Hard edge Superman

Rating: 6/10 (11 March 2019)

From a technical standpoint, this movie cannot be faulted in any way. It's where it takes its main character and what it does with it, that I have a problem with. Everything from costume design (although I have my reservations concerning the design and colour palette of Superman's new suit, being Christopher Reeve's suit my preferred version), production design ( Krypton's new and more organic look has grown on me overtime) and even Hans Zimmer's over-the-top score is top notch. And none of that would be an issue if it were not for the way, the screenwriters and especially the director, chose how Superman should behave. Call me old fashion, but the way I remember my Superman lore from the comic books and previous adaptations to the big screen, is not as an all powerful alien force who causes death and destruction wherever he goes. And there is plenty of that here, especially during Metropolis' fight scene of Supes against General Zod ( an otherwise very authoratitive and threatening Michael Shannon, easily one of the best things from the movie) at the end of the third act of the movie. Wanton destruction whenever there's a confrontation is a constant throughout and something, I think, should have been better handled. That out of the way, the way in which it is shown to us how powerful the character can be (the oil rig rescue sequence, the face-off against the World Engine...)is a positive to be taken from the movie as well as Clark's wandering around the world at the beginning of the movie in search of answers about his origins. The Tornado sequence in which Jonathan urges his son not to save him in front of everybody, thus revealing himself to the world, I think too, should have been handled better. Another sign of the screenwriters not knowing what to do with the character. Amy Adams proves to be miscast as Lois Lane and the chemistry between her and Cavill is non existent. Cavill proves doubters that under proper direction he could be a great Superman and Lawrence Fishburne's Perry White is another bit of shrewd casting. I think that, all in all, all the elements for making a good Superman movie are there. It's just that they're not handled very well, it's all.