Man of Steel Review

Theatres are awash with superhero movies these days. Batman, Spider-Man and The Avengers all had their go. It was only a matter of time before the one and only real superhero returned to the silver screen. Last time we saw him he was played by Brandon Routh in the unjustly maligned 'Superman Returns'. Now Henry Cavill dons the cape in 'Man of Steel'; a bold new take on the biggest hero of them all.

After struggling to reboot 'Superman' Warner Bros. decided to bring on board Christopher Nolan, whose 'Batman' films made a killing at the box office. The studio hoped Nolan would be able repeat his trick and make Superman cool again. They hired Zack Snyder, known for '300' and 'Watchmen', to direct. The approach would be as gritty and as realistic as possible. And thus, 'Man of Steel' was born.

The most striking aspect of this film is its exceptional cast. Henry Cavill had his work cut out for him. Christopher Reeve pretty much owned the role since 1978. Fortunately, Cavill makes for a good Superman despite lacking the Reeve's charisma. This time around Super's enduring love interest Lois Lane is played by Amy Adams. She's also a good choice but somehow there's a lack of chemistry between the two of them. You never feel quite convinced of the relationship between Lois and Clark.

The real power comes from the supporting actors. Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner in particular make a lasting impression as Superman's biological and adoptive father respectively. Both are most frequently seen in flashbacks and these moments are where 'Man of Steel' excells. By exploring various moments in Superman's past (both as Kryptonian born Kal-El and the All-American Clark Kent) the film manages to give the character some much needed depth.

Another high point is the film's villain. General Zod, played by Michael Shannon, is a classic bad guy. Like Superman, Zod is a survivor of the planet Krypton. He is determined to save the legacy of his people by taking over Earth. Shannon imbues his character with a maniacal intensity, this is one guy you don't want to piss off.

'Man of Steel' is filled with many superpowered fight scenes. So many in fact that you'll leave the theatre feeling as if you've been on Space Mountain one too many times. It's too bad because the wow factor wears off fairly fast. After the first two confrontations you get kind of tired and everything starts to feel and look like a cheap video game. The action is definitely the film's biggest weaknesses. It's so chaotic that it's easy to get lost in the mayhem.

It's hard to say if 'Man of Steel' will have the same impact on popular culture as Richard Donner's early  films. It certainly isn't as iconic. A good example is Hans Zimmer's musical approach to Superman. The German composer uses his familiar industrial techniques and creates a dense wall of sound. Never is this score as instantly identifiable as John Williams his orirginal fanfare. The sense of adventure is certainly lost in Zimmer's interpretation and the movie suffers accordingly. Williams made Superman fly, Zimmer makes him lumber along.

Not that Cavill's Superman deserves much fanfare because he's particularly bad at his job. During his scuffles with Zod and his cronies Supes is indirectly responsible for an uncomfortable amount of death and destruction. To add insult to injury the characters don't seem to care about the tremendous loss of life all around them. Superman and Lois even find time for some smooching during the film's finale, because there's nothing as romantic as making out in the middle of a mass grave.

Aside from these complaints 'Man of Steel' is a successful reboot that is sure to strike a chord with audiences. An action-packed and surprisingly personal take on the most famous of all superheroes. Hopefully, some of the issues of this movie will be addressed in the sequel. (Especially the aftermath of Superman's actions, that part still doesn't sit well with me.) All in all, Zack Snyder delivered the goods and successfully reintroduced Superman to audiences worldwide.

The Dark Knight Rises Review

Batman's done. After three films, Christopher Nolan brings an end to the story of the caped crusader. And despite it's rather uninspired title 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a worthy send-off for one of cinema's most enduring and recognizable heroes. My hopes for this movie were high, especially when considering its predecessor which is probably the best superhero movie in recent memory.

That's probably why, at the end of this movie, I felt a little down. This is it, the ending to Nolan's series and I was not sure what to feel. Everything's there, every character reaches a fitting conclusion, so what the hell am I missing? Maybe a second viewing, one not hampered by unrealistic expectations, will diminish these feelings and make the movie stand out more clearly. 

It is, certainly, a very enjoyable film, worthy of the names of everyone involved. But a lack of focus seems to pervade the story. Parts of 'The Dark Knight Rises' are a mess, the middle suffers from its convoluted storytelling. An element which was already present, but a lot less distracting, in 'The Dark Knight'. This film's story could have been told much more effectively, which would've helped the impact of its conclusion.

As it stands the film is still very good. Nolan finds the perfect point of entry with Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) still dealing with the death of his true love at the hands of the Joker. Batman has dissappeared and is still held responsible for the death of Gotham's white knight Harvey Dent. Meanwhile on the other side of the world a terrorist named Bane is plotting his attack on the fair city.

Bane is an interesting character. He had to be, considering the villain that came before him. Heath Ledger's brilliant turn as the Joker is still fresh in our minds but Tom Hardy's Bane is something else. Here's a man the size of a gorilla, donning what appears to be a gas mask and he speaks with an unnervingly uncharacteristic voice. He's brutal but cunning, and for the first time ever we fear for Batman's life as an unrelenting Bane pummels him. In short, he's the Anti-Batman.

Joining him is another well-known character. Anne Hathaway offers us a delightfully sinister version of Catwoman. Considering the ending it is unfortunate that we don't get to spend more time with her character. Another new addition is Tom Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young cop who might be more deserving of the batsuit than the grief-ridden Bruce Wayne.

Batman's three allies also return. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Alfred (Michael Caine). All portrayed by veteran actors, these characters, with Alfred in particular, serve as the emotional core of the film. These are the men who have stood by Bruce Wayne and Batman and are about to be tested as well.

When the storm comes this film reveals itself to be a lot more loyal to its comic book origins than 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight'. The evil plot involves a nuclear bomb meant to level the city of Gotham. It might sound a little familiar but it works fine. Nolan knows how to dial up the tension and the film's climax is hugely entertaining because of it.

In conclusion, we leave Christopher Nolan's Batman on a hopeful note. The ending manages to tie everything up in a satisfying way. And, however unlikely, the prospect of sequel isn't out of the question. Seeing how things are at the end of 'The Dark Knight Rises' I'm not against the continuation of this story. This final film is an overly elaborate but very effective way of bringing this solid trilogy to a close.