Film Review: "Man of Steel".

The day that every comic book fan has waited on for the past seven years has finally arrived. So, did the new film based on the age-old tale of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's live up to the expectations? This guy thinks so. Sorta.

Objectively, the film does what it sets out to do: To give a new generation an incarnation of Superman who's more relatable than the versions we've seen in the past and to do so in a more plausible world than previously conceived on screen. Subjectively, however, this isn't the story that I would've necessarily chosen as an origin tale. But, nevertheless, it does serve it's purpose and it sets the right pieces in motion in creative new ways.

The greatest strengths of Zack Snyder's directorial style are in full-play here, especially when given the right tools to formulate fight scenes with exceptional choreography and visual set-ups. The film's biggest advantage is the charming and substantial performances of the cast who, clearly having done heavy research into their roles from the source material from which they were drawing from, are spot-on in tune with the auras and cerebral motivations of their iconic characters. Henry Cavill executed his role as the humble-but-lost titular hero nearly to perfection - certainly better than Brandon Routh was able to in 2006's "Superman Returns" - but it's Amy Adams, on more than one occasion, who shines the brightest in her role as the sassy Pulitzer Prize-winning Lois Lane.

Perhaps the weakest aspects of the film are the problems with the script, if not the editing. Without giving away anything, the third act felt rushed and the audience isn't given an explanation to many of the one-shot storythreads that should've been tied up by the ending of this installment. Also, the surviving characters simultaneously face little-to-no consequences for their roles in what, upon viewing of the trailer or commercials, can be seen as obvious blockbuster chaos and destruction. I felt that the ending and it's ramifications, or lack thereof, came way too easily for the characters.

On a more eagle-eyed note, I enjoyed the subtle references to the "Smallville" TV pilot, the hidden allusions made about the larger "Justice League" universe, the subtle connotations made between Clark Kent and Jesus of Nazareth, and the identical visuals to what I, personally, still consider to be Snyder's best work to date which was 2009's "Watchmen".

VERDICT: An exceptional film that ended up being better than most in it's genre, but not the definitive story that it could've been, had more character development been employed into the story which, hopefully, can be achieved in a much-deserved sequel. I recommend it.

Rating: 3/4 Stars