3 Short Paragraphs: Man of Steel

2013, Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) --- cinema

Pretty much, we agree we agree we agree.

Let me begin by saying the trailers really had me sold on a soulful, emotional Superman movie. Costner's Pa Kent and his voice breaking, "You.. are my son."  The monologing by Jor-El about standing in the sun.  As a comic reader who has never primarily been a Superman fan, I was happy to see a story where we explore his separation from humanity, where a man who is not one of us still stands up to the greatest of threats, to protect us as a species. To give an ideal to the rest of people on the planet that adopts him was to be my view of Superman.  Yeah, I have always been about the angst.

And I got that.  The first act of the movie is great, giving us a wonderfully alien Krypton and even an incredible reboot of the General Zod, that I never cared much about from the early movie. We see Clark Kent, pretty much a pariah in his home town for being so very very different, wandering the world (Canada!!) and believing he must stay hidden. But even then, he emerges in times of need to walk through fire and destruction, doing what must be done. Heroic.  Grand.  And massive!  Finally, a Superman actor who actually looks the part, and not a lithe swimmer body.

So what the fuck happened after he put on the suit and cape ?!?!  Seriously, this may be the super-powered goliath others wanted from Superman, punching and smashing things and flying at super speeds but WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SUPER-HEROISM !?!?  I admit, I may be somewhat sensitive about massive collateral casualties these days, but while he is kicking and punching Zod all over the place, could we have seen one scene of heroism? Break off from the fight for one second and catch a falling building in a feat of physics-defying strength? Oh, we can subscribe to the line that he is sacrificing countless numbers of people in order to defeat villains who, given a chance, will destroy the entire planet but then why does he anguish over the death of ONE KRYPTONIAN ?!?! I end up finding the one bright spot of true heroism, as Perry White, seeing he cannot save Jenny (Jimmy Olsen analog?) stands strong and silent, giving her a final look of, "I am here for you, with you, at this end."  A simple human, with no powers, shows greater heroism in his death than invincible Kal-El shows in all his super-punches.  Hrrrmph.