So, Superman is back again, this time sponsored by Batman puppetmaster Christopher Nolan. Fed up with all the homegrown looking attempts at Superman, director Zack Snyder has gone for a very snazzy looking version of Krypton and equally snazzy looking inhabitants of said planet. And some slight alterations to the traditional story.
One of the differences is that Kal-El’s childhood is told in flashback with Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan (Kevin Costner) playing their role of alien child-harbourers. In the present day, General Zod vows to kill Kal-El after having bumped his father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) off and wants to wipe out the human race so he can recreate Krypton. Do you think Kal-El likes that plan? By heck, he does not.
The only people who can help him save the day are dead daddy, who pops up like Arnold J.Rimmer each time you plug his little USB stick in a Krypton-manufactured spacecraft, and intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Although Lois does help out a little bit she still finds time to get rescued by the blue-spandex clad one. It wouldn’t be Superman otherwise.
Henry Cavill and Amy Adams are likeable in their respective roles and have scads of the ol’ chemistry but most other characters/actors are quite forgettable. Michael Shannon’s turn as Zod is just a bit namby-pamby and pantomime, not managing to harness even half the menace and general evil-ness worked by Terence Stamp in the original Superman. And where was the spinning pane of prison glass that sent the bad guys to the phantom zone, hmm, where was it?!
Being a massive fan of the original will not prepare you to look upon this remake/reboot favourably. There are some good changes, some little details which may make you nod to yourself in appreciation, but on the whole it is far away from being an improvement on what has gone before.
If big special effects and fancy crustacean-like spacecrafts are what you’re after then you can’t go wrong with this one. If you’re after a storyline or much in the way of character development then I’m afraid you’re backing the wrong Supe. Henry Cavill’s pecs will not save the day.
Maryann has awarded Man of Steel two Torches of Truth
