This sense of awe and innocence is what I expect from a Superman movie and was greatly disappointed in 2006's Superman Returns. In my last review I spoke of why I think that Superman Returns is a pale imitation of our hero. My main question going into Superman's latest cinematic excursion, Man of Steel, was, 'Could this new movie keep that awe and innocence whilst delving into the grittiness that Christopher Nolan was known for?' I am pleased to say that it did!
THE GOOD
Kevin Costner (Jonathon Kent) and Diane Lane (Martha Kent) were easily the next best actors in the movie. I was scared that Costner would give a crappy performance, but he did the opposite: he and Diane Lane really drive the emotional core of this story and I honestly don't think the movie would have worked without them.
Although Hans Zimmer's score is very repetative and doesn't necessarily work as a stand-alone piece of art, it is PERFECT for this movie. It really struck the right notes (figuratively AND literally) for the tone of what they were portray with the emotions.
As with most of Zach Snyder's movies, it is beautiful to look at. The color palate fits perfectly and a great experience to look at. I will need to see it again in order to gauge the quality of the cinematography against some of his other movies (i.e. Watchmen, 300). I was enthralled with the story that I didn't get a chance to notice, which is how a good movie should be.
THE BAD AND NEUTRAL
Amy Adams did a decent job, but I wasn't really convinced that she was the Lois Lane of lore. I suppose that they were trying to make this Lois different from other Lois's, but they really changed the character to the point of making her unrecognizable. Although, it should be stated for the record that out of all characters in the Superman universe to cast/play, Lois is without a doubt the hardest. I feel like Erica Durance (Smallville) was the only one that really worked for me.
This is a personal preference, but I really hate it when most people speak with a British accent in a place (i.e. Krypton) except for one person. Michael Shannon was a fantastic Zod, but everyone around him had a British accent, whist he kept his Midwestern enunciation! It felt inconsistent and almost ruined the Krypton-based scenes. ALMOST.
Critics are being really hard on this movie, mostly because of the more or less mindless action in the middle of the movie. I'll admit, I tend to agree with them on this: the action was not as good as it could have been (especially when compared to something like the The Dark Knight) and felt mind-numbing more often than not. However, the person I brought with me to the screening had the opposite opinion of me in that enjoyed the action way more than the emotional core. I think that Mr. Snyder is trying to play it both ways: he tried to make a good emotional story while keeping the potential for high international box-office present. Also, I think another reason might have been that the studio wanted more action because the lack therefore was the most common complaint for Superman Returns.
CONCLUSION
Man of Steel is an emotionally-driven story with some popcorn action in the middle to please the public. The emotional core of this film overrides the mind-numbing action. However, I think that the general public won't mind the action in the same way that I did. I can't recommend this movie enough. It is better than Star Trek Into Darkness and Iron Man 3 and I have hard time believing that any other movie (except for Monsters University) will be able to beat it in my mind. 4/5 Disco Balls.
PARENTS GUIDE
This film is emotionally heavy, and should not be viewed by young children or even some adolescents. It is very violent, although not distastefully so. There is no sex, and not much language at all.
I loved Man of Steel. I can't imagine a better version of Superman than what Syncopy created, and I think it's important for critics to remember that the Superman franchise has been held to a higher standard than other super hero films. It is partially a result of this high standard that nobody has been able to produce a good superman movie since the original (which also was viewed with a skeptical eye at the time of its release). I know there was "mindless action" but the film was great because of emotion. The two aspects of the film should not be separately analyzed.
ReplyDeleteI loved your review, Dan! This movie will be watched again and again and again in the Keller household.
Listen to this Superman theme. It gives me the chills and is very inspiring.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVW1KW2qFU0
Hey there Dan, your old roommate here. Your review convinced me to go see the movie. So I went to see Man of Steel this Saturday at our local $2 theater with my dad who has been a long time Superman fan. I feel it was a great movie. The messages at its heart, that the power of free will should not be feared, but embraced, because people are at their cores naturally good, that we should see value in others, particularly those who differ from us, and that we should feel responsible to do good with what power and influence we have, these really spoke to me. I found the movie inspiring. I loved the way that the writers and directors showcased the moments of choice that each character had, and how they lived with the consequences of those choices.
ReplyDeleteI happen to agree with you about most of what you wrote.I particularly liked your insights about the Cavill as Superman, and Costner and Lane as the Kents.
I saw a couple of things differently from you. For example, I didn't find the accent displacements in the movie particularly jarring, because, as a historian, I expect such diversity. I felt that the action heavy sequences in the movie reflected the decisions that the characters would have made, and that the scenes set for destruction reflected the evil choices of the villains who chose the battlegrounds. I also felt that the scale of devastation in the show really hammered home how dangerous the threat was. It made it more real for me, made it seem worthy of an almost invincible hero like Superman.
I also liked this Lois Lane, and Adams portrayal of her a lot. For me Adams' Lois came off as a plucky reporter devoted to the principle of honesty. I liked her intelligence, tenacity, and whether or not it fits the lore, she was a Lois I wanted to root for and I felt she was the equal of Superman in terms of the quality of her moral compass and the depth of her character.