Darker, more mythic Superman

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2016)

While the dark tone of Man of Steel is clearly influenced by the most recent Batman series, the first thing I thought of was Excalibur. This film is Superman as legend. Here, we get little of Clark Kent on the farm, and only a second of Clark Kent reporter; this movie is all about the epic mythology of Superman.
The result is quite intense. There is a more elaborate than usual portrayal of the end of Krypton, with Russel Crowe offering an action hero interpretation of Jor-el that is far removed from Marlon Brando. It's an exciting opening with terrific special effects. Kent's childhood is mainly viewed as an alien trying to cope, and the adult Kent is an angsty hero in hiding.
It's a seriously different approach to the character, but I think it's quite enjoyable. No, it's not a "fun" Superman battling a cartoonish Lex Luthor, nor an "all-American" Superman defined by his farmer parents, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. The action is terrific; much of it is basically elaborate fist fights between all-powerful beings, which is more entertaining than one might expect.
The story is involving, the special effects are impressive, the acting is solid, and even though I like the Chris Reeves Superman, I'm happy to see a different approach to this well-worn material.