Man of Steel returns as a more hard-bitten character in new adaption of the legend

Rating: 7/10 (21 June 2013)

After the calamity that was the last superman film this had to be more than just a run of the mill reboot. The director has taken the Superman legend and kick started the whole franchise taking a more serious attitude and removing the camp element and rose tinted edges that have been the backdrop to the last film and the popular television series.
So here we have Superman taking on arch villain General Zod. We have the whole back story of Superman and so on, but with quality actors such as Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner in tow, it's not a drudgery. Our new lead in particular fits the role well as the hero coming to terms with the burden of his powers. Our lead villain matches him. The world is being introduced to this "Superman" and our hero is trying to discover who he really is and so on. You could say it's the Superman equivalent of "Batman Begins".
The film though can sacrifice dialogue and storyline for action, but it doesn't really devalue the film. Good direction and camera photography help, and the settings are just mouth watering.
One thing that can get on your goat can be the amount of effects. It's an avalanche of action scenes and special effects. They are very good but a little break can be good. Some parts can be quite standard comic book movie like also, but in fairness not everything can be wholly original. This doesn't devalue the film but doesn't make it necessarily stand out again.
It's a good film. A very good film which will wet the appetite for the sequels to come.