Verdict: this is a significant improvement over the disappointing Superman Returns however that's not to say that it's a perfect instant classic.
The problem that this film was always going to suffer was associations and comparisons to other superhero movies. Despite being produced by Christopher Nolan it was nowhere near as dark as his Batman trilogy, it doesn't have the uber-violence of Zack Snyder's Watchmen nor does it have the sizzling sexual tension found between Tony and Pepper in the Iron Man films - so where does this film fit into the pack? Whilst now and again coming across as a rather generic sci-fi movie (primarily in the early scenes on Krypton, not helped by Russell Crowe's very posh English accent), Superman is not a human who become as superhero, he is an alien trying to find solitude amongst humans. By focusing more upon this aspect, Man of Steel takes a while to get it's feet off the ground but once it does it really soars.
The first hour is a very slow burn here. The story takes us from a ridiculously OTT but nonetheless stunning apocalypse of planet Krypton where Superman's birth is dwelled upon for too long. At this point I was worried that it looked too much like a naff sci-fi (something I'm not particularly a fan of) because of glaringly obvious green screen.
It's not until Zod comes to Earth that things really get going. He is the real fun in this movie and whilst his reign of terror isn't exactly in a league with The Joker, it prevented this from being bland and even though the backstory is a little overlong it does provide good reason for why he does what he does. With some spectacular set pieces chronicaling the destruction of Earth, your blood will really get pumping. The only flaw here is the overly prolonged final showdown between Zod and Superman (or should I say Hopeman?) that lasts near enough 10 minutes. Whilst it is still exciting, you can't help but shake the feeling that you know how it's going to end anyway - they're not exactly going to kill off Superman when Warner Bros. want a new franchise out of this.
It is clear that this is being used to try and entice people back for more. With as brilliant an actress as Amy Adams playing Lois Lane you'd expect her to have more to do here and have good chemistry with Henry Cavill. Instead she just runs around after him for a couple of hours and it's not until the final scenes when we see a glimmer of what to expect in the now confirmed sequel featuring Batman!
It's not until Zod comes to Earth that things really get going. He is the real fun in this movie and whilst his reign of terror isn't exactly in a league with The Joker, it prevented this from being bland and even though the backstory is a little overlong it does provide good reason for why he does what he does. With some spectacular set pieces chronicaling the destruction of Earth, your blood will really get pumping. The only flaw here is the overly prolonged final showdown between Zod and Superman (or should I say Hopeman?) that lasts near enough 10 minutes. Whilst it is still exciting, you can't help but shake the feeling that you know how it's going to end anyway - they're not exactly going to kill off Superman when Warner Bros. want a new franchise out of this.
It is clear that this is being used to try and entice people back for more. With as brilliant an actress as Amy Adams playing Lois Lane you'd expect her to have more to do here and have good chemistry with Henry Cavill. Instead she just runs around after him for a couple of hours and it's not until the final scenes when we see a glimmer of what to expect in the now confirmed sequel featuring Batman!
Throughout you get the feeling that this was really only intended to be the start of a new franchise. With a distinct focus on Superman's origins the action doesn't really get going until the final hour or so, meaning that 143 minutes does feel like a bit of a slog at points. However there's still plenty of fun to be had here and signs of even greater things to come.
4/5
Good review Jamie. A good superhero movie, but not the best in recent memory.
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