It's a bird, it's a plane - it's another questionable remade movie

Rating: 7/10 (17 June 2013)

Man of Steel isn't the Superman movie you'd expect and that could be a good or bad thing. Superman use to be a charming, flying hero that saved the world on a regular basis, but today's superheroes are expected to be more human and, as a result, more hopeless (i.e. Batman and Iron Man). But Superman has never been either of those things, so what audiences can expect is a Man of Steel struggling with some serious identity issues.
What Works – Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman with just the right amount of bravado even if he is lacking the boyish grin. He's a man's man/lady's man – all around "super" man. His muscular physique is enough to keep female fans in their seats while his rugged manliness, and lack of spandex, should keep the guy's satisfied.
What Doesn't Work – The infinite flashbacks seriously slow down the film. Abandoned as a baby, Kal-El makes the long journey across space and lands on earth. That's an appropriate, and necessary, back story, but his struggles as a middle schooler, teenager, bartender, fisherman and explorer are not and at 2 ½ hours, the film felt as long as Kal-El's journey to earth. Russell Crowe as Jor-El (Kal-El's father) also makes these odd Obi-Wan Kenobi flashes throughout the film – giving Clark Kent guidance and direction in the way he should go in the Force Earth.
What I Thought – Superman Returns was so awful that any remake is going to be better, but better doesn't make it the best. While The Dark Knight Rises and Iron Man 3 strolled down the darker street, Man of Steel could have rose above it all. Still, for its Inception sounding-score, Avatar cinematography and all around Superhero special-effects its worth a trip to the theater – at the very least you'll be able to converse with your colleagues about how good/bad it was.