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| Warner Bros. |
The comic book community and its superheroes, from DC to
Marvel and all those in-between, is enormous, but there are few figures within
it that measure as tall as Superman.
From the first Max Fleischer cartoons to the last filmic attempt in
2006’s Superman Returns, the
character has stood not only as a landmark superhero but as an important
cultural icon. The story of a lost
Kryptonian raised on Earth to later become one of its greatest protectors is
known the world over, and such it is that any new adaptation is met with great
interest. Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder, written by David S. Goyer,
and produced by Christopher Nolan, is that new adaptation, the beginning of a fresh
Superman franchise. Starring Amy Adams
as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and Henry Cavill as the new man
in blue, the film gives us the classic tale for a new age, a stirring visual
feast that, despite its weak and even illogical writing, still manages to
succeed.
Man of Steel is
the latest film from director Zack Snyder, who has been both praised and
derided for his heavily stylistic approach; for every success like Dawn of the Dead, there’s a hard-hitting
failure like Sucker Punch. Said approach of style over
substance is somewhat at play here, the end result being a film that is one of the
most visually arresting blockbusters of the year. When it comes to setting up the screen, from
the breathtaking opening shot of a massive sun looming over a dying Krypton to
the masterful Smallville fight sequence between Superman and the invading
Kryptonians, there is no denying that Snyder is a visionary. During the latter scene, which is arguably
one of the best in the film, you feel the force behind Superman’s every
punch, the rush of air behind Faora’s (standout Antje Traue) every dodge, and
even in an age where superhero fights are a dime a dozen, this one seems truly
special. The one quality that Snyder
always lacked is subtlety, and there are certainly times where that
characteristic hurts the film. For
example, the “Superman is Jesus” comparison has been drawn before in other
media, but the imagery here is beaten to death and back over the course of the
film’s runtime, going so far as to literally frame Clark against a
stained-glass portrait of Jesus Christ. However, it also brings big payoffs; the
immediate jump cut from a crashing Kryptonian space ship to the crashing waves
on an Alaskan sailboat is brilliant, and the image of Superman sinking into a
mountain of skulls while Zod taunts him about the razing of Earth will no doubt
be one of the most memorable of the summer.
Zack Snyder’s fingerprints are all over the cinematic aspects of Man of Steel, and this time around, it’s
something to be excited about.
On another positive note, Henry Cavill more than succeeds as
the latest Superman, bringing both the strong emotional core and the raw
physicality needed to play someone as mighty as the Son of Krypton. From the way that he talks to the military
officers with a calmness that belies power, to the way in which he glides and
shoots through the air, this Superman is a force of nature. Additionally, Snyder, Goyer, and Nolan have
taken a somewhat reversed approach to the classic Superman mythos; this
particular adaptation is less about a person coming to terms with his alien
nature than an alien coming to terms with his humanity. This story, and presumably the ones that will
follow, focus strongly upon Superman’s status as an outsider, as the last of
his kind, and Cavill does an excellent job at bringing across that core within
his character. It’s a darker route, a
more introspective tone similar to the one present in the latest Batman trilogy,
which should come as no surprise given Christopher Nolan’s involvement. Even though there are
several bumps in this new Superman arc, the overall foundation is solid, and
hopefully Cavill’s rendition will explore new avenues in the character in future
films. In the supporting roles, Amy
Adams does an admirable job as the newest Lois Lane, making her more a dynamic
force in the ongoing story, although the romantic chemistry between her and
Cavill leaves something to be desired.
Michael Shannon, ever the man to go to when you need something screamed
in rage, gives a great performance as General Zod, the former military leader
of Krypton. Whereas any other actor
might have made Zod the dastardly figurehead to be defeated, Shannon injects a
large amount of pathos into his performance, playing the villain as a man understandably
at the end of his rope, doing whatever he can to save the last vestiges of his
people. Special mention should also be
made of Diane Lane’s Martha Kent, an endearing soft spot in what can sometimes
be a dour film, Russell Crowe’s Jor-El, who opens up the film with a bang and
provides what could have been a minor character with some scene-stealing
gravitas, and again of Antje Traue’s Faora, wherein the relative unknown packs
a sense of power and menace to match even Shannon.
