First of all, I want to make clear that, as with everything comic-related that I enjoy, I only get a chance to read the comics every so often, and while this is true, I am a huge Superman fan. I am also a huge Batman fan (and just to get it out there, while I believe Batman could beat Superman, I doubt that he actually would). In fact I am one of the few people I know of who doesn't have a clear preference between the DC Three, i.e. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. I enjoyed both of the old Superman movies, though I do admit that Superman II, the last in the franchise (what other three movies?), was a much weaker film. I liked both of the Burton Batman movies, and even liked a majority of the stuff in Batman Forever, and while I liked the Dark Knight Trilogy probably just as much, I really hated Bale in the role (but that's a whole other review). I like the classic Superman, and I like the New 52 reiteration of the character. I loved the Superman cartoon that spun off of Batman: The Animated Series. I love DC and it's characters, at least as much as I love Marvel, but unlike the Marvel movies, I don't think any of the DC live action films have ever even come close to being the best on-screen renditions of the DC characters possible. For many years, I even would go so far as to say that DC should stick to animated films, all of which I really enjoy, and most of which I own. When Man of Steel (and Justice League, but again, another time) was announced, I was anxious. I want to see DC do what Marvel has done, I really do, and I knew that the Bale Batman movies were never meant to exist in a universe where Supes exists, so I knew that Man of Steel would be the first in a line of DC movies intended to mirror the massive universe that Marvel has built cinematically. I knew, therefore, that this was going to be the basis on which that universe came to be judged, and that it would have to really impress the way Iron Man did.
Did Man of Steel succeed? Well, yeah, I think it did. It was no Iron Man, but then again, Superman and Iron Man are two completely different characters. Personally, I think the Superman story has more in common with the Thor story, seeing as how both are from another world, both come to Earth with little idea of why they are there, and both must prove themselves to become all that they are capable of being. Superman is a character whose only restrictions are self-inflicted, and the journey to overcome them is synonymous with his journey to find his true self, much like Thor in the movie universe, and, well, we all know that Thor had some pretty strong weaknesses, mainly the long stretch in the middle where there wasn't really very much happening, and a totally predictable ending. Yet audiences still enjoyed Thor, and here's why they like Man of steel a lot less.
While both stories hold many similarities to each other, Man of Steel is played completely straight. There is some humor, but not much, and it is all framed by this intense dread just in the background. The only truly joy-filled scene in the entire movie was when Clark first learns to fly. Also, while Thor had a predictable ending, Man of Steel suffered from what almost killed The Amazing Spider-Man: everyone knows the Superman origin story, or some form of it. While the people who made Man of Steel really tried to change some stuff up here and there and keep it fresh, it was still the same alien Moses story we've all heard before, and it was really drawn out. Visually stunning as all getout, but drawn out. At least Amazing Spider-Man got through the origin stuff pretty quick. Then there is a lull in Man of Steel, where stuff is just happening, where Clark is just wandering around wondering if he should be a superhero, because his Earth dad warned him that people aren't ready for someone like him. This brings me to the main issue that I have with this movie, not the lull, but the portrayal of Jonathan Kent. Not only does he actively fight against Clark using his abilities to help people, he dies because of it. This is not the Jonathan Kent that I know from other Superman stories, and it really pissed me off.
Still, for everything that this movie did wrong, it did two things right. Clark's mom was great, and while I don't usually like Russell Crowe, I thought he was great as Jor'El, Superman's birth father. Superman was portrayed well, though I'll be the first to admit that Superman himself isn't the most riveting guy. Frankly, the character I wanted to see done well the most was Lois Lane. There hasn't been a live action Lois that I've really Liked since Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the nineties. And, well, let me tell you Amy Adams did not disappoint. Not only that but Zod and his henchmen were much more credible and threatening than in the old Superman II. No matter how hard Supes tried, he could not save everyone this time, it just wasn't possible, and I like that. When you're a guy who can't die, it's the losses of others which force you to develop as a character. Not only that but this movie gave us a much more credible reason for Superman's incredible vitality, even amongst members of his species (you know, better than "the sun and stuff"), and finally, finally, a version of Lois not only wasn't fooled by the Clark glasses, she actually managed to figure out who Superman was using her formidable investigative skills before he even had a secret identity, something that I was never convinced that Lois couldn't do.
Not to mention that as predictable as the beginning was, as slow as the middle was, and despite the fact that we all knew Supes would win in the end, the climax was really spectacular. The effects were great, the action was great, and the final stage of the climax forced Superman to break his code and actually take a life. Now, before you say "but a bunch of people died in this movie during fights with Superman, how is that one death any different?", yeah, the fight with Zod clearly caused a lot of deaths, but all that time Supes was trying to prevent loss of life, hoping that Zod could be reasoned with. While this seems stupid and naïve, this is why I love Superman: no matter what he truly believes that people can be better. This movie not only captured that aspect of Superman perfectly, it also forced him to grow by realizing that there is a difference between being hopeful, and being naïve. That's why, overall, I really liked this movie, and why I'm really looking forward to seeing a new version of Batman who exists in this universe in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, and why, if this were a review, I'd give the movie an 8 out of 10, not so much on its own merits (which would have earned it an average 6 or 7), but for the potential that it brings.
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