Superbland!

Rating: 3/10 (9 April 2014)

I remember being excited about this movie last Summer before it's release. The trailers made it look so epic and important, and with Christopher Nolan attached to the movie what could go wrong? Well, just about everything honestly. What I remember was being very disappointed in the film and somewhat embarrassed for having dragged several friends along with me to witness such a failed reboot. I noticed this movie got a 7.4 rating here which is a respectable rating by IMDb standards, so I thought I might try and watch the movie again since it's been on heavy HBO rotation lately. Well, the movie is just as bad the second time around I'm afraid.
The movie starts as you would expect with Krypton set to explode and Jor-El preparing to send superbaby to earth. Once on earth the movie cuts to present day adult Superman, who is apparently a scruffy drifter who picks up odd jobs here and there. Supermans upbringing on earth is told through periodic flashbacks from his childhood. The flashback method was not a bad idea considering the studio probably didn't wanna drag the audience through the first 20 years of Supermans life again before you even get to see him in a cape. However, the flashbacks are just bland retreads of what we've seen in previous Superman movies. A scene of Clark rescuing a bus load of kids. Clark getting picked on by bullies and turning the other cheek. A worried protective mother and wise father who warns him on the dangers of his powers and the responsibility that goes with it. Ugghh! Oh, and don't get me started on the tornado scene where Clark's father dies. It's plain laughable. Even though the flashbacks are short they are just tired cliché variations on what we've seen before and do nothing but take the air out of the movie.
In between flashbacks Clark discovers his power of flight, Lois Lane searches for the truth, Superman's identity is revealed, and General Zod along with his Krypton thugs hold earth for ransom until Superman is delivered on a silver platter. Sounds like a good build up to a climactic showdown with Superman and General Zod right? Wrong. It's extremely boring in fact. While the movie looks good from a visual standpoint each scene is presented to the audience in such a matter of fact and dull way. The characters in the movie are flat and generic to say the least and the performances are stiff and void of any personality whatsoever. The movie is basically a snoozer up until the fighting starts near the end. However, at that point you're pretty much ready for it to be over.
I could try and pick apart specific scenes in the movie but honestly the movie is too forgettable. Nothing memorable enough in the movie happened much for me to critique. It was just a muddled depressing slog of a super hero movie. With all that was wrong with Man of Steel I feel that it's biggest problem was the total lack of humor in the film. I get that this was supposed to be a more brooding and serious take on Superman and all, but it took itself way too serious. I mean the Dark Knight was dark but it had some twisted comic relief from the Joker to balance out the tone of the movie. Man of Steel makes no attempt at levity at all. Because of this the movie feels overly heavy and not fun at all.