Ensign Lestat's Film Log, 14/06/2013
It is done. 'Man of Steel' hath arrived, and I've actually seen it. And this time, it wasn't a rush-job. It all started with a chance viewing of a Jay Leno episode. I was flipping channels, something I rarely do nowadays, and caught Henry Cavill. My sister and I watched the interview with great glee. He was rather amusing and thankfully didn't give away much about the film.
And then, the following day, the first day of the working week, I suddenly found my mind drifting. I recalled that advanced bookings could be made for 'Man of Steel', and decided, somewhat on a whim, that tickets must be bought. Once home, I bought the tickets, ostensibly to surprise my sister, but in actuality because I couldn't wait to see it myself. I spent the rest of the week giddy with anticipation, which, I don't think, has happened to me in a long time.
So, we were at the IMAX in good time, bought some munchies and got in line to pick up our 3D glasses. Thankfully, there were no trailers beforehand and we got to the matter at hand in no time.
Be warned, if you, like me, never saw more than the original teaser trailer, what I am about to write will be spoiler-filled for you. Actually, it's filled with spoilers no matter how many trailers you've seen.
The film starts off really uncomfortably - the birth of a child. Cue me getting squeamish. Yup, every time this is in a film, I want to run for the nearest airlock. Worst of all, the scene seemed to go on for a freaking age! Once done, I was gobsmacked to see that we were immersed in an otherworldly topography. This wasn't quite how I envisioned the film to be, though there is nothing wrong in that.
I believe we spent a good half hour on Krypton. We followed Jor-El (Russell Crowe) as he attempted to convince the senior council that Krypton was doomed. We watched in horror as General Zod (Michael Shannon) effected a coup. And how, in the end Jor-El had to lose his life, only and thankfully, before the inevitable end of his world.
And then we came crashing down to Earth. We are introduced to Clark Kent. Not Superman. He's on a fishing vessel and before we know it he's gone and saved a bunch of oil riggers from their burning vessel. We see that this is the story of his life - he has an uncontrollable urge to save people, and hence exposes his true abilities, and has to skip town.
When first we see him, Clark's face is hidden under a beard. Yes, Superman, it appears, can grow a beard. When next we see him, he's a waiter at a bar. Now sporting a stubble, he comes to the aid of his colleague, before restraining his natural urges to punch an offending customer. Said customer does get his comeuppance, but Clark moves on to the Arctic in search of an anomalous object he's heard about.
We learn about Clark's life and his foster parents through flashbacks. This film is rife with flashbacks - not one of my favourite film techniques. We see how young Clark found it difficult to cope with his abilities, and how his parents, through a great deal of patience taught him not only to control these powers, but also how to restrain himself from using his powers. His father, Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) pretty much drills it into his head that he must wait for the right moment to reveal himself.
Back in the present, the Arctic job introduces Clark to Lois Lane (Amy Adams). She's investigating the 'anomalous entity' for her paper. After being rescued by Clark, she goes on a hunt to find out everything she can about him.
This is, by far, the greatest departure from the original source material. Lois knows Clark is an alien. She respects that and his privacy, and there blossoms a wonderful friendship.
However, all this serenity soon comes to a crashing halt, when, lo and behold, Zod returns, with the threat that Kal-El must be surrendered to him, or humanity dies. Kal-El dutifully surrenders to the US army, but things go pear-shaped once Zod and Kal are in the same room together. Zod has one goal and one goal only - bring back Krypton. Even at the cost of Earth. This cannot be, as both Kal's fathers have told him that he must use his abilities for good and use them for the protection of Earth.
Zod reveals his plan to his people, that he wants the 'codex' stolen by Jor-El. He attempts to exact its location by threatening Martha Kent (Diane Lane), and witnesses the true wrath of Kal-El. You do not mess with Clark Kent's mother!
After losing that battle, Zod declares war on humanity and we are then witness to the most wanton destruction of public property I've ever seen on-screen. The fights just go on and on and on and on. We're talking about one superpowered alien against a whole bunch of superpowered aliens. Winning is not an option. Destroying everything in sight is. The best of the fights, and the longest, is between Kal and Commander Faora-Ul (Antje Traue).
