Zack Snyder, director of “300” took up “Man of Steel,”the reboot of the Superman franchise, and it does not disappoint — mostly. It wasn’t the film it could have been, but it works for the first entry of a new Superman series.
The story is basic and doesn’t take many risks. It sticks closely to its roots and manages to establish all the necessities for Superman. The problem is that audiences have seen this before. While fun, it is distracting, as if Snyder and his team were simply getting this film out of the way. Hopefully, the time taken for this project will pay off later.
The villain was basic as well. Michael Shannon took the helm as General Zod. I wasn’t enthralled by his performance, but he does well enough. He even manages to bring interesting dynamics to “Man of Steel”. Essentially, Shannon was well chosen as the icebreaker for future villains.
As for the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill does a decent job. At times, he was difficult to watch but he pulled together overall. His performance definitely had the air of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, but I saw Cavill bring in his own interpretations. I look forward to Cavill’s continuation of the character.
The supporting cast wasn’t especially memorable, but were beneficial to the movie. Amy Adams, Russell Crowe and Diane Lane adapted well to their roles. It was also fun to see Laurence Fishburne as the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Planet.
The music was fitting enough. Though no rival to John William’s masterful soundtrack in 1978s “Superman: The Movie”, Hans Zimmer managed a score that was beautiful. Zimmer’s soundtrack was also a welcome change from his moodier pieces in “The Dark Knight” trilogy.
Additionally, the Christian references were refreshing to see. Intended or not, they brought a smile to my face. Future sequels need to continue the parallels, as they brought depth to Superman.
I only wish this film had more personal trouble for Superman. Snyder certainly started in that direction, but such an opportunity was ultimately lost to the action and CGI. The film should have treated the audience to a more in depth analysis of his becoming Superman. We were given many flashbacks to Superman’s childhood with very interesting conflicts arising in each, but the film stops short so Superman can save the day. Annoying as that was, it just pained me that Snyder and his team didn’t take the chance to go deeper.
Overall, “Man of Steel” is not a need-to-see movie and is certainly a lesser effort on the parts of Snyder, producer Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David Goyer. You’re better off watching “Superman: The Movie,” but don’t be afraid to give “Man of Steel” a chance. It has its quirks, but remember it’s about an alien guy in a blue costume that flies around the world saving people. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.
Andrew Jenson can be reached at [email protected]