I wanted very badly to write a review for this movie after seeing it with my stepson. And then the jaded, geek vitriol poured in, like a sort of irritating version of the old Nickelodeon slime, all over my parade. I loved the movie, despite my own criticisms, despite my own personal cynicism toward Hollywood's handling of Superman in the past and my doubts over Christopher Nolan's "real-world" approach to superheroes being applied to the Big Blue Boy Scout. The stepson's review? "It was really, really, AWESOME!"
Having said all of that, I am endeavoring to put forth several things that the movie got right, whether you were just not "wowed" by it, or even if you hated it with a passion.
Here goes:
5. Russell Crowe as Jor-El
I'm not a huge Russell Crowe fan. In fact, I think the guy is a bit of a jag-off. But lately, his work has been impressing me. As Jack Knife in The Man With the Iron Fists, he showed me that he doesn't necessarily take himself very seriously, and as an actor (and not a complete out-of-the-closet crazy person, like Tom Cruise), that goes a long way for me. And while Mr. Crowe was certainly putting his serious face on for most of the film, he did a very good job grounding the prologue, and, for the first time in a long time (as a lifelong reader of Superman), made me give a shit about Krypton. Most times when they retell the origin, I can't wait to get the fuck off Krypton and get to Superman being Superman. Here, because of Jor-El, I was invested in his story, cryptic Codex MacGuffins aside. And who knew that Superman's dad was a badass? Not too many of us, I'm sure. But I'm glad that I know now.
4. The Production Design
Another thing that really helped with how much I liked the Krypton prologue was the design of everything. It felt alien, but not overdone. Ornate, but not impractical. The armor, the weaponry, the robes that the science council wore, the spaceships-- it all looked pretty fantastic. Because of things like this and even the set up of the ho-hum "normal" Earth, it was a nice movie from a visual standpoint. Last but certainly not least, Superman's costume is excellent. Yes, I still decry the red trunks (from my artist's standpoint Supes just looks odd with so much blue going on; the breakup of the colors is mostly what I miss), but I understand why they did away with them. The texture, the duller colors looking brighter in spots due to the metallic sheen-- it all looked fantastic. Add to that the way the cape attaches to the costume and the open neck, the exact opposite of what they've done with his costume in the comics, and I am one happy geek as far as this new Superman's duds. All of which would be meaningless, if they hadn't found the right cat to fill said suit, but...
3. Henry Caville As Superman-- And A MANLY Superman, At That
Caville had the right stature and presence for this role. If there's one thing on this list even the most hardcore of detractors can agree on, it's this. Caville looks the part, fills out the suit, and sounded American enough for me (he's British). But what really won me over, as stupid as it sounds, is that unlike most film stars these days, specifically super-hero movie stars, is the "manliness" Caville brought to Clark/Superman. No waxed chest hairs here-- Superman is a hairy bastard just like all those John Byrne-drawn comics from the 80's. You could even see the chest hair poking out of his suit, and whether or not that detail was intentional, I dig it, especially in a world of hairless James Bonds and Bruce Waynes. Caville sealed the deal here, and without him, not much of the movie would have worked as well as it did.
2. Michael Shannon As General Zod
Some people said he was boring, others probably wanted a re-hash of Terrence Stamp's take. For what Shannon did with Zod, I'll take it for what it is and congratulate him on a job well done. Cheers, Mr. Shannon! You've made me hate you on Boardwalk Empire and given us our first memorable Superman movie villain in decades. The man is a zealot, and Shannon relishing in that zeal is what made Zod great in Man Of Steel, and what continues to make him great on Empire. True villains always think what they're doing is right.
1. Hans Zimmer's Score
Many of us Superman fans immediately associate the character with John Williams' theme from the late seventies, and it's hard not to. While the Donner Superman theme will be a part of the geek consciousness for many generations to come, Zimmer's score is uplifting, tense when it needs to be, and overall, modern. There's no questioning that this score could be confused with a movie made ten years ago. It is unique, and still stuck in my head as I write this (which could be the fact that I'm listening to the Youtube video of the entire score as I write this, but still). It sets itself apart from Williams' and even Shirley Walker's score from Superman: The Animated Series while still identifying itself as Superman music. It's a great piece of work, and sticks with me even more than the work he did for The Dark Knight Trilogy.
So there it is, kids. Agree? Disagree? Lemme know what you think.
Cheers,
Swift
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