Lois, in the meantime, is working with General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) and her former antagonist Colonel Nathan Hardy (Christopher Meloni) on how to destroy Zod as a threat.
Kal-El continues to get beat up, but somehow or the other always gets back up. In this adaptation, Clark is used to Earth's atmosphere, and the Kryptonian air nearly kills him. It makes him weaker. As Zod attempts to terra-form Earth to Kryptonian standards, Clark must valiantly fight his weakness and save the planet.
Of course he does this. With great strength and determination, and a lot of incredibly wonderful screaming. But no, 'tis not the end yet. Zod is not dead. He adapts to Earth conditions and has a massive fist-off with Kal-El, during which even more of poor Metropolis gets damaged. Smallville and Metropolis would have been veritably razed to the ground by the end of this film.
Zod declares to Kal-El that the only way this fight will end is with the death of either one of them. I did not think much of this statement till much later. So the fight continues, but now Kal has a firm grip around Zod. He tells Zod to stop, but Zod simply puts the lives of more humans at stake. Kal begs him to stop. Literally, begs. But Zod will not. In the end, Zod's prophecy comes true.
The film ends with Kal becoming the familiar figure of reporter Clark Kent, with black, rimmed glasses, dorky smile and all. Cheers, all around!
There's the film in a nutshell. The entirety of it resembles a sci-fi film more than a comic book adaptation. For one, we start of with an extended sequence on Krypton. Kryptonian tech also appears often throughout the film. Add to that, since the bad guys are aliens who come along with their alien technology, even the fights on Earth have a sci-fi feel. The tech has an unusual feel to it, which worked for most of the film, but looked incredibly tacky during an especially exposition-heavy scene on the Fortress of Solitude ship.
What I've got used to is rather a linear, realistic depiction of our comic book heroes. Here, in a sense, I suppose, something similar happens. Writer David S. Goyer wanted to depict how it would feel if we knew that an alien with Kal's abilities existed. How would the world react? That is the core of this film. Kal holds out because of how one parent reacts to his act of saving a bus full of kids.
When Lois learns about Kal, she publishes her story on a website, because her boss, Perry (Lawrence Fishburne), refuses to publish it in the paper. But, once the story is out Lois decides to drop it because Clark is waiting for the right time, Perry echoes much of what Jonathan had said earlier in the film, proving that she is making the correct decision.
So we have that essence of reality. But it pretty much stops there. The film is full of alien ships and invincible aliens. Aliens! That's the keyword. It's full of it. The trouble with so much of it being a sci-fi, is that, after a while, it just stopped being immersive. There's a large chunk that was just the same thing over and over again. The action sequences were all about one person crashing into another building, and the building caving in. It became very monotonous. That was truly frustrating, because, up until then, there had been a plot and a story. They had been building a character and the world that character must live in. And then, boom, demolition and destruction. It takes away from the humanity of the character.
Supes has always been a problematic character, because he is nigh invincible. If you don't have some Kryptonite in your pocket, you're done for.
This will probably be the only time I say there should have been a tad less action, and a little more character development. I would have loved to see Lois doing her job outside of all things concerning aliens. Actually, more of the Daily Planet would have been interesting.
The most disconcerting aspect of the film was the shaky steady-cam. It was everywhere - even on Krypton. I really thought we had seen the last of it. I don't recall seeing much of it since the end of the noughties.
The thing is, I don't like Zack Snyder. His films usually worry me. I've seen some of his work - '300', 'Watchmen' and 'Sucker Punch'. My heart sank when I heard that he was coming on board for directing the new Superman film. My imagination was rife with the horrors that would prevail. Thankfully, that never came to pass. In fact, he really surprised me from time to time.
I liked the inclusion of a substantial number of female characters - Commander Faora-Ul, Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer), Martha Kent, Major (later Captain) Carrie Farris (Christina Wren), the chief of the Kryptonian council, and, of course, Lois. All these characters had distinctive personalities and played a part in the plot.
