Man of Steel


A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind. -- (C) Warner Bros
 Jun 14, 2013 Wide
$128.7M
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It's time to set the record straight on the new blockbuster movie Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill and directed by Zack Snyder. It's pathetic how "movie critics" have collectively decided to pile on this movie, smugly whining about "lack of character development", or "too much action." Give me a break, guys. Pull your heads out of your butts and realize what this movie is. With an epic scope and incredible special effects, courtesey of Zack Snyder, and a rousing dramatic score by Hans Zimmer, and capable performances by well-chosen actors, Man of Steel is a very close contendor to be my favorite movie so far this year. 

It is quite a bit better, in my opinion, than Iron Man 3, which was rated 78% by movie critics on rotten tomatoes. And it's neck and neck to be every bit as incredible as Into Darkness, which is rated at 87% on rotten tomaotes. Yet, Man of Steel sits at a paltry 55% on RT among critics. Interesting, though, that it has an 82% rating among moviegoers. (AKA- actual human beings).

In other words, don't listen to the idiot critics. Trust me, I have agreed with movie critics more times than I can count, and often to the opposite opinion of general moviegoers. But in this case, the critics have it wrong and the public has it nailed. Man of Steel is an inspired, and wide-scale movie that sweeps you into its landscape with layered imagery, detailed and incredible views of planet Krypton (which were basically a mere afterthought in the sacred Christopher Reeves version). And, despite the legendary Marlon Brando portrayal of Superman's dad in the originals, Russell Crowe was born to fill those shoes as the pioneering father of Kal El. Kevin Costner is also really inspired as Pa Kent, who raises Clark from infancy. Amy Adams shines as well, as hard-hitting news reporter Lois Lane. I wasn't sold on her at first, but as the movie progressed, I was caught up in her character and believed it totally.

Also, kudos to these filmmakers for taking General Zod and his crew from being a laughable cheesy relic of the 70's and updating them for modern audiences.We get the back story explanation of who General Zod is and what motivates him. How can critics say there is no character development? That's all the entire movie is! It's a giant character piece laying down the origin groundwork of Superman.

I, for one, pray that there are many Man of Steel sequels by this same team of filmmakers. It's also a rare film that I would actually enjoy seeing twice on the big screen, if given the chance. I can't even say that about Into Darkness. If you haven't seen it in theaters yet, give yourself a chance to enjoy elegant visuals and fast-moving storytelling on a scale that was designed for the big screen.

Finally, I am excitedly anticipating who will play Lex Luthor in the next one. The producers have already made interessting choices with casting iconic characters, like Laurence Fishburne as Perry and female Jimmy Olsen.



Comments

  1. Jessie5:02 PM

    Interesting...

    I really wanted to like Man of Steel, but I have to say I actually agree with the critics on this one. The exposition isn't bad, and Amy Adams is always a plus, but it was hard for me to engage in the exhausting finale because I had so little invested in the characters. Despite all of the flashbacks, and his Wolverine-like quest to find himself, Cavill's Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman still fell flat for me.

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  2. I'm agreeing with Jessie here. The best I can give this movie is 3 out of 5 stars because I felt like it finished poorly. The final fight scene (scenes?) seem to drag on forever, and I found myself looking at my watch wondering how much longer was left in the movie. I also didn't buy the romance with Lois Lane. It felt forced, they should've just left that to be developed in the sequel rather than just randomly kissing in the end ("I guess we love each other now?").

    One other thing, wouldn't Superman try to lure the bad guy away from the citizens of Metropolis, those whom he's sworn to save? And wouldn't he be more concerned with saving the people in the buildings that are crumbling around him instead of kissing Lois Lane?

    I really wanted to like this movie more. Honestly I was pretty into it up until around the point when Superman turns himself in to Zod.

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  3. I really liked the movie. I do not know much about Superman, but I was so excited about this movie, because an updated series was needed so badly. I really liked the casting. Like Evan, I was really concerned about whether or not Amy Adams could pull off this role, but I was pleasantly surprised. I also loved that the younger actors that played Clark Kent actually looked like Henry Cavill. (There are too many movies where the child actors don't look like the adult that they are playing.)

    I loved that Superman went to a place with ice and snow like the original movie/comics. I also loved seeing and learning about Krypton. I enjoyed learning about characters. I loved how the younger Clark Kent had to deal with his powers at a young age.

    I also thought that it was very interesting that the movie alluded so heavily to Christianity. I found out today that Warner Brothers released a prepared sermon to pastors around the country to go along with the movie. Interesting!

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  4. Tim & Jessie - I'm surprised at everyone's adverse reaction to Man of Steel, but I guess it strikes everyone differently. I appreciated the tone and ambition of it. I hope the next one has a bit more humor, but it was ok. I loved the action scenes and I thought they were really riveting. I never got bored, but maybe I'm just easily entertained!

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