Summer blockbuster that I waited a very long time for...

Rating: 8/10 (23 June 2013)

The debate on Man of Steel goes back and forth. Everyone has something to say and its incredibly controversial. Man Of Steel was high on my expectations list, I was busting to see it. However, I was determined to not get bent out of shape by ANY liberties that they took with the character. Superman needed a complete reboot to be successful and they would have to do some bold things to make that happen. Well, they did exactly that. Man of Steel is an incredible science fiction film that happens to feature Superman. It gives us some incredible special effects but also falls short in crafting the Superman world. When Singer did Superman Returns everyone's big beef was that it didn't have enough action. So here is the biggest action film you will ever see featuring a super hero. The last hour of this film is hands down the biggest, city levelling battle I have ever seen. They don't just reboot Superman...they create an entirely new Superman for a new generation. Sadly, there are some shortcomings in doing that. Superman stands for something. He is iconic and the personification of a hero and in some ways they drop all that. You could have removed Superman and had the exact same film. Still, its a brilliant re-creation that just misses some of the vital steps in order to appease the mass audience.
Henry Cavill was brilliant. He was an amazing Man of Steel. Due to the way the story plays out he never truly gets the chance to play the duality of Clark and Superman. Still as the tortured alien angle, being the last of his race he is excellent and riveting to watch. Amy Adams is Lois Lane. I love the character of Lois Lane though it has not been done right in films yet in my opinion. I was very concerned about Amy Adams playing the role. As it turns out, she did pretty well. However, the character of Lois Lane is completely underused. She is there because Lois Lane has to be there. The romance between them is rushed and the chemistry is lacking and that is unforgivable in a Superman film. The banter between Lois and Clark which is always paramount to a great Superman story is lost because of the direction they take. So Amy Adams might be okay but she is misused and almost ignored in this film. She is filler space and I would have rather they left her out entirely and saved it for a future sequel. Michael Shannon is near brilliant as General Zod as I expected he would be. He makes an incredible villain and the perfect adversary to the Man of Steel. The supporting cast range from very good to just okay. Kevin Costner is seemingly perfect for the wise Jonathan Kent who has always guided the character of Clark in protecting his identity. Unfortunately, he is underused and his character's involvement feels very rushed. We really don't get that relationship between Clark and his father because it feels so rushed. The eventual sacrifice Jonathan Kent makes for his son is a powerful scene that some hate and some love. I'm not sure what to make of it at this point. Russell Crowe is very good as Jor-El...probably the best portrayal on screen easily. His role is very sci-fi and I'm not sure I like how they kept working him into the modern story. It felt a little Deus-Ex Machina for my liking. Laurence Fishburne made a great Perry White but much like Lois Lane, he is only there to appease fans because Perry White has to be there and has very little development. Harry Lennix, Christopher Meloni and Richard Schiff are decent in small cameo roles as various army personnel. Diane Lane is okay as Martha Kent but some of her lines that she delivers felt almost cheesy and at one point she is tossed violently and walks away unscathed. Antje Traue deserves honourable mention as Zod's right hand woman who gives Superman a great battle mid-movie.
On one hand the film has some of the best action scenes I have ever seen. An absolute perfect 10 when it comes to the sheer epic of battle scenes. The flying that they created was absolute perfection. Every time Superman flies it felt like I was learning to fly and experiencing it for the first time. There was just something awe inspiring about flying. The plot holes were unforgivable in some ways but they were also Nolan-esque. Dark Knight Rises had similar plot holes that were just ignored to tell the bigger story. The other thing that truly bothered me was as epic and incredible as the fight scenes were...it levelled Metropolis. It would have killed thousands of people...and yet by the end of the film it is tied up in a neat little bow and not even mentioned. I understand that a certain amount of this just has to be expected but it bothered me nonetheless. The lack of character development was disappointing. I wanted Clark and Lois banter, I wanted the epic building of their timeless romance, I wanted Daily Planet scenes (they never even show the iconic Daily Planet globe), I wanted Jimmy Olsen, I just wanted a little more of what makes Superman...Superman. I suppose they have a lot to build off of going forward and I understand everything Snyder and his team did to reboot this. I'm simply airing my disappointments. This is still an incredible summer blockbuster and I WILL see it again. Don't compare this to absolutely anything before it. It is what it is and if you allow yourself to appreciate the good and accept what might bother you...you will be entertained. 8.5/10