man of steel has got to be the best interpretation of superman in movie form that has ever come out. with the special effects possible now days they are able to produce things that the previous movies could not. i did semi-enjoy Superman Returns with Brandon Roth, but i believe the mistake they made with that movie was they used it as a sequel to Superman 2 with Christopher Reeves, instead of making it its own movie restarting the Superman franchise.
special effects aside i was very pleased with the way Henry Cavill portrayed Superman, we really didn't see him as the geeky Clark Kent. but im sure he will do well with that as well.
Amy Adams as Lois Lane was a very well picked choice. i love her in other movies she has been in. i was very pleased that they made her a strong female character and not some whiny "girl in trouble". she was portrayed as a cunning, smart, journalist with a sense of who Lois Lane is and played it very well.
Michael Shannon plays General Zod was mesmerizing. his portrayal of Zod as a cold, calculating General in the Kryptonian armed forces was on point. the passion of his goals was shown through every word and every action. he was ruthless, and that's critical in being a villain. but not only was he that way, you could also see his point of view because that's what he was genetically made for. i see Zod as a kinda Magneto type villain, where you question if he is really that wrong in what he does, or is his point of view right.
Russell Crowe portrays Superman's father, Jor-El. its a complete opposite from the way Jor-El was portrayed in the other Superman movies. to say the least, Jor-El is a bad ass. from him saving his only son of krypton's destruction to helping Clark later in the movie, i thought Crowe put passion, and heart into a person who only wanted to save his people from a destruction that was inevitable. Jor-El is the flip side of Zod. they are much like the yin and yang. both wanting the same thing, both wanting their people to strive, just both with different views on how that would happen.
Kevin Costner was a quiet man that said few words but what he did say was very important. Clark's human father was how i thought a farmer from Kansas would act, quiet, reserved, and wise. i thought his character was much like Ben Parker from Spider Man.
Diane Lane was a very good Martha Kent. you could see the kindness in her face, and feel the thoughtlessness of a simple Kansas woman who took in a strange boy form outer space and raises him to be the kind and just person he grows up to be. in the scenes with just Diane Lane and Henry Cavill there is a chemistry, a feeling that they are mother and son.
Christopher Meloni, Laurence Fishburne, and Antje Traue make up some of the supporting cast. Fishburne as Perry White was sense-able and interesting to put such a big star in such a small role. Antje Traue i had to look on IMDB to see what else she had been in. Pandorum was the only one i recognized. do not let her no name status fool you. as Zod's right hand (wo)man she is just as ruthless and cunning as Zod himself. the fight scenes in downtown Smallville were spectacular and visually stunning.
There are a few things in the movie i have heard friends and other people complain about. like how there is no Jimmy Olsen working at the Daily Planet, or that Superman's costume is the wrong colors. i never cared for Jimmy Olsen so i didn't miss him. i think he adds a bit of campy to the storyline and i would rather have it more of a serious take on Superman than be a campy mess of one. as for the costume. i think its a fresh modern approach to his outfit. i liked how it was tied into all the Kryptonian clothing and that it was part of his heritage. i like the muted colors over the bright blue and red of the "normal" Superman costumes. i absolutely love the new symbol, the new modern stylizing of it works very well to take superman and bring him into this day and age. Modern, bold and functional is how i would describe his costume.
in closing this review all ill say is go see it for yourself. sure you can listen to critics, or you can listen to your friends but until you experience it for yourself you will never know if you love it or hate it. my only advice is to not bother with the costly 3D, it really didn't ad much to the movie experience. Save your cash and see it in 2D.
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