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I posted my spoiler-free review over on the spoiler-free review thread and at my Author Page:
To jump in on some of the points made here, where there's no fear of spoilage:
Things I liked:
Cavill was good. He fit the role. I won't compare him to Reeve.
I loved the 1940s vibe to the 'S' design.
Crowe was good, and I actualy loved his portrayal of Jor-El. I especailly liked his presence as a hologram/super program, and it made him even cooler than his butt-kicking earlier in the film.
Krypton was cool and weird and awesome. The dragon seemed so old-school comic book it didn;t bother me at all, and kinda reinforced Jor-El as old-fashioned -- y'know the kind of guy who'd have a kid the old-fashioned way instead of through the birth matrix.
Diane Lane made a great mom and a strong female lead. And yes, and both of those combined with the fact she's Diane Lane, did make her hotter than Amy Adams, even in spite of the excessive old-age make up.
Zimmer's score was a great new take. Up there with Willams' and Walker's themes, but something contemporary and different.
The action and portrayal of powers was outstanding.
Zod was a great new take. More evil than Stamp's? No way. More determined, more mean? Yeah. Stamp's Zod was driven by ego and madness. Shannon's Zod was driven mad by his duty, and his utimate his failure to succeed in it.
I loved the joy in him the first time he donned the suit and left the Fortress (call it what you will, that's what it was).
I loved how, in the end, the whole film was an introdcution to Clark Kent. and I loved the final image of how Jonathan Kent could see who his son would one day become.
What I didn't like:
Amy Adams was bland. I thought afterwards even with the way the part was written, a more charismatic actress (Angelina Jolie 10 years ago or Diane Lane 15 years ago) could have pulled that part off and made you remember Lois.
Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent was driven as much by faith in his son as fear for him, and it hurt the character. Some say it was realistic. I say he's the guy who raises a foundlling to be Superman, and he has to be exceptional. Glenn Ford nailed it in the '78 version and Costner's death in this movie was senseless and didn't make sense. I know it's meant to get the love and trust the two have across, but it seemed staged and didn't work. I've made it a point to avoid comparing MAN OF STEEL and SUPERMAN, but on this part -- I cry every time I see Glenn Ford's Jonathen Kent tell Clark about his purpose and then die (hell, I'm tearing up now). Costner left me going "Wait, wha -- "
Jor-El's death was a surprise, but I didn't like at all how it left Lara alone to face her death in the desctuction of her planet all by herself. It's sad enough anyway -- let them at least die together.
They missed the opportunity to introduce kyptonite into the story -- I figured when Superman collapsed on Zod's ship, it was from some kind of Kryptonite poisoning (with Kryptonite the fuel they mined from Krypton's core that ultimately destroyed the planet) and theothers were immune because they weren't born naturally. That would have also left a great set up for kryptonite "out n the wild" after the ships were destroyed.
There was too much of what Don (CTC) likes to refer to as the teeth-gritting "aarrgh, I'm acting" approach to the acting in the movie. Really, folks, you can smile sometimes and not mumble or shout lines so much.
The ending was tiring me out. I love action as much as any red-blooded movie fan from the 80s but yeesh, they were pushing TRANSFORMERS 3 levels of no rhythm to it but just gogogogo.
And the infamous fate of Zod. I don't want to see it play out in another movie, and I think it was the filmmakers giving themselves space to gauge reaction before any continuations. If audiences love a Superman who snaps villains' necks, they can go "yep, not your daddy's Superman, but a hard-edged Supes for the modern audience." If they react poorly, it's "well, it was a tough decision for him, and will shape his code in the next movie." I'm OK with it happening IF the circumstances and reaction were right, which they weren't. For example, I kept waiting for Superman to put his hand or arm over Zod's eyes to stop him. Let's say he did, agonizing from the blast, Zod twisting in his grip fo he can't fully block the beams. It gets more intense. Superman bevomein more desperate. Zod twists and clips the mom, and as she screams, Superman also cries out, jerks -- and Zod collapses dead. Superman lets out and anguished cry. Lois runs to him, holds him, tries to assure him as he weeps over wehat he just did that he had no choice. "Never again," Superman says, "I'll always find another choice." Show it in that moment actually shape that decision, and I'm OK with it. Leave it open, and he's just another action hero, how had to take out a bad guy. That's not Superman, not to me, and as I said in my review, I'm not sure how I'd have reacted to it as a kid or how my kids would have reacted to it when they were smaller. I think with that move, they made it an adult Superman not really appropriate for younger kids, and excluding kids from Superman seems not right.
Never got used to the texture on the suit. And I still miss the red trunks.
A few missteps, but yeah, they got it mostly right, and I had a good time taking my son and his friend to a Superman movie.
