A Bit Derivative, but Still Fun

Rating: 7/10 (12 June 2018)

Along with Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe is undeniably awesome to watch as Jor-El, Superman's actual father. The rest of the cast all look very pretty in their scenes, but their purposes are only very slight, and add a little characterization to this other-wordly feeling movie (I'll elaborate more when I get to the director). But in all honesty, the likes of Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne don't add any big acting chops for this film. Michael Shannon proves a worthy foe as General Zod. And on that note, I must make a slight aside. I was quite impressed to come into this film and not hear any mention of kryptonite or Lex Luthor (yes, there's an Easter egg, but hush up). One of my biggest flaws with Superman is that literally his only weakness is kryptonite; thus, the story lines get dragged on too much. General Zod is a great change of pace, even if he is similar to Iron Man or Hulk villains in the sense that the villain features very similar powers to the superhero (one huge upside to the Batman universe).
Then we have the man of the hour. Probably the biggest praise I can give this film is Henry Cavill. To me he represents the perfect Superman: the hair, facial structure, body physique (ladies, be ready for an absolute beast of a body), deep voice, and ever so slight mannerisms mainly seen in a comforting grin. He truly is the Man of Steel.
If I'm being honest here, I have to give it up to Zack Snyder. He takes this CGI-filled movie, and he allows his decisions to dictate what you see. The opening sequence on Krypton is a little much for me, granted, but there's a lot of really power-packed shots like the sun glowing between the fingers of Superman. Furthermore, such sequences such as Superman testing his limits on flight show just how great a reboot is supposed to look.
Zack Snyder isn't perfect though. There were one too many shots of a broad landscape only to zoom in on a speeding, flying object. His message of stepping back and looking at this from a perspective of a human suddenly finding signs of aliens works well, but it was used just too much. The action sequences look great, but I do wonder if Batman vs Superman will address the amount of damage caused to Metropolis. Like, that economy is down the hole. And take it whatever way you want, but the final fight reminded me so much of The Matrix Revolutions.
The final issue I take with the film is in its essence. At the core I feel like Superman doesn't fit into a darker world that Batman embodies and embraces. I understand the reboot and the direction the producers wanted to take it, but there's a part of me missing John William's "Superman Theme." Sorry, Hans Zimmer, there's just a few composers even you can't beat. There's plenty of merits on the film from the director, main actor, and top-notch special effects, but the separation of this reboot from previous Superman movies mirrors Batman's reboot to a fault.
You can find this reviews and dozens of others at gillipediamoviereviews.blogspot.com