I was still a bit bothered that Lois ended up being a damsel-in-distress quite often. That was quite disappointing, considering she's played by a very mature actor and her character just exudes an incredible amount of confidence and strength. Kal had to come to her rescue on more than one occasion, which, though probably more faithful to the original material, is very outdated in the 21st century.
Anyway, since we're on the topic, Amy Adams as Lois turned out not to be such a bad choice. I was concerned when I first read that she had got the part, but even then I was pleased to see that they had chosen an older actor to take on the role. I find it frustrating when the casts get younger - especially the female cast.
While I love 'Superman Returns' and still have a huge soft spot for Brandon Routh (love that man), I just couldn't get my head around the casting of a barely 20-something to play Lois. Especially since, in that one, she had a kid.
So, yes, very happy with Amy Adams. If they go ahead with sequels to this then I hope her character gets to prove her mettle some more.
I was very disappointed in Diane Lane's performance. I don't know why, but her performance came across as really forced and artificial. Quite like she was trying way too hard. Maybe it's just me, but that's how I felt throughout.
Antje Traue, who I have never seen before, was fabulous as the cold, bad-ass Commander Faora. She was forbidding and had some great action scenes. She took on Kal-El and almost had him too, before the cavalry arrived. Pretty damn fantastic. She ably played the role of Zod's right hand man.
Speaking of Zod, can Michael Shannon go wrong with his villains? His sympathetically menacing villains really make for good cinema. Zod is maniacal. But what I liked most about the character was how much I understood him as more was revealed about him. Quite superb.
Kevin Costner had a relatively small role as Daddy Kent. His role appeared to be modeled heavily on the Jonathan Kent of 'Smallville', which was a nice connection actually. He was very convincing as Clark's rather long-suffering father, and he appeared to have a good connection with the many actors playing Clark.
My favourite performance of the film (and, yes, more so than even the great Lawrence Fishburne, who is a scene-stealer wherever he is - come back to CSI!!!!) was Russell Crowe. Surprised right? So was I! But he was brilliant. He had a plausible chemistry with Henry, but was restrained enough to be convincing as a scientist and an alien. He handled his early action scenes commendably. No histrionics here. I hope, if there is a sequel, that he comes back. Through him we learnt a great deal about Krypton, as well. He was a calming presence throughout the film, and it was a pleasure to see him whenever he was on-screen.
There has been much consternation about casting a Brit as Superman. Henry Cavill's big breakthrough came in 'The Tudors', a show I sat through simply because of that very fact. My sister loves Cavill. I often find it difficult to remember how or why, and then I remember - in 'Tristan + Isolde', Henry played a side character. And voila! It was love at first sight for my sis, as it always is, and I soon found myself sitting through the ghastly 'Tudors', a show that was frustrating in season one, ultra-depressing in season two and got on my nerves so much during season 3, that I took to watching 'Torchwood' to wash away the sin of having wasted my time on that crap.
At first, Henry may come across as a bizarre choice, but he seriously fits the bill. While the makers of the film wanted to move away from all other cinematic renditions of the character, they seemed to do quite the opposite throughout.
As I mentioned, Jonathan Kent is reminiscent of the TV version. There's also the fact that there's a scene, part way through the film, when Clark is sporting a hairdo exactly like that of Tom Welling's in 'Smallville'. It had to have been deliberate.
Also, during the climactic battle with the terra-forming ship, when Kal is standing in glaring light, for a good several seconds he looked exactly like the late Christopher Reeve. No, he didn't just look like him, it was like it was Reeve himself. All the Clark Kents have similar features, because they all must look like the comic book character, but this was way too much!
They also stick to the same look for the young actors who play Clark through the years in this film. I'd like to commend the casting directors for choosing actors that perfectly embodied the look. All the child actors looked much like a young Henry would have. Absolutely impeccable.
Henry's Clark/ Kal-El is a man of few words. We're well into the film before he holds a conversation of more than a single sentence. He has large, expressive blue eyes that do a lot of his acting for him. There's also that quirky, boyish charm that he lends to all his characters. His Kal-El is unsure of what to do next - this is an angle not taken by the other films. Once he knows his next move, he is supremely confident. That's why he readily surrenders himself and also, why he readily engages in battles. He knows he's the only one who can, and must, so he does, irrespective of the result.
