This latest Superman movie carries less buzz than other super-successful blockbusters of recent months like Ironman 3, Star Trek and The Fast and the Furious 6. But there’s more than enough star power involved to whet the appetite not only of superhero fanatics but general moviegoers. Indeed, directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen and Dawn of the Dead), produced by Christopher Nolan (Batman’s The Dark Knight and Inception) and scripted by David S. Goyer (also The Dark Knight), Man of Steel is not your usual Superman flick, whether you like it or not.
The story begins on the dying planet of Krypton. Witnesses to its death throes are revered scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer), who decide to steal Krypton’s precious Codex (which contains the species’ genetic structure) and bestow it on their newborn son Kal-El, the planet’s first naturally born child in years. As General Zod (Michael Shannon) stages a coup to wrest control of the planet, Kal-El is sent to live on Earth where he is adopted by Smallville farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, and given the name Clark Kent. Raised by Jonathan to keep his supernatural powers a secret, Clark (Henry Cavill) sets off on a far-reaching journey, as a young adult, to find his true origins. After his secrets are discovered by the investigative reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams), both are seized by General Zod, who schemes to build a new Krypton kingdom on earth.
Snyder’s film is a highly-detailed exploration of the Man of Steel’s origins. As such, you don’t get too many gratuitous fight scenes with outrageous villains. The storyline flits back-and-forth between Earth and Krypton, as Snyder imbues this superhero caper with a distinctly sci-fi edge: even in the quaintest Smallville scenes you are reminded of Superman’s extraterrestrial origins. Because it follows Clark’s obsession with finding the true meaning of his existence, though, the film starts extremely slowly, filled with his conversations with both his adoptive father and, strangely, his late biological dad. The dialogue-heavy first half of the film is reminiscent of Snyder’s Watchmen (2009) in its yawn-inducing pace.
Things thankfully pick up with General Zod’s pursuit of Clark. Most of the action scenes are reserved for the end of the film, but it’s worth it, as Snyder has us all but believing that Superman has finally met his match. Cavill is not quite the heartthrob we’ve come to expect from previous incarnations of Superman, but turns in a decent if slightly wooden performance. Still, while big stars Crowe, Lane and Costner all put in great stints, it seems that, as in the recent Batman sequels, the man behind the mask could be played by almost anyone. At least, Snyder has succeeded in presenting a relatively thought-provoking Superman film—and one that sets the scene nicely for further sequels.
