FILM: Man Of Steel

[gkgyver 1,645]

With the sheer dozens of Superhero films being thrown at us in the past years, starting with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, another iteration of Superman was just a matter of time, especially considering Brian Singer's Superman Returns was anything but a success, both financially and artistically. So, there was definitely a considerable audience for Man Of Steel, one that was longing for a proper Superman movie. At the same time, though, with all the superhero franchises out there that have already been successful, and already have satisfied many needs for great comic book adaptions, you really have to knock one out of the park to be considered in the same league as Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man or The Avengers. Especially since the Superman origin story already was told a few years ago. With Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder, whose Watchmen was a good piece of film making, one would think the right people were in place.

So, does it hold up? In a word, no.

If you want to save yourself the hassle of reading this lengthy review to its bitter end, let me sum it up for you quickly: Man Of Steel is the result of taking Superman The Movie and Superman 2, making the lead actor seem uncharismatic, removing the sense for delight and adventure, replacing the poignant dialogue with pseudo-drama, and unleashing ridiculously long Transformers-like CGI action sequences upon the unsuspecting audience.

Condensing this down even further, I would pick three words to describe this film: stupid, tedious and superficial. "Stupid" sounds, well, stupid, but is in its simplicity a great word to describe the intangible feeling hanging over this entire thing.

The prologue already alienated me from the entire Superman universe. It looks like a combo of a George Lucas directed Star Wars prequel and Transformers, complete with silly flying pteranodons. In the council scenes, I almost expected Yoda to come forth and say "Evacuate Krypton, we will not!" Had this prologue not key scenes of the Superman mythology, you would surely mistake it for a second-grade sci-fi flick.

The CGI mumbo-jumbo goes completely over board here (and later on), and showcases perfectly the difference between well-designed thought through sets, and the misleading notion "more and bigger is better". It is quite the achievement on part of the design team to make a 2013 movie look more ridiculous than Superman The Movie from 30 years ago. I usually don't nitpick on things like this, but when Zod and his accomplices were taken into the Phantom Zone in what looked exactly like big black rubber penises, I sunk just a tiny bit lower in my seat.

The story is nothing revolutionary, but I lost complete faith in the credibility of the film when it was revealed that Jor-El hid the DNA of every single Kryptonian in Superman's cells. That's when I knew someone on this project had to have lost his mind.

There was some doubt and fear that Christopher Nolan's involvement could mean a Dark Knight treatment for a character that is, and should be, arguably almost the polar opposite of Batman in tone. And gues what? These fears were justified. No movie to this day managed to suck the life and heart out of a superhero as thoroughly as Man Of Steel.

What makes this movie so absolutely tiresome is two things: the story, which is atrociously told, and the action sequences that are overlong and tedious in their visual and sonic overkill.

You have here the origin story of Superman, which has already been told twice before. You would think that, as a film maker, you want to really make it work, you want to make it exciting and fresh, with good dialogue and so on. Instead, what we have here is a Clark Kent/Superman that could as well be Bruce Wayne, or Peter Parker, with all the incessant self-doubts and thoughtful and sorrowful looks. It is truly annoying and frustrating, not to mention overdone, that producers/directors of superhero flicks apparently think lots of superficial drama and a hero with self-doubts and worried eyes can replace a well-written story and well-portrayed and fleshed out characters.

If these inner conflicts were at least portrayed well and believable, but they are not. It works on a very basic level, but everything beyond appears to be just pure superficial drama. And this is simply due to the fact that Superman/Clark Kent is not, and never was, such a deeply troubled individual such as Bruce Wayne or Peter Parker. The whole world knows it, and you simply don't buy it.

Ironically, when the writer/director does have the opportunity to create something worthwhile and heartfelt, it feels half-assed and rushed, like the exposition of his space capsule to young Clark.

