The Official "Man of Steel" Review Thread

Subject: The Official "Man of Steel" Review Thread Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:28 pm

Figured this thread be established for the eventual reviews by fellow CDers. This flick currently has 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I suppose that doesn't mean much given that WATCHMEN got 64% and for my money is a better comic book film than many.

Subject: Re: The Official "Man of Steel" Review Thread Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:36 am

This is the "review" from my blog, but it may be a little chaotic. Sleepy.

I can't quite word everything I want to say in a nice, review-like manner. It was just...., well of course excellent. But also a bit weird to get accustomed to. Obviously, I know Donner's Superman and this was definitely NOT Donner's Superman. While I have no attachments and/or obsessions with that previous installment, it certainly has been "the norm" for awhile. So this Snyder version, while friggin' EPIC, was still such a massive, massive change to swallow. I had a somewhat difficult time doing so.

I loved what I was seeing, hearing, witnessing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have to really shut up that side of me that was looking for the "playfulness" of Donner's version, for lack of a better word. Donner's world of Superman was not what I'd call epic; it was very, hmm....well small. Very non-comic book. Very OUR world in all its littleness with Superman guest-starring in it. While on the other hand, Snyder's version is a freaking behemoth in terms of a comic book movie. It was still our world, but having a head-on collision with Superman's world, which was like an explosion of nuclear caliber. The effect for me, as a result, was admittedly a little jarring.

Now on to what may be some semblance of a review.

I have a few complaints, but I can't help wonder if they're really complaints about aspects of the movie itself, or complaints about what the movie had (or didn't have) in comparison to what I'm used to. Either way, they're nothing more than mere quibbles that are pretty much powerless in the grand scheme of things. They still need to be mentioned, though. I didn't care for the death of Clark's dad. It was heroic, sure, but also lame and preventable. It felt flawed and...awkward. There's no reason Clark had to be stopped from that rescue, especially given how it concluded: with Pa Kent being swooshed away to his death. Given the desperate scenario, people screaming and panicking because of a sudden tornado threatening to engulf them, I'm quite sure Clark could have totally gotten away with saving the dog and then just getting swooshed away just the same. Who'd have seen his face anyway? Nothing he would have done would have been any different than what Pa Kent did. The only different is, he'd have walked into his front door later that day, and his dad wouldn't have had to die. So...really didn't care for that at all. I do understand what they were going for, having Pa Kent sacrifice himself to protect Clark's secret, forcing Clark to accept the fact that he has no right to decide people's fate, but still. Don't let Clark just stand there and be forced to watch. To me, that's like saying, "Let 'em die, Clark. Let 'em all die." Sure, protect yourself and your secret, but at what cost? *sigh* But I suppose that therein is STILL the point.

The only other "complaint" (and I use it lightly in this case) was the action. Not the action itself, but the circumstances in which it was taking place. Of course it was amazing. But almost a little TOO amazing, maybe even a bit over the top. I did, here and there, find it so hard to believe that Superman was perfectly willing to engage in such epic battles around city buildings, which were always too conveniently empty. I guess Superman doesn't have time to wonder if any people are coming to harm in all those buildings in the paths of choppers, cars, missiles, and of course, Superman himself. And not that the action and fights weren't awesome (they so were!) but come on now. Buildings being demolished to practically dust, and then it's all happy go lucky the next day (so to speak; I know it wasn't really the next day literally) at the Daily Planet? I guess, though, that this is the price to be paid to make the movie feel like it's a comic book come to life. Because that's definitely what it did feel like to me. A comic book coming to life. Can't say I really liked the fact that a lot of people know Superman's identity either. But I haven't determined if that's because I am still thinking of Donner's Superman or I really just don't like the idea of a secret identity being that much a NON secret. Then again, I guess it is rather lame that no one was ever able to see how exactly the same Clark and Superman looked in Donner's version. I wish I knew what the norm truly is.

