"Man of Steel" Good story? Yes. Traditional? No

Rating: Null/10 (15 June 2013)

The first question on my mind when I went into the theater was, "Could another Superman movie be worse than the 2006 bomb Superman Returns?" The answer is just about any movie could be better than that turkey, and Man of Steel is not a bad movie.
If you are a big fan of the Christopher Reeve vehicles Superman 1 and 2 then this will confuse you. The producers took a lot of liberty with the traditional story line and that was a little unsettling for a man like me who goes back to George Reeves as the man of steel on TV. But if you view it as a stand-alone film, it was not too disturbing. What was disturbing was the going back and forth in the timeline with Clark at different ages and just a little too much in the CGI effects department. Why can't people just put on an oxygen mask, a uniform, a seat belt or a phantom zone in movies anymore? They always now seem to form around them.
Henry Cavill as Superman was a good choice. He is his own Superman and did not try to copy any of his predecessors. I am a huge Amy Adams fan, but I will admit I did have a little problem with a blond Lois Lane, although it was refreshing to see Miss Lane being portrayed as something other than a good reporter who always needs her super boyfriend to rescue her. Michael Shannon was almost too creepy as General Zod, and Russell Crowe was good as Jor-El, Superman's daddy. I did think, though, that he watched Brando play the role a bit too often. The stand-out in this cast is Diane Lane as Martha Kent. She plays Clark's mother as a wonderful, strong, caring woman.
This is a fun film, and in spite of the "Let's put all of the Superman story elements in a jar, mix them up, add some ingredients and spill them all onto the pages" script method here, it is an enjoyable two and a half hours, so it gets a very good three out of Fordyce.
Credit Check: In spite of the setup at the end of the movie for a sequel, there is no bonus scene at the end of the credits.