While his Clark seems more real, his Kal-El seems way too powerful. When aboard Zod's ship, he was at his most impressive because he was powerless. Same can be said about the first climax - he was battling the odds, and he triumphed. Henry's Kal-El was most relatable in those moments.
I also loved the sheer joy Henry evoked in the scenes of him flying. He didn't look ridiculous at all. Goosepimply stuff.
I shall point out at this point that in this film the symbol on Kal's suit is not an 'S'. Hence, he does not refer to himself as Superman. In fact, no one does. Only a soldier calls him that at one point, because 'that's what they're calling him'.
There are some characteristics that are very unique to Henry. Well, I suppose all actors have unique traits, but Henry has a habit of arching an eyebrow when he's being sarcastic - which makes his Clark/ Kal far less intense. Also, like Shannon's rather distinctive speech style, Henry speaks in a certain way that makes him come across as very sincere. They add to the dynamic of the character.
In all honesty, had Henry not been playing the title character, I would probably not have been interested in the film, nor would I have enjoyed it so much. As mentioned earlier, my sis fell for the guy, and well, to be honest, it didn't take me long to do the same. It helps that Henry looks like an amalgamation of two of my favourite English cricketers - James Anderson and Alastair Cook. My sister also loves Superman (films only though) and it was inevitable that I would have been dragged to see this film. But with the two mixed together, I was opting to enjoy this film rather than hate it.
The film's greatest asset is Henry. And this is my personal opinion. If Henry was attractive, beautiful and gorgeous before, he is stunning, divine and ethereal in this film. He is eye-gougingly wowtastic! I found myself, on several occasions, staring at him and him alone, irrespective of how many people were on-screen. What cheekbones! What eyes! What a smile! What a physique!
Oh yeah. Turns out, in this film at least, the Kryptonians wear full body suits as undergarments, on top of which goes a whole lot of armour. Since Kal-El doesn't have any armour, he has to fight crime in Kryptonian underwear. I am not complaining!
The suit is is thankfully rather flattering. Very flattering! The material looks otherworldly enough, and at the same time the colour is far more subtle. His cape was apparently CGI for the most part, but I couldn't tell the difference at all.
There were a couple of occasions during the film, which felt a little like déjà vu Starting the film off on Krypton and then moving to Earth reminded me of 'John Carter', which used the same tactic. The same can be said about Clark trying out his flying abilities. It's almost exactly like John Carter learning about his jumping ability.
Another moment was near the end. When Zod and Kal-El end up in the library and Kal has Zod in the chokehold, Zod threatens to kill the humans Kal so desperately wants to save. Now, okay, I'm probably a bit dense, but as that scene continued, I kept wondering where this was headed. More importantly, what was the point being made. Kal is begging Zod to stop, but Zod's heat rays keep on coming closer to the trapped humans. Closer and closer. And then, finally, Kal has but one way to stop Zod (since Zod won't do it of his own accord) - he breaks his neck. Yup. Supes kills a man. I'll be honest, I didn't blink at first. But then I realised, this is freaking Superman, he doesn't kill people! But that is the test, isn't it? How far will Kal go to protect Earth?
All this, by the way, is witnessed by Lois, who does not blink either. Instead, once Kal is done howling in anguish (wonderful emotive stuff), she goes over to him and cradles his head, while he clutches onto her for support. It's an oddly maternal moment for a character playing his love interest. That is probably because there's a little bit of an age difference between the two actors. Henry, in fact, plays Clark as a 33 year old (mentioned specifically in the film), even though he recently completed his 30th birthday.
This scene reminded me a lot of the one in 'Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones', where Anakin confesses to Padme that he has committed mass murder. Now, in that scene, Padme should have run out screaming and had him shot (though that would've been a complete shame), in this one, I feel, it just cements Lois and Clark's bond even more.
