Movie Review: Man Of Steel (Spoiler Free)

Trey: 4.5 out of 5

Though Ive never been a Superman fan, I now believe that a man can fly. Filled with insane action sequences, great acting and a little bit of emotion, Man Of Steel soars above the summer movie season and offers a film unlike anything I have ever seen. While building an strong foundation for future films and a larger universe. For not being a fan, this is the Superman film I have always wanted to see.

Suzanne: 4.9 out of 5

I am right there with Trey, I have never been the biggest fan of Superman. The one thing that I did like that was Superman related was Smallville and this movie was nothing really like that TV show. But let's get to the movie at hand, Man of Steel. This movie was by far the greatest movie I have seen this summer it was entertaining, slightly comedic and very emotional and overall fantastic.

Overview

This is not the Superman from the 1970's, and is more of a sci fi alien encounter than the superhero films of our past. When Jor-El (Russel Crowe) sends his newborn infant Kal-El to earth before the core of his home planet implodes, and General Zod (Michael Shannon) captures the codex that is traveling with him. The film instantly cuts to an adult Kal-El/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) who is alone and searching for the meaning of his existence on this planet. The film from there continues with varies flashbacks of the childhood experiences of Clark and how he handled his immense power. With Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) hot in his tails Clark is faced with an ultimatum, give himself over to Zod or the whole planet will be destroyed.


Visuals

Trey: Many others and I know that Zack Snyder is a very visual director, and this film utilizes every trick up his sleeve. The CGI is gorgeous and even with an abundance of action and CGI, I never felt like the scenes became tedious. I felt every blow even tho the people delivering them probably couldn't. Amir Mokri really delivered some great cinematography, and the flair and style utilized by Snyder made every scene exhilarating. When Kal-El first took flight my jaw hit the floor, and it was worth every minute.

Suzanne: The visuals in this movie were quite spectacular. I was very impressed by all of the detail of they put into Krypton and how truly amazing the planet looked. The fight scenes were amazing to watch and they looked so beautifully real it was crazy. I was completely floored when Clark Kent first flew, I felt like I could feel the rush with him which was just crazy.


Audio and Score

Trey: I am a big fan of Han Zimmer and his Man of Steel score was pretty spectacular. However there wasn't many different tracks they repeated many. I just believe they were utilized extremely well and added even more excitement to the action scenes.

Suzanne: I loved the score for this movie, it really blew me away. The subtle music throughout the movie really helped to carry the emotions of the actors on the screen and I think that is a very difficult thing to do. It picked up extremely well during the actions scenes as well which just made them that much better.



Acting

Trey: I have no gripes with the acting in the film, if any I felt Shannon was a bit more reserved than id like him to be. Cavill did a tremendous job being this incarnation of Superman. He isn't Christopher Reeve they are very different and I enjoy both versions. Were Reeve was more clumsy and unique outside the suit, Cavill was strong and silent. When he did get to show some charm near the end of the film he did it perfectly, making me believe the end of the film will lead to great things for Cavill in future films. Also another standout for me was Russel Crowe who absolutely kills it as Jor-El. Throughout this entire movie I never once thought about Reeve, or Brando or Terrence Stamp. Each actor portrayed this version of the character phenomenally even with some hokey dialogue. Amy Adams also played a Lois Lane for this age, and made her more than just a damsel in distress, I was rather surprised with how intricate she was to the film. I hear a lot of complaints about how the relationship wasn't there and I feel it just begun. Never once in the film did I feel like they were instantly together even after there kiss and that is perfectly fine with me. This wasn't a love story it was a story about Kal-El finding his path. Also I have a lot of praise towards Kevin Costner as Pa Kent and whoever played Faora.

Suzanne: Fantastic! That is what I have to say about the acting in this movie. Everyone, including a few extras, had amazing performances and I think that is a hard thing to get with movies. I thought Cavill was the perfect choice for Superman, he was rugged and charming and overall a great Superman to watch. Now, his female counterpart Amy Adams also did quite well with her role as Lois Lane. She was quirky and bossy and she played her role perfectly, from the Lois Lane's that I have seen she is definitely my favorite. As for the Kryptonians, a.k.a. Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon, I thought they were quite fun to watch. The way the two of them interacted with each other was very entertaining to watch, even though it was a very short time of interaction. Russell Crowe was bad ass and he completely portrayed his character to a tee, it was spectacular to watch to say the least. I thought with Michael Shannon, having met him at Eberfest, that he was completely the opposite of himself. He was a great villain for this movie and I thought that he was one of the main highlights. The way his character was so angry and crazy about taking over and saving his race was just crazy. Also with Clark's parents I thought they both added a lot of dynamic to the movie, they were both very key emotional parts and they played their parts very, very well.


Story

Trey: This is the portion of the movie that has been getting the most heat for critics and I feel they were expecting something from their past. This isn't the fun loving Superman everyone remembers, this is brand new stuff and good for that. The story was very comic book like and the only complaint I have towards it is that the editing the way it was put together was rather choppy. I felt a linear story could have helped the film, but would make it more like the films of the past. As for an origin story, this is one of the best I have seen. When the film was emotional it succeeded in being that, and when it wanted to be thrilling it was. It was a simple story, but it was an extremely inventive and new way to represent everything from Krypton, to every aspect of the story. I did however feel there may have been a better way to piece the film as a whole together. That is however a nitpick for a film that I feel builds the perfect foundation for future films. While it may not offer the wit and charm of the first Superman films it offers incredible action, likable character and a whole lot of hope. I was with Superman the whole film through every scene and every ounce of pain and agony and I couldn't be happier with it. The way the film ended made me slightly giddy and put Cavill in a very familiar situation that even if you didn't enjoy the film you can see the potential for future success. I agree the essence of the character may not be the same as what everyone from the past believes it should be, however this new Superman is one I will enjoy following throughout his many adventures.

Suzanne: The story for this movie was the beginning of a long journey in my opinion. This is the the very start of the amazing life of Clark Kent and Superman and it was a great start. It is a very good start for audiences to begin to love Superman and follow him just like we have with the Batman Trilogy. I thought as far as filming with the movie it needed less lens flares and not as many close up shots of things we don't really need to see such as the wagon, etc. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the story to be honest.