Superman Retrospective: Man of Steel

Man of Steel (2013)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon
Directed by: Zack Snyder


With Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice only days away, it's finally time to review the film's predecessor, Man of Steel. In terms of comic book movies, this is one of the biggest split-decision movies to take place in quite some time. People either love this move or absolutely hate it. Fans were quick to notice the flaws and saying that this is a version of Superman that contradicts the morals of the Superman from the comics. Meanwhile, other viewers were saying they liked the new approach to the story. So which side plays out when I watch it? While certainly not a perfect movie, it left me mildly entertained. I can't go on record to say it's a complete disaster. There are some casting decisions and style elements that I actually think are pretty good. But still, this movie was a mess to me 3 years ago and I'm sure it's still a mess now. The only thing that might differ is my level of tolerance and forgiveness for what Man of Steel did both right and wrong.

When it comes to Henry Cavill as Superman, I think he does a good job at looking the part of Superman, but I don't buy him as Clark Kent. I think he's just too bulky to be that kind, yet unassuming teenager from Smallville, but that might just be me. Plus, I don't think Cavill is given too much to do with the role in terms of acting range or depth. When Clark is being developed, it's usually through flashbacks with child actors. When we get to Cavill's performance, he's just kind of bland and monotonous. Hopefully he improves, because I do like the look he brings to Superman. Plus, I would like to think he'll be able to play the bumbling Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, instead of just a hot guy wearing glasses.

The supporting cast is really good, a quality that seems to keep popping up whenever they do these Superman movies. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play Clark's parents on Earth, Laurence Fishburne plays Perry White, and Russell Crowe plays Jor-El. All of them do really well, but they aren't explored as much as I'd like and I don't necessarily see these actors become the roles. I still see the big name actors. I really enjoyed what Amy Adams did with Lois Lane, looking much more intelligent and credible as a journalist than the other film incarnations, and still able to deliver that trademark snark that we saw in Margot Kidder's portrayal. As for the main villain, I don't mind a good actor like Michael Shannon to play General Zod, but he really needs to pick a tone and stick to it. He runs a gamut that ranges from completely over the top to completely underplayed. He's delightfully hammy in the role and I can't deny that I have a fun time watching Zod.

I think where the film's biggest amount of pros and cons are in the action and effects department. On the pro side, I really like the scenes of Superman flying. Just the amount of atmosphere those scenes are able to create are a sight to behold. Like Zack Snyder's other movies, there's a strong amount of detail in the production design and I commend the film for going very bold and epic with the film's scale. But, and I'm not sure if it's just the Blu-ray transfer, one of the major cons of the film is that a lot of the effects look way too cartoony in some scenes. I get that they're made in a computer, but I'm not supposed to notice or care about that when I'm watching. That's what a good film should be able to do. In Superman: The Movie, I didn't focus on the harness or wires needed to make Christopher Reeve fly. I saw Superman flying on the big screen. This makes the film's action scenes a little distracting. They look entirely too CGI, and that's a BIG problem when you see how many action scenes are in the film.

Sure, there's more bad things I could probably talk about with Man of Steel, but odds are you've heard them all elsewhere. You've heard about the amount of shameless product placement, the gratuitous action and destruction scenes, and the "controversial" ending of Superman's confrontation with Zod. People have complained until they were blue in the face about these commonly hated moments in the film, and I admittedly do roll my eyes when they happen, but it's been 3 years and I've stopped my harping for the most part. When I re-watched this film to get ready for Batman v. Superman, I tried my hardest to find new things wrong with the film or silver linings that held up well for me. I think my feelings towards Man of Steel have broke even and I still need some more time to think if any of these choices are working towards the greater good of the DC Cinematic Universe. Will they learn from the mistakes? Will they use these mistakes as an indicator of what to improve on with their upcoming film releases? Will they continue to make the same mistakes over and over? I have a current indifference towards Man of Steel, but it also gives me hope that DC can be able to produce some great films as they continue to expand this movie universe.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

If you want to see the Superman story get a dark Nolan-esque reboot, then you'll probably enjoy Man of Steel. If you're a Superman purist who isn't very good at accepting change, you're going to most likely hate this film. It's as simple as that. For me, the movie is fine, but I hope the DC Cinematic Universe learns from this film's mistakes and improves their quality of film as we head into Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Man of Steel and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.