conviction to the role and does take the material seriously. This helps. Flashbacks were the wrong way of approaching it, but I did like the depiction of Clark's early life and learning lessons from his dad. A lot of fans didn't like this apparent hypocrisy, but it was more of telling Clark to wait until a point he felt Earth could accept who he was and what he could do. Zod and the other kryptonians were cool and felt like a legitimate threat for Superman; Faora definitely stole a lot more of the show than the filmmakers anticipated. The Smallville and Metropolis fights are awesome and capture the godlike powers these aliens possess. I actually thought Russell Crowe as Jor-El was an underrated performance; these low-key roles suit his acting style better. Finally, the overall production quality was very good despite some shoddy moments during the Zod showdown.

The bad: I really couldn't stand Amy Adams as Lois. She looks nothing like the character's comic counterpart, and her face is stuck between a state of smirking and crying during every scene. Likewise, there is no chemistry between her and Mr. Cavill. Killing Zod didn't bother me--I think the fans are overreacting to this--but it was presented in a stupid way. Realistically, there were options for Superman to resolve the situation without killing Zod. I blame the filmmakers for not setting up the situation to be dire or immediate enough to warrant a kill. As I mentioned earlier, the Jesus parallels were lame and unnecessary. It may have been mildly acceptable if they weren't beating it over the audience's head in every other scene. Lastly, there is a sort of tonal misstep. It's hard to explain, but the comic book tone of Superman is not the way the movie demonstrates.

With all things considered, I don't understand the divisive nature of this film. Sure, the animated show and "Justice League" are, without a doubt, better portrayals of Superman, but this isn't straying that far from the source material. There are problems, don't get me wrong, but nothing insanely stupid that you are left rolling your eyes over. The action is handled great--better than I would have hoped. The casting did have its hits and misses, but Henry Cavill brings a commendable Superman to the table. All and all, this served as a decent revival for Superman. Not to mention, the subtle nods to other superheroes didn't overdo it either. I think people should go back and give this film another chance in wake of the "Batman v Superman" fiasco.

Notable Moment: When Lois is aided by an AI version of Jor-El in escaping Zod's ship. The music was amazing--similar to "Mass Effect"--and I wish we saw more of the Jor-El character.

Final Rating: 7/10