Man of Steel is directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch). It stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Ayelet Zurer. The film is written by David S. Goyer (who co-wrote all Nolan's Batman films) from a story conceived by Nolan and Goyer.
Having achieved tremendous success on re-imagining the Batman film franchise for Warner Bros., Nolan seems to be the obvious choice to reboot Superman on film. When this was announced several years ago, I admit to being skeptical. I mean, how would Superman be given a revamped since he has super human abilities. Nolan revamped Batman by making the comic book character rooted in essence of logic. How would this work with Superman? Judging how I write the film's synopsis, the film has a different feel...
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| Henry Cavill as Superman |
SYNOPSIS:
As the alien planet Krypton is dying, its citizen and top scientist Jor-El and wife Lara must make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve their race and protect the planet from the rebel military leader General Zod. Carrying secrets of the planet Krypton, they launch their newborn son Kal-El into outer space heading for Earth in hopes his life will be blessed with longevity. On Earth, Kal-El who is now adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent and given the name Clark, struggles to grasp what are his origins, discovering the meaning of life, and balancing his superhuman abilities at the same time.
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| Amy Adams as Lois Lane |
SCRIPT:
The script had a single theme, hope. It managed to combine two separate storylines well, one that takes place on Earth and the other on the planet Krypton. The lines were snappy and modern. There are no cheesy comic book dialogues. However, it tends to get dry and too serious sometimes. It is really an 'origin' story to the core with a lot of backstory explanation. Lacked comedy even for a little bit. Great attempt at bringing out some moral values in the film.
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Russell Crowe as Krypton's head scientist Jor-El
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Very very strong. Having an ensemble cast of such magnitude is worth its ticket price. Cavill shines as Superman. Adams gives a different take on Lois Lane. I loved how the actors playing parents; Costner, Lane, Crowe and Zurer carried their roles. Although Fishburne's role was small, he managed to leave an impression on the film. Michael Shannon as the movie's villain was pretty menacing.
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| Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, the adoptive father of Kal-El |
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| Diane Lane as the adoptive mother of Kal-El |
FILMING:
Director Zack Snyder made an impact into the film world with his breakthrough 2nd film 300. He is generally known for a certain style of filming but he didn't adopt such style for Man of Steel. The action scenes were tremendously great. There are action scenes like you have never seen before, although I felt it was a little too fast and too loud at times. The production design and costume were a total departure from the comics. It looks more organic and brings more life. The visual effects is headed by New Zealand based company Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong) and they delivered a great job doing so. No standout visual effects to splendour.
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| Director Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill |
PACING:
Not too slow, not too fast. However, do remember that Man of Steel functions as an origin story. Therefore, you should expect a lot of dialogue and explanation. At a duration of 2 hours 23 minutes, it didn't felt long.
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| Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) returns home. |
TONE (MOOD):
Superman, in essence, is an alien from another planet. Throughout the decades, in films, television series, and comic books, Superman has been portrayed primarily as a newspaper reporter who is secretly a superhero. Man of Steel goes back to the essence. Superman is depicted as an alien in humanoid form that comes from another planet and eventually becomes the saviour of Earth. A science-fiction drama with added action.
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| This device plays a very important role in the film. As mentioned in the trailers, it is a symbol of hope. |
DOWNSIDE:
The length can be a little draggy but necessary to accomplish the ending. Although they were many flashbacks that was necessary to tell the story, it could be too much for audience to digest. Don't expect the Superman of before but the Superman of tomorrow.
UPSIDE:
A new take, a new look, and a new feel entirely. Lots and lots of action and noise.
OVERALL:
This film is well-made in my opinion. An attempt to make Superman more edgier. I like the underlying theme of the film which is easily recognizable and good for family and children.
RATING:
8.5 out of 10
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