Man of Steel is crushing the box office, but is it really worth it? Will DC finally venture out to other superheroes if this movie does well? I certainly hope so. They need to get with the program and try to catch up to Marvel’s commanding box office presence, and maybe Man of Steel will give them the confidence to do so.
This film has some of the best superhero fights you can find anywhere! Superman and the evil Kryptonians try to beat each other senseless, but seeing as how they’re all almost invulnerable, it just leads to some extraordinary fight sequences with massive amounts of destruction. At heart, Zack Snyder is a man who knows how to shoot the hell out of a fight scene, and as a result we get to see the Kryptonians all use their powers creatively and with flair, whether they’re taking the fights up to the air, down to the ground, or anywhere in between. These awesome throwdowns only happen in the last act of the movie, though, and most of the rest of the film is a quiet affair.
The story works well for the kind of Batman Begins-ish vibe they’re going for- one that treats its subject with respect- but it’s also lacking a bit in the fun factor. This movie would have really benefited from some more levity. Maybe a few more jokes, maybe spending some time with Superman enjoying his powers instead of purely being broody about them, something. As it is everything’s a little too moody, and while that’s fine, after a while it starts to drag.
Warning- this paragraph is dedicated to drooling over Cavill. Please proceed to the next paragraph if not interested. Thanks. Henry Cavill must have been made from actual steel, because good grief is he one handsome dude. His face looks like it was hand carved by Michelangelo himself, and his shoulders are so perfectly-muscled they’re twice the size of his waist. Superhero suits are generally pretty unforgiving on the human figure, but that doesn’t matter for Cavill. There’s nothing there to forgive!
Cavill is a great choice to play Clark Kent/Superman, and not just because he has a rockin’ bod’ and a face so handsome you could get drunk off of it. He really conveyed the inner turmoil of a man torn between two worlds, burdened by the responsibility of his incredible power. There’s a good sense of how loyal Superman is, and how much he longs to do good. All in all it was a strong performance from Cavill, one that’s almost enough to make me re-watch Immortals. Amy Adams does a great job as Lois Lane, but there’s a bit of a fumble with her character. While she starts off strongly enough as this tough-as-nails reporter, she’s fairly quickly relegated to typical heroine roles, like being kidnapped or providing emotional support for the male lead, rather than having any issues of her own to deal with. It doesn’t kill the film, but it is disappointing that she’s not given more emphasis on her rather than just her relation to Superman.
Man of Steel gets weighed down in its super-seriousness sometimes, but overall it’s still one super-enjoyable flick worthy of anyone’s time.
Best Kill: Faora jumps on top of a fighter plane high in the air. She rips off the top of the jet when the camera switches to someone else’s point of view. From a distance you see her going for the pilot’s head and then a huge blood cloud come flying out. Gah! This is one time where you don’t need to see an up close shot of what’s going on. That blood cloud says it all!
Action Rating: 3 Men of Steel out of 5!
Overall Enjoyment: 4 Men of Steel out of 5!
This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!
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