That's what irks me about the somewhat forced romance between the two characters. There's such an easy-going and symbiotic friendship between the two of them, that for them to be romantically kissing after destroying the terra-forming ship just seemed out of place. It was not necessary. Romance could have blossomed later on, in a sequel perhaps. It's one of the issues I had with 'Thor' as well, which also featured an easy-going, symbiotic friendship between the male and female protagonists. There too I was thrown by the sudden indulgence in romance, because it seemed unnecessary.
Clark and Lois will get together someday, 75 years of comic book history makes it essential. But, does it have to happen from film 1 itself?
The film is not perfect - not nearly. Even with the capable David S. Goyer's writing and Christopher Nolan as the original creative consultant, it is not brilliant. A handful of moments just seemed contrived, but were saved by impeccable acting. For example, when Clark, in flashback, reveals to Lois the true reason he remains hidden, it felt a little bit artificial. Clark has an argument with his parents, when suddenly a tornado comes at them. While all other passersby are saved, Jonathan goes to save the dog and doesn't have the time to get to safety. Clark wants to help, but his father doesn't let him. Clark lets his father die. It just seems atrocious. Surely not! Had it not been for Henry's teary-eyed acting, I would have thought even worse of the scene than I do now.
I'm sure the flaws could have been ironed out in the hands of a more capable director. Someone like Nolan would have made this brilliant.
It is very different from the other comic book adaptations, however. While it doesn't transcend the gritty realism of Nolan's Batman series, 'Man of Steel' is made for a purely cinematic and comic-loving audience, who are there for the sake of enjoyment. Add to that, plenty of lingering shots of Henry Cavill make this a must-see. Henry Cavill... Yes... Must... What was I talking about?
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| MAN OF STEEL!!!!!!!!!!! |
And then, the following day, the first day of the working week, I suddenly found my mind drifting. I recalled that advanced bookings could be made for 'Man of Steel', and decided, somewhat on a whim, that tickets must be bought. Once home, I bought the tickets, ostensibly to surprise my sister, but in actuality because I couldn't wait to see it myself. I spent the rest of the week giddy with anticipation, which, I don't think, has happened to me in a long time.
So, we were at the IMAX in good time, bought some munchies and got in line to pick up our 3D glasses. Thankfully, there were no trailers beforehand and we got to the matter at hand in no time.
Be warned, if you, like me, never saw more than the original teaser trailer, what I am about to write will be spoiler-filled for you. Actually, it's filled with spoilers no matter how many trailers you've seen.
The film starts off really uncomfortably - the birth of a child. Cue me getting squeamish. Yup, every time this is in a film, I want to run for the nearest airlock. Worst of all, the scene seemed to go on for a freaking age! Once done, I was gobsmacked to see that we were immersed in an otherworldly topography. This wasn't quite how I envisioned the film to be, though there is nothing wrong in that.
I believe we spent a good half hour on Krypton. We followed Jor-El (Russell Crowe) as he attempted to convince the senior council that Krypton was doomed. We watched in horror as General Zod (Michael Shannon) effected a coup. And how, in the end Jor-El had to lose his life, only and thankfully, before the inevitable end of his world.
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| Russell Crowe as Jor-El. |
When first we see him, Clark's face is hidden under a beard. Yes, Superman, it appears, can grow a beard. When next we see him, he's a waiter at a bar. Now sporting a stubble, he comes to the aid of his colleague, before restraining his natural urges to punch an offending customer. Said customer does get his comeuppance, but Clark moves on to the Arctic in search of an anomalous object he's heard about.
We learn about Clark's life and his foster parents through flashbacks. This film is rife with flashbacks - not one of my favourite film techniques. We see how young Clark found it difficult to cope with his abilities, and how his parents, through a great deal of patience taught him not only to control these powers, but also how to restrain himself from using his powers. His father, Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) pretty much drills it into his head that he must wait for the right moment to reveal himself.
Back in the present, the Arctic job introduces Clark to Lois Lane (Amy Adams). She's investigating the 'anomalous entity' for her paper. After being rescued by Clark, she goes on a hunt to find out everything she can about him.
