Man of Steel Review: Part 2.

Plot: 8.2/10- Superman is the only fleshed out character of the film, however it do a good job and making the audience root for Superman. Despite being likeable, Kal-El (Superman) rarely struggled nor was he conflicted for long. Except for one flashback scene, he never had to hold back, which can be viewed as either good or bad. Man of Steel of made Superman very likeable and surprising relatable. I may even make the bold statement that he is more likeable and relatable than Chris Nolan's Batman. Before any says "You cannot compare the two." it is inevitable and necessary. The pacing of Man of Steel was good, although there was occasional slow parts that some (not myself) may find boring. Also Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El is one character with no real distinction opposed to the way Superman is often portrayed. Jor-El is the only other character given some development, albeit not much. General Zod was a solid, only because he gave Superman someone to fight, however he did have one great moment near the end. Zod's evil scheme was not terribly original but his motivations where valid,  and failed to live up to its full potential. At times it was trying to be extra dramatic but director Zack Sndyer is not all that skilled at delivering on those scenes and ultimately failed in that area. The dialogue was not all that great, it was just there with few moments of brilliant script writing in that aspect. While most would disagree, I believe Man of Steel lays better groundwork for sequels than Batman Begins did. As stated in the first half of the review, there is one really dumb moment and a few others scenes that felt superfluous. More on those points in my spoiler discussion post.

Action: 9.9/10- Yes! Superman finally had a chance to unleash his full potential for live-action battles! In terms of action, Zack Sndyer was the right director, even if his dramatic scenes were lacking. Zod and his followers are Superman's best villains for the sole reason that they are nearly equal strength as Superman and therefore there is no hold back. Superman's powers are used exactly as I have always imagined they would be in battle. Despite all of the awesome, there is one action scene that just did not work, poorly executed and the effects were lackluster compared to the rest of the film. Even in the opening on Krypton there was some good action. A few of the scenes were framed too closely and could have been slightly better, but that is a minor qualm. Even though I am not a major Superman fan, the action was so satisfying because Superman is a character that can deliver some epic battles against the right villain.

Acting: 8.0/10- Overall Man of Steel’s acting ranged from excellent to average, but it does well where it counts most. Henry Cavill was a superb Superman, even if he did not immediately have charisma for the audience to attach to until later in the film, he was still great. By the end of the film, Cavill was undoubtedly Superman. Michael Shannon as General Zod was good, but never great. Most may be disappointed considering the hype, but I was not. Russell Crowe is a fine Jor-El, even though he gave the standard Russell Crowe performance. Amy Adams has become one of my favorite actresses of late and considering her very limiting material given her, she did fine. However, Cavill and Adams had absolutely no chemistry together. Kevin Costner did well with the limited and sometimes weak material given to him. Diana Lane was a little on the hammy side with her performance, but basically copied the Aunt May type personality from the Spider-Man films. Antje Traue as Faora was the surprise of the film and turned out to almost be a better villain than Zod, if she only had more screen time. As for the rest of the cast, they were OK, mostly standard fair.

Special effects: 9.6/10- Some of the effects were obviously CGI, however Man of Steel looked fantastic overall. Superman's flying was actually believable for the first time and he really had that sense of speed that has been sorely lacking from previous incarnations. The set and costume design are near perfect. While some may dislike it, the stylized world of Krypton was fantastic! It really had a classic sci-fi and comic book feel.

Soundtrack: 9.8/10- Hans Zimmer does an excellent job scoring the picture. It is among Zimmer's best work, I may even consider better than his work on The Dark Knight Trilogy. While nothing can top John Williams' iconic score, Man of Steel's soundtrack was exactly what the film needed for its take on the character.

Comedy: 4.1/10- Probably four laughs throughout the film. Despite the lighter tone than Nolan's Batman, it lacked much humor, especially for a guy who is trying to be more human. However, this does not affect the rating because that is not what the film was attempting to do.

Would I Watch This Again: Man of Steel will most likely be a film that I add to my Blu-Ray collection when I can find a cheaper price for it.

Non-Bias Rating: 8.0/10- For the majority of audiences, Man of Steel offers awesome action scenes and summer blockbuster fun, even if it does have a few missteps along the way. For those not certain if they want to see it, just wait and be sure to watch it on Blu-Ray/DVD.

Bias Fan Rating: 9.4/10- Because I am a fan, I enjoyed Man of Steel. The film was almost everything that a Superman movie needed to be, fun, action-packed, and make Superman a likeable hero and somewhat relatable hero. If you were excited about seeing the film before it came out, definitely go see it in theaters, it is very underrated.

Closing comments: An excellent start to a possibly super franchise, Man of Steel delivers where I wanted it to most and gives us a Superman for the modern era.

Recommended for: Action fans, Comic Book fans, Superman fans, DC fans, Sci-Fi fans,

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