After 7 years since the last Superman outing on the big screen, 'Superman Returns', the world has waited for a sequel. Instead we are presented with a dramatic new re-visioning of the Superman story for today’s generation. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...
Man of Steel
Jeez, this is going to be hard not to be beast as I do love the Superman character, and do have to disagree with lots of the critics - so I'll have a go, so much going around in my head, so I'll break it down into sections, if that helps, and this is all my honest review of the film...
The Story
It's the Superman story for a new generation of fans whilst sticking to the comic book lore. Kal-El is rocketed away from his dying home world of Krypton by his loving parents, Jor and Lara-El. Landing on Earth, young Kal is raised by Kansas country folk Jonathan and Martha Kent where he must come to understand and accept his past and his place on this new world, all the while unaware of a banished Kryptonian war criminal, General Zod, intent on shaping a new Krypton with himself as ruler and using Earth as the planet to do it from.
At 2hrs 23 minutes, it's a long film but never feels strained. A wonderful hour of back-story and character discovery awaits us as emotion is felt like never before in a Superman film. The one thing I felt justified in this was the real character development from Kal-El as a young boy. Kudos also goes to the parental responsibilities each family face towards their son and how best to prepare him for life on Earth as an outsider; an alien.
The second half is a very action heavy segment. But it gives us time to really feel this is a comic book adaptation from Superman's roots. There are spaceships, alien technology and visits to Smallville and Metropolis as General Zod and Superman come to blows in a visually stunning finale to decide the fate of 2 worlds - Krypton or Earth.
It's an origin story but one we've never seen before and it feels like they have dived headlong into an action heavy story. Next time, they have laid foundations for what could be a calmer film, focusing on a totally different threat that is not alien based. We've had this heavy introduction to Krypton and its people and Superman deals with the decisions and answers he seeks to justify his place, and so it opens up a much wider world to explore.
The Characters
There was enough characters to tick the boxes and all of them were used perfectly, some yearning for a bit more screen-time but that is hopefully open for the sequel(s).
- Henry Cavill is as convincing a Superman as Christopher Reeve. The problem was, Reeve portrayed the all-American hero TOO perfectly and created an image no-one can crack, which isn't a bad thing, but makes following in his footsteps near impossible. The character of Superman has to be based on 75 years, not just 35. Cavill evoked the emotion as Clark Kent wonderfully, with charm and angst trying to find a place in the world and control his powers and anger to those who challenge him. I can't understand the reviews about him being serious; I counted a number of times he was smiling, affectionate and warm to other characters. Superman was serious, yes, because he was alone out there with the power to change the world on his shoulders, and every decision he makes we see his thoughts and reaction perfectly. He's a strong willed hero, and Cavill certainly has the look and physique to evoke this hero from the comic books (remember how strong he was drawn before Reeve played him). Cavill is perfect as Superman and the shadow of Reeve has to be let go of by audiences to accept him.
- Amy Adams as Lois Lane has the modern-day will and spunk of Margot Kidder before her, again in the role hard to make her own. She is a different Lois to the one we are used to, more resilient and spending time fighting with Superman for the most of the film and working with him. Sure she fights for the story, but that again is something that can soon grow in sequels thanks to the growing chemistry we soon see between her and Clark.
- Michael Shannon as General Zod is just as fearful and powerful as we'd expect. Again, let Terrence Stamp's performance stay in the 1980s and let Shannon show a true warrior of Krypton for modern audiences, one who is acting out of sheer patriotism that makes the audience question is he REALLY all bad in what he is trying to do. Acting alongside Cavill and Russell Crowe, Shannon is one step away from being an OTT villain, but manages to command every scene he is in with a sense of menace and realism to be more memorable than expected. I'm glad we had a Kryptonian villain of this scale rather than a human threat.
- Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent works just as you'd expect. He's a slice of Americana that is a guiding hand for Clark as he discovers his place in society. I longed for more scenes, but the ones he was in were honest and real, and it's safe to say his penultimate scene with Clark is a real stomach punching one. A fine actor and performance.
- Diane Lane as Martha Kent doesn't put a foot wrong. She's the mother figure we all want, caring, loving and wanting what's best for her son and family. The emotion shown when faced with such dilemmas' regarding Clark's future are played really well and brings the real heartfelt moments of the film to the surface; how do you let go of a son you fear to lose?
- Russell Crowe takes on the role of Jor-El. Again, leave Marlon Brando back where he belongs and focus on his new image. He is younger than the Brando incarnation and so gets involved with far more action, leading a resistance battle against General Zod and his soldiers in the opening scenes on Krypton. He is the perfect father for Kal-El, speaking wise words in all of his scenes and conveying a sense of torn loyalties to his planet and his family, but always striving for what is right. A good amount of screen time is well used and never over-played. In fact I wish we had more, because Crowe is magnificent to watch as a father, husband and leader.
- The other players like Lawrence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer and Harry Lennix shine in their roles taking them seriously and doing the task they are given. Mentor, warrior, mother and solider, all taking on Superman in their own way. Lawrence Fishburne was devoid of a decent screen time as Perry White, but again I feel his foundation is there to work on.
