Man of Steel (2013)

Despite mixed reviews from fans and critics, Man of Steel is undeniably the movie that will dominate this summer. It has already destroyed many opening weekend box office records, passing last year's The Avengers. It seems that Superman, a character gently nudged aside by Batman in recent years, may finally be back on top.

We all know the story of the Kryptonian orphan sent to Earth, it's nothing new, and Man of Steel knows this. Rather than wasting time on the story that's been beaten to death, Man of Steel gives us more of a before & after type of narrative regarding Kal-El's arrival on Earth. The film opens up on Krypton, with Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Zod (Michael Shannon) and the events leading up to the destruction of the planet. The film's introduction ends with the infant Kal-El being sent off into space, and picks up with the adult Clark Kent working on a fishing boat. Throughout the film, there are flashbacks to his childhood, but unlike many origin stories, it doesn't linger on the things that the audience obviously doesn't want to sit through. This is the first of many things that Man of Steel picked up from the Batman trilogy. Batman Begins followed a similar no-B.S. approach to the origin/childhood of the hero.

Where Man of Steel diverges from the Batman path is in the overall tone and scope of the film. In recent years, the gritty hero has been plaguing cinemas left and right. Everything must be more realistic and more angsty so that Hot Topic can sell t-shirts. However, Man of Steel stayed true to the cosmic, otherworldly science-fiction side of Superman, and was successful in doing so. The DC universe is a huge one, and all of the best stories involve huge conflicts that can change reality and the fate of humanity ( Kingdom Come, Blackest Night, Flashpoint, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Final Crisis). Despite being the home to Batman, the DC universe has always stayed away from Marvel's overly-realistic storytelling (such as Civil War) and Man of Steel did the same.

Superman is not, and never will be, a dark, gritty character, and Man of Steel doesn't force that upon him. The film does not lack in seriousness, but it doesn't feel as contrived as in many other comic book films. Superman is essentially a god, there's no denying it. In Man of Steel, it is understood that Kal-El can not simply exploit his powers, because it would change humanity, and he barely uses them until the fate of the entire universe lies in the balance. Superman's role as a god-like being is very obvious in Man of Steel, which even throws in some subtle religious imagery (one scene in particular shows Superman standing in front of a stained glass image of Christ in a flowing red robe similar to his cape, and another shows Superman descending to earth with his arms outstretched, mirroring the crucifix).

Man of Steel is undeniably Synder's magnum opus, and just might be the greatest superhero film of all time. After the sour taste left in viewers' mouths after the train-wreck that was Iron Man 3, Man of Steel was exactly what audiences needed to keep the comic book film alive, and who better to save superheroes than the man of tomorrow?

Much like any masterpiece, Man of Steel had it's flaws as well, however minor they may have been. I felt that Lois Lane was incredibly underdeveloped as both a character and a love interest. She felt very forced into the story, and her role was seemingly unimportant and unnecessary. I also felt that the forced romance between her and Superman took away from his god-like presence and negatively humanized him.

Unsurprisingly, Henry Cavill and Michael Shannon stole the show, and were the perfect yin and yang. Superman was perfectly matched against the cruel, relentless Zod, and their final confrontation was by far the best final fight scene in a comic book film. Man of Steel also didn't fall victim to the idiotic trend of side-characters defeating the main villain in the end (The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3) which was a definite plus.

After the immense amount of cash this film is raking in, there's no denying that a sequel is on the way,

so just what's next for Superman?

I think this series should follow the basic model of the villains in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Batman Begins has the appropriate starter villain in Ra's al Ghul, much like Zod in Man of Steel. The Dark Knight brought in the arch-nemesis with The Joker, and I think the Superman sequel will introduce Lex Luthor. Finally, The Dark Knight Rises had the true test for the hero with Bane, which is why I think a third Superman film should include either Darkseid or Doomsday, to truly test what Superman can do, and how far he will go to save humanity.

If you see one film this summer, it should be Man of Steel, because this is certainly the one that everyone will be talking about. It seems that the dark days of Batman may be over, as audiences begin to get over the stigma brought on by Silver-Age Superman comics, and accept him as the character he was meant to be.