Wow, what a super-mess.

Rating: Null/10 (14 June 2013)

The biggest question going into "Man of Steel," is whether or not Christopher Nolan can bring the same down-to-Earth psychology to Superman that he did to Batman. The quick answer: not entirely. Yes, he and director Zack Snyder have created a well-mounted action picture – they get the fight scenes just right – but in trying to deal with the deep scars of Superman's origins, they have put together a movie that sometimes feels choppy and more than a bit hurried.
The movie opens beautifully on the Planet Krypton wherein Superman's father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is dealing with two problems at the same time. First, his planet is dying and no one will listen. Second, Krypton's military leader General Zod (Michael Shannon) has organized a coup against the planet's elders and intends to overthrow them. As you already know, Jor-El's plan is to send his son, named Kal-El, to Earth where he will be safe. Zod, who learns of his plan, vows revenge. These scenes work well. Krypton looks appropriately apocalyptic and the movie establishes some information (unspoiled here) about little Kal-El that we haven't seen before.
Then for the next hour, or so, the movie becomes a chaotic mess. Scenes of Superman's origins as a child are intercut with scenes of Superman as an adult so that we never have a clear story to sink our teeth into. One minute he's an adult working as a crab fisherman, and the next minute he's a little boy saving kids on a school bus. We never get the great homages to Americana. We don't get scenes of Clark's Kansas upbringing where he discovers his powers. Scenes are so hurried that you feel as if you are just watchng highlights, rather than completed scenes. The movie is in such a hurry to move things along that we never feel that we're getting to know the man of steel. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner play his Earth parents who dispatch home-spun advice, but they pop up almost as cameos.
The third act of the movie, when Superman and Zod square off is where the movie picks up. Zod, now a Kryptonian prisoner, wants to turn the Earth into a new version of Krypton at the expense of the population already residing there. That idea comes to life mostly due in part to the performance of Michael Shannon. Shannon is one of our best and most intense actors – check him out sometime in the great "Take Shelter." Here he brings General Zod down to Earth, so to speak. He wants a planet to rule but there's nothing flashy or erudite about his personality. Shannon plays the role pretty close to the bone and that's appropriate.
British actor Henry Cavill in the title role has a great screen presence, but as you watch him, you sense that he will grow into the role if given another chance. He's not given a lot to say.
And his relationship with Lois Lane? What relationship? Her role (played by Amy Adams) is to be a nosy journalist, follow her leads and smoke out the identity of Superman, but there is nothing resembling a romance here. Except for one chaste kiss, they almost seem like just good buddies. There is a suggestion that their love affair is being held over for the sequel, but why not deal with it here? Of course, the standard for the man of steel lies is Richard Donner's 1978 classic with Christopher Reeve. That film was a beautiful four act play, laying out Superman's origins from Krypton to Smallville to Metropolis and to his adventure in California. Some of that energy is here, but in trying to give the movie the same tone as Nolan's Batman pictures, it's often wobby. It's a good movie at its best moments but, in truth, it needed some work.