Plot
Faced with the impending doom of his planet Krypton, science chief Jar-El (Russell Crowe) sends his only son - the baby Kal-El - to Earth for safety away from the military might of General Zod (Michael Shannon). On Earth, Kal-El becomes Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and with the help of his foster parents (Diane Lane & Kevin Costner) he must learn who and what he is.
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| 'S'alright door, I've got this.' |
Review
Superman, Supes, Kal-El, Clark Kent: DC Comics’ flagship spandexed alien has as many names as he’s had films. But while the names remain timeless the films have not and the ‘Superman’ franchise has been wallowing in the mire of ‘almost’ for over 30 years. 2013 sees the release of yet another re-boot, this time helmed by director Zack ‘300’ Snyder with the relatively green Henry Cavill donning the iconic red cape.
Man of Steel is technically impeccable, sporting quality visual effects (as it should with a $200 million + budget) and masterful camera-work and choreography. The sound mixing and editing are similarly superb and compliment a customarily rousing score from Hans ‘BLAHRM’ Zimmer.
If there’s one word to describe Man of Steel it’s ‘scope.’ This is a film that start’s things off with Russel Crowe’s Jar-El flying across the dying planet Krypton through the midst of an outrageously large warzone aback a four-winged dragon beastie. The final act, wherein Supes is finally given the chance to flex his muscles is nothing short of cinematic, blockbuster perfection. The action scenes are brutal and enormous, masterfully shot and edited, with a terrifically organic sound pallet as a garnish, throwing characters and audience from set-piece to set-piece, ranging from American suburbia to the Indian ocean. Marvel’s Avengershas nothing on this, though both include an almighty tear-up in the much-maligned Grand Central station.
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| Nobody expected the opera section. |
However, the technical gravitas and visual pomposity additionally to serve highlight just how, well, empty the film is. No warmth or human interest, no humour (outside of the exceptionally poor dialogue) and character development amounts to little more statements of intent, which works about as well as it sounds. Despite it’s near 2.5 hours runtime, it always feels like it’s in a rush, a rush that doesn’t get it anywhere. Scenes cut disconcertingly from flashbacks to the present, represented by Clark’s new job or something similar and character’s move and react in ways that are actively strange and bemusing. Plot-holes – as with anything remotely sci-fi – are rife though they may be better described as ‘plot oversights,’ nothing game-breaking but still obtrusive enough to stick around like a bad smell in the air.
The screenplay however is a train-wreck. Man of Steel’s pacing is comparable to wresting pigeons – really freaking weird if not utterly non-existent – and the dialogue throughout is cringe worthy, drawing giggles and titters out of this reviewer’s screening when they were clearly not intended. Lines land like anvils, stinking like a sewer, and while the cast does a remarkable job with the clunky mess given to them, the sheer dramatic incompetency of many scenes threatens to irrevocably grate.
Man of Steel is a film that takes itself painfully seriously and harps on about its core themes and ideas with majestic unsubtlety. For a fun side game, tally the amount of times Kal-El’s relationship with Earth/Krypton is discussed, or his ‘destiny.’ You’d swear that little Clark couldn’t have a conversation with his adoptive father Jonathan without being forcefully apotheosized: ‘Hey Dad, can I have a Coke?’, ‘One day Clark, you’ll decide the fate of all the Coke in the world.’
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| 'Clark, one day you'll have a haircut.' |
Playing Superman can’t be an easy job for an actor on the basis of his supreme benevolence and general untouchability; his multitude of fantastical powers ultimately create a remarkably uninteresting character, especially in comparison his famously conflicted colleagues a la Bruce Wayne. There’s very little at stake for him and conflicts can easily feel contrived as, outside of certain particular parameters, he can be neither hurt nor killed. It’s an issue that cripples Man of Steel for a big chunk of its runtime; until Zod turns up in the 3rd Act, the film is bereft of conflict and any kind of dramatic interest. It’s empty and more than a little dull, the sight of Cavill’s obscene pecks and Olympian physique doing little to alleviate the prevailing sense of ‘so what?’
Fortunately then, when he does eventually escape from the black hole prison he was flung into because of reasons, Zod is played with a superb intensity by Michael Shannon. Despite his obvious moral shortcomings (genocide is never cool, dude) Zod is by far the most interesting character if no reason other than he feels like a character. He has obvious goals and desires and is passionate about them, disturbingly so, a characteristic excellently pitched by Shannon. It’s just a real shame that none of the rest of the cast, despite the wealth of acting ability on show, even threatens to encroach upon Shannon’s maniacal dominance. Amy Adam’s Lois Lane in particular feels far more like a label than a character.
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| Lois refused to listen to any more Rick Astley. |
Verdict
As a visual and action extravaganza there are very few better offerings that Man of Steel; eclectic, explosive and exciting when it wants to be, it sometimes feel as though it’s smugly holding back just because it can. As an impassioned origins story in the vein of Batman Begins however, it’s as deep as Superman’s costume is baggy.
3/5
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