Man of Steel (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
So, do we really need another Superman movie? Well, whether we want one or not ... it's here. I liked aspects of it quite a bit, but did not love it on the whole. Specifics later. 'Man of Steel' (directed by Zac Snyder, 300, Watchmen) opens with a beautifully designed & narratively integral Krypton sequence. Russell Crowe, as Jor-El, is inspired. Marlon Brando was a superb actor; but a great Jor-El he was not. Crowe's Jor-El is both heroic & charismatic; 2 pivotal traits. With the planet of Krypton nearing its catastrophic end, Jor-El places his little boy (eventually Clark Kent) in a spacecraft & sends him to Earth. Meanwhile, General Zod (scenery-chewing Michael Shannon) attempts a coup; is unsuccessful; and is sentenced to the faraway 'Phantom Zone' as punishment for his actions.
The 1st time we meet Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), we see him saving some men on a doomed oil rig. We then experience a flurry of flashbacks to his childhood living in Kansas with Ma & Pa Kent (Diane Lane, Kevin Costner). After this, the narrative shifts North; where Clark, the FBI, et al see a space ship buried under arctic ice. It is here where Clark also meets fearless reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who immediately falls for him after he saves her life. Inside the spaceship, Clark meets an avatar (or technology-infused ghost) of his real father (Crowe) & receives from him his blue-&-red costume. It's right around then when the snarling, menacing Gen. Zod & his evil sidekicks, freed from 'The Phantom Zone', reach Earth & Superman must choose btwn. continuing to live anonymously (like the Kevin Costner father wanted him to) or take the role of Earth's defender (as the Russell Crowe father would have wanted). Mayhem & utter destruction ensues.
First & foremost, 'Man of Steel' was made to be a Summer Blockbuster/spectacle. That's fine. Problem is: there are brainless, horrid blockbuster spectacles and there are scintillating, mind-bending blockbuster spectacles ... and this one falls somewhere in the middle. The visual effects are incredible & the action scenes are aplenty (reminding me - too often - of the Transformer movies). The mood/tone of 'Man of Steel' is decidedly dour; lacking humor. This film wants to be something more than a comic book film. But The Dark Knight or Inception this is not. I feel like, for me, that is the main reason why 'Man of Steel' rarely feels resoundingly heroic or soars. Superman wins in the end (duh) and saves many people (duhhh) ... but also at the cost of thousands of lives (a head-scratcher in a Superman movie).
See, Superman has never been this dark & brooding; he's always been a beacon of light. And there's something about the "dark vision" of the narrative that felt off, to me. But thankfully, Henry Cavill lends just enough cheekiness & character ambiguities to cut the darkness. While no one can trump what Christopher Reeve brought to the role some 35 yrs. ago ... Cavill acquits himself rather well. The British actor speaks with a convincing American accent. He CERTAINLY looks the part. And he lays a solid, likeable foundation for what could be a long run as our hero. Kevin Costner & Diane Lane are great as Clark's Earth parents; though, they deserved more screen time/character arcs. And while I liked Amy Adams' Lois & enjoyed her low-key repartee with Clark, that relationship needed more fire.
"Fire" really is the word, here. I mean, 'Man of Steel' impresses well enough. It entertains. The sci-fi/fantasy components blend well in the comic book world (we saw that work 2 yrs. ago in 'Thor'). As mentioned, I like Henry Cavill. And the movie provides the stuff that summer action buffs crave (endless fights, explosions, pyrotechnics). But I was missing the "fire" ... the "awe". This is a cold motion picture, both tonally and in color scheme (moody blues & grays). I was missing a red beating heart in this film. The characters are thinly drawn, so it's hard to feel much for them. And so, for me, 'Man of Steel' is okay, fine, good-ish, and every other resembling word. But I wanted some more humor, more romance, more joy, more fire ... more soul. Hopefully the inevitable sequel(s) will provide that.
The 1st time we meet Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), we see him saving some men on a doomed oil rig. We then experience a flurry of flashbacks to his childhood living in Kansas with Ma & Pa Kent (Diane Lane, Kevin Costner). After this, the narrative shifts North; where Clark, the FBI, et al see a space ship buried under arctic ice. It is here where Clark also meets fearless reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who immediately falls for him after he saves her life. Inside the spaceship, Clark meets an avatar (or technology-infused ghost) of his real father (Crowe) & receives from him his blue-&-red costume. It's right around then when the snarling, menacing Gen. Zod & his evil sidekicks, freed from 'The Phantom Zone', reach Earth & Superman must choose btwn. continuing to live anonymously (like the Kevin Costner father wanted him to) or take the role of Earth's defender (as the Russell Crowe father would have wanted). Mayhem & utter destruction ensues.
First & foremost, 'Man of Steel' was made to be a Summer Blockbuster/spectacle. That's fine. Problem is: there are brainless, horrid blockbuster spectacles and there are scintillating, mind-bending blockbuster spectacles ... and this one falls somewhere in the middle. The visual effects are incredible & the action scenes are aplenty (reminding me - too often - of the Transformer movies). The mood/tone of 'Man of Steel' is decidedly dour; lacking humor. This film wants to be something more than a comic book film. But The Dark Knight or Inception this is not. I feel like, for me, that is the main reason why 'Man of Steel' rarely feels resoundingly heroic or soars. Superman wins in the end (duh) and saves many people (duhhh) ... but also at the cost of thousands of lives (a head-scratcher in a Superman movie).
See, Superman has never been this dark & brooding; he's always been a beacon of light. And there's something about the "dark vision" of the narrative that felt off, to me. But thankfully, Henry Cavill lends just enough cheekiness & character ambiguities to cut the darkness. While no one can trump what Christopher Reeve brought to the role some 35 yrs. ago ... Cavill acquits himself rather well. The British actor speaks with a convincing American accent. He CERTAINLY looks the part. And he lays a solid, likeable foundation for what could be a long run as our hero. Kevin Costner & Diane Lane are great as Clark's Earth parents; though, they deserved more screen time/character arcs. And while I liked Amy Adams' Lois & enjoyed her low-key repartee with Clark, that relationship needed more fire.
"Fire" really is the word, here. I mean, 'Man of Steel' impresses well enough. It entertains. The sci-fi/fantasy components blend well in the comic book world (we saw that work 2 yrs. ago in 'Thor'). As mentioned, I like Henry Cavill. And the movie provides the stuff that summer action buffs crave (endless fights, explosions, pyrotechnics). But I was missing the "fire" ... the "awe". This is a cold motion picture, both tonally and in color scheme (moody blues & grays). I was missing a red beating heart in this film. The characters are thinly drawn, so it's hard to feel much for them. And so, for me, 'Man of Steel' is okay, fine, good-ish, and every other resembling word. But I wanted some more humor, more romance, more joy, more fire ... more soul. Hopefully the inevitable sequel(s) will provide that.