Looking at Man Of Steel, it doesn't get any more superficial, especially in the last hour of the movie, where basically nothing happens except loads of explosions and CGI wizardry. There is no sense of heroism in this film, no sense of adventure or romance, just superficial drama and mind-numbing action sequences. If you want to know how bad it is, let me just say that the film makers managed to suck the life out of the characters and the story to such an extent that the first kiss between Superman and Lois Lane, probably one of the most iconic love couples in cinema, feels wierd and out of place. Speaking of Lois Lane, Amy Adams does her best, but falls victim to the overused marketing ploy of squeezing a female character into the story, or in this case taking an existing character and blowing it out of proportions, in order to capture female demographics. Not to mention that the decision to make her meet Clark and his superpowers early on is one of the worse decisions in this film.

Indeed, one could rightfully say that out of all the major superhero films in the last 10 years, Man Of Steel is the one that comes closest to compromising the entire heart and soul of its title character. Superman Returns was way more enjoyable than Man Of Steel, on many levels.

Just as an example, Superman Returns had a focus, and you knew what the film makers were trying to do, and they did it, no matter how clumsily you think they did it. But in Man Of Steel, there is literally not a single thing the movie focuses on for a prolonged time except that Zod wants to turn earth into Krypton. There is a lot of jammering about finding your place, finding yourself, finding destiny, but there is no effort done by the writers or the director to show me, the audience, how the main character develops. That feeling of development is never there, so I stopped caring halfway through.

It also doesn't help the entertainment value of the film that the producers decided to turn this into an alien invasion movie, when alien invasion movies seem to reproduce themselves like rabbits these days.

The picture also has enormous pacing problems. From the very first scenes on, you get the impression nobody did a test screening, not even for the director.

Man Of Steel is in its first half extremely slow and tedious because of the uninteresting dialogues and bad chracterisations, to the point were the ongoing flashbacks stop the movie dead in its tracks, and in its second half, it is just mind-numbing in its over the top action, which almost reaches Transformers' level of absurdity, albeit thankfully without the pre-school humour. Speaking of humour, it doesn't exist in this film. I don't know, maybe Snyder and Nolan talk about their own director's cut when they speak of the fun aspects of this film, but the cut that was shown at my theatre didn't have any of that. Instead, everything is teinted with this aforementioned, theatrical drama, which puts an enormous distance between the film and the audience.

To make clear how bad this movie needs some light moments and good-natured dialogue, the only time I genuinely smiled in this movie was at the very end, when a young female soldier made a remark about Superman being hot. Can you imagine how dry this film is sucked from everything fun when the only laugh it gets comes from an unoriginal sex joke?

A major factor in this exhausting film experience that is Man Of Steel is one trick p(h)ony Hans Zimmer, who is so subtle in his approach that he hammers away huge minor harmonies every 3 minutes, to signify this is most epic thing we have seen since, well, since three minutes ago. His music not only severely lacks understanding for the subject, it also lacks the ability to feel, embrace or enhance cinematic pace, or indeed on screen action, and fails to infuse the movie with anything except horribly overbearing melodrama, stone old synth sounds and repeating drum loops around every corner. While this is certainly true of many of Zimmer's scores, I feel with Man Of Steel, he has reached the absolute peak. In my wildest nightmares I didn't imagine Superman flying to hammy "High Noon at Daisy Town" guitar figures and fake sounding drum loops. If you look at scenes like Kal-El's capsule flying to earth or his first appearance in his suit, and imagine Williams' music, you should break out in tears.

The score wanders through Zimmer's opus like a "Best of 2000s" album: from DaVinci Code over Dark Knight all the way to "Mermaids" from Pirates 4, all quoted near verbatim.

This is lazily conceived, badly spotted, worse orchestrated, mind-numbingly mixed wallpaper that also happens to be laughably simplistic in composition and absolutely interchangable in style. I won't even begin to discuss the lack of anything remotely resembling heroism, which is inherent in the Superman character, no matter how hard Snyder and Nolan try to remove it.

Man Of Steel has some of the worst mismatches between picture and music I have ever seen. And you don't have to compare it to John Williams to realise this.

