By Brett Blake “You’ll believe a man can fly.” That’s what the tagline for 1978’s SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE promised movie-goers, and I think most people at the time would have probably agreed that it delivered on that promise. That film made Superman a credible cinematic icon, and in the 35 years since, filmmakers have been unable - or, in the case of 2006’s SUPERMAN RETURNS, unwilling - to break free from the template that Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve set back in the ‘70s. Jumping ahead to 2013, that has changed, and we finally have a Superman film that establishes a unique identity for itself, a film that treats the character seriously, ponders what makes him tick, and showcases his abilities in an incredibly cinematic way. MAN OF STEEL is that film. It begins with an extended sequence set on the doomed planet of Krypton, where we meet Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his infant son, Kal-El (later to be known as Clark Kent), before Kal-El is shipped off for Earth. We are also introduced to our villain, Zod (Michael Shannon), in the process of attempting a military coup, foreshadowing the antagonism that Zod will eventually come to represent on Earth. From Krypton, the story moves to our planet, where we see grown-up Clark (Henry Cavill) trying to find his place in the world, interspersed with flashbacks to his childhood as he was raised by the Kents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). If it wasn’t obvious from that brief description, MAN OF STEEL is an origin tale, but the film feels fresh, even when the audience probably already knows the broad strokes of where the story’s going, and it eventually does take a turn into larger type of story framework. What makes the movie so successful (primarily) is the deeply contemplative and thoughtful way in which the first half (or so) of the story plays out; there is a genuine interest and concern with the emotional life of the Superman character that is nuanced and delicately-handled. Christopher Nolan and David Goyer (the chief architects of the story and screenplay) do what they did with Batman - they make the audience care about (and identify with) a potentially unbelievable, unrelatable person. The somewhat non-linear structure has Nolan’s fingerprints all over it, but it fits the story well (the flashbacks involving Costner’s Jonathan Kent are particularly effective). The soul-searching quality of the first half eventually gives way to a second half comprised of action on the most massive scale imaginable, and it is stupendous stuff, exciting, exhilarating, and spectacular, even if it does eventually begin to border on overkill. The sheer amount of property damage that comes about during the course of the mayhem is staggering, and director Zack Snyder stages the action in impressive and inventive ways, with none of his trademark “speed ramping” shtick to be found. Indeed, this is Snyder’s most visually restrained effort since his DAWN OF THE DEAD remake, and the movie’s all the better for it. As Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, Henry Cavill is outstanding; he handles the emotional inner life of the character with a deft touch, while simultaneously tearing into the physical, actiony elements with zeal. He beautifully sells the character's innate decency, his desire to help others, and balances that with a dry, understated sense of humor. It’s a star-making performance, and the greatest compliment I can pay him is that I did not once think of the last great cinematic Superman, Christopher Reeve. They are different enough interpretations to stand on their own. Cavill is equally matched by Michael Shannon as Zod. I called him a villain above, and he certainly has plans for Earth that threaten its existence, but what makes the character so interesting is that his motivations are totally and fully understandable; what drives him makes sense, and from his point-of-view, he has no choice but to do the things he does. Shannon is extraordinary in the role, channeling a sense of righteousness and coupling it with a simmering intensity that eventually boils over into malevolence and rage. The bar for villains has been set incredibly high right out of the gate, and it’ll be fun to see how the inevitable sequel tries to top Zod, because I can’t fathom how they’ll do it. Amy Adams, portraying intrepid reporter Lois Lane, does fine work, and the character is well-served by the screenplay, which actually finds ways for Lois to proactively serve the plot, rather than simply being the stereotypical damsel in distress (though there is a bit of that). As the dual fathers in Superman’s life, Crowe and Costner give some terrific - and, in the case of Costner, highly affecting - performances, and it’s interesting to see the fusion of the two characters’ philosophies represented in the personality of their son. The rest of the supporting cast is packed full of incredibly talented performers. Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, Harry Lennix, Ayelet Zurer, and (relative unknown) Antje Traue each have several moments to shine, and a couple even get mini-arcs, to boot. It’s rare that a so-called blockbuster gives us such an interesting array of secondary characters, but MAN OF STEEL provides an embarrassment of riches in that regard. Technically, the movie is superb (excuse the pun, but I’m running out of adjectives!). The cinematography is textured, the production design for the Kryptonian elements is cool, and the sound design is bone-shaking in the best way possible. Then there’s the issue of what is sure to be one of the film’s most controversial elements: Hans Zimmer’s musical score. Some will praise it as bold and exciting, others will no doubt find it uninspired and overbearing, too reminiscent of his recent works for INCEPTION and THE DARK KNIGHT. Though there’s merit to both camps, I fall more into the former than the latter; while it lacks a singular, knockout theme, there are several strong (and, most importantly, optimistic) melodic ideas in play, as well as a rather atmospheric and ethereal soundscape that nicely underlines the introspective nature of Clark Kent’s character journey. It may not be as instantly rousing and cheer-worthy as John Williams’ seminal score for SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, but Zimmer’s music suits this film perfectly. “Optimistic” is a word I want to come back to, because if I had to describe MAN OF STEEL in one word, that would be it. Optimism is a scarce commodity in most of contemporary cinema, replaced by cynicism and gritty reality, but the character of Superman is supposed to embody the best qualities the human race has to offer, and he should herald a world striving to live up to his example, a world that - whatever the challenges ahead - can be optimistic about its future. The film seems to get this in a profound way, and walking out of the theater, I was struck by how much that it resonated with me. It might not top SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE’s “gosh-golly!” exuberance, but it matches that film’s earnestness (and then some), and it sets up Cavill’s Superman as a character I can’t wait to follow on more adventures… because I still believe a man can fly.
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