Man of Steel

In 1978, a movie was released that would make you believe that a man could fly. Superman, released in the summer of 1978 would go on to become one of the most iconic movies of the 20th century. Equally iconic was the performance of the late Christopher Reeve in the title role. A sequel arrived later in Superman II which introduced film audiences to one of the most notorious villains that Superman has ever faced, General Zod: the former head of the Kryptonian military before the planet was destroyed. Superman II was lauded as one of the best movie sequels ever and I agree. Again with an iconic villain, Superman II proved that a good sequel was possible for a superhero movie. Superman III and IV? I think we can all agree that those two movies were horrendous and were responsible for the man of steel not returning to the silver screen until 2006, when X-Men director Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns starring newcomer Brandon Routh. The film was released to mixed reviews. The film was also released after the deaths of Christopher Reeve and his wife. The film was dedicated to them. Unfortunately, the film was basically a rehash of the original film. It was a decent effort, and I enjoyed the movie, but Superman never threw a single punch in that movie. Years later, it was revealed that a reboot of the Superman film franchise was in the works, headed by Watchmen and 300 director Zack Snyder. When I heard that Snyder was going to direct the movie, my expectations just dropped, because his filming style usually involves a lot of stylized violence and slow-motion. I don't think I've ever been so wrong.

Man of Steel opens on the planet Krypton when scientist Jor-El(Russell Crowe)is in front of the Kryptonian council telling them that they have to prepare for the end of their world, because they over-mined the core of Krypton and it's increasingly unstable. Enter General Zod(Michael Shannon)who comes to eliminate the council because he feels that they've led their people to destruction. Jor-El escapes to his laboratory where he's preparing to launch his new-born son into space to save him from the planet's destruction. On Earth, Kal-El a.k.a Clark Kent(Henry Cavill)is helping on a fishing boat when they get a distress signal from a nearby oil rig which is on fire. Before anyone knows it, Kent is helping trapped oil workers escape. Then he disappears, until he hitches a ride to Antarctica where the US military has discovered a mysterious object beneath the ice. And this is where Clark Kent finally learns who he really is and where he comes from. If any of this sounds familiar, it's because Man of Steele is an origin story. But what a story it is.

I'll just come out and say it: Man of Steel is awesome. In every which way. I never thought in a million years that Zack Snyder would've pulled it off. After having seen the film, I'm not sure that anyone else could have pulled it off. The casting is almost perfect. Russell Crowe shines as Jor-El. Michael Shannon simply tears it up as Zod, and yet he makes the character his own and makes him almost sympathetic. Kevin Costner was great as Jonathan Kent, he brings humility and a reality to the role that I don't anyone else could. Cast in the title role of Superman is British actor Henry Cavill. We have our new Superman. He's absolutely fantastic in the role, even before he puts on the red cape. He's very grounded, and unsure of his place in the world and whether or not he should help mankind. I don't think that he'll ever top Christopher Reeve, but that's not what's happening here. This is Superman for a new generation, and everything about the character in this film reflects that.

This being a reboot, they've gone ahead and made some changes. For one, Krypton is no longer a ball of ice and crystals and the denizens are no longer clad in shiny white clothes. No, this is an organic world, with wildlife and oceans. And the buildings look like real alien structures and not giant crystals. The characters of Jor-El and General Zod have actual battle armor. And speaking of which, Jor-El gets to fight. And he kicks some major tail. And people have been wondering about Superman's iconic outfit. Again, it has also been changed to feel a little bit more organic as a reminder of where Superman comes from. There are no red trunks as was worn in previous Super-Man outings. No, the whole suit is blue with the exception of the belt which is yellow and the boots and cape which are red. The cape is also missing the signature S symbol. Also missing is the signature musical theme from previous entries. John William's iconic theme is nowhere to be found here, and that's a good thing. It helps distance the film from it's predecessors. Instead, Hans Zimmer has been brought in to compose the film and it's epic, thrilling and gets the blood pumping. It's amazing stuff.

In the last Superman film, there really wasn't a whole lot in the way of action. Superman didn't even throw a punch. What good is a superhero if he doesn't have someone to beat the crap out of periodically? In Man of Steel, he's putting the bad guys through walls, and just beating the living daylights of his enemies, and the same happens to him. The action in Man of Steele is completely off the hook. It is without a doubt one of the most action-packed movies of the past five years. The Krypton sequence at the beginning of the film is stunning, and that's just for starters. When Kent finally puts on the suit, he faces off against General Zod and his henchmen in some of the most spectacular sequences you will ever see. I would daresay that the action in this movie puts The Avengers to shame, which is no small feat. And the pacing is crazy fast. Still, the film has it's flaws, as minor as they are. For one, Lois Lane was miscast, as was Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, and Zod's henchmen? Whatever. Overall, it doesn't really detract from the experience. And an experience it was, as soon as the film ended, the audience erupted into applause, which I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing for a long, long time. To say that I was blown away by Man of Steele is an understatement. The last time I experienced a movie like this, was The Avengers. But honestly, I would have to say between the two movies, Man of Steel comes out on top. It is a true Superman film in every way. The performances were fantastic, the special effects were incredible, the music was wonderful, and the overall experience was mind-blowing. This is an event movie, and event movies have to be seen in theaters. For superhero movies, Man of Steel is easily in my top 5, with the original Superman coming out on top, followed by The Dark Knight and The Avengers. It's that good. I think Zack Snyder was born to make a movie like this. And if no one knew who Henry Cavill was, they do now. Man of Steel gets 9.5/10 from me. This is a must-see movie.