Man of Steel

I was eagerly waiting the release of Warner Bros and DC Comics' new Superman film, Man of Steel. I had very high hopes for the film and was ultimately let down. I thought the film had forced dialogue and too much action for its own good. Overall, it crammed so much of Superman's origin story into the film.

I didn't think Christopher Nolan could do wrong. His Batman trilogy will always sit atop my list of favorite films. I was looking forward to him taking the helm of this film. I think this is the one flaw in his otherwise stunning filmography. The film was only produced by Nolan. Zack Snyder, known for Watchmen, directed the film. 

The film stays true to the origin story of Superman, but with a modern twist. Before he is known to the world as Superman, Clark comes to the rescue of a young bartender just like he does for Lois Lane in his premier in Action Comics 1. The opening depicts the destruction of Krypton and Superman's parents attempt to save him. The film is also riddled with flashbacks to him growing up in Kansas and Clark coming to terms with his abilities.

One place I thought the film went wrong was in its humor. It seemed that in an attempt to be more like the Marvel films. There was forced humor thrown in that actually caused uncomfortable laughter in the theater. I felt there were times people where laughing that were not intended to be humorous due to the poor writing. I don't think the film had a strong identity.

The acting stood out in the film. It was extremely well cast, especially Henry Cavill as Superman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Separately, they stood out on the screen; however, the lacked chemistry

when together. Christopher Meloni was great as Colonel Hardy. I had no idea he was in the film and it was a pleasant surprise to see him. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner played Clark's parents and Russell

Crowe had a very large appearance as Jor-El. Michael Shannon played the over the top that villain, General Zod, that just seemed too much.

I am not a big fan of Superman. The story never stood out to me. This film seemed too much like Thor. During the film, I just kept thinking how I like Thor so much better. The heroes are very different in their own rights, but this film blurred the lines between them.

I wouldn't recommend Man of Steel. I'm sure the film will be made into a series but this just wasn't worth it. While I did not like this version, I think the series could have potential. Man of Steel just

tried to put too much into one film and it showed. Now that the background story has been set up, I think the next film will be more enjoyable. At least I hope so.