Man Of Steel Is A Visual Spectacle

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 2013)

Based on the DC Comics character Superman, Man Of Steel is a reboot of the the film series.It features the character's origin story when he was sent from an exploding Planet Krypton to Earth by his father,Jor-El; and how he stops General Zod from creating imminent destruction when he grows up to be Superman. It stars Henry Cavill in the title role together with Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane,Kevin Costner,Laurence Fishburne and Russell Crowe.Zack Snyder directs the film.
The movie starts with the introductory Krypton sequence. It's some of the best material the movie has to offer as the special effects on the dying planet is visually impressive and the acting by Russell Crowe as Jor-El is simply outstanding as he is simply heroic and charismatic. With Krypton nearing its end, he places his little boy into a spacecraft and sends him to Earth. Meanwhile, General Zod attempts a coup, fails, and is sentenced to spend some time in The Phantom Zone for his troubles.
Then we meet Clark Kent.After saving some men on a doomed oil rig, Clark floats around in the water experiencing convenient flashbacks to his childhood living in Kansas with his parents. Once these are done, he heads north and reaches the Fortress of Solitude, which is actually a spaceship buried under arctic ice. In the spaceship, Clark meets an avatar of his dad and gets his costume. It's around this time that Zod and his followers, freed from The Phantom Zone, reach Earth.Then a Clark comes to a decision:Must Superman live anonymously or taking a front seat as the planet's defender?
The choice of Henry Cavill is good enough but it will never hold a candle to what Christopher Reeve brought to the screen many years ago. But nevertheless,he plays the part very well.As a supervillain, Michael Shannon does a good job overacting as Zod. Unfortunately,Amy Adams is somewhat miscast as Lois Lane.She simply does not feel right for the role due to her lack of chemistry with Cavill.Their relationship looks fake and unreal. The others are great like Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, although he has very little screen time. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are great as Clark's parents - Jonathan and Martha Kent.
Man of Steel is a great spectacle. The special effects are first rate and the action sequences are delivered very well. It's a style over substance thing.Snyder never ceases to amaze visually.Unfortunately,it was spectacle over heart.As far as story telling and direction is concerned,there is nothing original in it except the fact that there is endless violence and destruction in the film.And it definitely lacks romance and humor.
In summary,the reboot of Superman will not be as great as the when it was first released back in the 1970's and it will never be at par with Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight series.