Film Review- "Man of Steel"

Man of Steel
Directed by Zack Snyder
Starring Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Kal-El, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as Zod, and Russell Crow as Jor-El

I know this movie came out awhile ago, but frankly when I saw it back in June, I was struggling to decide wether or not I really enjoyed it. Well after letting it sit for a few months, I can honestly say that Man of Steel  is the best Superman film to date.

Given the dated cheesiness of the original Christopher Reeves films and the....I don't even know-ness of Superman Returns, I realize that might not be saying too much. Well anyway, as you can imagine, the film chronicles the life of The Last Son of Krypton. As a baby, Kal-El arrives on Earth, is adopted by the Kent's, and takes the name Clark Kent (Cavill). As he grows into a young man, he travels the world, trying to find his place among humans. Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Adams) is trying to track down and identify him, and a threat from Krypton remerges in the form of General Zod (Shannon).

While much of the typical Superman origin story is what makes this film, they do bring some new aspects to it. Namely Clark's early days as a nomad/wandering hero, the element of a new Krypton on Earth, and the government's unease with Superman. They're interesting plot points and do breathe some new life into the script. The script on a whole however, has some problems.

Our time on Krypton and the first act is rushed and underdeveloped. Some viewers, myself included, might not fully understand the Krypton backstory until Jor-El explains it to Clark in Act Two. The same can be said for Zod's mission and what he's after. That, and there are some moments, story-wise and visually, that are just too silly. These moments hark back to the Christopher Reeve days of Superman, and just don't fit in with this gritty, more realistic version of Superman Snyder has crafted.

The performances in the film are fantastic. Henry Cavill is the perfect Superman. Amy Adams is the perfect Lois Lane. Michael Shannon is the ultimate villain as Zod. Russell Crowe shines as Jor-El. Kevin Costner is, decent, as John Kent (I'm sorry but it just always seems to me like Kevin Costner doesn't care). Even the supporting cast like Henry Lennix and Christopher Meloni are great additions.

The visuals are great. Hans Zimmer's score is great. I can't deny this is a well-made film. I can't ignore the fact that at times Snyder goes for style over substance though, and with the upcoming sequel (Where Superman teams up with BATMAN!!!), they need to fix that problem. On a whole though, Man of Steel is another enjoyable superhero film. It may not have the power of The Dark Knight or The Avengers, but it will certainly stay fresh in viewer's minds for a few years to come.