It's common
knowledge amongst film and comic book fans alike that Superman is the iconic
superhero who is faster than a speeding bullet/stronger than a
locomotive/pretty much impervious to anything thrown at him (aside from that
pesky Kryptonite), but never before has a Superman movie had a similar clout
behind it until now. The Zack Snyder directed, Christopher Nolan produced,
David S. Goyer written latest incarnation of the character’s story, ‘Man of
Steel’, packs an emotional punch which, when combined with some of the most
spectacular and awe-inspiring set-pieces in cinematic history, pushes this film
to the grandest of scales. It’s that heavyweight team that have managed to
raise Kal-El from the brink of movie oblivion after the dismal and action
sparse ‘Superman Returns’ (which was the last big screen outing for Supes,
brought to us by Bryan Singer in 2006) and make him relevant again in a post ‘The
Dark Knight Trilogy’ and ‘The Avengers’ blockbuster climate, where the bar has
been set ridiculously high.
Henry Cavill
dons the cape for the titular role and it’s a solid, measured performance from
the Brit actor, allowing the fantastical elements of the character’s origin to
shine through without damaging the development of the emotive side of the
story. These origins are built up from ground level with a unique vision of Superman’s
home planet Krypton and the events that lead to his arrival on Earth, all
presented in an extended opening sequence where Kal-El’s father Jor-El (played
in scene stealing fashion by Russell Crowe) has much more to do than place baby
Superman in an Earthbound shuttle. The prologue is substantial enough that the
world of Krypton is fleshed out, with Jor-El even getting into a punch up with
the primary ‘Man of Steel’ villain General Zod (brought to us by Michael
Shannon at his unhinged best).
The appeal of
Superman comes directly from his otherworldly qualities and the escapism that
offers the audience, but for much of the movie it is his human side, which is
often at the forefront, allowing his problems and experiences to be relatable
in a way that they haven't been before. Once on Earth, under his human guise
Clark Kent and mentored by his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent (played
by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane respectively) he is quickly painted as a lost
soul, roaming the world as an outsider and occasionally using his superpowers
to rescue members of the human race from certain doom.
Much of his
back-story is disjointed and presented to us in flashbacks that are often
paired with a voice over from either Supes himself or one of his father
figures, and this is refreshing as it is unique, allowing us to piece together
a narrative from scenes that don't arrive in chronological order. If another filmmaker
had tried to do this it could have been hard work, but Snyder (evidently with
input from Nolan, whose knack for effective sporadic storytelling is second to
none) has seen to it that everything falls neatly into place as each key plot
point is ticked from the list of Superman purists everywhere. Sure, the purists
will be unhappy with certain choices Snyder has decided to make with this
incarnation of the character, but for the most part it’s an intelligent and
logical direction for the story to go in.
‘Man of Steel’
isn’t shy about clattering us around the head with the central message of the
movie, which tackles destiny and purpose with unwavering gravity, and that can
occasionally feel crushing as there isn’t much humour in Goyer’s script. It
isn’t completely void of wisecracking, but when a moment that brings a smirk to
the face arrives it’s soon swept under the carpet by a few seconds of Cavill’s
‘steely’ eyed brooding and it’s obvious that this whole affair is supposed to
be being taken very, very seriously. That isn’t a bad thing at all – a high
percentage of the running time (which weighs in at a hefty 143 minutes) is
thrilling, even when there aren’t superhuman battles and vast amounts of urban
destruction on screen.
The romantic
element of the movie takes a back seat during a high percentage of the
proceedings, but Amy Adam’s leading lady Lois Lane (alliteration rules) is
strong-willed and quirky, giving the audience a grounded outlook while all the
chaos unfolds. Human relationships are realistic where it matters but there
isn’t much in terms of character building for many of the supporting cast, and
that makes it hard to root for them once Zod’s destruction of Earth begins to occur.
General Zod is
a particularly menacing villain, and that might be because his reasoning is
understandable for the most part – it’s just his methods that are questionable.
The fight sequences are incredible and eye watering, the superhero action unfolding
on the biggest stage with some of the most well choreographed battles in the
history of the comic-book adaptation. Sure, ‘The Avengers’ did well at allowing
many characters (both heroes and villains) to have their moments in a
spectacularly complicated set piece, but getting the action back to one-on-one
(or in one case two-on-one) was refreshing. The devastation caused by these
battles was catastrophic, reducing a huge portion of Metropolis to rubble with
skyscrapers toppling like dominos. This was slightly odd, as much of the loss
of human life wasn’t acknowledged by Superman (or much of the other surviving
characters). The only death that had any weight behind it was Zod’s demise (at
the hands of a snappy Superman neck-break) and that was due to the Man of
Steel’s distressing scream after the deed had been done. It’s clear that Zod,
the last of Superman’s Kryptonian race, couldn’t be reasoned with – but his
death ultimately leaves Kal-El alone in the Universe, the last of a race stranded
on an alien planet.
Hans Zimmer’s
amazing score gave many of the scenes purpose and engages us intensely, giving
weight to almost every word of Goyer’s script (despite the occasionally cringe)
and upping the ante when the action pushes us to the edge of our seat. There’s
a hell of a lot to admire from the attention to detail with the look/sound of
‘Man of Steel’, creating this new DC world in a phenomenally effective way.
This is the
Superman movie that the world has been waiting for, the balance of everything
on screen perfectly coming together, combining a potentially difficult story
with some concrete performances and wonderful visuals. It’s a blockbuster with
heart and brains, a blend that Hollywood rarely achieves, and that’s what makes
‘Man of Steel’ such a rewarding experience.
