Man of Steel (Directed By Zach Snyder, 2013)

I’ve never been a particularly big fan of Superman. Mostly because he’s pretty overpowered. Like, really overpowered. It’s kinda ridiculous how strong he is. But I’ve never found him to be that interesting a character, and thus I wasn’t that interested in seeing Man of Steel.  Until that third trailer. Oh god, that third trailer. As I went into this film, I thought that, if nothing else, they’d made one of the most ‘hype-inducing’ trailers I’d ever seen. However, I was very surprised, and impressed by Man of Steel, because Zach Snyder (and David Goyer) made the smartest and ballsiest move I think I’ve ever seen. They didn’t make a superhero film.

Superman is the archetypal superhero. He has traditional powers, a traditional backstory, alter-egos, love interest, the works.  He’s arguably the longest lasting superhero, and pretty easily the most famous. So I was very pleasantly shocked by Snyder’s shift into ‘Space Opera’ with Man of Steel. Most obvious in the opening sequence on Krypton, and the almost Shakespearean relationship between Zod and Jor-El (and subsequently Kal-El), Snyder clearly has opted for a more Grandiose, Thor-like feel to his retelling of Superman’s origins. And I would say he has been resoundingly successful.

Man of Steel succeeds where Thor failed too, providing excellent action sequences that never fail to shock and thrill. Yes, they’re ridiculously over the top, and I don’t even wanna get into the damage caused, but they’re entertaining none-the-less. I would particularly highlight the fight scenes with Faora (Zod’s second-in-command) as some of the best action I’ve seen in the last few years.  The effects in general are top-notch across the board, and I especially liked the interpretation of Krypton, with its insect/crustacean-like style. As the titular Man of Steel, Henry Cavill is fantastic. His performance easily balances confidence and humility, whilst still bringing an everyman quality that the son of Krypton needs to stay grounded as a character.

                Now then, the bad stuff. I would say that a good 70% of the writing is terrible. Both in dialogue, and story. Whilst the Kyptonian parts are solid (helped in no small part by excellent showings from Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon), the writing both for and concerning Lois Lane and Jonathan Kent is shoddy, with iffy performances from Amy Adams and Kevin Costner. Whilst this is mostly down to the writing on Adams’ part, I feel with a stronger performance she could have sold me better on the character and her motivations. Kevin Costner’s delivery is strange and often stilted, and the plot points surrounding this character are completely ridiculous (I won’t say anything more to avoid spoilers).  That said, these speed bumps only draw you out temporarily, before the fast-paced action draws you back in.

                So, despite the odd terrible line and poorly developed character, Man of Steel is great fun. I can easily see why someone may grow tired of the relentless explosions and punching that make up the film last 40 minutes, but I never did. Granted, I am basically a six year old inside. But I think, with an open mind, we can all find that part of us through this film.  The kid inside, who wanted to be a superhero.