The Music
This is one of the low points for me for a couple of reasons. One I shouldn't admit to after my previous notes but I have to. I miss a theme for Superman. More, I miss the John Williams theme. It spoke the bravery, heroism, passion and triumph of what Superman stands for. When a moment arrived you wanted to cheer for, you wanted a theme to represent it. But this isn't Hans Zimmer's fault, it's simply the direction this is going for a more grounded approach. So as Superman is still "discovering" himself, he's not really earned a theme. Well, he has as we heard in the trailers but we never hear that moment until the end credits, another Christopher Nolan tease that maybe NOW as we leave him, we are getting our Superman. But the music is loud and bombastic and generally adds mayhem to the already busy action scenes and does what is says on the tin.
The most evocative moments is the soft piano and strings music, also teased in the trailers, when used to convey the emotion and journey of the Kent's, the El's and Superman himself. This portion of the soundtrack speaks volumes, and if people want humour from Superman they should watch 'Superman III' as 'Man Of Steel' delivers drama unlike any other incarnation, and the music cements this journey.
The Action
Now sadly this is my one negative point. The action. Too much action for me anyway. The first 90 minutes of the film has well paced action. It has a few shining moments that let Superman show his power from saving workers on a burning oil rig and defending Smallville in an exciting battle with General Zod's army. It's what we've seen in all superhero films, just enhanced with CGI as it needs to be with warriors greater than any force on Earth, so expect to see objects and the combatants themselves thrown and pummelled and ripped up like toys. If it were a real event, I think it would be pretty much like this! The Smallville battle is brutal and exciting and it's great to see great use of the actors and CG doubles mixed so well to make a fight as fantastical as this so real!
However the final battle between Superman and Zod in and around Metropolis goes a little too far for me. Again, we need to have two god-like intergalactic warriors using Earth as a playground, and if you can't accept this then Superman isn't for you. It's once more frantic and brutal which again uses the Smallville techniques to make it as real as possible. But as the 10th skyscraper collapses and rubble falls from the sky, I felt it was veering into computer game mode. When we could hear and see Superman and Zod in battle trading punches, that was brilliant to see the Man of Steel actually battle a force of evil just as strong as him. But they became rag dolls too often and tossed each other around too easily around the city and at the end; I felt we had pretty much lost Metropolis.
Call me old fashioned, but the damage dished out in 'Superman II' would have sufficed for me. It certainly tops 'The Avengers' for full-scale destruction and carnage, but it just keeps going...and going....and going!
One thing I will say with Superman in action is the powers he has are used brilliantly. The heat vision is almost scary when used, a real demonic and powerful power to use, and it's great to see. We don't see all of them used like x-ray vision and super breath as an adult, but again there is room for that in the sequel rather than shoe-horn everything in. Until the final frames we still feel he is developing, much like Batman was at the end of 'Batman Begins'.
The Crew
Director Zach Snyder had made a name for himself with the epic action fluff that was '300', the visually stunning 'Watchmen' and the luke-warm fantasy 'Sucker Punch'. So was he right to bring Superman back for a modern audience? Yes, he was. He knows how to direct an action film but also how to give everyone room to shine and develop their characters. It's a long film, but Snyder directs his cast to give pathos and feeling as well as action. There's a clear love for cinema in his sweeping camera shots, fast zooming shots (maybe one too many) and glorious location scouting to give a real sense of Americana to the early scenes.
Christopher Nolan may not be directing but it's clear he has had his input into the tone and feel of Superman's return after the success of his other DC hero Batman with the Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan has used a familiar sense of self-discovery, battling demons and redemption against the odds for Superman and it works. If you loved 'Batman Begins', then this is quite simply Superman begins. Same format, different hero and representation.
The Superman Factor?
The hardest thing to do to really enjoy this film is to forget the 1978 Richard Donner film. Let Christopher Reeve et al keep their performances in history for the time they were in. But let us also embrace another chapter in the 75 year run. Henry Cavill is now Superman. He has the look, style and emotion as the alien from another world, trying to fit in to our society. Cavill's Superman could easily be taken from the early pages of the Action Comics from the 30s and 40s, and we need to remember this isn't a remake of an earlier film. This is a new vision, and it certainly works. There's no shirt rip, no phone booth and no cheeky jokes or gags - and honestly? It doesn't need them. I didn't miss them and didn't wait for them to appear.
The drama, the emotion, the fantasy, the powers and the triumph was what captivated me about Superman in earlier films, games and comics, and all that was here on screen in a fresh way to win over new audiences and generations. It's not perfect, as no film is, and with some changes to the approach of some factors, a sequel can build to be even stronger and more confident.
Superman, the film character, HAS to change slightly to survive with new audiences and new threats in the world. Reeve did it in the 70s and 80s injecting new life into the comic character. Brandon Routh brought him back in 2006 in a modern twist with old style. Cavill has done it for the 00s perfectly.
Superman is there in 'Man Of Steel' and it's still everything we love about superheroes. It's a Superman film like nothing you've seen before, but you will easily leave with questions that a sequel will answer. It's certainly one of the greatest Superman films to be made for everything above, and it will be up to personal choice how it sits with you, but you can't fault it against what has gone before unless you really want to slate it.
It's good to have the big, blue boy scout back and I can not WAIT for the sequel as I know this can be the start of something magical.
