At long last, let's talk about Superman! Henry Cavill plays a Clark Kent who is not the earnest, bumbling facade that previous incarnations have used. He is a troubled soul, lost in a sea of overpowering stimuli, powers and alienation...on multiple levels! He is a man searching for his road on foreign soil. Superman, by contrast, is when that man learns to fly. This was one of the great moments in the movie for me, and done pitch perfect. The soundtrack was great throughout the movie but especially appreciated in moments like these, completing the experience of soaring. Finally, I don't have to watch "Chronicle" to see what it would be like to fly with Superman!
Back to the acting: British Cavill pulls off corn-fed Kansas surprisingly well and looks great doing it! The film itself comments on how striking Cavill looks in uniform in one of the occasional comedic moment towards the end of the movie. I think that is telling of the whole work: for a film about the one of the most famous symbols of Hope in the world, it is surprisingly BLEAK. As with much of its creators' work, it has its own view and in the proper sense, cannot be considered a CBM; It is a movie ABOUT a comic book character, and should be judged on its own merits.
The relationship between Jonathan and Clark Kent is the movie's strongest emotional thread, a well-written story of love and heart-ache as Clark struggles to figure out what kind of a man he is going to be on this planet earth. They borrowed from the comics in that ---SPOILER---they killed off Uncle Ben, ahem, I mean Mr. Kent. Except it's a rural version of that, really, without the lightness and humor of Spiderman's story.---END SPOILER---
Superman may be a symbol of hope but this movie is really about Clark finding hope for himself in a strange world that instinctually mistrusts him. Throughout it all, he continues struggling with his uniqueness and separation from other people. This mirrors the journey of Bruce Wayne in another Nolan movie, as he searched for what would eventually become the Batman within him.
The Krypton scenes are beautiful, depicting an advanced civilization crumbling under its own dusty weight. The world-building you see in full effect here reminds me of what they were trying to achieve in the Mars scenes of John Carter. As with most of Snyder's work, it is both lush and finely detailed. This is where you are introduced to the villainous General Zod, attempting a military coup during Krypton's eleventh hour. Shannon is a great actor who does well in the role given to him but I have a hard time believing him as a soldier, much less the general of a whole planet. He plays crazy pretty well, though! ...Is "I will fiind him!" the new "Kneel before Zod"?
I love the relationship between Jor-El and Kal-El that develops across the ages. It is strong and meaningful and mirrors in many ways what happens between Jonathan and Clark Kent. The heart of the story is the tale of two Fathers, both trying to raise a good son in the traditional way, the being who will one day stand as the savior of the DC cinematic Universe (both literally and figuratively)! Superman's unshakeable sense of morality is thus firmly grounded in his two fathers' guidance and legacies.
Diane Lane did just fine as Martha Kent and Amy Adams as Lois Lane was also good. Like with Shannon, Adams wasn't the right casting at all, but she did a good job as usual with what she was given. Lawrence Fishburne as Barry White, I mean Perry White was also very fine, baby. Almost as good as the casting of Henry Cavill, though, was Antje Traue(!) as Faora. I love saying the name and I love her as Zod's second in command! What is it about that Eastern European accent that so suits this alien female I will never get BUT it makes perfect sense to the 12 year old me, so we'll go with it. Her sexy accent and those beautiful eyes makes you not care one bit as she pledges to exterminate millions of your kind!
This was the crux of the action in the story: it's either their world or ours. Kal-El must choose between the de facto leader of his homeworld or the people of his adopted world. And I think that is why this is such a bleak story. By the end of the film SPOILER ALERT-- Superman has helped banish or kill all the remaining members of his race, the last connection to the answers and people that he has spent the whole movie searching for. It's a bitter pill to take. He even ends up killing Zod in defense of a group of human beings, after a city-demolishing battle royale which would have resulted in thousands of deaths. This didn't bother me because like I said, to me this is not a CBM. It made perfect sense for this Universe, though. Written well, Superman is always liking for a win-win and so, would never kill if he could avoid it. General Zod in the comics would probably never take it to that level, either. He is a master strategist, and would bide his time seeking a position of strength from which to accomplish his goals, rather than go out in a blaze of neck-snapping. Superman's role in this zero-sum game is not just that of a reluctant executioner but a twice-orphaned star-child. He saves the whole world but loses another one, and part of himself in the process. Where's Kara when you need her?---END SPOILER---On the plus side, you (finally) see a hint of friends and foes to come: shots of a Lexcorp truck and Waynetech satellite can be caught in the crossfire as Zod and Supes duke it out!
And man, oh man, was this an intense ending! Avengers has officially been knocked off the throne for the longest and most spectacle-filled end-fight sequence! I loved the chaos in the Metropolis scenes, even as it was frightening how callously Superman let the entire city be levelled. You forgot for parts that this was only a PG-13 movie. And also, I loved the Kryptonian tech, especially when Faora was in it.
WB keeps trying to noodle with the "cloud of sh*t" idea they used for Parallax. here in the sequence where Supes is fighting a piece of Zod's ship called The World Engine... I thought it wasn't as annoying as the effects in Green Lantern but still, you didn't have to throw it in, because I didn't like it the first time you did it. Other than that I was very impressed, even though I shouldn't be by now! You steadily deliver beautiful effects and filming, Snyderman. You know you're all that by now, and even when the story is deficient, the filming usually make it worth the price of admission alone. Speaking of which...
The story is very FOCUSED. Yes, the origin feels rushed in parts and yea, it bothered me. A lot still happens as Clark wanders the earth, trying to find himself and meanwhile, being an angel where he can. It is essentially a story about the man discovering the Superman. Interspersed within this quest are the experiences that turned him into a man and taught him about the world, like little jewels being set off in Clark's mind. It is technically brilliant writing but again, there is surprisingly little light here for a story about Apollo, the sun-god. Theres just not a lot of fun in this flick; the majesty is there and definitely the intensity, in a way no other Superman movie has even tried for! Yet the joy, hope and elation of being Superman is somewhat diluted in the story of this strange visitor from another world. Like the film's color palette, the emotions are dulled. I think this is what the critics and, to a lesser extent, audiences are missing from this new iteration of the man of steel. This is not your daddy's Superman: message received loud & clear!
By the time the credits roll, the Clark Kent persona (yes, Bill WAS right) has been made. We'll have to wait for the sequel to see how they deal with balancing Clark Kent and Superman in a modern Metropolis. You can't help but feel that the whole charade would fall apart and quick in this newly- minted, "believable" DCCU. Do you expect me to believe that no one at a major news outlet would realize that young Clark Kent looks just like Superman with a pair of glasses on? Regardless, the origin into the Universe of heroes is over. Origins are good and fine, but its always nicer to play chess than set up the chessboard. In the next chapter, will the lightness that is missing from the story of the son of Krypton be kindled? It may be so but for now, this is more of a journey out of darkness than Superman's time in the light.
4/5 stars