My expectations were incredibly high for a lot of different reasons...
Trailer, director (Zack Snyder) and producer (Christopher Nolan), cast (Henry Canvill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne and Russell Crowe), "time & age" in which it was released with so many different special effects and other resources to be used and abused...
This and much more... but even with all of what was just mentioned (more than enough motivation for me to have gone and watch it), the main reason was obviously the lead character: Superman.
It's someone that I've grown almost alongside with, despite being created around the 30's.
I have followed the "Man of Steel" from a very early age, reading most of his comic books, watching all the cartoons and movies... doing research by reading "history books" or watching documentaries. It was impossible to escape the obvious influences...
To a certain extent, through my parents - who allowed me to consume as much as I could from the "man in the blue suit" - I was even partially educated through his moral and ethic values.
To a certain extent, through my parents - who allowed me to consume as much as I could from the "man in the blue suit" - I was even partially educated through his moral and ethic values.
With all of this, I've always considered myself to be sort of an expert on Kal-El (if there's such a thing), which led me to become dramatically critic of anything that is done around Superman.
So, with all this in mind, what's my take on this Man of Steel?
Disappointing is one of the (many) words that come up to mind.
I didn't hate it... far from it, but there are key components that either were missing or given the "screen time" it should have never seen.
I didn't hate it... far from it, but there are key components that either were missing or given the "screen time" it should have never seen.
From his young days to the death of his "Earth Father" (this is no spoiler... or at least it shouldn't be), the introduction and development (or lack of) of the "Fortress of Solitude", going through his relationship with Lois Lane, and ending with his integration in the Daily Planet (and much more) was poorly constructed, developed... and some of it was heavily distorted.
Despite all of this, there are plenty of good things... Most of the casting was good, liked the villain and visually it's magnificent. There is a lot of "eye candy" to go around, all of it done with finesse and creativity. This is as close as Superman has ever been portrayed... becoming tangible... believable - almost real to our eyes and in our minds.
Despite all of this, there are plenty of good things... Most of the casting was good, liked the villain and visually it's magnificent. There is a lot of "eye candy" to go around, all of it done with finesse and creativity. This is as close as Superman has ever been portrayed... becoming tangible... believable - almost real to our eyes and in our minds.
Nonetheless, the rest felt pretty empty.
Poor scripting... just shallow and superficial almost at every end. What I thought Christopher Nolan was brought in to avoid/make happen... didn't! For me, it's nothing more than a showcase of what money and technology can do.
People complained that Superman Returns (2006) - the previous Superman directed by Bryan Singer and portrayed by newcomer Brandon Routh - was missing action sequences.
So what have production companies have learned from it? That Superman needs to blow up things and have tremendous fighting scenes.
No doubt about it... they have delivered that. Too much in fact!
So if I had to sum up all of this in a couple of lines?
I would say this is not the movie to educate people on who Superman is, where he comes from and what he is all about. This is a modern day adaptation based on current comic book editions, that fail to deliver the real core of the greatest super-hero of all-time. If you are able to set aside from the story and just want your money's worth on entertainment... then Man of Steel is a good bet! Otherwise... it will just disappoint you - especially if you are a true die-hard Superman fan like myself.
You are better off still watching the Richard Donner movie Superman filmed in 1978 (trailer) starring the then unknown Christopher Reeve who portrayed Superman on-screen just as much as off it.
So if I had to sum up all of this in a couple of lines?
I would say this is not the movie to educate people on who Superman is, where he comes from and what he is all about. This is a modern day adaptation based on current comic book editions, that fail to deliver the real core of the greatest super-hero of all-time. If you are able to set aside from the story and just want your money's worth on entertainment... then Man of Steel is a good bet! Otherwise... it will just disappoint you - especially if you are a true die-hard Superman fan like myself.
You are better off still watching the Richard Donner movie Superman filmed in 1978 (trailer) starring the then unknown Christopher Reeve who portrayed Superman on-screen just as much as off it.
