My decision to see Man of Steel on opening day was after a
year’s worth of pent up anticipation. When I heard that the Superman franchise
was getting a reboot, I was thrilled—I had been a huge fan ever since I was a
child. My intro to Superman had been the 1997-2000 animated TV series, but I
had also grown fond of the Christopher Reeve films.
As soon as the lights dimmed, my attention was glued to the
big screen. The beginning of the film can only be described by one word—epic. I
am no stranger to the comic books and seeing the doomed world of Krypton as
described and depicted by stories such as Birthright unravel before my eyes in
brilliant CGI action was surreal. You felt as if you were on the planet
Krypton, and in the short sequence which seemed like something out of a sci-fi
movie like Star Wars ( which is a good thing ), you get a feel for Kryptonian
culture and more importantly, Clark’s biological parents.
Like in the 1978 film and every other incarnation of
Superman, the pair send their only son to the distant planet of Earth just
before Krypton explodes. What’s unique and refreshing about this version is the
enormous role Lara, Jor-El’s wife, plays in the film. Actually I should say
that it’s refreshing to see women playing such a large role in the film in
general—something that historically has been severely lacking in comic
books/movies in general, and still is in the DC New 52.
Right off the bat, we’re introduced to a strong female
character in Lara who, after watching her husband die at the hand of General
Zod, defiantly launches her child into the unknown so that he can have a chance
at life. We witness her pain and resignation mingled with hope for her son’s
future as Krypton is destroyed.
Faora ( basically Ursa in Superman II ) is Zod’s second-in-command.
One of the most memorable scenes of her is her watching her homeworld
disintegrate from the Phantom Zone. Why? Because unlike in Superman II—which
was great in its own right, but I would call this a worthy successor to the
franchise—she wasn’t necessarily evil, but human in the sense that I could
understand her motives. It was the same case with General Zod. These people
were not just maniacal supervillains who were evil just for the sake of the
plot. They were the last survivors of a dead world and wanted to rebuild their
race, their culture. If you were the last son or daughter of Earth, wouldn’t
you want the same thing?
That brings us to my favorite lady in all of comics and my
role model—Lois Lane. Amy Adams was absolutely brilliant. She had me convinced
within the first thirty seconds of her first appearance and I was sold when she
made her hilarious and classic Lois retort to the Colonel when he told her she
shouldn’t be at their dig site. She’s the best investigative reporter in the world,
and, as she reminds Perry, she’s a Pulitzer Prize winner. She’s a career
woman—she loves her job and is awesome at it. She risks her neck for the story
so the public is informed. She’s ordinary and yet shows extraordinary courage.
And she ultimately is responsible for introducing Superman
to the world. Gone are the days where Lois Lane, Pulitzer Prize-winning
journalist, couldn’t recognize that Clark Kent is the amazing stranger from the
planet Krypton. She knows and she encourages him throughout the movie. Jor-El,
or the projection of him since he’s dead, tells her that she will teach Clark
how to save the world from Zod. When they finally fall in love, it is natural
and believable—their relationship is both normal and epic. Both drive each
other to be better—apart they’re spectacular, but together they’re unstoppable.
My favorite scene actually is when Lois comforts Clark after he ends Zod’s life
to save the innocent family. I expected this to cause a lot of controversy
because Superman is known for having a rule of refusing to kill, saying there
is always another way.
I’ll admit even I was a bit put off by this—and the level of
violence in general—but I think that in this case it fits. From a narrative
standpoint it’s brilliant because it gives this novice Superman something to
struggle with—perhaps this is why he ultimately decided to follow that rule. His
anguish tells us that he certainly gained no pleasure from what he did.
All in all it was fantastic. It’s a Superman for a modern
world, and it still stays true to the character. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner
were phenomenal as Ma and Pa Kent, and I must say by the end of the film, I was
inspired to pick up my pen and save the world with my own abilities. 10/10
definitely.
