Man of Steel

“My father believed that if the world found out who I really was, they’d reject me. He was convinced the world wasn’t ready. What do you think?” – Clark Kent

 Photo by Clay Enos/Warner Bros

After a seven-year hiatus, audiences are certainly ready for a Superman reboot but already critics have spoken, somewhat harshly, and their reception to the Man of Steel has been mixed. The question on every comic book fans lips, ‘does the long awaited new Superman measure up to all the hype that preceded it?’ is a difficult one to answer, for some people’s expectations can never be met. While a few may be left disappointed, for the most part, Superman is back and better than ever.

While Christopher Nolan’s name has been widely associated with production, it is Zack Sydner (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch) whose hands are on the wheel of this narrative. Immediate reception has been particularly snubbing of Snyder due to his overuse of CGI and excessive action sequences, and although there is truth to that assessment, in my mind, there is much more than just brawn to this Superman. Although his direction of action is undeniably bombastic, Snyder has done a formidable job of balancing the intimate parts of the story with the spectacle, making one Superman fan-boy out of this cinemagoer.

In past comic-to-film adaptations, there has been a real problem in finding the human side to the highflying superhero. Previous portrayals have been sweetly saccharin in flavour, including Brandon Routh and Christopher Reeves whose niceties and loving all-American attitudes inspired a saint-like adoration of the character. While I don’t consider Snyder’s impression particularly dark or gritty, there is a certain amount of realism in his telling that sheds light on the enigmatic farm boy (for one, Superman has lost the tight red under bottoms because no man over the age of five would wear those in the light of day). Snyder has smartly reinterpreted Superman as a coming of age tale about a boy simply trying to find his place in the world. An alien to society, Clark Kent is instructed by his human adopted father to keep that side of himself a secret.  After falling from the sky in a space-pod sent from the planet Krypton, farmers Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) raise the boy as a son like any other. The beating heart of the narrative is found here in Smallville, Kansas, where a deeply moving family drama is revealed between mother, father and their alien son who was born to be different. Dylan Sprayberry, with a remarkable resemblance to Henry Cavill, is well cast as 13-year-old Clark Kent, and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane’s performances as his loving parents are particularly heartfelt.  But it is the star of the show, Henry Cavill, who has real resonance and gravitas as the man in the blue suit, for he is the first of the Superman incarnations to truly encapsulate the man as both alien and human at the same time. He portrays Clark Kent, Kal-El and Superman as all one being rather than different identities which brings humanity to the character and transcends the superhero persona.

Russell Crowe is equally impressive as Jor-El, Superman’s biological father. Being one of the few male actors who can bring both physical strength and sensitivity to an action hero, he is truly believable as the father of a man of steel. In the early scenes, the destruction of Krypton transpires around him as he readies to launch his newborn son to Earth to save him from the planet’s imminent destruction. The Christian undertones are subtle but distinct; Jor-El being a God that sends his only son to save all of humanity, a young Clark learning to turn the other cheek against those that reject and wrong him, there is even a direct reference to Clark’s age of 33. Superman is a Christ-like figure, merely with the additional abilities to fly and shoot red lasers out of his eyeballs. His fatal cries in the final scenes almost seem to scream to ‘Why have you abandoned me?’

From fascinating imaginings of alien technology to alien design and décor, Superman’s home planet is a dazzling treat to behold. The high-technology suits that the Kryptonians don are especially stunning. There is also a smart hint towards why Superman wear’s lycra in public; the tight suit is in fact an undergarment worn by the Kryptonian military under their armour.

In the final throw, the world is subject to an alien invasion by General Zod of Krypton (Michael Shannon), whose big spaceships shoot laser beams into high-rising cityscapes. The scene strongly resembles the terror that was 911; the small city goers run for their lives as buildings crumble around them, hundreds and thousands doomed to perish. While the showdown is certainly indulgent (everything that you imagine could happen, does happen), there are enough visually stunning elements to bring style to the screen.

Man of Steel is undeniably fun but most importantly it has revived Superman from the comic book grave. With a strong lead actor and supporting cast (including Amy Adams whose Lois Lane is a perfect match for the newbie journalist), the new Superman series is set to fly. Cavill understands that which makes Superman so likable: he is the epitomic figure of the everyday man searching for his place in the world. His sensitive portrayal has finally opened the door to new untold stories; the evolution of Clark Kent is ongoing (let’s hope he’s taken a crash course in journalism).