Logan Sork Film Reviews
Man of Steel
The original 1978 Superman starring Christopher Reeve is considered the quintessential comic book film that all others have been inspired by. While the film spawned many sequels, they all seemed like fake copies of the original. In 2013 divisive director Zack Snyder decided to move away from the perfect optimistic version of superman for a darker more subversive take on the character with Man of Steel. While this film is divisive amongst fans, I personally love it. The film boasts amazing technical craftsmanship, from the direction, effects, set design and score as well as a well-rounded cast. And while it may have problems with its story and overreliance on action, the film more than makes up fort it by giving us a superman that is more like us in his struggles to find out his place in a larger world.
Man of Steel is directed by Zack Snyder and is a reboot of the Superman film franchise and the first installment in the DC Extended Universe. The story centers around Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) as he is sent to earth as a baby after his home world Krypton is destroyed. As he grows, he begins to question who is and why he was sent here. His adoptive earth father Johnathan (Kevin Costner) warns him to keep his growing powers a secret or else society will reject him. Years go by and he discovers an ancient Kryptonian ship with a program of his father, Jor-El (Russel Crowe) who tells him of his purpose to save their race and unite the two worlds. Meanwhile, reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) investigates who exactly Clark is and why he has been such a legend among the local townsfolk. Clark must come to grips with who he truly is as a threat from his home world threatens to destroy the world he has called home all his life.
Out of all of the films based around Superman, this is probably my favorite despite all of the divisive choices made. One reason in particular is that it shows superman as a flawed person rather than the godlike figure other media forms make him out to be. The film takes its time to explore the conflicting ideas that each father figure gave him. His real father wants him to inspire the people and bring the two worlds together, while his adoptive father wants him to hide his powers out of fear of the panic that it would cause. It is this central conflict that allows us to relate to superman as we often get conflicting suggestions and struggle to figure out who we are in our own life times. He’s also not perfect and must grow emotionally and physically. On his first flight, he falls out of the sky. But rather than quitting, he keeps on trying until he finally manages to achieve flight. It is this imperfect version of superman that to me makes him seem more man than super, something no other cinematic version of the character has achieved.
The film is also fantastic on a technical level. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny the fact that Zack Snyder’s films are beautiful, and Man of Steel is no different. There are so many shots that look like they are more likely to be found in a comic book than a film, proving that he and cinematographer Larry Fong know how to take what’s on the page and translate it perfectly to the big screen. The production designs and sets are radically different than another superman film- they are darker and more alien-like. While it did take a while to get used to, I think that these designs manage to fit into the lore of Superman without going to far. Then there is Hans Zimmer’s fantastic score, which elevates every scene on screen to truly epic levels. Whether it’s a quiet conversation between Clark and his father or a riveting action sequence, Zimmer’s score makes everything beautiful on an auditory level.
The technical aspects of the film are complemented beautifully by the outstanding ensemble cast. Henry Cavill isn’t quite as good of an actor as the rest of the cast, but he manages to walk the fine line between Clark Kent and Superman amazingly. Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe are both excellent in the roles of Clark’s fathers, with each giving a nuanced performance and allowing both sides to equal one another. Amy Adams is great as Lois Lane as she gives the role a tougher persona than past portrayals and Michael Shannon is fantastic as the over the top yet menacing General Zod.
While I love this film, I will admit it does have some problems. While the action sequences are excellent, and they often avoid the quick cutting that plagues many action films, there are times where it is just overwhelming. There are two in particular that feel like they have well overstayed their welcome, which is unfortunate because they were good, but they were just too long. The film’s narrative isn’t as polished as one might hope. The movie takes a non-linear approach to the origin of superman, often cutting back and forth between his childhood and the present. I feel as if the narrative would’ve been more focused if the story was told in a traditional way. While Amy Adams was good as Lois Lane, there are several times in the film where her character is often written in as a damsel in distress in the most unnatural ways. And yes, I will agree with most people that some of the choices made in terms of the character of superman could’ve bee handled a little better.
Despite it’s flaws however, Man of Steel is an excellent revisionist take on the character of Superman that allows us to view a different perspective on the comic book icon. By portraying superman as someone who struggles with moral beliefs, the film becomes more accessible to people who also struggle I this way. Couple the themes with an amazing technical level of filmmaking, and you’ve got yourself an excellent, if flawed, superhero film with more themes and ideas than you’ll find in most other flicks of the genre.
8.5/10