Men of Steel

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2013)

Where to begin? Well this origin story begins as a Superbly Magnificent retelling of one of the most recognisable fictional figures on the planet today. Man of Steel remains consistently loyal to its title, showcasing Clark Kent's perceived misplacement into a world unknown to his abilities, introducing Kal-El as the lost part of this misunderstood Man, who finally Steels the show once a threat to Earth results in his acceptance of his freedom to do right, and become the shining beacon of hope for mankind: Superman.
With Henry Cavill as our nearest, powerful star, and a near unfathomably remarkably talented and irreplaceable cast to play the supporting characters orbiting him constantly, Man of Steel is nothing but awesome to watch from just an acting and characterisation aspect alone. Director Zach Snyder, Writer David S. Goyer and Producer Christopher Nolan, along with the perfect casting of Cavill, all manage to converge the three parts of the protagonist's identity (Clark Kent, Kal-El and Superman) with such delicacy and flawless excellence that makes the titular character, the Man of Steel himself, the highlight in this comic book film. Narrative, visual effects, music and everything else aside, Man of Steel is carried through galaxies because of its tremendously executed character study that cements itself firmly into the realms of other great superhero films including Spider-Man (2002) and Batman Begins (2005). Of course, the existence of a star is meaningless if the satellites orbiting it are not naturally flourishing with life, but oh Man do the supporting characters make gazing upon on screen stars a privilege to be a cinemagoer. Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Antje Traue and Michael Shannon among others, certainly collaborate as their own glowing constellation, and you cannot help but gape in enjoyment, and in doing so you might attain heat vision with how intensely enchanting the actors are.
Structurally, Man of Steel adopts a fairly unique craft in presenting Clark Kent's craving for a legitimate identity, with flashbacks to expose the routes of his anguish set upon him by his paternal father Jonathon Kent (Costner). These scenes are surprisingly amongst the greatest that the film offers, with Superb character development and emotional depth that has yet to be reached by any other comic book adaptation other than Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. As someone not at all fond of the Superman character before seeing Man of Steel, I was captivated by Snyder's and the cast's ability to provoke such emotion from what I thought would only be an action film, though I could not have been more incorrect, as it is so much more.
The main narrative is by no means unique. Primary villain General Zod of the Kryptonian race, attempts to carry out plans we have seen a number of times before, but his motivation behind this is extremely convincingly elaborated and explored through Shannon's portrayal. Though at times slightly overshadowed by his sidekick Faora (Antje Traue), Shannon is worthy of the title General as it is in his DNA to be so. This is what sets him apart from Cavill's iconic character. Superman's DNA enables the freedom to decide what is right and wrong, but is primarily nurtured by the presence of biological father Jor-El (Crowe) and both Kent parents.
There are honestly too many features to applaud throughout Man of Steel. The film is undoubtedly a masterful work of filmmaking in its aesthetically astounding set-pieces, which while very much overloaded into Man of Steel, are still appropriately contained by the visual prowess of Zach Snyder and the special effects team. Additionally, Hans Zimmer yet again delivers his trademark composition; that trademark being majestic excellence that is simply a pleasure to listen to, with or without the Super images to accompany it on screen. There is almost no escaping the beautiful visuals and sounds that make up this 144 minute feature, not that you would want to miss a second. Watching Man of Steel, you feel like Superman taking his first flight, taking in the incredible sights with an enormous grin of delight in spite of the fright that the experience might not have reached the height of your expectations. Well right from lift off, Man of Steel is a truly thrilling and enjoyable cinematic experience, frame by frame, scene by scene, act to act, Man of Steel is immensely wonderful until you feet get back on the ground and the last credit scrolls out of you vision.
Even though towards the film's conclusion, the title Men of Steel feels more appropriate as seemingly unwanted characters begin to overshadow General Zod and the Man of the hour (well two hours, twenty-four minutes), indeed, Superman Returns (pun intended) and the on screen revival of the character comes to a most satisfactory end. This is a thankful return, as without the core character to standout amongst the features that orbit him, Man of Steel would not have been the phenomenal film that it is. You could pause Man of Steel at almost any moment and witness sensational cinematography. You could close your eyes and just listen to genius Hans Zimmer composition. You could even just walk into the theatre midway through the screening and avoid the character development, and appreciate the jaw-dropping action sequences. Doing any of these would result in substantial enjoyment I can almost assure, but you would also most likely miss out on the Man, who is actually quite Super even without the cape.