Man of Steel review

“Man of Steel” has returned the “Superman” franchise to the silver screen in the form of a franchise reboot helmed by “Watchmen” and “300” director Zack Snyder. Presenting a unique and visually driven take on Superman’s origin, “Man of Steel” succeeds mostly in being a decently entertaining popcorn flick despite ultimately collapsing under the weight of its grander ambitions.

The titular character of Clark Kent is portrayed this time by Henry Cavill, who seeks to discover his alien origins while doing his best to protect the people of Earth and trying to evade the curious Lois Lane (Amy Adams). When he is confronted by Zod (Michael Shannon), a general from his home world of Krypton, seeking to rebuild their society upon the conquered wreckage of Earth, Clark is forced to choose between the heritage he never knew and the world that has become his home.

Snyder’s vision of Superman’s quest to become Earth’s guardian angel is compounded by a solid element of humanity found in his cast’s excellent performances and a visceral kick to the action that delivers the sense of scope and power to Superman and his enemies that have never been visualized before.

“He will be a god to them,” Russell Crowe claims as Clark’s biological father Jor-El. This could not have been more accurate as much of the frenetic and jaw dropping action of “Man of Steel” truly feels like gods walking amongst men to settle a score with one another.

Faster than a speeding bullet and powerful enough to tear constructs and monuments down to the bedrock of the ground level, this is the first time on screen that Superman has been allowed to cut loose with his abilities and every second of it is gloriously satisfying.

The expansion of Krypton’s downfall within the film also offers a unique pathos to the character that helps the film to stand out amongst other interpretations. One can’t help but feel that the discussion of a great society’s downfall as a result of its arrogance in harvesting natural and nonrenewable resources is in some way reflective of our own culture. That’s not to say that “Man of Steel” is preachy in the slightest as the connection within the context of what the film strives to achieve feels genuinely profound.

What this film has done with Superman lore in writing and with visuals are worth a view alone. Unfortunately, Snyder’s attempt to craft a superhero epic the likes of producer Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Trilogy” leads to a lot of unfortunate clumsiness that drags the movie down from being all that it could be.

Namely, “Man of Steel” takes itself far too seriously. The cast’s performance is absolutely commendable but there just isn’t enough humanity within the film to distract from how grim the material is. By the time the climax rolls around, you will be thoroughly, mentally exhausted and emotionally drained.

Hans Zimmer’s score for the film probably ranks up as some of his best work yet but due to reinforcing an atmosphere that is already thick enough to stop a broadsword in its tracks, the audience is never allowed to feel a true moment of triumph until the end of the film.

The payoff of the second half is what truly saves the film’s overbearingly high stakes from being impossible to sit through, but clocking in at nearly two and a half hours, the film is an absolute endeavor to sit through nonetheless.

Additionally, the pacing really hurts whatever connection the audience can make with the characters and their setting. Amy Adams’ interpretation of a driven yet more realistically grounded Lois Lane won me over throughout the first half of the film enough for me to be let down by how little she does for the remainder, something that becomes prevalent amongst much of the film’s supporting cast.

Laurence Fishburne gives a terrific interpretation of Daily Planet editor Perry White that unfortunately amounts to nothing more than filler when he’s not ordering or reprimanding Lois. Kevin Costner was perfect casting for the role of Clark’s all American father Jonathan Kent in theory but he all he’s allowed to do is stare at Clark intensely giving sage wisdom without the fatherly affection that should come with it. Diane Lane’s presence as mother Martha Kent offers tremendous heart and soul but there’s just not much written for her.

Even Cavill himself is something of a victim to the wonky pacing of the film’s first half which struggles to strike a balance between telling the compelling human story and the visually stimulating science fiction opera. His performance is superb, looking at the world through an idealistic but not necessarily naïve perspective, but the climax of the film is highly dependent on the audience being able to understand his inner turmoil and drive to be humanity’s guiding light. However, by the time he dons the costume for first flight very early in the film, what should have been a breathtaking sequence of fully realized iconography rings hollow because we just don’t know him well enough as a person to be proud of him yet.

Between telling exposition rather than showing characters forge potential bonds and rushing along certain revelations and points of development, a lot of moments that should have come across as majestic or iconic just fall flat.

For all of its faults however, “Man of Steel” is undoubtedly enjoyable if you’re willing to be patient with it. Laundry list of flaws aside, it’s fresh approach to an icon that has not been allowed into the limelight for quite some time along with its breathtaking production make it a fun enough ride to be well worth taking, just not one to necessarily be enthralled with. It’s not quite the “Superman” movie I was hoping for but it’ll do for now and will hopefully be the start of something even better.

6.5 Out of 10