Sometimes, when I come out of a movie, I don’t want to analyze or critique it, I just want to gather with like-minded friends and geek out about what we liked. So if you haven’t seen Man of Steel, and you’re inclined to do so, save this column for after the movie, and then picture us outside the theater afterward talking like the film nerds we are:
1. There’s a moment in every movie I like when I finally connect with what’s happening, and then I’m there for the duration. For Man of Steel, it was the scene in which Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent’s father on Earth, dies. (This is not a spoiler. Have you never seen a Superman movie or TV show?) You can see the conflict and angst on Clark’s face, and the peaceful resolution on Jonathan’s face. Combined with the score, it pulls strong emotions out of the audience.
2. I liked the music by Hans Zimmer. Writing music for a Superman movie with John Williams’ famous fanfare still ringing in our ears after 37 years must not have been easy, but Zimmer created a score that’s both rousing, emotional and memorable. I even left the theater humming the main theme, which I rarely do anymore.
3. I thoroughly enjoyed the action. It wasn’t more of what we saw in The Avengers, only bigger and better, but unique and memorable. As villainous forces from Krypton arrive on Earth to fetch Superman, who’s carrying the coding for billions of new Krypton people in his cells, Superman and his rivals unleash a firestorm of destruction such as has never been seen on the big screen. I loved how one character would dart across the screen, and another would catch him and stop him mid-stride or in mid-air. And I love how these power beings would rip through stone and steel-reinforced buildings like they were made of Lincoln Logs. There’s a dark edge to the action, too, as an untold number of innocent bystanders die in the mayhem.
4. Michael Shannon delivers one of the best superhero movie villains, if not the best superhero movie villain, to grace the big screen. General Zod is written, and Shannon plays him, like a man driven by a noble purpose, but who has lost his heart. In this iteration of Superman, Kryptons are bred for a specific purpose, and Zod was born to defend Krypton. So when Krypton is about to implode due to the rulers extracting energy from its core, Zod rebels in the hopes of saving his people. He then pursues Superman to Earth to extract the coding that will allow the Krypton race to be reborn. The nobility of his quest, his willingness to slaughter every human to make it happen and Shannon’s intensity - and just plain evil looks - make for an unforgettable performance.
5. I love the movie’s non-linear structure. Since Man of Steel is the launch pad for a new Superman and DC Comics franchise, its creators were all but obligated to cover their hero’s origins. The problem is we have seen the original story time and again. But instead of walking audiences lockstep through well-worn ground, Snyder and his writer, David Goyer, expand on what took place on Krypton and then sprinkle in snippets of Superman’s younger life throughout the movie. We see him as a young boy, as a teenager, and as a young man striking out on his own. This gives viewers key information without boring them.
6. If there is any humanity in Superman, it’s in his quest for meaning. The first third of the movie is about his quest to discover who he is and his purpose for being here, and the rest of the movie is about him learning to trust mankind and vice versa. The focus on theme gives the characters bones, the story muscle, and the action skin.
You might be wondering why I didn’t mention your favorite thing about Man of Steel. What about Henry Cavill’s performance as Superman or Amy Adams’ work as Lois Lane? I have the things I like, and you have the things you like. Besides, I thought the romance between them was forced and the dialogue written for Cavill after they kiss to be painfully goofy.
But I’m being picky, as movie geeks are prone to be. Man of Steel is a good movie, and should not be missed.
Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence and language. Three stars out of four.