Good enough

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2014)

Well made and infinitely better than Zack Snyder's previous disaster Sucker Punch, the film has a great start on Krypton and then hits some narrative bumps as it shows us flashbacks of Clark's childhood. It's a bunch of vignettes that show us only the important stuff that shaped Clark into the man he will become. Being spoon-fed this origin content is basically pointless, as the Clark Kent we see all grown up fighting for what he believes in and protecting what he believes in speaks volumes and we can come to the conclusion about his back story ourselves. The usually reliable Amy Adams makes a not very believable Lois Lane and while she's not bad by any means, she comes across miscast. Henry Cavill fits the bill and is a strong enough presence on screen, where the previous Clark Kent in the unsuccessful Superman Returns Brandon Routh was like watching a black hole on screen. The action is miles over the top, with some great effects leveling Metropolis. A minor gripe is some soul deadening overt product placement that cheapens some scenes. Fighting in IHOP, 7-11, SEARS - I'm glad to know the fictitious city of Metropolis has the same annoying franchises. The action climaxes for about 20 minutes too long and becomes disaster porn and watching the 50th skyscraper crumble becomes a bit monotonous, but overall Man of Steel is a good watch and the money spent is clearly on screen.