"I believe that what Zack has done in Man of Steel will define Superman for our time." - Christopher Nolan
There is something about this movie that makes me emotional. Perhaps it's because it speaks to me on so many levels. For starters, growing up as a Superman fan, it's awesome seeing how this movie makes him come to life. It's beautiful and it's epic. I swear it never gets old watching Cavil's Superman take flight. One of my all time favorite scenes from any superhero movie will forever be when Clark first learns to fly. The visuals, the sounds, the boyish wonder and joy that Cavill displays... it's wonderful. Some moments look so good I kept rewinding to watch them again.
The movie as a whole looks huge and expensive. I would even say on such a scale as 2012's The Avengers. The battles are big and destructive and the display of power and super abilities is impressive. I like that Snyder kept it real and wasn't afraid to show that this fight had many civilian casualties. It brings a heaviness and seriousness to the whole situation, and really sets up the following Batman v Superman film.
It has the perfect tone for a superhero movie. It's not a silly superhero comedy that can't be taken seriously, it's not a dark drama like Joker that's hard to enjoy, and it's not a mindless action film like Black Adam. It's a mature action/ adventure with emotional depth and thrilling superhero action sequences. There's a great balance kept between the action and the storytelling sequences. I love how Snyder handled the flashbacks to Clark's upbringing and the scenes before Clark discovers his identity. It portrays a kind, good-hearted man just trying to find himself, and helping people along the way. The color, the mood, the music, and the content of these sequences make them feel unique and interesting. The artistic creativity is beautiful and no overdone.
There's a lot of heartwarming moments between Clark and his parents, who by the way, are excellently cast. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are fantastic in these roles. No, I don't love how they changed Jonathan Kent's cause of death, but I paid close attention to this character during this most recent watch, and I understand him better now. Knowing better what he feared and what was most important to him, his mindset and actions don't seem so unreasonable to me anymore. He's raising, to his knowledge, the only alien on the planet. Clark's identity being discovered would in reality, change the world, perhaps in a very harmful way. Kevin Costner plays this character in a way that reminded me a little of his Yellowstone character. He's a strong and thoughtful man with strong convictions and you can't help but admire him.
Everyone in this movie is so well cast. There isn't a single misstep. Amy Adams nails it as Lois Lane, and Henry Cavill is the ultimate Superman. Since the 1990s, we've had 5 men play this character, but it's like Cavill was born for this. The only other one who comes close to him is Christopher Reeves, who was the Superman of his time, just like Cavill is the Superman of our time. He doesn't just look the part, he embodies this character. Cavill displays raw emotion, grit, humility, quiet confidence, a sense of humor, and a strong sense of right and wrong.
It is an absolute waste that Man of Steel will likely be the only Superman solo film we ever get with this perfectly cast Superman.
With Hans Zimmer composing, Man of Steel unsurprisingly has one of the most beautiful and memorable superhero movie scores I've heard. There are dramatic scenes where the music fuels the emotion in such a powerful way, it reminded me of the 2010 masterpiece, Inception.
You can't fully appreciate Man of Steel if you miss the Christian symbolism. I was moved by the imagery of Jesus Christ. It really helped me wrap my head around people's different reactions to Superman. Jesus came to earth and was mostly rejected and hated as an outsider. People celebrated Him when they thought He was fighting their enemies for them, but not long after, those who saw Him as a threat killed Him. There's a scene in Man of Steel where Clark tells the Feds, "You're scared of me because you can't control me. You don't, and you never will, but that doesn't mean I'm your enemy." Superman wearing handcuffs during this scene is a stark image as he surrenders himself to mankind. They are only able to do to him what he allows them to do. Do you see the symbolism? In the scene where the symbolism is most obvious, Jar-El tells Kal that he can save Lois, and also that he can save everyone. Superman then proceeds to float away with his arms spread wide and his feet together in an obvious picture of the Savior on the cross. He's also 33 in this movie. Jesus was 33 when He was crucified. As someone of the faith myself, I thought all of this symbolism was beautiful and very creatively and expertly filmed and written into the story. Hollywood isn't always very kind or fair to people of the faith, so it's refreshing and moving to see such Christian symbolism in such a big movie.
Man of Steel is much more than a simple superhero movie. I think people struggle to understand why Zack Snyder has such a big fan base and why they fight for his vision for DC movies. Man of Steel is a perfect picture of why. He so thoughtfully and passionately poured so much depth and beauty into this movie. He handled it with such care. He deserved the chance to finish what he started.
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