First time I heard about the reboot I had to climb into my brain to figure out what exactly was so wrong about Superman Returns. Wiki was quick to remind me that it had a solid story and a strong cast, and it turned out–as it always does–to be about the money, or rather lack thereof. Well WB shouldn’t worry about this new outing. And from what I have seen and despite a few things I have heard, Man of Steel definitely deserves its box office receipts.
With Zack Snyder and Chris Nolan at the helm I knew I am not to expect a god-of-thunder-meets-metal-man type flick. There will be no bright colors, no script peppered with wisecrack-y jokes–although Man of Steel had its charming taps at humor. The movie digs deep into Superman’s origins the way no one has dared to before, and that is where it anchors its success. For a comic book hero who was born special, invulnerable, how else can people relate to him than to see him falter, shaken, in all means vulnerable? Here we see the man at his weakest, second guessing his every step, and it is from there where he emerges at his strongest. Built on a strong foundation of noteworthy actors, not excluding the silently charismatic Henry Cavill, the film succeeds in this feat.
As with any other movie, Man of Steel met its own share of hiccups. There were so many facets of Kal-el‘s past and present that Snyder wanted to show, and it is easy to see the seams where they were patched together. I could have seen more of Amy Adam‘s brightly feisty Lois Lane, and a lot less of the fight sequences that totaled at least one city and one small town. Those two hours were far from smooth sailing, but it aced it in sheer entertainment value.
And lastly, because I am of the female persuasion, I just really have to put down in writing that Henry Cavill was just breathtakingly fine. That shy unassuming smile on that chiseled jaw would be the death of me. As the small military lady said, “he’s hot,” and really, somebody had to say it.
Click for a sneak peek below. If you haven’t seen it–twice–you really should.
Photo and video credits to owner.
