Note: When Man of Steel came out in 2013, I loved it. As a lifelong Superman fan, it immediately became my favorite superhero movie, so I’m a bit biased in that regard. With Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justise a few short months away from gracing big screens around the world, I thought I’d pull something out of the pre-blog archives. Below is a review I wrote shortly after walking out of the theater. I can’t wait until the next film comes out.
Man Of Steel was more than a movie. It was an EXPERIENCE. It was an event. From start to finish, I was captivated. I won’t sit here and act like I don’t have a bias here, but I know that the makers of this film took special care with the material and did well go piece together a very carefully written screenplay.
I especially loved how the Superman mythos continued to take on the identity of its original creators, two Jewish men living at a time where a messianic figure was needed to provide an escape from the harsh realities of a growing world.
The visuals of this film–seen in 3D I might add–were stunning from start to finish. It is no exaggeration to declare that this spectacle will be successful in suspending your belief that a man is incapable of flying through the sky. I witnessed intrigue, wonder, excitement, action, adventure, mystery, and even love.
Family, sacrifice, loss, and tragedy were all seen here, all finding it’s way into the origin story of a man named Kal-El sent to our world in order to serve as a guiding light up darkened ways. I felt a spiritual connection to this film as well, and considering my upbringing coupled with my love for the Man of Steel’s stories growing up, it was a match made in the heavens.
I too was not of this world–even if it was for a little over two and a half hours. The right man was found to portray the man who would be Clark Kent, and his qualities as the Last Son of Krypton totally overlooked the fact that he was the first Superman in film that didn’t stand around 6’4.
His inner strength was evident, and this film masterfully depicted the struggles of an essential demigod as he sought to blend in with his surroundings as much as he possibly could. For the first time, I saw a Superman film that had both an origin story and a real danger for him to do battle with.
This was no picnic for Superman. Normally, films that introduce or reintroduce a character usually have a rather easy foe for him or her to deal with, all while giving them a medium to introduce viewers to their abilities. Not so with Man Of Steel. Man Of Steel showed a Superman faced with quite possibly the greatest challenge any superhero had ever faced on the big screen—the threat of the global extinction of his adopted people.
From the very beginning to the last shot of a smiling hero, the viewer is treated to a riveting musical score that matched the pace of a film that was majestic from start to finish. Most people like myself expected them to use a revamped version of the classic theme, but upon realizing that this was a new generation and a new era, I quickly grew to adore the new theme almost as much as I did the old one. I can’t wait for the next installment of this new DC era.
This movie has earned a 10/10 in my book. Superman has returned to theaters, and after this near masterpiece, he’s finally here to stay. As a dedicated Superman fan, I couldn’t be happier. I took more than a few moments after the closing credits to catch my breath, and I’m ready to see it again.
I could honestly go on for hours and days about this film, so I’ll stop before Facebook revokes my ranting privileges for a month. God bless the Superman franchise. I feel like a kid again, and I don’t ever want this feeling to leave me.
Completed @ 1:45 AM on 16 June 2013.
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