Movie report: Man of Steel

Movie report: Man of Steel

“Man of Steel” is phenomenal.

The story is told non-chronologically, which took some getting used to. In fact, at one point, I thought the theater had forgotten to show an entire reel of the movie, until I figured out what was going on. They’re trying to show what it would be like for someone to have these amazing powers – and hide them desperately – and how difficult that would be. He’s trying to make sense of it all, and that means sometimes remembering what happened in the past, the good and the bad lessons growing up.

Superman’s super powers have never been shown like this before. This is what it would be like to fly: the roar and buffet of the wind, the shakiness and uncertainty, the exhilaration and freedom. This is what it would be like to be invulnerable and super strong – fighting desperately against enemies who are also invulnerable and super strong – and not fighting enemies who aren’t. His heat vision is the scariest power imaginable – except for his x-ray vision, which is Sixth-Sense scary. Never have super powers been so realistic.

Lois Lane is not how we expect her physically, but exactly right temperamentally. She’s a daredevil reporter. She is brave. She is clever. She is tenacious and determined. In a wonderful twist on all the nonsensical representations of her relationship with Superman and Clark Kent, she is the only person who figures out his secret identity. Terrific!

This movie has Superman-class villains. His adversaries are as powerful as he is, if not more so. They have a ruthless ambition that would crush him and destroy his adopted planet of Earth. You can tell that he doesn’t want to defeat them, but they make that defeat necessary.

He is not a glib, wisecracking superhero. There is too much going on inside him for that. Batman has always been a dark, brooding hero, while Superman has always been shown as lighter. But Batman only lost his parents; Superman lost his entire world. No wonder he’s quiet. His actions speak for him. He is as he does.

At one point, his adopted father admits that they’re making it up as they go along. So is he. No one has ever lived a life like his before. So different from everyone else, but so much wanting to be just like everyone else. If you think about it, Superman could easily conquer and rule the world, and be a distant, aloof king. That’s not what he wants, though. He just wants to be an ordinary guy. He never can be. But he tries. Ultimately, that’s what makes him Superman: he tries.

Highly recommended.


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