Re: The Man of Steel
Would you even call it the "best" Superman movie?
Well, in the end it feels more realistic and plausible and contemporary in a way that makes it more watchable and believable in this day and age than the Donner version. This one is more grounded in the real world and you feel the impact of the giant battles. It lacks a real sense of discovery because you've seen the first half of the movie already, particularly if you watched ten seasons of Smallville. Obviously, Kevin Costner makes a better Pa Kent than the guy from Dukes of Hazzard, but the bottom line is that almost everything in the first half felt familiar.
On the plus side, you have never witnessed Superman's power on display like this. If that's what you want to see, you're in for a treat. His x-ray vision looks cooler than I've ever seen portrayed before, because there was a huge budget to play with. And when he smashes people around, it's much more than somebody getting thrown through a sheet of drywall. It was fun getting to see Superman really cut loose with production values we've never seen before. It's just that I wasn't invested emotionally like I was when I first watched The Dark Knight or Avengers--or even Captain America.
That movie lacked a bit in the action and epic visual departments, but I wanted the skinny guy with a lot of heart to get the chance to fight for his country. He was sympathetic and I was rooting for him. When he threw himself on the dummy grenade to save his fellow soldiers, I was moved. I really cared about him and wanted to see him succeed. I'm not saying that Captain America was a better movie, but it did a better job at making me care about the hero and get me emotionally invested in his successes and/or failures. This was an angsty, brooding Kal-El who was almost always wearing his serious face and who spends much of the film drowning in reluctance. I wasn't jumping up out of my seat, pumping my fist in the air, shouting, "Go Superman!!!" I think you can make a Superman movie that has that effect, but this didn't quite accomplish that.
I am really looking forward to seeing the reactions of others as they have a chance to see it for themselves this weekend. By all means, do that! This is worth watching on the big screen.
Keep on fightin', son of Krypton!
