Is ‘Man of Steel’ Super? It Soars, But It's Not Bulletproof

Written by Jennifer Vigil

Man of Steel, rated PG-13, is playing in Poway at the Digiplex Theater (13475 Poway Rd.) on Saturday and Sunday at 11:10 a.m., noon, 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m and 10:30 p.m. 3D showings are at 1:10 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.Man of Steel is a worthwhile entry in Superman lore, and a far darker film that what fans are used to from this particular superhero. 

But in an age of brooding batmen, angsty spidermen and ironic ironmen, some alterations had to take place, particularly after the disappointment of Superman Returns, a 2006 rendition that harkened too much to the Christopher Reeve-anchored Superman series rather than properly rebooting and taking the franchise in a new direction.
Man of Steel does that job admirably. Here are three impressions of the film:

1. There is acting going on here. Honest-to-goodness emoting, not just mugging and scenery chewing. Amy Adams is a 180-degree curative following Kate Bosworth's lackluster take on Lois Lane in Superman Returns. Michael Shannon, as General Zod, makes you care about the reasons for his villainy even as, like Kal-El and his father before him, you reject his monstrous methods. Kevin Costner shines in all-American roles, and who's more all-American than Jonathan Kent? He carries perhaps the film's most affecting moment.

2. Superman is downplayed on many levels. The film is not called Superman, the famous S isn't necessarily for super and our hero is barely referred to as such. In fact, Henry Cavill as the man in the cape sometimes seems a supporting player in his own story. He's appropriately hot, as one female soldier notes, but also rather blank.

3. The mayhem overload is considerable and wears on too long, which is grating after the carefully crafted aspects of the early story. Zod smash. We get it. You can look at the glass as half full – we are dealing with superpowered extraterrestrials here. Perhaps it's appropriate for them to move too fast for the naked eye to discern? Or half empty – perhaps it's just sloppy, indistinct CGI.

Here's what high profile critics are saying: 

“Man of Steel is a half-great movie — the first half ...” Time.com

“... Fight scenes like these have become de rigueur centerpieces in comic-book popcorn extravaganzas, but here they go on forever and have a numbing sameness ...” Entertainment Weekly

The filmmakers “have conspired to completely redefine Superman … here they change fundamental aspects of the story. Like at what point Lois and Clark meet – and the changes they’ve made strengthen Lois and make her less of a ditz, but a vital part of the Superman story from the outset ...” Ain't It Cool News