Man of Steel

Superman- he's been around since 1938 in various forms of media, and has captured the hearts of millions as a symbol of "truth, justice, and the American way."  A number of movies have tried to do him justice over the last few decades, from the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies (released every few years from 1978-1987) to 2006's Superman Returns (Brandon Routh dons the cape).  Now, in 2013, the series is "reboot" again, and we get Man of Steel (Henry Cavill- ironically, a Brit).  How did it measure up?

As it just hit theaters, I don't want to give too much of the plot away.  It is an origin story, and we get to see Supe's birth on Krypton, where he's called Kal-El.  There we're introduced to his father, scientist Jor-El, and the leader of the army, General Zod.  Kal-El is born during a time of turmoil- Krypton has been over-mined, destablizing in the process, and is about to implode.  Jor-El puts his son in a rocket and sends him to Earth, sending with him data that would allow a new Krypton to arise some day.  General Zod, angry at the politicians for their actions leading to the planetary catastrophe, leads an unsuccessful coup, and is imprisoned in a ship and sent away.  He vows to find Kal-El and the data that he carries.

Fast forward to present day- Kal-El, now called Clark Kent, is an adult, having been raised by foster parents in Kansas.  He displays acts of considerable strength to save lives periodically throughout his life, and you see flashbacks to those times.  He deliberately keeps a low profile, and while his heroics draw the attention of some, it's (apparently) not enough to raise serious questions . . . until Lois Lane, a reporter for the Daily Planet, happens to meet him while they're both investigating a UFO found in the ice in the polar regions.  This UFO is in fact a millenia-old scout ship from Krypton, and Kent unknowingly turns on a rescue beacon that draws General Zod to Earth.  No more on the plot- see the movie if you want to know how it ends.

Now for some quick analysis.  This movie left me . . . uncertain.  I liked it, but it's one you have to chew on a bit.  The action and music were top-notch; the story is what I'm still contemplating.  It's certainly very different from every other Superman movie.  It's not cheesy, campy, or "fluffy;"  Instead, there's a grittiness and darkness to the film- not "Dark Knight" dark, but nearly.  The story itself doesn't focus on Superman learning to harness his powers (that part is basically skipped, which bothered me a tad); it's more about him deciding how to use his powers.  Does he dedicate his life to humanity, who have ostracized him since the beginning?  Does he pursue his roots?  What should such a unique individual do on this Earth?  That seems to be the main point. 

I'm uncertain about this film because so many interesting subjects are touched on, but left relatively undeveloped.  Issues of predestination, calling, sacrifice, and subjection to authority are brought up but not discussed enough, in my opinion.  Example: the American military distrusts Superman, fearing he may some day turn on them, and it brings up the issue (also discussed in Iron Man 2) about whether or not the government has the right to subject a potential threat (Superman) to its authority.  A very good question- but never answered in the film.  It appears as though the film was more focused on the action sequences, and while that's fine, it left me wanting more.  Still, though, I give kudos for at least bringing up the aforementioned topics, and as I said, I need to chew on this a bit more.  After more thought, I may change my opinion, but my initial impression is that this is a good, not great, film.

Rating: A-