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| Amy Adams portrays a mature Lois Lane. |
However, all this serenity soon comes to a crashing halt, when, lo and behold, Zod returns, with the threat that Kal-El must be surrendered to him, or humanity dies. Kal-El dutifully surrenders to the US army, but things go pear-shaped once Zod and Kal are in the same room together. Zod has one goal and one goal only - bring back Krypton. Even at the cost of Earth. This cannot be, as both Kal's fathers have told him that he must use his abilities for good and use them for the protection of Earth.
Zod reveals his plan to his people, that he wants the 'codex' stolen by Jor-El. He attempts to exact its location by threatening Martha Kent (Diane Lane), and witnesses the true wrath of Kal-El. You do not mess with Clark Kent's mother!
After losing that battle, Zod declares war on humanity and we are then witness to the most wanton destruction of public property I've ever seen on-screen. The fights just go on and on and on and on. We're talking about one superpowered alien against a whole bunch of superpowered aliens. Winning is not an option. Destroying everything in sight is. The best of the fights, and the longest, is between Kal and Commander Faora-Ul (Antje Traue).
Lois, in the meantime, is working with General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) and her former antagonist Colonel Nathan Hardy (Christopher Meloni) on how to destroy Zod as a threat.
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| Kneel before Zod! (Okay, I just had to.) |
Of course he does this. With great strength and determination, and a lot of incredibly wonderful screaming. But no, 'tis not the end yet. Zod is not dead. He adapts to Earth conditions and has a massive fist-off with Kal-El, during which even more of poor Metropolis gets damaged. Smallville and Metropolis would have been veritably razed to the ground by the end of this film.
Zod declares to Kal-El that the only way this fight will end is with the death of either one of them. I did not think much of this statement till much later. So the fight continues, but now Kal has a firm grip around Zod. He tells Zod to stop, but Zod simply puts the lives of more humans at stake. Kal begs him to stop. Literally, begs. But Zod will not. In the end, Zod's prophecy comes true.
The film ends with Kal becoming the familiar figure of reporter Clark Kent, with black, rimmed glasses, dorky smile and all. Cheers, all around!
There's the film in a nutshell. The entirety of it resembles a sci-fi film more than a comic book adaptation. For one, we start of with an extended sequence on Krypton. Kryptonian tech also appears often throughout the film. Add to that, since the bad guys are aliens who come along with their alien technology, even the fights on Earth have a sci-fi feel. The tech has an unusual feel to it, which worked for most of the film, but looked incredibly tacky during an especially exposition-heavy scene on the Fortress of Solitude ship.
What I've got used to is rather a linear, realistic depiction of our comic book heroes. Here, in a sense, I suppose, something similar happens. Writer David S. Goyer wanted to depict how it would feel if we knew that an alien with Kal's abilities existed. How would the world react? That is the core of this film. Kal holds out because of how one parent reacts to his act of saving a bus full of kids.
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| Lawrence Fishburne - the scene-'steel'er. |
So we have that essence of reality. But it pretty much stops there. The film is full of alien ships and invincible aliens. Aliens! That's the keyword. It's full of it. The trouble with so much of it being a sci-fi, is that, after a while, it just stopped being immersive. There's a large chunk that was just the same thing over and over again. The action sequences were all about one person crashing into another building, and the building caving in. It became very monotonous. That was truly frustrating, because, up until then, there had been a plot and a story. They had been building a character and the world that character must live in. And then, boom, demolition and destruction. It takes away from the humanity of the character.
Supes has always been a problematic character, because he is nigh invincible. If you don't have some Kryptonite in your pocket, you're done for.
This will probably be the only time I say there should have been a tad less action, and a little more character development. I would have loved to see Lois doing her job outside of all things concerning aliens. Actually, more of the Daily Planet would have been interesting.
The most disconcerting aspect of the film was the shaky steady-cam. It was everywhere - even on Krypton. I really thought we had seen the last of it. I don't recall seeing much of it since the end of the noughties.
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| We interrupt this blogcast for a picture of Henry Cavill. |
I liked the inclusion of a substantial number of female characters - Commander Faora-Ul, Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer), Martha Kent, Major (later Captain) Carrie Farris (Christina Wren), the chief of the Kryptonian council, and, of course, Lois. All these characters had distinctive personalities and played a part in the plot.
