For the first half hour of MAN OF STEEL, I was very close to deciding that this audacious reboot of the Superman film series was never going to fly. There's a moment where Jor El (Russell Crowe, very good in the Brando role) jumps aboard a flying animal that looks like a cross between those flying creatures in Avatar and the animated bird thing in "Heavy Metal" that I started to slump in my seat, thinking that director Zack Snyder had completely lost his way.
Thankfully once the story moves to Earth, it finds it's footing quickly and begins to build a personal look at the characters of Martha and Jonathan Kent (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner in dual great performances, the heart of the film) and the little boy from far, far away that they have dubbed Clark Kent.
It's an interesting choice by Snyder to show Clark Kent's growing up years in a series of well timed flashbacks. It really works and adds a lot of emotional depth to the film.
Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman is played by British actor Henry Cavill and he is excellent. Tamara and Kristin loved him because he looks like superman in the cape or street clothes (haha) and he brings the best acting chops to the role, ever.
General Zod, banned to a Forbidden Zone that is much more complicated than those spinning triangles in the original, soon arrives on Earth to find little Kal El and as embodied by actor Michael Shannon, is a violent, focused military man with a bad haircut and a very bad temper. Shannon is great, but after awhile, I was just hoping that someone, somewhere in the movie would have just a little fun.
BUT, this being the brainchild of one of my favorite filmmakers, produced and co-written by the brilliant Christopher Nolan (The Dark Night, Memento, Insomnia) you know going in it's going to be dark, serious, heavy and probably pretty brilliant.
For the most part it is. The original 1976 version with Christopher Reeve is an all-time favorite film of mine. To fully enjoy Man of Steel, you have to take that film and put it far out of your mind.
I really enjoyed this movie a lot after it's rocky opening sequence. It's visually amazing, with strong acting, great action sequences, terrific music by Hans Zimmer, much more emotional heft that you would ever anticipate and a beautiful set up for the future sequels.
If you go in with a strong preference for a traditional Superman movie, you are going to be sadly disappointed. But if you approach this as a visionary new take by some of our most inventive filmmakers, my bet is that, like me, you will leave the theatre pretty happy that Superman can indeed fly in great style. Supes gets a B.
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