So will Zack Snyder's reboot convince us that Henry Cavill really is the Man Of Steel?
Here are five reasons it's worth seeing:
#1 Henry Cavill
It's difficult, when discussing Henry Cavill, not to simply wax lyrical about his beauty. And we don't say that lightly - the man is beyond beautiful. So beautiful, that he's almost otherworldly - which kind of makes him perfect to play Kal-El.
Thankfully, for those less entranced by those eyes and that smile, Cavill's portrayal of Clark Kent / Superman (both very much one and the same in this incarnation) has gravitas. A quiet calm that lends both authenticity and authority to this most noble of superheroes. Gone are the cloying goodness and bumbling idiocy of previous incarnations in favour of a performance that is wonderfully human and absolutely genuine and believable. He is Superman and, we predict, will remain so for quite some time.
Unfortunately, David S. Goyer's script doesn't quite give Superman enough to do. Cavill might carry this movie on those gorgeous broad, muscular shoulders of his, but the film moves at such a pace the few moments of real character development are brief and fleeting. Honestly, it would've been nice to get to know Clark a little better before he started furiously throwing his fists at things.
#2 Crowe, Shannon & Costner
For all Cavill's charisma, it's this holy trinity of Hollywood that lends credibility to Man of Steel.
Crowe's Jor-El opens the movie, as we see the scientist-cum-action hero take desperate measures to save his son from the dying planet Krypton, and his people from the rule of total nutbar and despot, General Zod. He even does a bit of impressive fighting stuff before being relegated to life as a holographic plot device. And though he does his best, there's only so much pointing we can see Russell Crowe do before we begin to think of it as a waste.
Talking of General Zod, this might just be the role that finally convinces the world of Michael Shannon's brilliance. Such brilliance, in fact, that he really ought to play every evil character ever. A villain with a fanatical belief in his cause, Zod is a monster - but not an unfeeling one. Shannon gives the General layers, and we see regret, frustration and anger as the Kryptonian without a home tries to rebuild his beloved planet.
But it's Kevin Costner who stands out as Clark's Earthly father, Jonathan Kent. He's cuddly and loving and just a really good dad with great wisdom to pass to his son and far too little screen time.
#3 Camp? Not in the slightest
He might be the most super of all superheroes, but Supes has always been a little camp. Even Brandon Routh's incarnation had the whole pants-on-the-outside, hands-on-hips, wink-at-camera thing going on (OK, perhaps not that last, but you get our point). Not anymore. Snyder as finally found a way to take the concept seriously, without feeling any kind of need for knowing humour, or acknowledging the ridiculous premise.
That said, the flipside is that this movie does take itself very seriously. It's earnest to the point of eye rolling in parts. While we applaud Snyder for not attempting to go down the Tony Stark route, a few more laughs would have gone a long way.
#4 To hell with tradition
Yes, this is an origin story, but we're not watching a homage to the comic book - many alterations are made to the traditional tale we know and love. The good news is that it feels like progress, rather than heresy. In fact, it's refreshing to see something new happen with a character as old as time.
The biggest example is Supes' relationship with Lois. Eschewing the always-ridiculous 'Pulitzer prize-winning journo can't see past a pair of glasses' plot, Amy Adams' plucky-but-plain Lane figures out Clark's secret immediately. But sadly, despite a nice effort from Adams, this is kind of where any interest in Lois runs dry. Ballsy she might be, but Lois simply spends the rest of the movie getting in the way like an annoying fly you end up wishing Zod or one of his minions would swat. And then there's this romance that just kind of… happens, with no build up or anything. It's a bit weird.
#5 Power-up
As expected in a film about a man who can fly, Man Of Steel is an orgy of CGI. It's everywhere, from high-tech Krypton, to stuff in space, loads of lens-flare, and plenty of explodey explosions. And for the most part, it's pretty good. This is the first time, really, that the true power of Superman has ever been successfully translated. We don't just see Clark fly, we see him soar - and throw trucks and blow things up with his eyes, and totally obliterate small towns and quite large chunks of cities. As Kal-El faces off against his own, it's entirely satisfying to watch the super powered beings kick the bejesus out of each other. Really hard. Naysayers will doubtless say it's too much. And it probably is - the action barely stops. But if Superman can't be over the top, what can?
GG♥SF Verdict: ♥♥♥♥♥ - perfectly enjoyable, but by no means perfect.
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