“You will believe a man can fly.”
It’s been thirty-five years since Richard Donner took the film industry by storm when he fulfilled this promise to audiences in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. The classic lives on, but times have changed. Superhero movies are no longer rare, quirky gems. They have expanded into billion dollar franchises, objects of every major studio executive’s affection. With the success of the ground-breaking serious tone of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, and the spectacle and marketed anticipation introduced by the Marvel franchise, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel could not have flown onto screens at a more fitting time. The new movie effectively combines both of these elements for a competent upgrade of the “The Big Blue Boy Scout”.
Man of Steel opens with Jor-El, played by a scene-stealing Russell Crowe, father of the last natural born Kryptonian. He desperately rushes to send his son to a little unknown planet called Earth before Krypton consumes itself. This son happens to be Kal-El, or whom our planet will soon refer to as “Superman” (only uttered once in the film because this superman is serious).
On Earth, Kal’s origin story begins: the ultimate outsider staggering to one day become a savior of man. Or so Jor-El says. Only then can he save the world from militant Kryptonian General Zod, portrayed by a full-goateed Michael Shannon. The stakes are high. The somberness is strangely heavy. But the epic story proves for some dazzling moments. Man of Steel hit screens with a ridiculous amount of hype. Does it succeed? It’s a rocky road, but yes. Man of Steel reveals to be an exciting blockbuster that stumbles under its weight at times, but ultimately gets its feet just high enough off the ground to fly.
The film’s strength is easily recognized in its visuals. The director of 300’s vision is full, expansive and jaw dropping in its stylized moments. The opening scene on Krypton feels like another movie of its own with detailed sets and a fully developed world we never got to see in Donner’s Krypton. Remember the dated, glowing white blob occupied with Marlon Brando in a neon suit? On this Krypton, Jor-El rides four winged dragons, rescues his child from eerily Matrix-like pods, and confronts an elaborately suited General Zod in the first 15 minutes. This isn’t your daddy’s Superman. It’s sci-fi at its best, something that rarely, but should be expected of a superhero movie.
The rest of the effects blend pretty well as Snyder combines convincing CGI and shaky camera work to try to give the viewer some feeling of reality. And for the most part, when the viewer is not squinting and tilting his head during some overly shaky moments, it works.
Man of Steel also leans on a powerhouse cast who make the most of too limited screen time. Kevin Costner adds a fatherly but underdeveloped touch to the massive film with his Pa Kent character. His soft moments with Clark help balance a movie with a two and a half hour running time full of action and aliens, but they arrive too far and in between. Diane Lane offers tender maternity with Ma Kent, and Amy Adams gives Lois Lane a much needed intelligence boost. This Lois doesn’t wink at the camera or crack jokes. She carries her own as a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and this time it’s believable. General Zod is given a relatable back-story and is a more rounded villain than in the past but spends most of his time shouting. Still, I’d pay to watch Michael Shannon shouting any day.
But how is the Man of Steel himself? Henry Cavill has the perfect, quiet charm for Superman, and his pretty boy looks don’t hurt at all. It’s great casting. What hurts the film is that he’s not given much to say. Sure, he leads through his actions, presence and physical strength, but could it kill him to smile every once in a while? We’ve never seen a superman so stoic and somber, and it’s awkward in a story about discovery and hope. Where is the humanity? The “man” in “Superman” is severely missing.
This movie mainly falters in its third act. The film’s final action scenes are riveting and visually exhilarating, but go on for too long. Snyder has used 2013 technology to allow his audience to truly witness Kal’s strength on the major scale that it deserves, but it becomes numbing quickly. These scenes lose their spark fast and begin to drag and become repetitive. Only a surprising and thought-provoking ending saves the movie from completely tripping on its own cape.
Man of Steel offers a new take on one of pop culture’s oldest characters, and it feels very fresh. In a post-911 world, Snyder focuses on Superman’s alien factor, and questions the paranoia of the military’s response. Is this time ready for a Superman? Kal feels relevant again, and it’s good to have him back. There is more to be desired in character development and script, but Man of Steel has enough spectacle, great actors, stunning visuals, and relevance to overcome its faulty third act and missing human elements. Strap on your cape because it’s certainly worth seeing.
