Alternative Interpretation of Superman May Enthrall Some and Frustrate Others -- Visuals Accentuated Over Character and Plot

Rating: 6/10 (16 June 2013)

The main issue with the latest version of Superman via Christopher Nolan is whether audiences will buy into looking at Superman through a new lens; a lens which takes the Superman mythos and warps into something quite new. Is it better? That's the fundamental question. Many of the elements from the 1979 version are here: the planet Krypton, Jor-El, General Zod, Jonathan Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White and of course the Man of Steel. However, in this version, the many ingredients are switched around and the order of the recipe turns out quite different. It's still the recognizable Superman, or is it? Several elements are changed, including Lois meeting with Superman, and later the arrival of Zod on a mission so different than any previous offering whether it be comic book, film, or television.
Probably the strongest aspect of the film is its imagery rather than the dialog or the acting. The story begins on Krypton like the older film. Alternatively, the imagery of Krypton and the inhabitants ring of 1930's and 1940's SF rather than the 1979 film or the comic books from the 1940's through 1960's. The ships and devices have their roots more in the original Alien film, with dark gray's and brown's instead of the bright crystals of the 1979 version. The story is updated to reflect 21st century United States rather than Superman of the 1940's or the 1970's. Lois Lane has a cell phone and even posts a story online. When General Zod and the baddies arrive, albeit before Superman is really known, the imagery and feel is much more like a current science fiction film than Superman battling domestic bad guys. This could frustrate some purists who wanted the story to reflect the Superman of tradition.
Although the look of the film is tremendous, the acting and writing department is not equal to the first two offerings starring Christopher Reeve. While Russel Crowe is not a bad choice as Jor-El, the script and his subsequent performance are not as compelling as Marlon Brando's Jor-El several decades earlier. When Brando's Jor-El appeared in a black cloak with the "S" insignia, proclaiming an indictment against the traitors of Krypton, Zod and company, with the words "This is no fantasy", we are pulled into a story about justice, right and wrong. The myth of Superman embodies the ideas of justice and morality. Although Superman itself is a fantasy, the issues of right and work, good vs evil, are every-present. Unfortunately, the present script didn't quite find a rhetorical theme from which to build a story. I had trouble really understanding what this film was about.
The one character which was the most disappointing was General Zod. I realized what a tremendous performance Terence Stamp offered as Zod in the earlier films and yet here the present casting and his script were far less compelling. Somehow, the current Zod seems less intelligent and more prone to fits of rage. When Zod and his cohorts are on trial in the original film, you never sense that Zod is a victim but an individual who has acted out of malice by pure choice. In fact at the beginning of the 1978 version, we know that the failed coup, although we never saw it play out. We recognize because of the seriousness of the criminal proceedings, the overthrow came dangerously close to succeeding. The current Zod seems over his head, and not in fully in control. The coup is shown but somehow seems less believable, maybe even slightly contrived. Zod will essentially continue what he began on Krypton on Earth.
What may save the film is the two leads played by Henry Cavill and Amy Adams. Cavill is a decent Superman and Adams holds her own as Lane. They definitely had more chemistry than the 2006 Superman Returns but not quite the magnetism as Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. The film then lapses into long action sequences which seem never to end, with the rather complex and convoluted plot not fully explained to satisfaction. While I understand the need not to repeat earlier Superman's, this film just misses the mark. A noble but rather disappointing entry into the Superman canon.