Man of Steel

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Man of Steel
Released 6/14/13, now in theaters

The Superman franchise is rebooted in this week's release of Man of Steel courtesy of 300 director, Zack Snyder.  Warner Brothers has gone all out to make this reboot a success enlisting the aid of recent Batman director and writer, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer, respectively as producers on the project.  An all-star cast of Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, and new Man of Steel, Henry Cavill, rounds out the affair.  Superman really hasn't been a breakout force in motion pictures for decades.  Warner is banking on this reboot to give Supes the mega-boost Batman has recently received.  Man of Steel seems to have everything going for it.  But is it enough?

On the planet, Krypton, with assistance from her scientist husband, Jor-El (Crowe), Lara gives birth to a healthy baby boy.  It's the first natural birth of a Kryptonian in an extremely long time. Jor-El has plans for his newborn son who he names Kal. 

 Jor-El has predicted the destruction of the planet; a prediction that falls on deaf ears among the Kryptonian High Council.  There is one who heeds Jor-El's warning.  Kryptonian General Zod (Shannon) and his followers have staged a coup to overthrow the Council and return the planet to its former glory by eliminating the bloodlines they deem unworthy.  Zod asks Jor-El to join him.  When he refuses, he escapes from Zod's forces, steals the Kryptonian genetic codex (used to create new Kryptonians), and returns to his home to await the inevitable.  Zod's forces pursue him.  In a vicious battle, Zod kills Jor-El.  In the mêlée, Lara is able to launch a rocket containing Kal that is set on a course for Earth where Jor-El believed his son's Kryptonian physiology would make him a god when exposed to Earth's yellow sun. 

Zod's forces lose the coup, and the whole surviving lot is banished to a dimensional prison located in the Negative Zone.  Soon after, Jor-El's prediction rings true as Krypton's core explodes.

Flash forward to a 33-year old Kal-El (Cavill) going by the name Clark Kent on Earth.  Clark is a drifter working odd jobs under false names,sometimes performing heroic deeds for those in need, and then moving on to the next town.  He's become somewhat of an urban legend.  Through flashback it's revealed how Clark learned of his alien heritage from his adoptive parents, the Kents (Costner and Lane),  and see his life as an adolescent and teenager. 

His latest job finds him in the arctic on a U.S. military dig.  It's here that  he first meets Lois Lane (Adams) who is there reporting for the Daily Planet.  It's here that he also finds a Kryptonian scout ship that has technology  allowing him to communicate with the consciousness of Jor-El.

 Unfortunately, the ship also acts as a beacon for Zod and his followers who were released from their imprisonment upon Krypton's explosion.  When Zod comes to Earth, he demands the population turn over Kal-El to avoid dire consequences for the planet.  From Kal-El, he wants the codex that Jor-El sent to Earth with him.  With the codex, the General plans to re-populate Earth with new Kryptonians causing the extinction of humanity.  That is, unless Kal can realize his full potential as a hero and save a species that fears him as much as they fear Zod. 

Despite the mixed reviews I've read, I would call Man of Steel a success for several reasons.  The first and best reason is that MOS doesn't dumb down Superman for the audience.  Let me explain.  I have never been hugely into the character due to items I believed were just plain stupid about Superman.  Items like, "how does a pair of sunglasses keep Clark Kent's alter ego from being the worst kept secret in the universe?"  In this movie, only Lois knows that Clark and Kal-El are one and the same.  The audience knows she knows and also knows that she won't betray his secret.  I think it's a much better storyline than Lois suffering from selective amnesia as most do through the Superman mythos.

The other great thing is Clark doesn't act like a complete, clumsy hayseed when he's not in his super heroic persona.  The "Aww, shucks!" boy scout never appealed to me.  Here, Clark is still quiet and unassuming, but you can still see something dangerous smoldering under the surface. Even as Superman, as much as he tries to do the right thing, he comes to the realization some things that need to be done aren't pretty.  Sometimes a hard decision has to be made because there is no redemption to be had within some beings.

Another thing I liked is that as much as Clark looks, walks, and talks like a human, the film doesn't lose sight that he is, in fact, an alien that ultimately isn't like us.  Even the redesign on the costume looks more like an organic alien flight suit and less like something that was cobbled together (yes, the red shorts are gone).  The Kryptonian tech in the movie looks decidedly otherworldly and alive, like large deadly octopi at times.  All of this adds up to give Man of Steel kind of a stranger in a strange land type of vibe that I found to be pretty cool.

The action sequences are very Superman meaning fast and powerful. I think this is the best depiction of heat vision that I have seen in a Supes movie.  The characters' eyes look as if they're on fire  when Clark and Zod use it. 

Man of Steel is not without its plotline issues.  This has likely been explained before and I missed it, but,  I've never understood why Jor-El and Lara didn't accompany their son to Earth when Krypton was doomed to destruction.  It's not like the event took Jor-El by surprise.  You're telling me he couldn't build a rocket for the entire family?  It always seemed like a contrived plot device to me.  Man of Steel makes this action no clearer. 

Also, Clark is not always subtle in using his powers as he's growing up.  How the Feds don't have him on a lab table trying to dissect him when he's a kid, I'll never know.  People seriously buy the Kents' lame excuses on how miraculous and unexplainable things happen when their son is around?

Michael Shannon does an admirable job chewing the scenery as the obsessed General Zod.  Russell Crowe does his best Yoda impression to Kal-El's Luke Skywalker.  But, I think Henry Cavill does a more than credible job here. Cavill conveys a sad loneliness in Clark as someone who knows that he doesn't fit anywhere on Earth due to his abilities and doesn't fit with Kryptonians due to his morals.

Overall, Man of Steel is a solid effort from Warner Brothers.  If the filmmakers are planning on making MOS the starting point for a possible Justice League franchise, it would have been nice to see hints of the larger DC Universe at some point.  A minor complaint, yes.  But, Marvel Studios has created the blueprint on how to market a super team.  There's no need to reinvent the wheel here.

So, two of three big superhero films of the year have been released.  The Golden Avenger and the Man of Steel have had their shot.  God of Thunder...you're up in November!


The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***1/2 stars


Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.