A beautiful comic book film

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2016)

Man of Steel is a rather controversial movie. Upon it's release it was met with a stark contrast or praise and condemnation. I entered the cinema with high hopes, and the film delivered for the most part. While maintaining a few inconsistencies and imperfections, the high points truly soar and continue to leave me in awe no matter how many times I watch the film again.
Visually, Man of Steel has some of the best cinematography a film can offer. Throughout the whole movie I was totally entranced by the beautiful and epic visuals. From the timeless nostalgia of the setting sun at the Kent farm to the messianic imagery of Superman defying the gravity waves of the World Engine, anyone can see that the film is masterfully shot, leaving audiences awestruck.
The score for this film is incredible and has a sense of divinity to it. Hans Zimmer with some collaboration from Junkie XL created a symphonic journey that carries a lot of emotional weight. I personally appreciate the many musical motifs and themes that recurred throughout the soundtrack. It created a consistency and wholeness to the score overall, conveying the arcs throughout the story.
Henry Cavill is great in his role as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, never truly brooding but visibly affected by the great weight on his shoulders. I could sense his feelings of isolation and alienation, and his desire to do the right thing. Michael Shannon played General Zod well, and I loved how his motives were more than to simply 'take over'. His rage and sense of duty to his people were very palpable. Russell Crowe carried the wisdom and collected nature of Jor-El convincingly. Kevin Costner solidly exhibited Jonathan Kent's desire to protect his son, while knowing that he has the powers and abilities to do something good in the world when it's ready. Diane Lane really conveyed the love of a mother in Martha Kent. I felt that Amy Adams was fine as Lois Lane, though she didn't have much to do. Antje Traue was very intimidating and powerful as Faora, even if she didn't have too many lines.
Now the story is an aspect that has received a fair share of criticism. I personally felt that the story was very strong, very much like Batman Begins with it's unconventional story telling through multiple flashbacks. The introduction on Krypton was well done, and visually spectacular. Clark's alienation and search for a sense of purpose were very relatable and when he finally finds out who he is and flies for the first time, it feels very rewarding. It can be argued that the story somewhat falls flat in the third act as it's overshadowed by action. While there is some truth to that accusation, it doesn't really take that much away from the film, and the third act still conveys enough emotion with impressive imagery, visuals, and music. Perhaps detractors of Man of Steel are far too used to the Donner Superman and it's campiness. It's great to see Superman actually fight one of his enemies in an accurate and faithful portrayal to the source material. I felt that the character development was actually very well done, but many people might've forgotten about it with the grandiose action of the third act.
The action was simply spectacular. The best action I've seen in a comic book film thus far. Combining the divine visuals with fast, intense choreography, it was as if one was truly watching Kryptonians battle one another with all their ability. Faora and Nam-Ek's battle with Clark in Smallville was the first superpowered battle in the film, and it was excellent. It was very interesting to see Clark, who had just become Superman face off against two Kryptonians who had been soldiers for nearly all their lives. While he has more power from being on Earth longer, the difference in ability shows, which is a great and believable touch. The final battle with Zod is one of the best showdowns in cinematic history. While often criticised for it's destruction (lets not forget that the World Engine did the vast majority of the destruction), it is simply a realistic take on what would happen if two immensely powerful beings fought, with one being hellbent on genocide while the other is still unsure of how to handle things. I would however, question the choice of having the tentacle battle with the World Engine over the Indian Ocean. It wasn't that great to be honest, and the only good thing out of it was the visually incredible sequence of Superman flying through the gravity waves to destroy the World Engine.
Dialogue seems to be the weakest point of this film. While not bad, and actually quite good and poignant at some moments, it can be quite clichéd and dumbed down as well. The relationship between Lois and Clark could've been done far better than how it was. It felt somewhat forced and rushed.
Overall, I feel that Man of Steel is a grossly underrated film that should be revisited with an open-mind. If you're expecting 'explosions and fun times' or campiness, you aren't going to get it. Expect deep themes and a very hopeful message. The visuals are masterful, the score is divine, the casting is solid, the action is nearly unrivalled, and the story (while unconventional in it's form) is very poignant. It has many great things going for it and it just gets better and better with each viewing.