It was a good film in and of itself in a similar way to how The Dark Knight was a good film as well as being a great superhero flick. I am by no means trying to compare MAN OF STEEL to any of the Nolan Batman films, but I was reminded of them, specifically Batman Begins because the pacing is similar and, although exceptionally entertaining, it acted more like groundwork for what is to come whether that be a Man of Steel sequel, a Justice League film, or a movie about another solo DC Comic character.
Since I mentioned the groundwork that was created in MAN OF STEEL let’s start there with a critique since it represents one of the great, and not-so-great, aspects of the film. We begin on Krypton, and what a wonderful place to begin because Krypton is just a fantastic re-imagining of a world that we, as Superman fans, are familiar with. Krypton is so good that I wanted to spend more time there but before you know it we are gone from that world and into another. Next up at certain junctures we get to see Clark at specific ages, adolescent – teenage – young adult, having to deal with the unusual particulars of his life. Usually this would involve interaction with his Earth parents Jonathan and Martha Kent and again these were great re-imaginings of something we are all familiar with but they are done so well here, like Norman Rockwell paintings of an alien child come to life, that we really want to see more, but we are whisked away and sped off toward the next thing that we need to look at, fall in love with, then only to leave it again. This is my only real problem with MAN OF STEEL and I believe it was the reason for there only being a couple of moments when the audience, as an entire theater, clapped and rejoiced. Compare it to last summer’s THE AVENGERS where there seemed to be one moment after another with the audience cheering. I am not saying Avengers was better, that was the ultimate superhero movie, whereas MAN OF STEEL is a superhero movie, but like THE DARK KNIGHT, it is also something else — something I have touched on before in my talks about Superman — how an alien from another world brings the humans all the hope and humanity that they themselves are in need off. In a nutshell, all the recreations of this great Superman myth are all like fine jewels but they never really get a chance to shine.
MAN OF STEEL’s greatest strength is its casting — in particular the four main male leads. I will start with Russell Crowe as Jor-El because he really brought an extra layer to the role that made me in no rush to see the rest of the film. To go back to my Batman comparison, it’s reminiscent of how Nolan set up such a solid film in Batman Begins that we are entertained nearly an hour before we actually see Bruce Wayne in a Batman costume yet we as viewers do not even realize it. Then we get to see Clark’s other dad come to life in the form of Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and again I really wanted to see more of this — wanted to stay on these cinematic beats just a little longer so there was bigger payoff in the end. Costner, like Crowe, really shines here with his portrayal of a father who is tasked to make sure a being with immense power uses his abilities for the greater good but is also at peace with himself as a man whether a human or not. This brings us to Michael Shannon and his General Zod. Shannon brings life to Zod. He is intimidating but he is not simply a villain out to rule the world. Shannon’s Zod is doing, like real life evil, what he believes is right and the best thing for his people. Zod, and Krypton’s history, is recreated so well here that you understand Zod’s reasoning, even if you long for Superman to kick the crap out of him. Speaking of the last son of Krypton, Henry Cavill shines as Superman/Clark Kent even though he may have let out one too many Superman yells. Cavill makes us feel what it would be like to be an outcast of that level. We have all felt alone, isolated from others, but even though we feel such things there are others, maybe even right at that moment, that are experiencing the exact same thing. Cavill’s Superman/Kent is truly alone in comparison because no one else, not even the Kryptonians who he would later meet, have any idea whatsoever what it has been like to grow up as he did, facing the struggles that he did with only his parents to aid him and even they have no idea exactly what it is he is feeling. I don’t mean to neglect Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, nor Antje Traue as Faora-Ul. All of whom delivered solid performances and I got more of Traue’s Kryptonian badass Faora than I was even expecting, but this is really a story about a boy growing to be a man with the help of his two fathers and the angry uncle who gives him his final challenge.
Much of the challenges proposed by Zod and the Phantom Zone Kryptonians comes in the form of action. MAN OF STEEL delivers on the action like no live-action Superman, big screen or otherwise, has ever delivered before. The action is big and it is intense. Fights are very kinetic and take place not just on the ground or in the air but on multiple planes and usually flying through, and destroying, a building or two at a time. I can’t even think of an animated version of Superman that has it over the action spectacle that we get from this newest movie version of Krypton’s Last Son. Entwined with that action, and during the more intimate moments, goes Hans Zimmer’s score. Like the action, the music from Zimmer hits its mark and you might find yourself humming a theme or two on your way out the theater.
One thing I should mention is MAN OF STEEL does have moments when I wish it had a bit more nerve. This is a recurring idea with me and movies of late. Nowhere near as gutless as IRON MAN 3, there were moments when I wanted some more teeth from MAN OF STEEL. The destruction is massive yet the film does shy away from what must be a heavy casualty body count. That may be all to achieve a certain rating and appeal to all ages, but I just feel some of the impact is lost if you gloss over such facts.
In closing, I would definitely put MAN OF STEEL in the top five in the category of superhero/comic book films. It has shortcomings for sure but it is reaching for the stars. More than that, MAN OF STEEL is a great film about finding our place in the world. A movie that cautions against the pitfalls of a controlled society, and perhaps most important, in the words of Jor-El that, ”Every person can be a force for good, free to forge his own destiny.”
The Guy in the Hat