Man of Steel is the first installment in the much-anticipated “Superman” reboot helmed by American filmmaker Zack Snyder. The movie marks the return of the DC Comics iconic superhero to the celluloid after a seven- year-long hiatus following the abysmal show of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (2006).
Co-written by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill in the role of the eponymous superhero—a part that was immortalized by the late Christopher Reeve. The movie’s stellar ensemble cast includes the likes of Amy Adams (as Lois Lane), Russell Crowe (as Jor-El), Kevin Costner (as Jonathan Kent), Laurence Fishburne (as Perry White), Diane Lane (as Martha Kent), and Michael Shannon (as General Zod).
Man of Steel takes a departure from the trademark style of the “Superman” films starring Christopher Reeve. Make no mistake! Man of Steel’s striking contrast to its predecessors is not merely because of its technical supremacy (3D, Special Effects, etc). Even the makers choose to make a statement by opting for a title that doesn’t have the word “Superman” attached to it (not to mention about Superman’s new costume). In fact, it would be safe to look upon this rather drastic transformation as a paradigm shift.
Man of Steel serves to be a decent summer flick with truckloads of entertainment value for the casual viewers. But, sadly, for the most part, it remains limited to entertainment. Snyder shows flashes of brilliance but fails to capitalize on those strong moments. Man of Steel offers a lot a promise but falls short of living up to it. At best, it serves to be a run-of-the mill sci-fi adventure that is all style but very little substance. Hopefully, Snyder and team will learn from their mistakes and make a strong comeback with the forthcoming installments.
Rating: 6.5/10