Just short of great

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2013)

This is a very good movie,stopped short of being great by a few niggly problems,primarily with pacing.The film seemed to be in a rush to get to the big spectacle,as if aware of the relative lack of action in it's predecessor,Superman Returns.This reminded me of the difference between the last Hulk movie,which suffered from the same problem,and the Ang Lee version.
More time should have been taken to establish a greater emotional connection between characters,so that the big set - pieces resonated more. Also,the last 45 minutes may stretch your suspension of disbelief somewhat,but then again,you have gone to see a film about a flying alien superhero,so you should have done that already.
As I say,these are niggly problems that,if fixed in the sequel,could make something truly special,and it is the many positives of this movie that make the prospect of a sequel a welcome one. First off, the casting is absolutely spot - on. Huge credit is due to Henry Cavill,who plays the lead role brilliantly,and deserves more praise than he is getting at the moment. The moment when he is about to confront the Zod Squad for the first time,and he has a look on his face that says"OK Kent,this is the big time now. Don't mess this up!",suggests a nervousness and vulnerability to Superman that we haven't seen on screen before,and Cavill plays it beautifully. Michael Shannon is terrific as,well,anybody he plays really,but is great as Zod,managing to make him sympathetic and crazy at the same time.Speaking of baddies,special mention must go to Antje Traue,who plays Faora.She is an absolute bad -ass,and there is slight potential for her to come back,which would be great.A lot of credit for the success of her character needs to go to the writers,who at no point make an issue of the fact that she is a woman,and don't don't resort to any counter - productive "Girl Power" rubbish that hamstrings female roles of this nature.She's simply a really good soldier. Russell Crowe is sensational,as is Amy Adams.Kevin Costner and Lawrence Fishburne are great too,but due to the aforementioned rush to get to the action,I would like to have seen more of them. On the subject of action,it is absolutely spectacular.You won't have seen super-powered antagonists go at it on this scale before,and that includes Avengers Assemble. The scale of this movie is pleasingly huge,especially in it's depiction of Krypton,where we get to see some of the planet's non - humanoid residents. In short,quibbles aside,Man of Steel is a more than adequate kick-start to this franchise,and it will be interesting to see what happens with,not just future Superman adventures,but the DC universe as a whole.