Man of Steel review

Adam: Wow, was the last review really Iron Man 3? My apologies. Um, let's do them really fast: GO SEE STAR TREK AND MUD AND THE GREAT GATSBY AND EPIC AND THIS IS THE END!! (And probably Frances Ha, The Kings of Summer, The Purge, and pretty much anything that's out right now. It is blockbuster season and quirky indie season, you know.)

Below is my review of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which opened tonight at midnight. I've already had the pleasure of seeing it twice, once in 3D and once in 2D, both in IMAX, but quite frankly I'll probably go again this week at least once more. I am a little worried about how it will be received with the casual moviegoers (which I talk about in the review), but perhaps I just need to have more faith in the American public. Go see it, decide for yourselves, and enjoy the review!

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Man of Steel

When I finished watching Man of Steel, Zack Snyder’s submission to the Superman films, I knew I needed to chew it over and certainly see it again. After a second viewing the following night, it was confirmed: I loved it, but I’m scared that the general blockbuster movie-going public will not. My reasons for this fear are that the saturation of Marvel’s happy, easily digestible, often silly-humored superhero movies along with the conclusion of Nolan’s Batman films have turned people off to a superhero movie that would take itself seriously (which Man of Steel certainly does), and that this film might go over some audience members’ heads because it doesn’t spoon-feed the story like most summer blockbusters. Man of Steel is a work of art that demands multiple viewings, more than just casual focus, and an open mind. This could either lead to its downfall or make it a classic, all depending on the reception to its release this weekend.

Man of Steel is the origin story of Superman, a being from another planet who is sent to Earth and raised as a human, but also wields incredible strength, heat vision, and the power of flight. As someone who has never seen a Superman movie (except Superman Returns), nor had any exposure to Superman besides what is already common knowledge in society (as well as a few hours put into the mediocre Superman game for Nintendo 64), Zack Snyder’s vision of Superman was completely new to me. I did not have a base knowledge pool to go off of, and therefore watched Man of Steel with fresh eyes. That being said, I can review the film as such.

Firstly, as a huge Zack Snyder fanboy, I must say I loved seeing "Slow-Motion Snyder" shake it up a bit by shooting this movie handheld and with an almost complete lack of the slow motion stylistic effects that have proven to be such a signature of his. Man of Steel is probably his most realistic film to date (which is kind of funny considering it’s about an alien sent to Earth and chased by another alien who threatens to destroy the planet). The special effects and fight scenes are top-notch, and the flashback scenes (which I’ll mention later) are some of the most gorgeous cinematography I’ve seen this year. As a Snyder film, I’m not sure where I’d rank it with his others, but that’s only because it’s so radically different from anything he’s ever done, and I love that.

Secondly, the casting was spot-on and the acting was great. Henry Cavill plays Superman with a distant humanity that the viewer can relate to while still feeling as though he just isn’t from around these parts (you know…Earth). Amy Adams was born to play Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon will haunt your dreams as the furious General Zod. Not to mention the strong performances of Superman’s two dads, Russell Crow and Kevin Costner. Their influence on the young Kal-El/Clark Kent is apparent throughout his journey to discover his purpose and save the planet.

Thirdly, and here’s where it gets bumpy, I want to talk about the plot. What at first seems jarring and off-putting, the “jumpy” structure (jumping from past to present without the usual “oh hey, this is a flashback” cues) is actually the most beautiful and artistic way I’ve ever seen a superhero movie told. It’s honestly like a poem about Superman in film form. I know that sounds weird, but that’s how it seems. The first half of the movie or so (before the journey becomes about stopping Zod instead of figuring out who Clark is as a person with powers) jumps back and forth between present action and flashbacks, with very few hints that it is happening. The flashbacks, however, provide an abundance of background character detail on Clark Kent and his Earth parents, as well as his problems fitting in and reconciling his ability to save lives with his struggle to remain hidden. They are truly beautiful little poems of exposition, but they will not work for everyone. They are distancing in a way and can make the casual audience member wonder why they are even happening. The way the story is told is the main reason why I fear that many people will hate this movie, because it's so untraditional for a blockbuster. I can only hope that the Superman fans will love this movie, as well as the casual moviegoer, and my fears are unfounded.

Oh, and Hans Zimmer’s score deserves its own paragraph. It was powerful and memorable, but quirky enough to not get lost in the slew of generic superhero scores, and this film wouldn’t be what it is without it. I might even purchase it to make my drives a few notches more epic.

I know this review has seemed like a love letter, so let me mention some “negatives” to this movie. First off, it takes itself seriously. Like, really seriously. This didn’t bother me, but it might bother others. I found it refreshing, but I know a few of the people who saw it with me didn’t feel that way. Secondly, some of the 3D was sort of unsettling. Since the cinematography is mostly handheld, the post-conversion to 3D made the effects a bit dizzying. This doesn’t really ruin the movie…unless you have to close your eyes to recover for a moment. I really can’t think of any more negatives off the top of my head other than the fact that I’m not watching it a third time right this instant.

Overall, I highly recommend that everybody who has any interest in this year’s big summer movies go see this (which I’m sure you already have, tonight at midnight, right?), as well as fans of Zack Snyder, and, honestly, anyone who finds the story of a lonely-loner-turned-super-savior inspiring (as I certainly do). Go see Man of Steel whether it be in IMAX, DBOX, 3D, 2D, or whatever other format there is. Just see it, and prepare to see something super.