All I can say is...WOW!

Rating: 8/10 (18 October 2013)

Like many, I was swayed by the amount of negative reviews Man of Steel received both by the critics and fanboys when it was released so I have just finished watching it. I really need to stop paying attention negative reviews.
I did not grow up a comic book reader. Before all this Marvel vs DC movie debate grew. if anyone had asked me to name specific characters per brand I would have been at a loss. Even now I honestly cannot tell you more than 3 DC characters; Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman. But I am a huge comic movie fan (well maybe not Daredevil or Electra or Catwoman...funny how these were DC films but I digress).
Like many my age, I grew up with the Superman franchise being pretty much the only one of it's type until thankfully Burton released his Batman in 1989. Christopher Reeves was and will always be 'my' Superman.
BUT
Man of Steel is, for lack of a better phrase, bad ass!!!
I never go into a film like this expecting much of the way of a Sorkin script or Coppola direction. Perhaps it helps that I am not a comic book reader so my judgment is not biased by a character's historiography/ethos.
PLOT. I found the plot to be interesting and very entertaining. I really appreciate the long back-story introduction. It really did clear things up for me about why Krypton was destroyed and how Zod and crew really wound up in the triangle glass thingy (I was a kid so it made no sense). What little I do know about the original Superman comics is that he actually was never meant to fly so I liked how it showed his progress from essentially "leaping tall buildings in a single bound" (ie...jumping really high) to his eventually flight. I loved the whole spaceship/alien aspect of this film...after all Kal El is an alien so why not take that angle? The original film basically glossed over his entire life placing him in that chamber and then coming out many years later as Superman. I found that the actor choices were quite good including this Superman (I for one did not have a problem with Superman Returns but apparently everyone else did). I had already known that Zod was killed at the end of this film and that caused a huge issue with purists...but as I see it Superman did not want to kill him at all. In fact he begged Zod to stop and ultimately Zod's earlier statement of basically it's either you or me came true.
ACTING: Like I said I like all the casting choices. I thought Adams' Lane and Cavill's Superman/Kent had great chemistry and IMO the romantic tension was just right. Shannon as Zod was awesome although I did miss the English accent lol. No one can replace Marlon Brando but Crowe's Jor El was pretty cool...that whole beginning sequence was great.
DIRECTING: Snyder has been hated on (quite unfairly I think) ever since Watchmen which I thought was also far better than many gave it credit for but I had never even heard of the comic so I had absolutely no expectations. I thought his approach to this film was very good. Yes there is a lot of action but let's be real, these days people go to these types of movies for action. And even then I did not think it was over the top. The action sequences were well thought of and intense. Maybe a little less CGI but honestly how much of that could you really do 'in camera'?
MUSIC: John Williams score is iconic as are most of his film scores. That being said I have now 'rewound' the entire credits for the 15th time in writing this review. I am actually a musicologist and film music scholar so I think for once I am actually qualified to speak on this topic. I have known Zimmer's work ever since his score for Driving Miss Daisy and honestly I was never a fan. My own elitism had me hating on him for not even being able to read music (which still bugs the crap out of me I mean really after decades of composing you'd think he would have picked something up). I started to warm up to him with the PofC franchise and then I became a fan with Inception. But I truly think this score is fantastic. Zimmer's musical language has finally matured into something truly neo Romantic...big, loud, orchestral, dark, and consuming.
Is this better than The Avengers? Well they are different films but I would say no. Is it better than Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy? Not at all. But it is definitely a film not to miss especially if you love comic movies. And it does bring life back into a loved character and film franchise.
All this being said I would agree with many that I am truly doubtful about the whole Superman vs Batman as a follow up...with or without Affleck as Batman (which I think is terrible). I do feel it is a contrivance just to keep up with Marvel but who cares? Let them do their thing. There is great potential here. Why take the chance and ruin it...especially as a sequel?