To jump in on some of the points made here, where there's no fear of spoilage:
Things I liked:
Cavill was good. He fit the role. I won't compare him to Reeve.
I loved the 1940s vibe to the 'S' design.
Crowe was good, and I actualy loved his portrayal of Jor-El. I especailly liked his presence as a hologram/super program, and it made him even cooler than his butt-kicking earlier in the film.
Krypton was cool and weird and awesome. The dragon seemed so old-school comic book it didn;t bother me at all, and kinda reinforced Jor-El as old-fashioned -- y'know the kind of guy who'd have a kid the old-fashioned way instead of through the birth matrix.
Diane Lane made a great mom and a strong female lead. And yes, and both of those combined with the fact she's Diane Lane, did make her hotter than Amy Adams, even in spite of the excessive old-age make up.
Zimmer's score was a great new take. Up there with Willams' and Walker's themes, but something contemporary and different.
The action and portrayal of powers was outstanding.
Zod was a great new take. More evil than Stamp's? No way. More determined, more mean? Yeah. Stamp's Zod was driven by ego and madness. Shannon's Zod was driven mad by his duty, and his utimate his failure to succeed in it.
I loved the joy in him the first time he donned the suit and left the Fortress (call it what you will, that's what it was).
I loved how, in the end, the whole film was an introdcution to Clark Kent. and I loved the final image of how Jonathan Kent could see who his son would one day become.
What I didn't like:
Amy Adams was bland. I thought afterwards even with the way the part was written, a more charismatic actress (Angelina Jolie 10 years ago or Diane Lane 15 years ago) could have pulled that part off and made you remember Lois.
Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent was driven as much by faith in his son as fear for him, and it hurt the character. Some say it was realistic. I say he's the guy who raises a foundlling to be Superman, and he has to be exceptional. Glenn Ford nailed it in the '78 version and Costner's death in this movie was senseless and didn't make sense. I know it's meant to get the love and trust the two have across, but it seemed staged and didn't work. I've made it a point to avoid comparing MAN OF STEEL and SUPERMAN, but on this part -- I cry every time I see Glenn Ford's Jonathen Kent tell Clark about his purpose and then die (hell, I'm tearing up now). Costner left me going "Wait, wha -- "
Jor-El's death was a surprise, but I didn't like at all how it left Lara alone to face her death in the desctuction of her planet all by herself. It's sad enough anyway -- let them at least die together.
They missed the opportunity to introduce kyptonite into the story -- I figured when Superman collapsed on Zod's ship, it was from some kind of Kryptonite poisoning (with Kryptonite the fuel they mined from Krypton's core that ultimately destroyed the planet) and theothers were immune because they weren't born naturally. That would have also left a great set up for kryptonite "out n the wild" after the ships were destroyed.
There was too much of what Don (CTC) likes to refer to as the teeth-gritting "aarrgh, I'm acting" approach to the acting in the movie. Really, folks, you can smile sometimes and not mumble or shout lines so much.
The ending was tiring me out. I love action as much as any red-blooded movie fan from the 80s but yeesh, they were pushing TRANSFORMERS 3 levels of no rhythm to it but just gogogogo.
And the infamous fate of Zod. I don't want to see it play out in another movie, and I think it was the filmmakers giving themselves space to gauge reaction before any continuations. If audiences love a Superman who snaps villains' necks, they can go "yep, not your daddy's Superman, but a hard-edged Supes for the modern audience." If they react poorly, it's "well, it was a tough decision for him, and will shape his code in the next movie." I'm OK with it happening IF the circumstances and reaction were right, which they weren't. For example, I kept waiting for Superman to put his hand or arm over Zod's eyes to stop him. Let's say he did, agonizing from the blast, Zod twisting in his grip fo he can't fully block the beams. It gets more intense. Superman bevomein more desperate. Zod twists and clips the mom, and as she screams, Superman also cries out, jerks -- and Zod collapses dead. Superman lets out and anguished cry. Lois runs to him, holds him, tries to assure him as he weeps over wehat he just did that he had no choice. "Never again," Superman says, "I'll always find another choice." Show it in that moment actually shape that decision, and I'm OK with it. Leave it open, and he's just another action hero, how had to take out a bad guy. That's not Superman, not to me, and as I said in my review, I'm not sure how I'd have reacted to it as a kid or how my kids would have reacted to it when they were smaller. I think with that move, they made it an adult Superman not really appropriate for younger kids, and excluding kids from Superman seems not right.
Never got used to the texture on the suit. And I still miss the red trunks.
A few missteps, but yeah, they got it mostly right, and I had a good time taking my son and his friend to a Superman movie.
ABSOLUTELY FREAKING HILARIOUS!!!
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