Man of Steel Review

Look!

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

No, it's a reboot!

Superman is back, courtesy of "Batman" shepherd Christopher Nolan and "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder, and while it's not a knockout super punch that we all want it to be, it's a pretty solid start.  If I were to compare it to another movie, I'd say that "Man of Steel" is at the "Batman Begins" level of quality.

I grew up with the Christopher Reeve Superman films of the '70s and '80s, so they will always be the measure against which all future Superman projects will be judged.  "Superman: The Movie" (1978) is an undisputed classic, despite some dumb story elements (the goofiness of Lex Luthor and his cronies, the annoying bit where Superman turns back time).  "Superman II" (1980) has been, and still is, my favorite Superman movie, despite the outdated special effects.  "Superman III" (1983) is okay.  Richard Pryor is fun to watch, but he pushes Christopher Reeve into the background a little too much, and the villains are once again unscary goofballs.  Let's not even discuss "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987).  It's poop.

It took nearly twenty years for Supes to reemerge.  First came Richard Donner's director's cut of "Superman II".  I still prefer the original theatrical version, but there are some interesting changes in this new edition (except that Donner has Superman turning back time, again - sheesh).  Then came "Superman Returns" (2006).  Meant as a direct sequel to "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman II", the Donner Cut, this Bryan Singer-directed flick is a mixed bag as well.  It's far too drawn out and lingers too much in the mire of nostalgia, but it was nice to see the Man of Steel back on the big screen.  It never clicked with new audiences, however.

Now Superman is back, more grittified and tormented than ever before in order to gel with Nolan's Batman trilogy (keep an eye out for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to the Caped Crusader in "Man of Steel").  After a protracted opening sequence on Krypton (very cool), the movie shifts to a now grown-up Clark Kent as he wanders the Earth, searching his soul.  We experience his "origin story" in flashbacks, making "Man of Steel" almost feel like Part 2 of a franchise, which is good because I tire of comic book origin stories these days (they're all the same, really).  Eventually the shenanigans which occurred during the opening scenes on Krypton come back full circle, and Clark must embrace his destiny as Superman in order the save the world.

Henry Cavill is the new guy who plays Superman, and he does a fantastic job.  He doesn't ape Christopher Reeve's performance like Brandon Routh did in "Superman Returns", he makes it his own.  His supporting cast bolsters him up fairly well.  Amy Adams makes a tough modern-day Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon makes a great, menacing (if one-note) villain as General Zod.  Kudos also must go to the actors who play both sets of Clark Kent's (Kal-El's) parents - Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane.  Lane and Crowe practically steal the movie, acting-wise.

Technically, the movie shines.  Today's special effects allow the filmmakers to portray epic superhero clashes like never before, and they're pretty cool in "Man of Steel".  The downside is that they wear thin after so long.  After the umpteenth time a superhero/supervillain gets thrown through a building and kicks up a waterfall of cascading debris, you start to check your watch/phone.  But the flying effects are fantastic.  Han Zimmer's trademarked pounding chords provide a stellar sonic backdrop to the action and majesty.  Just don't compare it to the iconic score that John Williams provided for the Reeve movies.  'Cuz it doesn't.  So there.

I found the 3D work to be quite impressive in "Man of Steel".  It's well rendered at provides some breathtaking moments in the high-depth final action sequences.  I felt vertigo setting in a couple of times.  That's a good thing.

Then there are the changes.  One of the advantages of being a reboot is that you have the option of tearing up the furniture, so to speak.  "Man of Steel" does this more than once.  Besides convincingly fleshing out the Kryptonian back story and opening up the universe to many more possibilities, it also changes characters in fundamental ways.  For instance, Lois Lane knows that Clark Kent is really Superman right from the beginning, and that's a fantastic way to go.  Perry White is now a black guy (Lawrence Fishburne) and Jimmy Olsen now has breasts and is named Jenny (Rebecca Buller).  The only change I really didn't like concerned the death of Pa Kent (not really a spoiler - it always happens).  I know what the filmmakers were going for with that scene, but I didn't believe in it for one second.  There were so many ways for Clark to go in that moment and I think the filmmakers chose the complete wrong, unbelievable action.  But that's just my opinion.

Other stuff I didn't like -

The chemistry just wasn't there between Superman/Clark and Lois Lane.  I don't think it was the fault of either actor, the spark just wasn't happening.  Maybe that's something that will develop as the actors work together more often.  There's also the matter of the action style.  One thing I was looking forward to most in "Man of Steel" was seeing director Zack Snyder apply his distinctive action style to the world of Superman.  Unfortunately, Snyder chose to alter his style for this movie, instead choosing a more off-the-cuff cinema verite motif full of handheld camerawork, quick editing and random zooms.  I wish he wouldn't have done that.  I understand that they were going for a more realistic, down to earth approach with the action, but this is Superman, dang it!  He needs more majesty, less "guy in the trenches".

Despite some flaws, it's a good movie and I really look forward to the next one.  At any rate, it's far, far better than '"Superman Returns".  Think of it like this - "Batman Begins" was a good start but the sequel "The Dark Knight" was one of (if not the) best superhero movies ever made.  I can't wait to see "The Dark Knight" of the "Man of Steel"!