Batman may
be my favorite superhero, but the Big Blue Boy Scout ranks in my Top 3, so as
someone who grew up on Lois & Clark
and followed Smallville with devout
loyalty, I was ecstatic when Man of Steel
was first announced. Like countless
fans, I was bitterly disappointed in 2006’s Superman
Returns, but with Zack Snyder behind the camera, David S. Goyer penning the
script, and Christopher Nolan providing creative input, it looked like Superman
would finally receive the update he deserved.
I was initially worried by Warner Bros, secretive marketing efforts, but
once Iron Man 3 opened, you couldn’t
buy a pack of Twizzlers or a Carl’s Jr. burger without seeing that iconic “S”…and
that Dodge
Ram 1500 Superman Man of Steel Truck
was downright awesome. With insane worldwide appeal, Man of Steel was not only going to smash
the box office, but also launch another shared cinematic universe that might
finally help DC Comics films compete with those of Marvel. Having massive faith in Man of Steel, I wasn’t jaded when early reaction was mixed; with an
all-star cast and guaranteed destructive action showing-off some awesome
powers, I knew I was going to love this Superman movie.
Featuring
exhilarating and grandiose action, Man of
Steel is a wonderfully entertaining return to theaters for Superman that,
though imperfect, still represents a groundbreaking success for the
character. Visually, it is thrilling to
finally see so many elements of the hero’s mythos highlighted with cutting
edge-effects; even if you don’t get chills during Krypton’s destruction, I defy
you to watch Superman take-off and break the sound barrier for the first time
without giggling. Henry Cavill may
embody the historic role well, but the true standout performances belong to
Russell Crowe as Jor-El and relative newcomer Antje Traue as Faora. The script and pacing do suffer from a few problems
in forced story progression, but the real accomplishment with Man of Steel involves the fact that the origin
story finally humanized the god-like hero.
Bottom line, with the exception of a few purists, Man of Steel will satisfy fans and signals big developments for the
reintroduction of Superman to a new generation.
Overall
Recommendation: High
