I have just watched Man of Steel and I have to say it is one of my favorite Superman iterations on TV or movie. This is not to say others are horrible or bad, but it was something that actually got me to watch other live action Supermen movies. That being said, there is this grounded environment and tone which is set up that makes Superman facing real world problems relatable.
Pros:
* The visuals and the Action are stunning to say the least. The way the lighting makes it almost feel like it is not even in the real world but like a comic come to life. The designs and the small details put into the costumes were top-notch as well, making it feel like it was actually designed by a different civilization. The Action is truly immersive and feels like beings on a level incomprehensible to mortal men.
* I liked the characterization of Superman, someone who is on this journey of self-discovery, in a realistic world where he is also trying to figure out where he belongs, where there are people who would be afraid of his existence and reject him or embrace him for his actions.
* And I like how there are these challenging ideologies towards his father, Johnathan Kent, how Superman is genuinely a caring person who wants to help, and his father, who wants to protect his son and family and friends. He isn't opposed to helping others but wants his son to be careful about revealing his powers as he thinks the world is not ready yet, but he saw it and is willing to sacrifice himself for his son, all of it building up to creating the identity of Superman's alter ego.
* General Zod is a very compelling villain, someone who is not afraid to do what is necessary if it is for the sake of Krypton. It shows how his genetics tells him that he must serve the betterment of Krypton as a warrior, whether it is against his own kin who stand in his way or cause destruction of civilizations.
Cons:
* There are some nitpick scenes, such as when Clark Kent was saved by the fisherman at the beginning of the movie. We see him assaulted by a drunk truck driver later on, and he doesn't flinch, but with the fisherman he was shoved out of the way, kind of like when he was shoved by bullies while in high school. Though this could be based on how his powers work if he doesn't want to be noticed by others.
* Another nitpick was during the tornado scene. People were evacuated onto the underpass of a highway bridge, which is the last thing to do from what I heard.
* The only real issue I had was the surprising number of deaths of known characters in the movie, especially Emil Hamilton, who was an ally of Superman in the comics. This issue will continue to be annoying for me in future movies. I guess that is the MCU for me.
Unsure:
*
Final Verdict:
* There may be some small nitpicks that I have about the movie. However, it is a Superman movie that has this epicness to it that I relate to and makes me feel like I can accomplish wonders.
** I would give this an 8/10.