Those were the only complaints I had, really. Not much and most certainly not enough to damage my experience. Pretty much everything else just...goes without saying. Either that, or there just doesn't exist any words to describe it. This was one AWESOME movie, very epic in feel. I loved all of his flying moments, how the camera's angle was often right behind him so I can feel like I'm flying along with him. Expectantly, I LOVED the score. I do wish where was a bit more variety to the main b-b-b-b-b-babum theme, but all in all, very worth of my collection and another Zimmer treasure to behold. I purchased it before the movie's release, but held off listening until I saw the film. Now that it's been seen, I'm blaring the score as I type. Very Happy

I loved Cavill's performance (and has he ALWAYS been that hot? My goodness), and I can't wait to see more of him in nerdy, Clark Kent fashion. And whoever that woman was...Feorah or something? What a fun character to watch! She was mind-blowingly awesome as a villain and I loved watching her every scene, which fortunately weren't minimal, but I wish they were even more MAXIMAL. She seemed far more menacing than even Zod himself. The visuals were amazing, the sound, the heroic moments brought to even more vivid life because of the score accompanying them. Loved that feeling of watching a comic-book movie with the most iconic character as the star while still feeling like I'm watching a sci-fi movie at the same time.

I'm sure there's plenty more to say, but the disadvantage of viewing a later show is sleepingess starting to kick in before I can really gather all my thoughts. Perhaps after some sleep, and maybe a second viewing, can help me out with that. Either way...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Subject: Re: The Official "Man of Steel" Review Thread Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:01 pm

Just came back from finally seeing this flick. It was a matinee screening and on a Monday, so most of the audience in my screening were just regular folks ranging from teenage friends, to adults, to families and even elderly couples instead of just being mainly packed with genre fans, which opening weekends are known to attract the most. Even so, after the film had finished, most of the audiences gave an applause. I've seen that happen on opening weekends, but not matinee screenings on a Monday. Just only goes to show you how much of a crowd pleaser this flick really is.

As for my own thoughts on the film? I'd say the applause is well deserved. I enjoyed this a lot for what it is: An action packed Superman film that wipes the slate clean, allowing the series to go where the filmmakers see fit. This was a necessary reboot and it's the kind of film we should have gotten in 2006 as opposed to the misguided love letter to Donner. Many critics did not enjoy this because it didn't resemble the Reeve films of yesteryear. I'm sorry you can't try to enjoy the film on its own terms. I wouldn't call the film "joyless", but I suppose when your ideal Superman film has the hero wink and smile at the camera in the end, I can see your point. I still enjoy that film very much and I'd probably rank it above MOS mainly because while it's flawed it still has certain qualities that appeals to me greatly. It's really just a preference though, as MOS in many ways is superior as far as coherent stories go. That wasn't a strong-suit for the Reeve films, but they worked on a different level.

As a first installment of this rebooted series, I think it does a good job setting up this new interpretation and makes me really look forward to what the filmmakers will do next, as opposed to where SR left the series on an uncertain note. Cavill makes a fine Superman, hopefully more will be done with his character now that everything is established. He gets the core of the character right, doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. That's what Superman is all about. Zod made a good villain and I liked how the film acknowledged his more alien sensibilities, he does what he does because he's programed and that in a way makes him somewhat sympathetic. What he does is wrong and evil, but he's overpowered by his purpose, he doesn't have the option of a choice like Superman. I think the solution at the end with Superman taking down Zod once and for all was handled very well. Cavil does a great job telling you what's going on in his mind without a word of dialogue, and the ending where he has to make a choice at the end really makes a great example.

If there's anything I don't like in this flick, it's that Costner wasn't in it as much as I liked. I've always preferred that Pa Kent lives well into Clark's adulthood, and it was a big problem for me when SMALLVILLE took that route especially the way that show handled it. However, I'll admit that the way his death was handled in MOS I think worked for this film and when that moment came I found it very effective and heartbreaking.

My super-rankings:

SUPERMAN
MAN OF STEEL
SUPERMAN II (Donner Cut)
SUPERMAN II
SUPERMAN III
SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE
SUPERMAN RETURNS

I'd even go as far to say that I like this film a lot better than the Nolan Batman films. Superman in a way has always been more appealing to me as a superhero to look up to, while Batman always made a great contrast and more interesting character. It's apples and oranges, and I happen to have a preference for one. If you wanna know, it's apple. You know what you can make with apples? Pie, and that's about as American as Superman can get.

And I must note, I loved that line "I'm from Kansas. It's about as American as it gets" and unsurprisingly that got a good reaction from audiences.

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