Superman is up, up and back with a bang!
After hearing numerous negative reviews on Zack Snyder’s adaption of much-loved superhero Superman, I headed into this film with a highly critical eye. Turns out I was hugely surprised and pleased with the new take on the man from Krypton.
Many complaints about the film are commonly on the action being too lengthy and bland. Well for one thing it didn’t feel that long at all and yes the action can get a bit overwhelming sometimes with the camera panning in and out but there are some truly blissful moments of combat seen between the Man Of Steel and the movie’s nemesis General Zod (Michael Shannon). We also get a bit of action from Lois Lane (Amy Adams) too.
Kal-El’s origins story was by far one of the best on-screen adaptions I’ve seen, it really captures the essence of Lara (Ayelet Zurer) and Jor-El (Russell Crowe) giving him up and sending him to a foreign planet. Another element it captures nicely is how foreign Clark is to the world, it’s not all cheesy friendships and acceptance like the old films as it focuses on the struggle of being different to the peers around him.
Everything is top-notch when it comes to casting and music too, we are even treated to an eerie look at Henry Cavill channelling 1978’s Superman Christopher Reeve (maybe I’m exaggerating though) in one scene. I think the bubbling relationship we all love between Clark and Lois still needs a bit of work though, which I’m sure sequels will manage to muster as there was far too much happening elsewhere. Music wise though, that score! When I hear a good score I get Goosebumps and yes this was one of them.. Thank you Hans Zimmer.
Also if you loved the comics and hit series Smallville (yes I recently watched it and loved it too), we get to see Lana Lang and Pete Ross make an appearance!
The problems of the film though lie within it’s structure, I found it refreshing but at the same time off-putting when the film constantly cuts to Clark having flashbacks to his childhood whilst in moments of self-evaluation. The old films particularly followed a linear structure and moved chronologically through Clark’s life while this film skips right ahead before he lands on earth.
Of coarse my other gripe is the camera’s tendency to shake at times during dialogue and the constant cutaways and close-ups during all the action. But that’s pretty much my only gripes, the rest of the film is upwards and onwards from there.
Verdict: Superman in a much needed refreshing new light that packs plenty of punch but suffers from cheesy plot devices and camera techniques. Despite this, it still offers a promising future ahead for the Man Of Steel.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY?feature=player_detailpage]
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