Man of Steel, all together, is creepily reminiscent of Matrix Revolutions. A saviour is forced to accept his role and deal with his powers in a different world, a lot of pseudo-deep stuff is thrown in seemingly randomly and doesn't come together in the end, there are silly, gigantic robots fighting in overlong sequences, the female protagonist tries to destroy the hero's doubts and drives him forward, and at the end, the two main antagonists have a cartoony fight between rooftops - two gods pitched against each other. You even have Laurence Fishburn in a wise-cracking role and Harry Lennix in the exact same role as the iron balls, asshole commander. To be fair though, Matrix Revolutions had good music.

The acting is thoroughly competent, even though it is terribly sad to watch so much talent being wasted in such a mundane movie. It is especially bad for Henry Cavill, who makes for a great Superman, or would make for a great one were he not asked to constantly act like he forgot to take his anti-depression medication, and forced to wear a dull costume better suited for Bizarro than Superman.

The biggest sin of all however is that Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder failed to make Man Of Steel unique and recognisable. It is a copy of The Dark Knight and Spider-Man at the best, and just another noisy sci-fi flick at the worst of times. I want to watch this film again as much as I want to hear the soundtrack album for a second time.

As much as I love Superman, this movie barely makes it to the 2 out of 5 stars mark.

** out of *****

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm glad you liked it!

[Ollie 1,059]

I still can't decide if I liked it or not.

[gkgyver 1,645]

Stefan apparently didn't think I was serious when I said I would put him on Ignore.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's your loss if you weren't joking.

I for one can't fathom why you would do so.

[Ollie 1,059]

Why am I only reading my posts in this thread?

[crocodile 8,017]

Couldn't tell you. I'm too self-absorbed to notice other people.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why am I only reading my posts in this thread?

You know you love me, big guy!

[Quintus 5,399]

Methinks gkgycunt should be a little more grateful that Stefan saved his sermon on the mount (which nobody witnessed) from complete evaporation. If it wasn't for the Dutch Denouncer the alien boy's review would have been consigned to the great JWFan Pile of the Unread, which is thread embarrassment beyond even the likes of which Blumenkohl has known.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And what thanks do I get?

[Quintus 5,399]

None. Nada.

[gkgyver 1,645]

It's tempting to unveil the no doubt fascinating conversation between Lee and Stefan above.

Or not.

[Ollie 1,059]

Eh, its nothing special.

Getting back to the film. There are moments of excellence, the Pa Kent / Clark, some of the scenes as Superman and even ones with Jor-El. Then there are moments where it becomes a Michael Bay like CGI junk fest.

There's no sense in debating the music, it's awful and obtrusive at times.

[gkgyver 1,645]

Well, that was a mistake. But Quint's senseless and unabashed insults at least make me understand a little more why he's landed on my own JWfan's pile of the Unread. And just for Quint, since he doesn't seem to grasp the difference, no replies doesn't mean unread. In fact, it currently ranks above the great saviour's review of X-Men.

[Quintus 5,399]

Lol nobody cares

[Incanus 5,715]

Now now people, play nice.

I have not seen this film yet but I can't say I feel any great urge to do so. The reviews has been more than divided on its merits and nothing has tipped the scales in favour of going to see this in the cinema.

[Trent B 337]

There were some aspects of it that were cool but overall it just didn't sit well with me. Hell it didn't sit with my dad and he didn't like the fact that they practically destroyed Metropolis. He even noted it was a lot more violent compared to the other Superman films, even Superman II.

[KK 3,307]

All big blockbuster films are more violent these days.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I don't think it as that violent. Violence, for me, needs realism to really feel violent. MoS doesn't feel that way. The action is violent to me the same way a Loony Tunes cartoon is violent.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Thanks to the Snyder's direction and the performances (especially Michael Shannon's) there was enough verisimilitude in MAN OF STEEL to give the violence an edge. Not that I'm complaining, anyway. It's one of the very few adult Superhero movies. Only BATMAN RETURNS and Ang Lee's HULK come close.

[Quintus 5,399]

Not sure about the Batman Returns mention (it's like Hook 2: Gothic Nights), but yeah, I otherwise agree. With caveats.

[KK 3,307]

The violence in Man of Steel just came off as silly for me. And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

[JoeinAR 1,949]

the film has so many problems, horrific art direction, a failed score, relentless destruction, lack of chemistry between the two main character, unrealistic death of a beloved character, penis shaped entry vehicle to the vagina shaped phantom zone, etc etc.

