MAN OF STEEL

Sailor Steve · 06-14-13, 05:41 PM

Just got back from seeing it. First showing, 11:30 in the morning on a work day, theater maybe 1/4 full if that. Nobody sat next to anybody they didn't come with. Here is my quickie review. Don't worry, there are no spoilers.

The Good: It's more down-to-earth than any previous version. No camp at all, not even any comedy, though there are a couple of minor scenes that made me chuckle. Very serious tone, and very realistic in that manner. Whereas Batman represents the dark side of the DC Universe, Superman is the light. They managed to keep that light despite all the seriousness.

The acting is uniformly good. This is the first time a non-American actor has played the role, and Henry Cavill (The Tudors) grew a great midwest accent. I love Amy Adams. I couldn't really see her as Lois Lane, but her talent made me believe. I was put off when I read Laurence Fishburne was playing Perry White, but then I remembered how much I liked Michael Clarke Duncan as marvel's Kingpin, and sure enough he was great. I'm not a big Kevin Costner fan, but he not only did a fantastic job as Jonathan Kent but he has one of the single most powerful scenes in the movie, and he does it without saying a word. Diane Lane as Martha - I can say no more. Russell Crowe does a bang-up job as Jor-el, and the rest of the cast is just fine.

The Bad: Action. Too much action. Way too much action, all at once and non-stop. It goes from being well-paced and personal to being cosmic. Nothing wrong with that, but once it's done it immediately starts up again. Then it ends. And starts again. By the end I was drained. One good note is that after all that the scene that ends the action is very small and personal. Maybe they planned it that way. Still, it was a bit much overall.

Minor spoilers: Product placement: You've seen the trailers. They blow up a 7-11. Lots of fun there. There is no Lex Luthor, but there is a double tractor-trailer tanker truck that gets wrecked in one scene, and on the side it says 'LEX-CORP', so there's hope for the sequel. That's it, unless I've forgotten something.

It was worth the $5.50 I paid for a matinee, but I doubt I'll see it again in the theater. Then again, I rarely do, unless it's with a friend who hasn't seen it.

Oh, yeah. Unless you like watching all the credits, don't bother staying 'til the very end. This isn't Marvel, and there's no cute scene after they're done rolling.

06-14-13, 05:41 PM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	MAN OF STEEL Just got back from seeing it. First showing, 11:30 in the morning on a work day, theater maybe 1/4 full if that. Nobody sat next to anybody they didn't come with. Here is my quickie review. Don't worry, there are no spoilers. The Good: It's more down-to-earth than any previous version. No camp at all, not even any comedy, though there are a couple of minor scenes that made me chuckle. Very serious tone, and very realistic in that manner. Whereas Batman represents the dark side of the DC Universe, Superman is the light. They managed to keep that light despite all the seriousness. The acting is uniformly good. This is the first time a non-American actor has played the role, and Henry Cavill (The Tudors) grew a great midwest accent. I love Amy Adams. I couldn't really see her as Lois Lane, but her talent made me believe. I was put off when I read Laurence Fishburne was playing Perry White, but then I remembered how much I liked Michael Clarke Duncan as marvel's Kingpin, and sure enough he was great. I'm not a big Kevin Costner fan, but he not only did a fantastic job as Jonathan Kent but he has one of the single most powerful scenes in the movie, and he does it without saying a word. Diane Lane as Martha - I can say no more. Russell Crowe does a bang-up job as Jor-el, and the rest of the cast is just fine. The Bad: Action. Too much action. Way too much action, all at once and non-stop. It goes from being well-paced and personal to being cosmic. Nothing wrong with that, but once it's done it immediately starts up again. Then it ends. And starts again. By the end I was drained. One good note is that after all that the scene that ends the action is very small and personal. Maybe they planned it that way. Still, it was a bit much overall. Minor spoilers: Product placement: You've seen the trailers. They blow up a 7-11. Lots of fun there. There is no Lex Luthor, but there is a double tractor-trailer tanker truck that gets wrecked in one scene, and on the side it says 'LEX-CORP', so there's hope for the sequel. That's it, unless I've forgotten something. It was worth the $5.50 I paid for a matinee, but I doubt I'll see it again in the theater. Then again, I rarely do, unless it's with a friend who hasn't seen it. Oh, yeah. Unless you like watching all the credits, don't bother staying 'til the very end. This isn't Marvel, and there's no cute scene after they're done rolling. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo Last edited by Sailor Steve; 06-14-13 at 08:24 PM.