Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Debuting in Action Comics #1, Superman proved so popular, he was adapted into radio shows, animated shorts, and film serials. The first feature-length film adaptation of the character was Superman and the Mole Men in 1951 starring George Reeves. In 1978, Warner Bros produced the first big-budget superhero film, Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve in the title role. Three sequels followed, but the last two were such financial disappointments that the series was put on hold. While a reboot was being produced in the mid-90s, plans fell through until Superman Returns in 2006 starring Brandon Routh. Unfortunately, the film turned out to be a financial disappointment, so Warner Bros decided to completely reboot the franchise. So, in 2013, Man of Steel was released with Henry Cavill playing Superman.
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Synopsis
The planet of Krypton is about to explode, though Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is the only one who recognizes this. So, he and his wife Lara-El (Ayelet Zurer) put their infant son Kal-El in an escape pod bound for Earth. Kal-El grows up to be Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), being raised by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). Lois Lane (Amy Adams), a reporter for the Daily Planet, gets assigned to investigate an alien spacecraft in the arctic. Clark goes to find what turns out to be a Kryptonian ship, where he learns of his true nature. Meanwhile, General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his forces have escaped imprisonment and are searching for Krypton’s genetic codex. Turns out Clark was given the codex before being launched into space, so Zod sets his sights on Earth. Now knowing his true power, Clark must defeat Zod and save Earth from total annihilation.
Review
The best way I can describe Man of Steel is that it has good ideas but poor execution. There are some interesting concepts not seen in a Superman movie before, but much of it isn’t handled well. While most Superman origins offer a brief glimpse at Krypton, this one devotes the first 20 minutes to Krypton. This certainly offers a nice change of pace since it’s a side of Superman’s origin we haven’t seen before. The rest of his upbringing is told in flashbacks, which bring up some questionable moments that don’t make logical sense. Essentially, they bring up how Clark must hide his powers for fear of being exposed, but at other people’s expense. Also, during the big action-packed climax, Superman ends up doing as much if not more damage than the villains. Granted, this is his first outing as Superman, but Metropolis ends up destroyed by the end.
Performance-wise, everyone does a decent job, even if much of the material is a bit shaky, to say the least. Henry Cavill makes for a solid Superman, not only with his looks but also his charisma and emotional range. Michael Shannon, though not quite as good as Terrence Stamp, is wonderfully over-the-top as Zod while still being ruthless. Amy Adams is alright as Lois Lane, but she isn’t given much to do and lacks Margot Kidder’s spunkiness. Russell Crowe comes off a bit stiff and wooden, though this adds some dry humor to a few scenes. I’d say the film’s biggest problem is that it’s very dreary and joyless, not helped by the desaturated colors. Of course, not every superhero movie has to be light and fun, but Snyder’s direction probably wasn’t the best choice. Overall, Man of Steel isn’t terrible, but it’s a weak start to DC’s cinematic universe.
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