Arts & Entertainment
MOVIE REVIEW: 'Man of Steel'
The latest Superman incarnation is adrenaline-filled, explosive and quickly paced. Maybe too quick.
Take a deep breath, it’s good.
Alright boys, that’s a wrap. Let’s go home . . . no, I suppose that won’t do. Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan’s Man of Steel does not stand with the likes of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or even the director’s cut of Watchmen.
That being said, this summer’s Superman blockbuster soars above more recent submissions to the superhero genre. I’m looking at you, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. The movie is an action-packed sight to behold, featuring fantastic punch ups, a stirring score by Hans Zimmer, but most importantly, feats of strength and endurance only capable by Superman.
Like so many other iterations of the Superman story, Man of Steel presents a slightly different take on the caped hero’s story. Luckily, none of the changes, which I will not go into detail on, seems to detract from Clark Kent’s character.
- Man of Steel is playing at the Regency Theater in San Juan Capistrano in 2D at 10:30 a.m., 4:30 and 10:30 p.m., in 2D in the VIP room at 12:30, 3:35, 7 and 10:20 p.m. and in 3D at 1:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
His journey from lost child of two families to symbol of hope for mankind is meaningful, clear, and natural. Jonathan Kent, played effectively by Kevin Costner, is very human. He’s a Midwestern man, struggling to raise an extraordinary child, but remains heroic, moral and inspirational. Russell Crowe’s Jor-El is more god-like, calmly explaining Kal’s role as a leader, an ideal, but does not fill the role of Superman’s dad. It’s nice to see how both important men shape who Superman is supposed to be.
I focus on the character-building first, not because it is substance of the film, but because the movie would be empty without it. What Man of Steel really is, is an incredibly adrenaline-filled, explosive cinematic experience. And let’s be clear, the fights in this movie are incredible, but so are the rescues and feats of strength – even flying seems to ooze power, as if Superman’s brute force is keeping him afloat.
If mine is not the first review you’ve come across, then you will know that critics are so-so on Man of Steel, and I’ll tell you why. It’s not the cinematography, writing, acting, or dialog that hurt this film; it’s the lack of patience. And, I don’t mean the editing.
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The plot is in such a hurry to get to the good stuff, it doesn’t seem to work itself out smoothly. I can accept that Superman is aware of a lot, and can be present for situations that demand his attention, but without any context to back up parts of the plot, it seems to fall back on Deus Ex Machina style story telling. Superman appears in the arctic because that’s where a part of the plot is happening; now he’s in Kansas because someone needs to talk to him there, and so on.
I suspect that this problem came about during the process of preparing the product for theaters, and don’t doubt that a “director’s cut” is in the works that will elevate Man of Steel to greater heights. But we’ll just have to wait and see about that one.
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In the mean time, go see the movie, it will not disappoint.
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