Man of Steel
A review
June 15, 2013
Viewed June 15, 2013
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in
ourselves.”
― William Shakespeare
― William Shakespeare
The young boy cowers away from his
peers. He is afraid of the noises in
his head. He cannot shut them out. He is different, so different in fact that
he cannot make sense of how or why. His
mother arrives to comfort and plead with him, and he says simply to her “the
world’s too big”, and she says “then make it small.” Society does two things with loners and
misfits, they become outcasts, or they become icons. Identity after all is about the essence of the
central duality we all share, and the beliefs we ascribe to as we accept our
destiny.
Superman first appeared during the
Golden Age of comics in the late 1930’s and the enduring figure of the
muscular, powerful and benevolent protector of mankind has endured and changed
with the times. Each generation seems destined
to get the Superman we most desperately need. Even though we had a reboot of
sorts just eight years ago, 2005’s Superman
Returns, the timing seems right for this latest
version which is engaging throughout and is spectacular often enough to rate it
a smashing success.
Man
of Steel is a surprising entry in the comic book canon because as conceived
and executed it seeks to humanize a character that is most often viewed in the
most fantastic light. Here in this film
we get a glimpse of a Superman most in the form of a Clark Kent who seeks to
hide from the world instead of help it.
This change in tone and mythology of the character open the door for the
strong screenplay by David Goyer to explore the character in depth, and also
and decisively challenge the audience’s perceptions about what to expect. Taking a cue from the successful Dark Knight series, its creator
Christopher Nolan serves has producer and story credit, Man of Steel is not just a cerebral experience but an attack on the
senses with blistering action set pieces delivered with panache by young
director, Zach Snyder.
Mr. Snyder may have been a surprising choice
to guide the film, but it zips along despite a long running time, and contains
enough strong moments that it offsets most of its flaws, most notably a major
plot development critical to the film which needs more explanation.
The film rehashes the origin story of
Kal-El, who is sent to Earth from his dying planet of Krypton in the film’s
powerful opening scenes. Here on
Krypton we are given longer and more detailed explanation and introduction to
the planet, including meeting the renegade warrior General Zod, who in the film’s
second half will make it to Earth chasing Kal-El to help rebuild the destroyed
planet using and wiping out Earth’s population to achieve his goal.
The filmmakers have made so wise and
very brave decisions in regards to the film’s narrative t with the use of
flashbacks to the past, which in this rare instance do not detract but enhance
the film’s structure. Only a few times
in the film is the narrative flowed rushed in favor of getting to the next
sequence. Thankfully the payoff is
that one is likely to stay glued to their seat once the second half of the film
starts.
The film is reverent to a degree and
unlike many of the recent comic book blockbusters does not seek easy
laughs. In fact this is wide departure
in tone that the few laughs that come are much more effective. Even the General Zod character, wonderfully
played by Michael Shannon is given character shading and a powerful motive in
his actions. The name Superman is
only uttered once in the film, and even that comes as a bit of a surprise that
it seems to fit the moment perfectly.
The most common denominator with
previous incarnations of the films is rah-rah stance with gung ho celebrations
of what are commonly noted American values, hard work, sacrifice,
individuality, the Military, and a not too subtle religious reverence for the
character. These do not detract in any
way from the film’s power to entertain, but they add an air of depth and
seriousness. Only very briefly toward
the end is the audience given sustained reasons to smile, and by the end it has
been well earned.
Impeccably cast this film features a
number of excellent performances. In
the title role, British actor Henry Cavill looks the part and gives a quiet
performance. Whether as Clark or
Superman this is a different take than previously seen and fits the new version
of the character. Russell Crowe plays
Jor-El, his father and sticks around long enough to make a lasting impression. As Clark’s earthly parents Diane Lane makes
a worthwhile Martha Kent, while Kevin Costner is superb as Jonathan Kent. German
actress Antje Traue makes a formidable second villain and companion to Shannon’s
General Zod. In a role that seems like
it was cut drastically, Laurence Fishburne portrays Daily Planet editor, Perry
White. The always excellent Amy Adams
take Lois Lane in new directions and her character this time around is so
central to the action that the film misses her when she is sidelined.
The new score by Hans Zimmer is both bombastic
and moody and heightens the energy of the film. The film for better or worse has more of a
foundation with sci-fi than the most recent comic blockbusters, however do we
dare estimate the death toll that film’s destruction might suggest.
This latest version, a mix of the new
and old takes Superman out of the air to ground him as a human, and reflect the
need for a hero that audiences can invest in again and again. This latest film delivers the real deal, even
if the suit and the man has changed through the years. Man of
Steel is not to be missed.
Tommy
Key
Rated
PG-13 (sci-fi violence, action and destruction, language,
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