Superman's future is bright indeed

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2013)

I guarantee you that you have never seen a Superman like Man of Steel. While he does not direct the film, you can feel Christopher Nolan's fingerprint on this film. It does not reinterpret Superman's origins, per say. He still is from Krypton, a dying planet far away. However, we do see more background on why Krypton is dying, and also the sense that they are not exactly a benevolent alien species. There are some weird moments right at the beginning that had me worried that Zach Synder and Nolan were trying to hard: Krypton has flying dragon like creatures, a creepy Matrix Style baby farm controlled by a Indiana Jones style Crystal Skull. And later in the movie, when Superman confronts a very dangerous machine, it has mechanical life like octopus hydra arms. Getting past that was easy. I enjoyed the interpretation of Krypton (flying dragons aside) as it seemed for real than the super ultra futuristic images from Superman (1978).
While we see Clark in action fairly quickly in this film, the famous red suit does not make an appearance for almost an hour. But once the action starts in this movie, it does not stop. I have to admit, that this film probably depicts accurately what would happen to a city of a bunch of "Superhuman" aliens were fighting in the streets, and the visual is true popcorn porn. I would not go as far to say, that Man of Steel ranks as the best Superhero movie of all time (The Dark Knight Rises, and even the Avengers) are slightly better, but this film is a very strong entry. If it is the tent-pole for a future DC Comics Cinematic Universe, then DC is starting out very strong, and the bar is set for future entries. I cannot wait to see what they do with other DC heroes. Henry Cavil does an amazing job as Superman / Clark Kent, and Amy Adams by far is the best Lois Lane of any interpretation (including Terri Hatcher). Michael Shannon is a more menacing Zod, while Russell Crowe is a decent Jor-El in a very expanded role. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner are pretty good Ma and Pa Kent. And while, he does not have much screen time, Laurence Fishburne's Perry White was an added plus. I imagine in the sequel, which should be coming out sometime in 2015-16 (its being fast tracked by WB), these characters will be expanded upon. I really anticipate the sequel, which I imagine will pit Superman against somebody whose name rhymes with Tex Suther. Let the casting speculating for that role commence now  My only other two complaints would be Synder's decision to continually jump around with flashbacks. I know why he did this; to emphasize plot points with things from Clark's past. More bothersome was the lack of any homage to the first two Superman films. I know this production wanted to stand-alone, it was not a quasi sequel like Superman Returns, and essentially reboots Superman, but a simple homage would have been to incorporate John Williams "March of Superman," which by far is the single most recognizable and amazing Superhero musical cue ever scored. Hans Zimmer, purposely avoided using it, and I think this was a mistake, because it would have made everyone who watches this movie have instant chills. No Superman soundtrack will ever compare to John Williams' and to ignore it smacks of incredibility. And that is coming from someone who likes Hans Zimmer and thought the music in this film was good. It could have been better.
Overall, I would give this movie, a 8 out of 10. I still have fond memories of the original films, Superman, Superman II. As a kid, I enjoyed Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, but honestly those films should be erased from all our memories. In my mind exists two Superman film incarnations: The original with Christopher Reeve, in Superman I and II, and then Brandon Routh's Superman Returns as a "sequel" to Superman II. I like to think of those movies connected in that way because then it does erase III and IV from continuity. Then there is Man of Steel, which hopefully will start at least a trilogy of Superman films as good as Nolan's Batman, and there are some amazing potential stories to visualize.