Movie Talk - Man of Steel

Tonight on Law and Order: SVU, Detective Stabler faces a vigilante who enjoys beating the crap out of wifebeaters and corrupt politicians... If that was really the plot of Man of Steel, critics would have probably had something to laugh about. I would have too because that kinda sounds awesome.

Well, it's here. The review of Man of Steel. If there was one movie that has been pretty polarizing this summer, it's this one. Wars have been fought online! Cats and dogs have considered going to San Francisco! Tupac's back from the grave! Brother has turned against brother!  Marvel's actually putting out good crossover events... wait. Marvel doesn't put out good crossover events!

On a serious note, this movie has been one of those movies to talk about. I went to go see the movie before work on opening day and I saw the movie again with some friends Sunday. I'm not going to try to spoil the movie down below (shoot, the Internet has been doing that for the last few weeks),  but some stuff may slip out. So, if you want to click for a more in-depth opinion, you'll know where to click. 

Is this movie a good introduction? I think so. While it has some glaring flaws, it's not the worst thing to carry Superman's name on it. I had fun watching this movie. Heck, I really had fun watching it a second time, and that's rare because I never see movies in the cinemas twice. The characters and acting was good for the most part. Cavill definitely sold it as Clark/Kal/Superman and I do like the suit. I do wish the suit had an actual belt though. The action scenes were good for the most part, the effects were good , and the score kicked some butt (Not mine though).  I'll be going a little in-depth below.


Likes
Yes, I like a lot about this film.

There aren't many people who can pull off the "Iron Man Pose." Luckily, he's one who can. 

• Excellent casting - I thought the casting and acting was good for the most part. A lot of the lead roles were good. As I said before, Henry Cavill was a good Clark/Kal-El/Superman. He blended into the role well. I also liked Amy Adams as Lois Lane. I thought she did a good job as the risk-taking reporter. While their development was a little rushed, I thought those two looked great together especially at the end. Everyone else played their parts well for the most part.  Other characters who I thought were cool were Jor-El, Co. Hardy (Christopher Meloni), Faora, and Martha Kent.
• Great first half - The first half of this movie was pretty good. We get Clark's birth and Krypton's destruction. We skip to present day where Clark is searching around for clues on his birth parents. We also get some good flashbacks to Clark's early life along the way.We also have Lois looking for him in some of it as well.
• Awesome score -  I just had to get the track that plays during Clark's first flight (which is one of my favorite scenes) and the one that plays towards the end. The music by Hans Zimmer really fits this incarnation of Superman. While John Williams' score to the original movies is legendary, this one is still good and helps move the movie along. 
• Great Villains - Here, we have a villain with a one goal in mind: the recreation of Krypton on Earth. Unfortunately, he's willing to destroy everything to do that. Zod's a villain that has good intentions but is completely going about it the wrong way. I will admit that I miss Terrance Stamp's version of Zod, but I think Michael Shannon did a good, toned-down portrayal of the character. Instead of a megalomaniac bent on world domination, we have a soldier who's willing to destroy all life on Earth in order to bring Krypton back. I also thought Faora, the second-in-command, was cool... and kinda hot.
• Nice action scenes - I pretty much liked all of the fight scenes. The fight scene in Smallville was pretty sweet. The action on Krypton was awesome. Then, there's Superman vs. Zod. I have to say that the fight is pretty epic. Something happens at the end of that fight that may tick some folk off... I actually don't have a problem with it. I pretty much said my business on Superman doing that deed a while back. I think it could have been handled a little better, but I do think it's  handled decently here. Besides, it's not every day where we have the hero  mourning over a slain villain.

Dislikes
Yes, there are some dislikes. Some of these are nitpicks though.

So... I'm guessing that area's going to be a park or something? I bet those contractors are glad!

• Shaky-Cam-itis - That camera didn't want to stop shaking, did it? It was really distracting during the beginning of the movie. I did get used to it over time but not too used to it. On my second viewing, I began to notice it more and it was somewhat annoying.
• Destruction! -  While the action scenes were nice, the level of destruction made me feel like I was watching Independence Day again. It just felt so overblown. The destruction in Smallville wasn't as bad as Metropolis though. It was a too little much especially with the World Engine creating a two-mile circle of destruction in the middle of the city. Then, you have Superman's and Zod's fight in the rest of the city. While it's good, you'd think Clark would try to knock him out of the city.
• Johnathan Kent: Okay - Kevin Costner played Johnathan Kent well, but I thought the death scene (of course he dies) was a little weird. I get what they're trying to do with it but it just felt off. I did think that it hit the right emotional beats.
• Decent Second Half - The second half of the movie was mostly full of  something called "Fighty McFightinstein"... and no, I didn't come up with that. Basically, there a big action scene after big action scene and not much time to rest from those big scenes. I got kinda weary towards the end though that could have been my bladder saying "I's got to go!"

Highlights
Finally, here are my favorite moments as well as some things I noticed and laughed a little at:

1. Jor-El: Bad Mofo!!! - This may be the most awesome of all the Jor-Els. He swims, he flies dragons, he fights, he's a scientist, and he loves breaking tradition in making babies the normal way. He's awesome!
2. Gallifreyian Kryptonians - I was laughing on the inside at the Kryptonian Council because they really look like they should be on Doctor Who! I was kinda hoping Matt Smith would show up with advice on how to keep Krypton from blowing up.
3. Superman: Man of Grunts and Yells -The man loves to let out those grunts and yells, doesn't he?
4. The Flight Scene - That was fun. Really fun. My favorite part was he started leaping an eighth of a mile and then he started to fly. I was surprised they threw that in there. If only he had a building to leap over...
5. "She Knows..." - So... through power of investigative journalism, Lois finds out about Clark and she keeps his secret. I'm really interested in seeing where this goes.
6. "I Surrender" - The interrogation/interview scene with Lois and the military was funny.
7. Smallville's Decimation - Smallville's main strip gets messed up. I guess I now know who to blame when my Sears lawnmower doesn't work. The fights between Superman, the Kryptonians, and the military were pretty cool. Faora Ruled!!
8. Superman vs. The World Engine - That was an interesting fight. Essentially, Clark had to fight a robotic version of an octopus.
9. Superman vs. Zod - It was the fight to end all fights. While it was destructive, it wasn't that dang World Engine.
10. "Clark Kent: Mild-Mannered Reporter" - The last few minutes put a smile on my face.

And that's all I got to say on the matter. While it's not the greatest superhero story ever told, I was satisfied with it as a whole. I say go see it and make up your own mind on whether you like it or not. Well, I'm out. Therefore, I officially end the Month of Superman. Peace, God Bless,  and stay away from metropolitan cities when UFOs show up.

Also, I'm taking a long break.

No, I don't fish!