This opening is visually rich, wonderfully acted and, as I said, almost made me forget what I had come to the theater to see in the first place, which already in my book placed "Man of Steel" head and shoulders above any other Superman movie I've ever seen, most of which have had me yawning before the popcorn ran out.
We leave Krypton with Jor-El's son Kal-El and follow him to his new home where dad hopes he can live with purpose. Kal-El has taken with him (though he doesn't know it) the Krypton codex. One of those comic book thingys that possesses some form of awesome power and which Krypton's Mussolini wannabe General Zod (Michael Shannon) needs to implement his vision of a better future for his kind. In the wake of Krypton's destruction Zod makes it his mission in life to reclaim the codex, which means that since Kal-El has it, we'll be seeing Zod again.
Once the proceedings land on earth we're in exposition city, as is to be expected with any origin story. Kal-El of course is found and raised on the Kansas farm of Johnathan and Martha Kent. Clark (as his adopted parents call him) suspects pretty early on that he's different from the other kids and it's left to the elder Kent to help him come to grips with his alien nature. Kevin Costner gives a wonderfully heartfelt performance as a loving but wary adoptive father who has little to offer the superbeing in his midst other than common sense and applied wisdom. Clarks childhood with the Kents is presented in flashback as Clark: The Young Man wanders the planet in search of himself, never staying long in one place, never setting down roots. This take on Kal-El as a kind of wandering alien monk is a welcome change from the "Superboy goes to the big city to save humanity" goody-2-shoes take on Superman we've become unfortunately accustomed to. This Kal-El is an outsider and none too thrilled about it.
His "activities" attract the attention of one Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who sets about to uncover the mystery Kal-El has become. While there's nothing here that feels superfluous it has to be said that all the time put in to re-tooling Clark's early years (including the origins of his relationship to Lois) to fit the moodier take does begin to weigh a bit on "Man of Steel" late in the 2nd act. Luckily Clark makes the mistake of paying a visit to ye-olde Fortress of Solitude and in the process alerts one very angry and vengeful General Zod to his presence. Happily Zod arrives just when you're beginning to think that first act was a fluke and when he does "Man of Steel" suddenly takes flight.
From an action and effects perspective the third act is occassionally stunning. Director Zack Snyder has left every penny of his massive budget on the screen. There's nothing antiseptic or all-American about the conflicts here either. Zod wants Kal-El and will destroy (as in Kill With Malice) anything that gets in his way. Superman here is more a force of nature than a good guy who can fly and like a force of nature his actions lead to lots of death and destruction. Unusual for a Superman movie to say the least but not unwelcome. Not that I'm drunk with blood lust but it's about time somebody got under all those goofy smiles and primary colors and showed some consequences along with the actions.
Gripes: Besides the second act seeming maybe a bit too long my other major gripe was the fact that there's more chemistry between oil and water than there is between Henry Cavill and Amy Adams here. It's not Cavill's fault. He's excellent start to finish and manages to convey the difficult balancing act Kal-El must pull off between the moral absolutes he's supposed to stand for and the existential crisis he's living on daily basis. I can't really say Adams is to blame either. She does a decent job with the part. It just seems like they didn't put these two in the same room together to see how they'd react to each other before casting them. One more thing is certain about "Man of Steel": it's going to piss off a lot of purists. While I welcome the grittier portrayal here there are legions of lifelong Superman fans who are Superman fans precisely because of the holier-than-thou persona that's been his stock and trade. That guy has left the building. Maybe for good. This new one sweats and broods and I'm pretty sure entertains some pretty unpure thoughts about Lois from time to time and as such he's a Superman I can finally relate to. Thank you Zack.
Verdict: ★★★★☆
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