Man of Steel

Superman has always been a tough nut to crack. How do you make a man who is indestructible, who’s not even a man, relatable? How do you make a character that has been around since the 30s relevant to a modern audience? The title, Man of Steel, gives a clue as to this movies approach. Ditch the Super, focus on the Man. Having successfully utilised this approach with the 2005 film Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan produces this film, with a script penned by his partner in crime on the Dark Knight movies David Goyer. Directing duty is taken up by Zack Snyder who has brought has films like 300, Watchmen and the much less enjoyable Sucker Punch. Often praised for his fleet handling of action scenes but criticised for his poor handling of character, (Nolan often being praised for the strength of his characters but seen to struggle directing action) the studio was obviously hoping to combine the strengths of both.

Man of Steel opens big; the lengthy first act is set on Superman’s doomed home planet, Krypton. We are introduced to the hero’s biological parents; Russell Crowe gives a fantastic performance as his father Jor-El. Also introduced is the villain of the piece Zod, played with an understated menace by Michael Shannon, as well as a whole host of other Kryptonians and an impressive array of technology. This part of the film is probably the most original and visually arresting with some fantastic visuals and action. There’s a brilliant fight, a robotic butler, an ancient council of elders, an attempted coup and Russell Crowe riding a giant dragonfly. What’s not to enjoy?

The next part feels very reminiscent of Batman Begins as we see a bearded Clark Kent roaming around as a drifter and are treated to flashbacks from his younger years. This part of the film is simultaneously its strongest and weakest. The adult Clark, searching for answers about his heritage is fairly uninteresting. The story moves ahead slowly and there’s nothing to help us connect to him. A big part of this is down to Henry Cavill’s performance, who seems to be unable to portray anything other than anger convincingly. The dialogue is similarly wooden and big moments like the introduction of Lois Lane, her first meeting with Clark, Clark learning of his roots and the reveal of the iconic costume all feel rushed and lack any emotional impact. Where this section does shine is in the flashbacks. This is helped is no small way by fantastic performances from Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent, Clark’s adoptive parents. There are some fantastic moments, including Martha consoling a young teary eyed Clark, and Jonathan urging Clark to keep his gifts hidden from the world. This is where Man of Steel shines.

The final part of the movie is a similarly mixed bag. The reintroduction of Zod and his followers as the protagonists is handled well and the threat the Kryptonians pose feels menacing and ominous, their giant ship looming over Metropolis as Zod delivers a chilling ultimatum to the people of Earth. This is shown best in a super powered brawl in Smallville, where Superman gets his ass handed to him by Zod’s right hand woman Faora (Antje Traue who also kicked all kinds of ass in Pandorum). It’s a shame then the movie gets other things wrong, most notably the relationship between Clark and Lois which feels awkward and forced, despite Amy Adam’s best efforts as Lois. Her Lois feels flat and this is not down to her acting, rather some poor dialogue and handling of the character. Other characters suffer too, such as Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) and most of the other characters end up being forgettable. The finale is an unoriginal CGI fest, culminating in a drawn out slug fest between Superman and Zod.

While action packed and visually impressive, Man of Steel lacks originality and a sense of humour. You’ll be entertained, but there’s not enough character development for you to really invest. Lacking the warmth that made the original Superman movies so beloved, fans and general viewers are likely to leave Man of Steel feeling cold.