Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Man of Steel'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

"It's not an 'S'.  On my world, it means 'Hope'."
- Superman

In our seventy-five years plus of getting to know Superman, I think it is safe to say we have learned so much about him only because we have essentially traveled along in his every journey. We were all there when he arrived in Smallville, we saw his first feat of strength when he revealed himself to the world.  

Heck, we were there for his wedding to Lois Lane, and we all witnessed his death and subsequent return in print. A character this rich in history is a hard to one to continue to write about, because we truly know the man inside and out, so to make him fresh and exciting would be a difficult challenge for anyone out there wanting to find a way to make his story feel like new. Unless of course you team up Producer Christopher Nolan and Director Zack Snyder, since they made it look easy with their first entry into the Superman franchise; Man of Steel.  

The basic elements are all there. The end of Krypton. Kal-El is sent to live amongst us and of course he becomes Superman. But I am not joking when I say that Nolan and Snyder have completely reinvented one of the oldest comic legends in history. While some have expressed concern over this being another epic and sprawling origin story, I can assure you that while there are origin elements, the filmmakers know we have seen the films that came before this one, and read the comics. So rather than spend time watching him grow into a man who will one day protect us all, we are given mere snippets of his past, focusing instead on his journey to become Superman.  

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​But what caught me off guard in this film is the fact that Man of Steel explores new territory for the Last Son of Krypton. This is a man who truly doesn't fit in. It is an angle that has never been addressed before when it comes to the Superman movies, the fact that he is in essence an outcast here on Earth and for the first time in the history of this incredible character we can relate to him, simply because let's face it...we have all felt that way at one time or another in our lives.  

But the movie is more than a character study. There is plenty of action to go around of course, especially in the third act when we finally get a super showdown between Zod and Superman. It is by far one of the biggest and most impressive battles between a superhero and villain that I have ever seen and really, it is the epic battle we have all wanted to see in a Superman movie. For those concerned about whether or not the cast can handle filling such big shoes, don't worry about it. Amy Adams makes a fine Lois Lane, Michael Shannon is an incredibly chilling General Zod and Henry Cavill steals the show by being the second actor in the franchise's history where you look at him and go...that IS Superman.   

Put all of this together and you what you get is a beautiful, mesmerizing film that will have your attention from the second the lights go down and leave you with the satisfying knowledge that Superman is back, and better than ever.  

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