Man of Steel Review

Awesome Movie Poster

I wanted to give it a few days, and let the story and the experience set it before I wrote this post. Now that it has set in, I feel that I can adequately comment on the brand new Superman movie, Man of Steel. For the readers of this blog, you are well aware that I am a HUGE Superman fan, and I've been  anxiously awaiting this movie for the past year and a half.

That being said, I felt that Man of Steel was absolutely terrific. It introduced Superman as a multi-layered character, and showcased him in a fascinating way. One of the best reviews I saw on Rotten Tomatoes was "It Puts the Man into Superman". A common complaint against Superman is that the audience can't relate or connect with him, he's too powerful, or he's too good and always does the right thing, hence there is no drama to the story. This is not the case in Man of Steel. Henry Cavill's portrayal showcases a conflicted and introspective individual, looking for his place in the world. Something that every person goes through at some point during their life.

Additionally a major theme throughout the movie is "How would the world react if it was discovered that a man can do all of the things that Superman can do?" This element of mistrust between the public and Superman is quite interesting. Most of us are just used to the fact that when Superman first arrives the public instantaneously loves him, and blindly trusts him to be a hero all of the time. You don't have that in Man of Steel. Hence you have an element of drama added to the story. The very people Superman is trying to save, are apprehensive of him. Will he still do the right thing?

Amy Adams as Lois Lane

The liberties that the filmmakers took with the Jor-El, Lois Lane, and Pa Kent characters added another layer of depth and human emotion to the story. These characters were truly relatable and I see why Clark Kent becomes Superman. It's because of these great characters and the support they provide. I especially loved what they did with Lois and Clark. I could write about that in more detail, but it would spoil a major plot of the story, so I will refrain from doing so.

Surprisingly Man of Steel has received mixed reviews from critics, and from some fans alike. For some the movie was too serious. Others thought that the action was over done. And some felt that the supporting cast was a tad under developed. All legitimate observations.

But still, I would like to address those complaints. When it was announced back in 2009/2010 that Superman was going to be rebooted, the executives at Warner Bros. stated that they wanted a more serious and action packed Superman movie. Enter David Goyer and Christopher Nolan, the team that reinvented what Batman movies could be. While developing the story for The Dark Knight Rises, Goyer approached Nolan with an idea he had for rebooting Superman. Nolan loved the idea, took it to Warner Bros. and got the project green lighted. So there very team that wrote an incredibly serious Batman trilogy, writes Man of Steel, and yet people are surprised that it is a very serious movie? If it wasn't serious, I would of been shocked. Also why can't a Superman movie be serious? Does Batman have a monopoly on seriousness?

Zod and Superman Duking It Out

The second complaint is that the action was over done? (A slight spoiler alert, the end battle between Superman and General Zod is in Metropolis. The fight scene is on par with the end fight sequence of The Avengers. So basically it's an awesome fight sequence.) In 2006 when Superman Returns came out, that films common complaint was that there wasn't enough action in it. So now we get a very action packed Superman movie and now we don't want that?? People we need to make up our minds here. Do we want action or not? I'm cool either way, I thought Superman Returns was a fine movie. I know I'm in the minority, but still. It was unique.

Lastly, the supporting cast was under-developed. That is a fair complaint. You don't get a lot of screen time with Perry White, Ma and Pa Kent, and even to some degree, General Zod. But should we? After all, this is a movie about the beginnings of Superman. He should be the character with the most face time. After all it is a Superman movie. Plus the great thing with movies like Man of Steel, is you know there will be a sequel. So you can develop those characters in the sequel.

Overall, I think the best way to describe Man of Steel is, it's along the lines of Batman Begins, just with a looser story. The action is spectacular, and it sets up Warner Bros. and DC with an opportunity to have a shared film cinematic universe, just like Marvel. If you want to keep reading about Man of Steel, I found this terrific article about it on uproxx.com about how it maybe too much like a comic.
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