A Superman who be paired with Nolan's Batman... finally!

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2013)

Man of Steel has the guts and glory of a visionary event. It dragged Superman up from the dregs of an outdated, red-underwear-ed boy scout to a believable, god-like messiah who can stand beside Nolan's Batman. It made me believe that there is hope for DC after all (the Dark Knight series was always all about Nolan and not DC.)
Man of Steel repaints the canon in big, bold, and fittingly dark strokes. The S is not a childish symbol of a corny name like Superman; it is the inspiring symbol of the House of El. The suit is not an unsubtle rendition of the US primary colors splashed on tights; it is a somber battle suit. Clark Kent is not a bumbling idiot; he is the same as Kal El, a real person with two amazing fathers and a mother who he will kill for.
Man of Steel is not just about reinventing celluloid Superman, it is about reinventing the concept of Superman itself. The Dark Knight trilogy had the seminal Frank Miller written Year One to draw from. Man of Steel finds its inspiration in the star pairing of Goyer and Nolan (so it all goes back to Frank Miller anyway!)
I was blown away by Zack Snyder's vision of Krypton (you don't see the man of steel for a good 15-20 minutes, and the movie is still fun--beat that!) I was terrified when General Zod promised to hunt down Kal El. I was thrilled when Kal El (I refuse to call him Superman anymore!) beat the living crap out of Zod for threatening his mother. That is what I call a satisfying series of reactions!
Should you watch it? Let's see... The action is awesome (I watched it on IMAX 3D, and re-found the sheer childish joy of jaw-dropping awe). Henry Cavill looks the part (he's ripped enough to have the suit spray-painted on him and still look believable). And joy, Lois Lane is not an irritating bimbo! Why wouldn't you watch it!
Oh yes... If you are expecting a corny, nostalgic, retro rendition of the old Supes, don't watch it. If you are expecting Clark Kent pretend to be a weakling, only to scoot into a phone booth to change into spandex and then pick up heavy objects, don't watch it. If you are expecting Superman and Lois Lane flying around and flirting with each other up above the world, don't watch it.
This is the Man of Steel for our times; gritty, relevant, and strangely realistic. The stage is set for Batman and Superman to meet and give the Justice League some weight in the battle for silver screen glory against Marvel's Avengers. I only despair when I think of Ryan Reynolds's Green Lantern.