Ever since he was introduced in 1937, Superman has represented truth, justice and the American way. Yet he's also dreadfully boring if you sit down and think about it. Where is the conflict in a story about an invincible alien who can demolish any villain with the flick of his wrist? And in a media landscape dominated by the antiheroes of "Breaking Bad" and "Game of Thrones," is there any room for such a pure manifestation of good? Is it even possible to dilute Superman down to a moral gray area while retaining all that makes him, well, Superman? The latest on-screen adaptation of the Superman mythos, "Man of Steel," answers that with a resounding "yes."
As the reboot of the franchise, "Man of Steel" is an origin story that follows its character's canon quite faithfully. Sent to Earth as a baby to escape his dying planet? Check. Growing up with superpowers? Check. Saving the world from an unstoppable evil? Check.
Just like Superman (Henry Cavill) is influenced by his two fathers, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), "Man of Steel" is influenced by two of its makers: director Zack Snyder and co-producer and co-writer Christopher Nolan. The former, a man who deconstructed the superhero myth in "Watchmen," now adds his penchant for visual flair to the most archetypal hero of them all. Gone is the slow-motion that made "300" and "Watchmen" so visceral. In its place are rapid zooms and shaky cameras that try in vain to keep up as Superman flies around the world faster than a speeding bullet. With every punch from his fist, a shockwave erupts. With every crash, a building collapses like a Jenga tower. This is not only the powerful man we have come to envision, but also a more realistic one.
As for Nolan, he brings us a more brutal, brooding Superman, not unlike what he did for Bruce Wayne with his Batman film trilogy. But Clark Kent is no Bruce Wayne, and Kent's pain is more existential than angsty. Nolan brings us a Superman that we may not have wanted, but one that is desperately needed. All hail the death of the Boy Scout his replacement is here, and I like him better already.
Of course, you can't have a good building without a solid foundation, and Hans Zimmer provides one based on bombast alone. Zimmer, perhaps the best film composer working today, eschews the John Williams theme for something even better: a soaring theme that any superhero movie would be proud to have.
While the theme shows up often, it is not overused like Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" was in Lars von Trier's "Melancholia." As the bass vibrates your seat, you'll be reminded of why you go to the movies in the first place.
And what of the Man of Steel himself? For all the American symbolism we affix to Superman, I'm slightly surprised and mostly pleased that no one raised a stink when the very British Cavill was cast. With a jawline that Michelangelo himself couldn't sculpt, Cavill is more Superman than any of his predecessors. He is stoic, pained, determined and heroic, and he will do the role well for years to come.
The rest of the cast is inspired. Snyder effectively uses Crowe by avoiding the disembodied floating head that made Marlon Brando's Jor-El in the 1978 adaptation so creepy. Costner will make you shed manly tears as a father trying to protect his adopted son from a world he knows is cruel to those who are different. If there is a misfire, it is with Amy Adams, who is uninspired as Lois Lane despite her usual brilliance. It is refreshing, however, to see Lane do some actual reporting.
I've saved the best for last with Michael Shannon, one of my favorite actors working now. I have dubbed Shannon "the human volcano" because he often plays a man with tension and hatred bubbling inside until it erupts fantastically (see his reading of the Delta Gamma sorority letter for more). In his portrayal of Zed, he is no different. When he finally does erupt, it is nothing short of breathtaking to watch a modern master work.
Rating: 8.8/10
"Man of Steel" is currently playing at the Nugget.