I was still a bit bothered that Lois ended up being a damsel-in-distress quite often. That was quite disappointing, considering she's played by a very mature actor and her character just exudes an incredible amount of confidence and strength. Kal had to come to her rescue on more than one occasion, which, though probably more faithful to the original material, is very outdated in the 21st century.
Anyway, since we're on the topic, Amy Adams as Lois turned out not to be such a bad choice. I was concerned when I first read that she had got the part, but even then I was pleased to see that they had chosen an older actor to take on the role. I find it frustrating when the casts get younger - especially the female cast.
While I love 'Superman Returns' and still have a huge soft spot for Brandon Routh (love that man), I just couldn't get my head around the casting of a barely 20-something to play Lois. Especially since, in that one, she had a kid.
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| Brandon Routh's Superman will always be special to me. |
I was very disappointed in Diane Lane's performance. I don't know why, but her performance came across as really forced and artificial. Quite like she was trying way too hard. Maybe it's just me, but that's how I felt throughout.
Antje Traue, who I have never seen before, was fabulous as the cold, bad-ass Commander Faora. She was forbidding and had some great action scenes. She took on Kal-El and almost had him too, before the cavalry arrived. Pretty damn fantastic. She ably played the role of Zod's right hand man.
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| The deadly and ruthless Faora-Ul. |
Kevin Costner had a relatively small role as Daddy Kent. His role appeared to be modeled heavily on the Jonathan Kent of 'Smallville', which was a nice connection actually. He was very convincing as Clark's rather long-suffering father, and he appeared to have a good connection with the many actors playing Clark.
My favourite performance of the film (and, yes, more so than even the great Lawrence Fishburne, who is a scene-stealer wherever he is - come back to CSI!!!!) was Russell Crowe. Surprised right? So was I! But he was brilliant. He had a plausible chemistry with Henry, but was restrained enough to be convincing as a scientist and an alien. He handled his early action scenes commendably. No histrionics here. I hope, if there is a sequel, that he comes back. Through him we learnt a great deal about Krypton, as well. He was a calming presence throughout the film, and it was a pleasure to see him whenever he was on-screen.
There has been much consternation about casting a Brit as Superman. Henry Cavill's big breakthrough came in 'The Tudors', a show I sat through simply because of that very fact. My sister loves Cavill. I often find it difficult to remember how or why, and then I remember - in 'Tristan + Isolde', Henry played a side character. And voila! It was love at first sight for my sis, as it always is, and I soon found myself sitting through the ghastly 'Tudors', a show that was frustrating in season one, ultra-depressing in season two and got on my nerves so much during season 3, that I took to watching 'Torchwood' to wash away the sin of having wasted my time on that crap.
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| Henry in 'The Tudors'. |
As I mentioned, Jonathan Kent is reminiscent of the TV version. There's also the fact that there's a scene, part way through the film, when Clark is sporting a hairdo exactly like that of Tom Welling's in 'Smallville'. It had to have been deliberate.
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| Tom Welling in 'Smallville'. |
They also stick to the same look for the young actors who play Clark through the years in this film. I'd like to commend the casting directors for choosing actors that perfectly embodied the look. All the child actors looked much like a young Henry would have. Absolutely impeccable.
Henry's Clark/ Kal-El is a man of few words. We're well into the film before he holds a conversation of more than a single sentence. He has large, expressive blue eyes that do a lot of his acting for him. There's also that quirky, boyish charm that he lends to all his characters. His Kal-El is unsure of what to do next - this is an angle not taken by the other films. Once he knows his next move, he is supremely confident. That's why he readily surrenders himself and also, why he readily engages in battles. He knows he's the only one who can, and must, so he does, irrespective of the result.
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| Standing tall. |
I also loved the sheer joy Henry evoked in the scenes of him flying. He didn't look ridiculous at all. Goosepimply stuff.
