Burnt on the outside, raw in the middle

Rating: 2/10 (13 April 2020)

Like so many modern action movies, Man of Steel is a serious case of style over substance. The action scenes are so over-the-top they actually become stressful to watch. I had virtually no idea what was even happening at some points, and to be honest, I didn't really care. The CGI is overwhelming and it feels like the editing team are simply showing off what they are capable of rather than trying to present something meaningful.
Underneath all this ostentation is an array of horribly thin characters. Henry Cavill looks like Andy Murray on steroids and has the charisma to match. I don't expect Christopher Reeve levels of charm and likeability but Cavill is drab and insipid throughout, and his Clark Kent is barely distinguishable from his Superman. Michael Shannon had a tough job following Terence Stamps wonderfully camp portrayal of General Zod in Superman II, and he falls well short here. His performance was completely lacking in humour and charm, and his sidekicks were equally bland and one-dimensional. Amy Adams, who I rate as one of the better mainstream Hollywood actors, gets it all horribly wrong as Lois Lane. She seems to be torn between damsel in distress and strong independent woman and ends up just being nothing whatsoever. The worst performance in Man of Steel, however, is claimed by Russell Crowe who is tedious and pompous as Jor-El, and suffocates every scene he is involved in.
The story is obvious, boring and excessive. Superman is unrecognisable from previous incarnations and the bad guys are just unimaginative gruel. The whole DCEU franchise gets off to a predictably bad start, and I dread to think what follows next.