As anyone who has been to the movies in the last few years has seen, superhero movies are the premiere blockbusters of summer. Given the success of the recent Dark Knight Trilogy, which grossed $2.5 billion 
worldwide, you can make a case for rebooting a classic hero and having Christopher Nolan’s name attached. Seems like easy gold. But in Hollywood, it’s not always that simple of an equation.
Whereas Batman comes pre-packaged as a vigilante soul with a dark past, Man of Steel tried to marry the original Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster 1930s version of Superman as rough and aggressive, to the 1940s Ellsworth code of (and more recent) Superman as the genteel, non-lethal All American Alien, subsequently played here by the handsome British actor, Henry Cavill. The dichotomies of the characterizations loudly collide at times, but ultimately you can see Superman’s struggle with being forced to be violent against his morals.The beginning of the film showcases a long, and lavish, scene of the destruction of Krypton. It introduces us to Superman’s, or as he’s known here Kal-el, biological parents, Jor-El and Lara, played by Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer. The scene features a wonderfully shot sci-fi battle and ends with the punishment of rebel leader General Zod, played by Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Shannon, and his fellow rebels. Zod vows to find Kal-El on whatever planet his parents sent him to.
We then pick up the story after Kal-El becomes Clark Kent and is the adoptive child of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane’s Jonathan and Martha Kent. We see the steps the Kents take to keep their child’s special abilities a secret from the rest of the world and what happens after Clark’s morals shine through and he feels compelled to act.
Among the times he acts is after Amy Adams’ Lois Lane follows him onto what is a ship left on Earth from Krypton and she is perilously injured. Clark uses his laser vision to cauterize her wound and then leaves her behind as he learns just who he is and where he came from, with the help of the ghost of Jor-El. Superman is born when Jor-El gives him the new-look version of the Superman suit – a tight, navy blue wetsuit, with red boots and cape. As Superman tells Lois later, the ‘S’ on his chest is the symbol of hope on Krypton.
Throughout the film, we see a surprising lack of humor. There are a couple parts that get a chuckle, but the normal bumbling charm of past Superman films and shows is not there. This could be a rather concerted effort by director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) and screenplay writer David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy) to separate the film from both its predecessors and the current crop of Marvel-powered superhero movies, as this is a DC Comics franchise hopeful.
The film is jam packed, from top to bottom, with hardly a second to breathe. We see everything from the origin story, to the coming-of-age for Clark Kent (with a nice light touch on the Smallville aspect), to sci-fi, to action, and last but not least, a beginning of a love story.
Some of the classic Superman bits are still there to help bring together possible new fans and old fans of the character. Lois Lane still works at the Daily Planet under Perry White, one of young Clark’s friends in Smallville is Lana, and during the final fight sequence, we see an oil tanker from LexCorp (Lex Luthor’s company) get blown to bits.
The film is sure to be a blockbuster, given all the hype that surrounded it. If you’re looking to introduce someone to Superman or to give Dad his choice at the movie theatre, this is a good pick. If you’re a hardcore Superman fan, you’re probably going to find issues. The movie stands on its own legs within the Superman universe and maybe with time (and a sequel or two) will find better footing to prove its staying power.
Man of Steel is a Warner Bros. Pictures film, rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language. The running time is 143 minutes.
