It's not a masterpiece, but it's the best Superman yet

Rating: 6/10 (29 March 2016)

MAN OF STEEL is the latest in a long line of comic book adaptations tackling that all-American hero. I've previously seen all four of the Christopher Reeve movies as well as the misfiring SUPERMAN RETURNS, so I had some idea of what to expect here; it's safe to say that the remarkably serious and complex MAN OF STEEL is the best on-screen Superman yet, although that's not to say it's a masterpiece.
Gone are memories of the cheesy Reeve films, to be replaced by intensive and destructive action, all achieved via some remarkably impressive CGI effects. Henry Cavill struggles to bring charisma to the role of the iconic character, but he certainly looks the part and his work in the gym has paid off too. The always-great Michael Shannon makes for a fun bad guy, and others like Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne flesh out their parts pretty well too.
The only problem with MAN OF STEEL is its length. Like many modern-day superhero movies, it's a bit overlong, which makes it feel bloated. Zach Snyder offers some surehand direction, but this isn't on the same kind of level as WATCHMEN. Almost half of the running time is made up of massive action sequences, and these do get a bit repetitive when they keep doing the same shots over and over again, but at the same time it's still a visual feast and the film-makers are able to put stuff on screen that hasn't been put there before. For what it's worth I enjoyed MAN OF STEEL, although it's not one of those films I could imagine sitting through again; once was enough.