Man of Steel

Why make another Superman I hear you say, I shall tell you why...because this is what Superman is all about. Henry Cavill, a fairly unknown actor from Jersey known for mainly 'The Tudors' (2010) and 'Immortals' (2011) has certainly made himself a Hollywood star with this one. This much darker, serious and sinister approach to the 'Man of Steel' is brought to us by Zack Synder (300/ Watchman) and Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight trilogy/ Inception) who both equally add something memorable to this well known story. With these two on board you know what type of film your getting; you know that Superman is going to be more mysterious than ever and you will find yourself constantly asking questions about this new and improved superhero. Alongside Superman we have Russell Crowe as Jor-El  and Amy Adams as Lois Lane, bringing a competent performance to the all American gal (is it me or do you imagine Lois as a brunette? Not sure if the red head really worked for me). Having said that their chemistry on screen is as fiery as ever with a few passionate hugs and kisses.

Usually we would see Clark face his mortal enemy Lex Luthur but here we have him face General Zod which of course we have seen in previous episodes; here played by Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, 2010) delivering a perform full of wrath and as ever the good guy defeats him but hey guys this is a Superhero film! We also get to see Krypton at large in this instalment of Clark Kent. The first thirty minutes of this film will blow your mind with special effects and graphics you see on this planet before it implodes.  Aside from praising the effects which are truly ground breaking apace with the 3D (and I'm usually a 2D girl!) I think the whole build up the writers developed to the declaration of Kal-El finding out who he really is, belly flops with a few simple lines where he tells his mother (Martha Kent) and she simply accepts it, not really giving any advice at all (think my mum would have a bit more to say about it!). Nonetheless, the back story we get is very detailed and we dive ever deeper into the past of the 'Man of Steel'. We see how difficult his life had been hiding from who he really is and why he needs to find out the answers to all his questions. Certainly we have seen a twist on the background through the eyes of, 'Smallville' that takes a look at Supermans early years, albeit here we have perfectly timed flashbacks and recalls that enable the audience to understand why Clark is the man he is. So I do suppose I shouldn't object too much as we get the Man of Steel on our planet to ultimately save it (again) by turning himself in and risk rejection from the entire human race. This is Clark Kent after all and he is destined to save the world - minus the red panties I may add, which some hard core fans might not like, but in my opinion this gives Superman a more sophisticated and re-established look in the comic book world. It almost makes Superman look cool again! I digress, enough about how defined Henry Cavill looks in his new get up (biceps all around), the writers David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan have really pulled out all the stops on this one. The emotion created on screen by actors, writers and Hans Zimmers beautifully composed soundtrack is both strong and chilling, evoking lots of feelings for the guys on screen.

Many have verbalised that there is too much fighting and falling through windows and buildings, but hello (viewers and critics alike), this is a superhero film and I think if Nolan can put his name to this then it has to be taken as superhero fighting and nothing too outrageous. There is going to be copious amounts of smashed glass, buildings being obliterated and a serious amount of clean up to do after the punch ups. One fight scene was maybe dragged out a tad longer than it should be have been, all just to end in one simple move of the crack of a neck - but oh how human of our superman instead of using all those fancy powers he has acquired while on earth. Nice touch though, definitely. Consequently, everything in this film all collaborate to create an audio visual explosion that will keep you captivated throughout and keep you routing for the Man of Steel from start to finish. Take it from me, if you like the man in the red cape you wont be complaining. Also watch out for the Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprise logos - very clever DC very clever.    

Directed by - Zach Snyder
143mins, 12A (2013)