Hold onto your seat - for more than one reason

Rating: 6/10 (24 June 2013)

Zack Snyder became my favorite director after "Watchmen" and "SuckerPunch" for his moments of mesmerizing, dreamlike style. Clearly that director didn't show up on the Man of Steel set. It seemed like he wanted to take his directorial style in a different direction, and that's okay, but it looked like almost the entire move was shot shaky-cam handlheld style. I can accept that for "wartime" action scenes, but to shoot everything that way, even the more poignant, thoughtful moments, was too much. Way too much. But perhaps it's just me, since I've heard no one else complain about this. Do we accept this now as the way Hollywood shoots movies for dramatic effect? Otherwise, the film took Superman in a new direction - 'Stranger in a Strange Land', coming to grips with his identity, but still provided enough homage to the original source material and even to the Christopher Reeves era for older fans to enjoy. If you don't look for plot holes, inconsistencies and 'convenient structuring', you'll enjoy it.