Man of Steel

When I had heard of this film being made well over a year ago, I immediately thought about the different other franchises that have been overhauled. With Batman, Bond films, Star Trek, and even Planet of the Apes enduring overhauls, we now can add Superman in the form of "Man of Steel" to that list. What franchise is next?

Yes, 'Superman' returns again to the big screen with its own overhauling. This starts on the planet, Krypton, whereas after Kal-El is born, his parents, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) send him to planet Earth because of the fact that Krypton is in the process of exploding. Kal-El is given the name Clark Kent by kindly farmer Jonathan Kent (Kevin Kostner) and his wife, Martha (Diane Lane), who raise him as if he were their own son. As a young boy, Clark displays incredible superpowers that instill him with a profound sense of personal responsibility. Later, the amiable Clark (Henry Cavill) becomes a story by crackerjack Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams). But when his new world is attacked by General Zod (Michael Shannon), from Kal-El's planet, and his small army, the humans are powerless to defend themselves. So Clark must reveal his identity in order to protect his new planet.

Others to round out the cast are Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, Zod's right hand, Henry Lennix as General Swanwick, Richard Schiff as Dr. Emil Hamilton, Christopher Meloni as Colonel Nathan Hardy, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Dylan Sprayberry as Clark (13 years), Cooper Timberline as Clark (9 years), and Richard Cetrone as Tor-An.

This was directed by apparently this generation's 'king of the big-buidget', Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead" '04, "300" '06, "Watchmen" '09, "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" '10, "Sucker Punch" '11). Snyder has this ability to present his direction in such effortless ways. This was written by the comparable David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Christopher Nolan which is based on DC comic, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The story covered so much in that you felt that a good deal was explained to bring one up to snuff, and did so in a quick way so there's not a chance to get bored with is at all. This presents Clark in a much more normal, almost gritty way, even though he still obtains these amazing powers. This leaves it open-ended, and in fact, "Man of Steel 2" has already been announced.

The visual effects were predominantly created by Weta Digital, Inc, and MPC (Moving Picture Company), and were absolutely seamless. I even took the chance to see it in 3D, and it actually accentuated the film that much more.

If you're a Superman or Man of Steel fan or not, this film will entertain you from beginning to end, as any film in summer that allows you to escape into another world should do.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                          Rated: PG-13                          143mins.