Man of Steel
Film Directed by Zack Snyder
Released June 2013 by Warner Bros.
142 minutes. 12A rating.
I think it would be safe to say that there’s a lot riding on this one, the latest reboot of the Superman movie franchise.
And the rumours heard during its creation have been tantalizing: five years in the planning, $225 million budget, various directors rumoured to be in, and then out…
The pedigree of the production is also something of note: director Zack Snyder (of Watchmen and 300(both quite liked), but also Sucker Punch (not as well liked)), produced by Christopher Nolan (director ofInception and Dark Knight franchise), scriptwriter David S Goyer, writer for the Dark Knight franchise as well as Dark City (1998) and the Blade movie series.
The cast are a combination of well-knowns (Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe as Superman’s fathers, Diane Lane as his Earth-mother, Lawrence Fishburne as Perry White) and fairly unknowns, including the controversial decision to cast the lead to a relative unknown, Henry Cavill, and a Brit at that – a decision some rather bemusedly pointed out as akin to giving the lead role of James Bond to an American.
So, there were worries. But the good news is: it’s terrific.
Of paramount importance in such a major franchise is the casting of the lead. I was/am a big fan of Christopher Reeve in the title role, and didn’t think he could top it. After seeing the new film, I must say Henry Cavill won me over very quickly. He owns the part in the movie – combining humour with seriousness, gravitas with wisdom.
Henry is supported by a great script, combining elements of the Superman I and II movies, expanding some elements of the back-plot and rightly ditching others. Kudos here must go to Goyer who manages to take what could be seen as preposterous story elements and makes them something honest and with feeling.
It doesn’t harm though that the special effects to allow such an epic tale are quite stunning. Spaceships swoop and dive, buildings collapse, things morph into myriad shapes. Whilst the viewer can hear and see the big effects, it is the less flashy effects that perhaps work best. “You’ll believe a man can fly”, once ran an old tagline. Here it is so well done that you totally take it in. Whilst I’m not sure that the 3D was entirely necessary, there were places where it seemed to work very well, such as in the scenes showing the destruction of Krypton.
The planet of Krypton is shown in widescreen, with the movie taking on a “Halo-meets-Avatar” type of feel. The society of Krypton is shown as a decadent Romanesque Empire (admittedly with high tech armour and weaponry) in decline, and definitely not a Utopia. It is therefore appropriate that here Russell Crowe, as Kal-El’s father Jor-El, shows his Maximus Decimus Meridius persona and in the fast-moving first act is able to fly on dinosaur-type creatures, fight, swim and shoot his way to the point of Kal-El’s departure. It’s a bit different from Marlon Brando’s stately diplomatic performance of earlier movies.
When Kal-El arrives on Earth the story is mainly set in contemporary USA, yet eulogises rural nostalgia, with flashbacks from Superman’s earlier events in his life throughout. The scenes embodying small-town America in Smallville were appropriately iconic. One member of my family found the non-linear narrative a little off-putting, although I quite enjoyed it personally. In this part of the tale, we are at last introduced to two strong female parts. Amy Adams does a great job of portraying Lois Lane, a pleasantly contemporary version of the ‘gal-reporter’ heroine, whilst Diane Lane, as Kal-El’s Earth-mother, plays her role to the full, creating a thoroughly realistic and natural performance.
For me, however, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent was the standout role here. Although his screen-time can be measured in a few minutes, his presence, when onscreen, was both comfortingly reassuring and emotional.
Of the bad guys, Michael Shannon as Zod was as I expected. By turns hyperactive, broody and psychotic, he makes the part his own, if very different from the Terence Stamp version of the 1980’s. The climactic fight between the hero and villain was very well done. I was also pleasantly surprised by Antje Traue, portraying Zod’s deputy Faora. Supremely loyal to Zod and Krypton’s cause, she is a superb fighter, sexy and yet malicious.
Some have found the film at 143 minutes to be rather long. I found the time went without notice. Man of Steel doesn’t outstay its welcome, but left me wanting more. As I left I would have been quite happy to re-join the queue and see it all over again.
Whilst there is the odd moment of cliché and lapse into overwrought pathos, the movie generally is a triumph. This is an epic movie that rightly reinvents the Superman franchise and also secures it for the future. The ensemble cast create a movie that both reimagines the old and reinvigorates the iconic archetypes for the future. A second movie has already been announced, and deservedly so.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though as you might expect from something similar in tone to The Dark Knight series, not so much for the younger child.
Mark Yon, June 2013.
I loved Man of Steel. Saw it twice this weekend and I very rarely pay to see a movie twice.
Thanks Jon. We don’t do film reviews much at SFFWorld, but I thought that this one was so good it deserved one. Had I not needed to eat (and would’ve had to join a long queue) I would have quite happily gone back in again.
Did you get more from the second viewing?
M.
I loved it too. My dreams of seeing Superman are now reality. I will see it again this week.
I thought this was a great film as well.
I went in with very high expectations and they were met. This film delivers on what I was hoping for from a very good Superman film. There will hopefully be sequels a la Dark Knight.