Man of Steel Rocks But Could Use Some Heart

***Spoiler Alert. Go See the Movie Then Read. I Ruin the Ending***


The Man of Steel is a very enjoyable movie, and if you are a comic book movie fan you might love it. The cast is great, the visuals are great, and the action scenes may very well become the gold standard by which future spectacle pieces are judged. The writing can be a slog at times when it is trying to beat into you that it is tough being different, it's even harder being the messiah, and humans can't be trusted. I get it. But if so much of this is good then why am I not buying into it as much as I want too (I love Superman)?

I think it might be because this movie is less a hero's journey and more Independence Day with one of the aliens being Superman. Even this approach would be interesting and certainly a very original take on the classic character, but just about the time I was being pulled into the story something would take me out. Not being a professional film critic I don't know exactly what it was that did that but the rhythm of the film would almost get me then switch it up and I'd have to adapt again. These jumps would be easier if I had a better understanding of the characters, which may be my biggest gripe. I know from other sources what these characters were all about in the past, but what is going on with this incarnation?

As a good movie progresses you begin to anticipate the character's reactions to certain situations and share their emotional state to a limited degree. If the movie is done well this is satisfying without being boring. Let me illustrate this by comparing two scenes, the first from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman and the second from Man of Steel.

Superman is standing over a car with the body of Lois Lane in it. She's been killed by a seismic event triggered by Lex Luthor's attack on California. Up to this point in the film Jor-El has made it clear that it is forbidden for him to interfere in human history or too use his powers to control mankind's destiny. He must use his power for good but limit the scope of his involvement. Jonathan Kent has been teaching Clark that he is here for a reason and he must discover this reason and be a force for good in the world.

Over the course of the movie it is clear Lois has fallen in love with Superman, and with good reason. He has saved her from certain death, spent time with her revealing who he is and what he's all about, flirted with her in a non-weird way and he looks like Christopher Reeve. Now she is dead. The movie slows down to a crawl, the music all but disappears. Superman carefully pulls out her body and kisses her. We now realize he loves her as well. There is silence. When Superman screams "NO!" and his voice echoes through the countryside we know what he's feeling. It's more than sadness and loss. Superman is being torn between what he has been told is right and what he really wants to do, which is say screw it too human history and turn back time to save a single person that he loves. The drama comes not only from the death of a primary character but from the internal struggle Superman is going through. We as the audience are pulled into the narrative and briefly feel what the character feels. And it's awesome. It doesn't even matter that he flies around the earth and instead of the planet breaking apart time is reversed. This ridiculous moment is so overshadowed by the emotions of the character it becomes forgivable somehow.

Now in Man of Steel Superman has General Zod in a headlock after a protracted battle that leveled Metropolis. Both characters are beat up and there is a family of four cowering in a corner trying to not get blown up by the aliens. Zod tells Superman that he is going to punish the humans for what he has done and activates his heat vision. Although Superman is trying to control Zod it is clear that eventually that family is going to die. He has a choice to make, let the family die or kill Zod. He kills Zod and screams in horror at what he had to do. We as an audience may know from other sources Superman doesn't run around killing people, but this movie hasn't revealed that. Sure Clark may have controlled himself in his youth to not knock a bully's head off but how he feels about life isn't a part of the narrative. His emotional outburst isn't shared by the audience because we are not allowed to share in his development of a messianic love for life of any kind. His internal struggle just isn't clear.

There is a scene where Clark lets Jonathan die in a tornado in order to protect his alien origin which does have some of these elements, but the scene really tells us more about Jonathan than Clark and Kevin Costner does a fantastic job here.

The reason this movie makes me a little mad is that it's so close to absolute greatness all it would take is a nudge to get there. Give me some set up on Superman's view of life, what he believes is right and how strongly he adheres to his philosophy. Then put him in the same position with Zod where he is forced to kill him. Now we have ourselves a scene.

Man of Steel does a remarkable job showing us what Superman can do, and does this better than any other source in my opinion. What it doesn't do as well is show me who Superman is.

I want to end with I enjoyed this movie. If this were about a lesser character I would probably be crazy about it. Its not fair but I expect more from my Superman movies.