A rejuvenating take on the world's most celebrated superhero

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2013)

There is something that is enigmatically attractive about Superman. Unlike most of the mainstream superheroes, this guy comes from another planet to serve us. His unlimited powers (especially flying), his weakness to only one substance i.e., kryptonite, the way he advocates optimism, humility, selflessness, and being truthful with his deeds really makes Superman something more than just a hero - a personification of hope. Hope that someone will fly down from above to protect you from a crisis. This thought is exactly captured by Jor-El's quote in this movie, "He'll be a God to them."
If you expect from this movie the same stuff you saw in the 1978 movie, you'll be definitely surprised at the beginning itself. Krypton is no longer a planet made of crystals and covered with ice all around. It more or less looks like a futuristic Earth with all sorts of gadgets, albeit with weird creatures. The first nearly half-hour Krypton episode is really refreshing with its own share of surprises.
The life of Clark Kent before he dons the blue suit is shown in a non-linear manner, with the childhood sequences interlaced between his adult life. The traumas he experienced as a child, such as involuntarily discovering his own powers and feeling afraid about it, his natural ability to use the powers for a good cause are shown with a lot of empathy. The conversations between Pa Kent and Clark provide a multitude of emotions to the viewers.
The casting is impeccable and everyone had played their parts really well, especially the performances of Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon and Amy Adams deserve accolades.
One striking characteristic of this movie is how it breaks all the pre-conceived notions about Superman, starting from deleting that ridiculous red underwear which he wore outside his pants for three-quarters of a century. Lois Lane is no longer a wannabe star reporter who gets yelled at by the editor, who is smitten by Superman at the first sight and tries as much as possible to get to know about him before anyone did. Superman wasn't flying just because he wore that blue suit; first he jumps, then he hovers, finally he flies. He doesn't have any tailor-made principles to "fight for truth and justice and the American way". The people of America are not happy immediately to see him fighting for them; in fact, they doubt him too. General Zod is not an incorrigible maniac anymore who would do whatever it takes to rule a bunch of people and who enjoys making people kneel before him. Here, he just does whatever he feels is right for his people. Best part, Superman is not called as "Superman" in the movie, though it is mentioned vaguely once. Moreover, it holds a very subtle environmental concern, while referring to the reasons why Krypton exploded, which is fairly applicable to Earth too.
Amidst all these positivity, "Man of Steel" has obviously its fair share of shortcomings. The action sequences in the last hour kind of makes you feel dizzy; it is just too much of action to take in, especially if you're watching it in 3-D. Music score by Hans Zimmer is, surprisingly, quite mediocre. Except for the end scene of battle involving Zod and Superman, there are not many twists and surprises in the last hour which makes you go "WOW!". But that last scene in Daily Planet really makes you come out of the hall with a smile on your face.
To conclude, "Man of Steel" is a rejuvenating take on a superhero people loved and cherished for the longest time than any other. It really commands a watch.
P.S: According to me, it is absolutely futile and lame to compare "Man of Steel" with other superhero movies. In fact, it is even not right to compare with the original Superman quadrilogy (although I prefer it as duology). But it becomes almost inevitable to compare this with the original as the most vivid impression of the superhero belongs to the original one. Go to this movie with a clear head, and you will not be disappointed.