Film review: Man of Steel: ‘Reboot-iful’ creatures

MANILA, Philippines - Warner’s Man of Steel is definitely worth the wait. Taking on the Superman franchise will always be a challenge, given that it becomes a question of what you bring to the table that’s fresh and invigorating when the story is so well-worn, and such a favorite with countless of fans and followers.

While the Christopher Reeve films, helmed by Richard Donner, were imbued with a playful, comic book sense of humor; the reboot produced by Christopher Nolan, directed by Zack Snyder  with screenplay by David Goyer, aims for more serious, myth-making epic proportions and succeeds in giving the familiar superhero true gravitas.

From the opening scenes on Krypton, there is a darkness to the film that I got excited by, as it gave the film a new perspective. Gritty, bleached of color, cinematography harks back to Snyder’s 300, and it works in giving a fresh lease of life to the superhero franchise. While I know it may sound criminal, it’s almost like we’re being treated to a Marvel (as opposed to DC) kind of veneer to the story-telling. That there is more angst, more serious back-storytelling all lend to the crucial difference that the Snyder treatment relies on. To his credit, rather than following a linear, chronological plotline, we flit back and forth in time, and it does keep our attention and keep us on our toes. The fight sequences may go on for too long, stylized to simulate video games, with all the posing by combatants, but this would be a minor criticism. The Genesis Chamber may bring back memories of Alien, but given this is a fresh element in the Superman films, this is also forgiven.

British actor Henry Cavill proved he could take on larger-than-life characters in The Immortals, so it comes as no surprise that he could possibly be the worthy successor to Reeve in donning the cape.

Surprisingly, it’s Amy Adams’ Lois Lane that’s underplayed, and lacks the spunk and sass we would expect from any Lois portrayal. The support cast is tremendous, with Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Michael Shannon as the villain General Zod the standouts (can someone please release The Iceman here in Manila, where Shannon in the title role is apparently magnificent!).

A reboot with true vitality makes Man of Steel the great first film in what we can only hope heralds a new Superman franchise series. Hints of how Lex Luthor will enter the picture is evident in the battle scenes of Smallville, where LexCorp tankers and signs are part of the general mayhem. And what ultimately makes this Man of Steel work, is how it gives Clark Kent a troubled, anguished soul, one that we’d be ready to follow in the succeeding films to come.