Unfortunately, just as the case was with Star Trek Into Darkness, the biggest
weakness of Man of Steel is its
somewhat befuddling screenplay. Written
by David S. Goyer, who most famously penned the latest Batman trilogy with
Christopher Nolan, the script does birth a few great moments but also has the
tendency to dive bomb past cheesiness into the territory of absurdity, making
some character and plot choices that defy common sense. The first of these choices is the depiction
of Jonathan Kent, husband of Martha, father to Clark, and the moral center in
most Superman stories, here played by Kevin Costner. Although there is little doubt that this particular
rendition of Jonathan loves his family, he also spends a great majority of his
screentime assuring Clark that the world would not accept him as an alien, that
he would do better to hide his great abilities than use them for good, going so
far as to sacrifice his life for the secret.
It’s such a strange turn of face for the character, one that has
traditionally been supportive of his son both as Clark and as Kal-El; the death
scene in particular feels so hamfisted, so out of place, that the Pa Kent
character feels lost.
The second point of issue, and arguably the most discussed
post-release, is the level of destruction within the film, especially during
the final half hour. There’s a huge
amount of disconnect here between what we know about Superman, what is stated
in the film, and what we eventually see on screen. In most of his adaptations, Superman tries
his best to stop villains while still protecting the people around him, reining
in his superpowers unless it’s absolutely necessary to let go; the fantastic “World
of Cardboard” speech from the animated series Justice League Unlimited exemplifies that point. In addition, Crowe’s Jor-El continually
reminds his son of his responsibility as a leader on Earth, a figure of hope,
truth, and justice, his hologram stating during the second act prison escape, “You
can save them. You can save them all.”
And yet, when we come down to the final battle sequence in Metropolis,
one already partially destroyed by the effects of the World Engine, Superman
has no problem continuing the battle with Zod in the already devastated
city. The issue isn’t only the
collateral damage in itself, but the fact that it feels so unnecessary, so
avoidable, so surprising that our hero would take no efforts to move the fight
out of harm’s way. Superman has always
been a protector, a defender of the weak, so it’s alarming to see him not even
attempt to save those within his line of sight, save for Lois Lane.
Which brings us to the final contentious choice, that being
the resolution to the film’s final fight, which has Superman killing General
Zod by snapping his neck. It’s a shocking
moment, one that created a sort of hush in my theater that you don’t come
across too often these days. There is,
of course, the obvious issue that Superman does not kill, that within many of
his previous adaptations, live-action or animated or comic book or otherwise,
he goes out of his way to assure that he does not kill. That’s not to say that Superman can never kill, that he is banned from
killing in all his iterations, but to do so in the very first installment of a
new series, to begin this particular hero’s new arc with blood on his hands,
feels unwarranted. One is supposed to assume
that he had no other choice, that killing Zod was a necessary evil that had to
be done, but it takes little effort to think of a dozen different scenarios
that don’t involve death. Most
importantly, making such a huge decision so early in a franchise needs to feel
earned, needs to have the proper build-up and tension and legitimacy, and when
that snap finally happens and Superman wails in despair, it feels nothing if
not forced. Such is the overall problem
with the Kent death, the Zod death; instead of allowing these moments to form
organically from the story and its characters, they feel railroaded in by the
screenwriter, events jammed into Clark Kent’s life with no purpose outside
creating a dark, brooding Superman. Such
a figure can certainly exist in this new DC Universe, but the lack of finesse,
of confidence, in David S. Goyer’s approach towards that creation is
astounding.
For better or for worse, Man of Steel presents us with a very
different Superman. He’s still
Krypton-born and Kansas-bred, still fights to protect truth and justice, but
there’s an undercurrent of angst and pain that is rarely associated with the
character. Here, maybe more than any
other adaptation, he is a foreigner, a paragon of justice enshrouded in danger
and perhaps even disaster. It’s a unique
road to take the iconic character down, one that has had its fair share of fans
and revilers, and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of ripples the events of
this film have not only on the inevitable sequel but the Justice League adaptation, if it ever comes to pass. Overall, Man
of Steel is a thoroughly entertaining summer blockbuster, filled with all
the great action and stunning shots one would expect, as well as an unorthodox at
best, discordant at worst, reframing of Superman and his legendary story.
Grade: B-
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