I shall point out at this point that in this film the symbol on Kal's suit is not an 'S'. Hence, he does not refer to himself as Superman. In fact, no one does. Only a soldier calls him that at one point, because 'that's what they're calling him'.
There are some characteristics that are very unique to Henry. Well, I suppose all actors have unique traits, but Henry has a habit of arching an eyebrow when he's being sarcastic - which makes his Clark/ Kal far less intense. Also, like Shannon's rather distinctive speech style, Henry speaks in a certain way that makes him come across as very sincere. They add to the dynamic of the character.
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| Feast your eyes on this. Thanks BuzzFeed. |
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| James Anderson + Alastair Cook = Henry Cavill! |
Oh yeah. Turns out, in this film at least, the Kryptonians wear full body suits as undergarments, on top of which goes a whole lot of armour. Since Kal-El doesn't have any armour, he has to fight crime in Kryptonian underwear. I am not complaining!
The suit is is thankfully rather flattering. Very flattering! The material looks otherworldly enough, and at the same time the colour is far more subtle. His cape was apparently CGI for the most part, but I couldn't tell the difference at all.
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| A CGI cape and underwear for a suit. Supes has it made! |
Another moment was near the end. When Zod and Kal-El end up in the library and Kal has Zod in the chokehold, Zod threatens to kill the humans Kal so desperately wants to save. Now, okay, I'm probably a bit dense, but as that scene continued, I kept wondering where this was headed. More importantly, what was the point being made. Kal is begging Zod to stop, but Zod's heat rays keep on coming closer to the trapped humans. Closer and closer. And then, finally, Kal has but one way to stop Zod (since Zod won't do it of his own accord) - he breaks his neck. Yup. Supes kills a man. I'll be honest, I didn't blink at first. But then I realised, this is freaking Superman, he doesn't kill people! But that is the test, isn't it? How far will Kal go to protect Earth?
All this, by the way, is witnessed by Lois, who does not blink either. Instead, once Kal is done howling in anguish (wonderful emotive stuff), she goes over to him and cradles his head, while he clutches onto her for support. It's an oddly maternal moment for a character playing his love interest. That is probably because there's a little bit of an age difference between the two actors. Henry, in fact, plays Clark as a 33 year old (mentioned specifically in the film), even though he recently completed his 30th birthday.
This scene reminded me a lot of the one in 'Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones', where Anakin confesses to Padme that he has committed mass murder. Now, in that scene, Padme should have run out screaming and had him shot (though that would've been a complete shame), in this one, I feel, it just cements Lois and Clark's bond even more.
That's what irks me about the somewhat forced romance between the two characters. There's such an easy-going and symbiotic friendship between the two of them, that for them to be romantically kissing after destroying the terra-forming ship just seemed out of place. It was not necessary. Romance could have blossomed later on, in a sequel perhaps. It's one of the issues I had with 'Thor' as well, which also featured an easy-going, symbiotic friendship between the male and female protagonists. There too I was thrown by the sudden indulgence in romance, because it seemed unnecessary.
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| Does this have to happen like right now? |
The film is not perfect - not nearly. Even with the capable David S. Goyer's writing and Christopher Nolan as the original creative consultant, it is not brilliant. A handful of moments just seemed contrived, but were saved by impeccable acting. For example, when Clark, in flashback, reveals to Lois the true reason he remains hidden, it felt a little bit artificial. Clark has an argument with his parents, when suddenly a tornado comes at them. While all other passersby are saved, Jonathan goes to save the dog and doesn't have the time to get to safety. Clark wants to help, but his father doesn't let him. Clark lets his father die. It just seems atrocious. Surely not! Had it not been for Henry's teary-eyed acting, I would have thought even worse of the scene than I do now.
I'm sure the flaws could have been ironed out in the hands of a more capable director. Someone like Nolan would have made this brilliant.
It is very different from the other comic book adaptations, however. While it doesn't transcend the gritty realism of Nolan's Batman series, 'Man of Steel' is made for a purely cinematic and comic-loving audience, who are there for the sake of enjoyment. Add to that, plenty of lingering shots of Henry Cavill make this a must-see. Henry Cavill... Yes... Must... What was I talking about?
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