Man of Steel (Movie Review)

    

     Clearly, I was the one who needed X-ray vision after my first viewing of the latest Superman viewing back in June. Back in June, I didn't enjoy Man of Steel pretty much for the same reasons why certain critics and fans loathe it: People thought it was too dark, too violent and it had too many 'plotholes'. Some of the blame stems from the perception that the film was an exercise in nihilism for some audiences, with people feeling it resembled nothing of the older Superman movies starring Christopher Reeves with the direction from Richard Donner (and, to a lesser extent, Richard Lester, who directed parts 2 & 3). Admittedly, I went into this film with heavy expectations expecting something along the lines of a Donner-esque vision from this production; alas, I thought much of problem with Man Of Steel relied on character depth, mostly with side characters Lois Lane & Perry White. Basically, I though neither of them had much to their character, thus, giving them a feeling of worthless to their individual subplots. This isn't to say that I didn't know enough of their back stories, but, something felt a little off with that part of their screenplay. Even General Zod was a bit of a letdown, as it seemed Michael Shannon overplayed his role, compared to Terrance Stamp's “god-complex” like portrayal of the General. As for Henry Cavill's role as Superman, I felt he was fine, despite some objections (Example: he likes to scream, a lot), he was capable enough to fill the criteria. Guess I was asking for too much "meh" here, rather than the adventure. Whether, it was the sound woofer behind me of my midnight screening at Regal Sawgrass 23 in Sunrise, FL or my irrational expectations, I had a lot riding on this movie only for it to meet my potential (this was after I enjoyed the film once I left, admittedly). I wasn't letdown, necessarily; though, I was hoping for some consistency here or something old-school. Then, as recent as last week, I received a digital copy of the film via iTunes & ended up watching the movie into Wednesday morning and, just like that, my opinion completely changed. Everything changed. Before I touch on my epiphany, I'm not a comic book reader. I haven't indulged in any of the older or recent entries in the DC universe. Before this film came out, I watched a lot of the DC Animated Universe shows that gave me enough background on these characters. From Batman to Zatanna, a lot of the knowledge that I've acquired over the years, is how I've known these characters and what they do for a living. However, I do recognize that a 30 minute episode from Justice League or from Superman: The Animated Series, doesn't grant a lot of context into the mythology of a typical DC character. Man of Steel covered more ground on the origin story of Kal-El and company than any other entry, it’s just true. Given the array of Superman movies dating back to 1978, it’s a lot harder now to relate to the older movies because the Donner/Lester/Bryan Singer method is abhorrently hokey now. Their movies were these "tug at your heart strings" films, due to the character being subjected to American idealism, as we're supposed to identify with him because he's "American," even though, he's an orphan from a doomed planet. All 5 of these films felt like this: "Hey, it's Superman saving the world from another environmental calamity." How boring. Once upon a time, the first two were cinema hallmarks, now; they’re just decent films with banal special effects. What Man of Steel managed to do was flesh out Krypton in a manner that none of the originals could ever achieve (I mean, for Christ sake, Jor-El fights in this one. Who knew Russell Crowe could hit people like that). The planet is expansive, filled with plight, totalitarianism, and is sovereign. You sense the impending doom of Kal-El's home, while in the original, a few words were said by Marlon Brando’s Jor-El & Lara-Van-El, as Kal is sent on his way to earth on some terrible looking crystalized ship. In Man of Steel, Jor-El and Lara say their goodbyes to their newborn and give him the tools to be Earth's savior (The very reason he’s embedded with ‘The Codex’) as the end near for every citizen on Krypton; then, he fight's his old friend, Zod, to protect his son and wife's honor only to be impaled by him in defeat.  Now, if you think that doesn't qualify as some form of drama, then, I have no other words for you. Other apologies go out to Amy Adams's version of Lois Lane & Zod's apprentice, Faora, played by Anjte Traue. Margot Kidder's version of the character felt dumbed-down in comparison. She figured out that Clark Kent & Superman are the same person, yet, because of Deus Ex Machina, let's have Clark erase her memory by kissing her;  yeah, pretty lazy, if you ask me. Lane in MOS takes her job seriously, and doesn't make her seem like a dumb blonde. Her smart-ass behavior is wonderfully displayed in this version. As for Shannon's Zod? Simply incredible. The one from Superman II couldn’t touch his motives or purpose. One of the many problems with Stamp's Zod is that, he didn't have a reason for his transgressions only to just rule over Earth and have Superman “Kneel before Zod”. Otherwise, they just belittled the people of Earth. In this one, the goal is clear: take back the Codex and create a new Krypton on Earth. Simple, yes; but, there’s a reason, at least. Faora, to a point, is as goal driven as Zod, but cares little for the ideals that Superman learned during his 33 years on his newfound planet. You never got that immersion in the older flicks, ever. Visually, the palette is distinctive; it can be a bit drab in some sequences but not enough to deter from the action. This was also criticized by some, because some thought the color was low on contrast. Having looking at it for a second time, I’m further convinced that was the point of the cinematography was to have a more modern layout. I mean, it’s not completely dark that it distracts the viewer, but, it’s rather distinctive; and, that was the intention of the color use, I think. It also demonstrates the directorial style of Zack Snyder, which he manages to pull off well, especially in the fight scenes. Hans Zimmer has already surpassed the score used by John Williams relying on an array of guitars and electronics tempos to set up the themes. Gone are the sweeping violins, now replaced by modernized music with a dash of Junkie XL, who is credited with elaborating some of the rhythms used throughout the film. People, including myself, will have to come to grips that this is the best Superman movie ever and older movies can’t withstand the fixes made here. I learned more from this movie than I did compared to the originals. Honestly, ask yourself, if you learned anything from Glenn Ford's brief performance as Jonathan Kent in the 1978 original? Because, I didn't. Kevin Costner did that role justice than anybody else, and same goes to Diane Lane's Martha Kent. This movie has a lot of development that none of us could imagine in our minds. Man of Steel not aspires to something greater, but it shows what else lies at the hands of Snyder, Christopher Nolan and company. This film has a strong foundation for years to come.