[Jay 37,369]

What's wrong with a little pens in vagina?

[Trent B 337]

What's wrong with a little pens in vagina?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The subtext, imagery, and humanity on display - plus it's made be a real auteur. Nolan's BATMAN trilogy is utterly juvenile in comparison.

[Ren 75]

What's wrong with a little pens in vagina?

Nothing!!!!!!!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Better to have a big penis in a vagina though....

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

It's not the length, it's the width.

[Quintus 5,399]

You're going too far again!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That's what all the ladies have said...

[Quintus 5,399]

Right before you transmitted your STD

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't ride bareback, sorry

[Quintus 5,399]

Complete opposite here, nowadays.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Obviously....

[gkgyver 1,645]

The violence in Man of Steel just came off as silly for me. And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The colours man, look at the colours! They're all so dull, this is super serious!

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

There were some beautiful colours in the first two flying sequences.

[Delorean90 42]

And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The subtext, imagery, and humanity on display - plus it's made be a real auteur. Nolan's BATMAN trilogy is utterly juvenile in comparison.

Can you elaborate? If anything, I would consider it the opposite, especially when the trilogy is examined as a whole. I felt the themes at play were developed in a much more cohesive and satisfying manner in Nolan's films. I need to watch MOS again, but when I watched it I felt like a whole bunch of themes and ideas were set up in the first half of the film, and then the bell rang and everyone ran home and played fight with their toys.

[Ollie 1,059]

For all their violence and darkness, the Dark Knight trilogy, at least the last 2, had plenty of humanity. I don't know if I would classify MOS as an adult superhero film, it feels the same as any of the Marvel films, lighter than TDK films and the last hour resembled something out of a Michael Bay film.

For everyone thumbing their nose at Pacific Rim, it looks no more sillier than MOS's battle sequences did. I felt no compassion for anyone in those scenes, not Superman or the people of earth.

[gkgyver 1,645]

And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The subtext, imagery, and humanity on display - plus it's made be a real auteur. Nolan's BATMAN trilogy is utterly juvenile in comparison.

That better be sarcasm.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why not add him to your ignore list as well?

[Ollie 1,059]

He can't see you.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The subtext, imagery, and humanity on display - plus it's made be a real auteur. Nolan's BATMAN trilogy is utterly juvenile in comparison.

That better be sarcasm.

Not at all. Nolan's films were just trendily nihilistic in an adolescent way, with no real spirituality, insight or depth of feeling. If Schumacher's films were aimed at 6 year olds, Nolan's were for 16 year old American males.

[Quintus 5,399]

Otherwise known as emos.

He can't see you.

Yeah, like he can resist the urge to click the reveal button

[Delorean90 42]

And I don't quite understand why this film qualifies as an "adult superhero film".

The subtext, imagery, and humanity on display - plus it's made be a real auteur. Nolan's BATMAN trilogy is utterly juvenile in comparison.

That better be sarcasm.

Not at all. Nolan's films were just trendily nihilistic in an adolescent way, with no real spirituality, insight or depth of feeling. If Schumacher's films were aimed at 6 year olds, Nolan's were for 16 year old American males.

Where was the real nihilism outside of Joker's speeches?

[Quintus 5,399]

Maybe Prometheus was just going the long way about saying the movies left him cold.

[crocodile 8,017]

Why do you think so many people responded badly to Man of Steel? Because it can't be only nostalgia.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

But did they? For the sake of discussion though, the same reasons people react badly to marmite pictures in general I suppose. It's just tastes. In truth though, reading offsite and speaking with actual humans in real life I've discovered far, far more people seemed to really like it than this humble cubby hole of the internet collectively portrays. Yet to meet anyone who hasn't "loved it" tbh.

[crocodile 8,017]

Most of the people I know in real life hated the film. Only some loved it. You'd be surprised to learn they come from different backgrounds and have different tastes. This film, of all other blockbusters, seems to divide more than any other. That's why I'm asking.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

Definitely marmite. Some of the greatest movies ever made.