Man of Steel – ★★★ (1/2)

Back in 1978, Richard Donner was responsible for bringing the story of Superman to life with his universally popular blockbuster Superman: The Movie. The film made lead actor Christopher Reeve a major star and was to soon be followed by a satisfactory sequel. However the comic-book franchise lost its credibility through its two poorly-reviewed sequels with the last cinematic outing for the red-caped superhero being Bryan Singer’s nostalgic yet average Superman Returns (2006). But lately DC Comics has seen a change of fortune on the big-screen thanks mostly to Christopher Nolan’s stunning Dark Knight trilogy which has led to the story of Kar-El being redone again. With Nolan on board and creative filmmaker Zack Snyder behind the directing chair, Man of Steel attempts to reinvent itself as a loud and enthralling blockbuster that brings us back to the origins of Superman in a bid to prove his status as one of the greatest heroes of all time….

SYNOPSIS: On the planet Krypton, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara (Ayelet Zurer) welcome the natural birth of their son Kar-El. But with Krypton facing destruction as well as the evil General Zod (Michael Shannon) plotting to overthrow the pair, they are forced to send their baby to safety via a pod. With Zod vowing to track down the child, the pod lands on Earth and is found by Kansas couple Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane) who decide to raise the boy as their own and name him Clark. Over the years, Clark begins to discover his true identity as a super-being and once he becomes an adult (played by Henry Cavill), he decides to find out more about his past. Upon discovering a hidden spaceship, he begins to take responsibility as a keeper of the peace by donning the Superman suit even when he is found out by Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams). But when Zod and his minions arrive on Earth looking to confront him, the man of steel must try to save his new world.

Given the way that Batman was redone with successful results, Nolan and his long-serving writer David Goyer have returned to the comic-book theme albeit with the focus being on a different superhero. The film starts off promisingly with the Krypton scenes which are beautifully depicted and builds up the emotional ties that link between baby Kar-El and his honourable parents prior to the little un’s journey to Earth. But instead of showing his arrival on our planet, the film decides to skip back and fourth in its timeline and show the impact that it has on Clark as he struggles to adapt to his new world. As with Batman Begins, we learn more about how the young man’s fate will change when he gets older especially through his relationship with his adoptive parents. One factor that Nolan has always succeeded with in his Batman films has been the assembling of a strong and versatile cast which once again is on top form here. British actor Henry Cavill soars in his role as Clark/Superman and makes himself known to the world (and the ladies!) with his serious persona and while he may lack the charm of Christopher Reeve’s portrayal, he makes up for it with his sheer physicality. Despite those who believed she was too old for the part, Amy Adams gives another strong and independent performance as the no-nonsense Lois Lane who shows toughness when faced with danger and intrigue about Clark’s alter-ego. The rest of the ensemble all do their bit to ensure this is a well-acted superhero film with Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner both giving emotionally-poignant performances as the two fathers of Clark’s life as they give out key advice which enables him to realise his true destiny. However the standout performance comes from Michael Shannon as he finally brings his unhinged acting style to a mainstream blockbuster with his role as an authoritative General Zod who battles to continue the Krypton dynasty even when committing horrible deeds. Once again though, it is the mass production which will be talked about especially with Snyder at the helm. The term ‘spectacle’ becomes a formality for him as he helps to create some mesmerising action sequences that take place in Smallville (one of several references to the comic-book) as well as the huge-scale battle showdown between Superman and Zod. This should keep young audiences entertained with the explosive thrills taking place before them. Composer Hans Zimmer also lends a hand as the third member of the Dark Knight trio to contribute to his blockbuster as he mixes together the quiet use of piano play for the emotional scenes as well as the booming orchestra during the edge-of-your-seat moments.

Unfortunately Man of Steel doesn’t quite reach the greatness that some people like me had come to expect especially after all those sublime trailers. While the story of Superman was bound to differ from Batman in terms of fantasy and realism, it’s just a shame that the constant use of CGI couldn’t be toned down especially during the action sequences. This is highly noticeable in the two main fight scenes that take place in the film’s enthralling second half with the shaky cam being used intensively and making the audience forget they’re watching a film and not a computer game. Another aspect is the editing which does come across as disjointed. While the non-linear strategy worked well with Batman Begins, it fails to fit well here. Just when you start to get engaged in a scene e.g. Clark’s arrival on Earth, it cuts away to a different scene e.g. an adult Clark on the fishing boat and it is these constant uses of flashbacks and different locations that takes away the pacing. Another misstep by all involved is the decision to alter the Superman universe whether it be the ridiculous death scene of one crucial character (done emotionally well in the original film) or rushing the relationship between Clark and Lois without the split personality, a popular factor of classic Superman.

VERDICT: The man of steel makes a flying return to the big-screen with Henry Cavill bringing a new depth of stability to one of our favourite superheroes in this entertaining blockbuster. However its bloated action scenes and the back-and-fourth narrative prevents it from surpassing Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Be the first to comment on "Man of Steel – ★★★ (1/2)"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*