ForComicJunkies: 5 Things Man of Steel Got Right

Man of Steel was a 2013 summer film about a man that was born on a distant planet but sent to Earth when that planet was destroyed. He grows up isolated and alone on our world until he realizes his true potential as the hero we all need but maybe not the one we deserve right now. Or maybe we deserve him but don’t need him? No we need him, or else that terra-forming ship would have straight up killed us all!

My smoulder will protect you *wink*

This film has left a lot of fans divided. Was it a great film or a bad film? I think that anyone that was disappointed missed the point of the film. This is "Superman Begins." He’s not the quick thinking, always making the right decisions Superman that we all know and love. And let’s face it, that Superman is boring. I love Christopher Reeve as much as the next guy but his Superman had all the right answers and rarely made a mistake. And if he made a mistake it wasn’t anything that a quick trip spinning the world around or kissing couldn’t fix!

Pucker up, buttercup

So what’s the point of this list you ask? Well I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Superman and the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film. This is the film I’ve always wanted to see and I can’t wait to experience it in IMAX 3D! Actually I’ll probably just stick with regular 2D because the last time I went to an IMAX theater I felt like I was gonna fall. Plus it’s just a really big screen! I mean come on kids! It ain’t that great!

I'm getting a headache just looking at this picture

I'm actually a big fan of Man of Steel. I felt it was a worthy Superman reboot. You wanted more action? Less romance? Well you got it! So if you didn't like it, it's your own damn fault! . . . Anyway . . . There are several moments in Man of Steel that I felt were handled very well and made for a very entertaining film. It's now my favorite Superman film and I can’t wait to see Henry Cavill throw down with Ben Affleck’s Batman.

Those are a couple of damn fine lookin men . . .

So here is my list of the 5 Things Man of Steel Did Right:

SUPERMAN LEARNS TO FLY:

You know what really bothered me about the original Superman film? Jor El teaches Clark all he needs to know about being Superman and he’s gone for 12 YEARS! Seriously! It’s in the film! I remember watching that and even as a kid I was like, “He’s been gone for 12 years?? Does his mom know he’s ok? What about his friends?” It was a major moment that got glossed over by the first time Superman flies. Granted it’s a cool moment and still holds up almost 40 years later but Man of Steel has it beat. We see Clark actually struggling to fly and stay afloat. He falls, falls again, but then pushes himself up and laughs while he’s soaring through the air. Because let’s face it, flying would be so much fun! And Clark knows it! This scene brought a huge smile to my face.

ZOD:

Michael Shannon is a fantastic actor. Zod is a fantastic character. This was a match made in Heaven! The problem with Zod is that he’s sort of a go to villain for Superman right after Lex Luthor. Terrence Stamp brought the character to life in a spectacular way in the first two Superman films and then Callum Blue did an excellent job of playing him on Smallville. So why bother bringing back this character yet again? Shannon and the producers found an interesting new hook for the character. While in the previous iterations Zod was a conqueror who would make humanity his slave, Shannon’s Zod has no time for humans. He’d rather just wipe them out and repopulate the Earth with Kryptonians. And not even in the fun way like with making sex.

Very nice!

Zod would rather grow the babies in a lab like some kind of mad scientist. Also, Zod’s hatred of Kal El comes more from Kal’s resistance to Kryptonian culture than from any lingering feelings he has toward Jor El. This is a different take on the character and one that works very well in the film. Shannon made Zod a compelling villain. You understand his motivations but you still want Superman to kick the crap out of him. Speaking of which . . .

THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO YOUR ACTIONS, CLARK:

Jonathan Kent is a great man and a loving father. In Man of Steel he’s scared of how the world will react to Clark’s powers and his origins. And let’s face it, he had a right to be worried. Clark and Zod basically destroy Metropolis and Smallville during their battles. Batman v Superman is going to be about how the world is dealing with a superpowered being that can destroy a city within a few hours. What else is he capable of? Clearly he’s inspired a lot of hope in the world but also a lot of fear, even in himself. I know that Clark killing Zod was a huge divider with the fans but I was ok with it for one reason – his reaction. He made this choice that he instantly regretted and now has to live with for the rest of his life. And let’s think about something, Yes Superman has a strict “no killing” policy. But where did that come from? This film gives us the answer.

LOIS LANE:

I’m kind of in love with Amy Adams. She just seems so cool and sweet and gosh darn it she has such a pretty smile. When she was cast as Lois Lane I knew we were in for a treat. I’ve loved her films like Enchanted, The Fighter, The Muppets and of course Man of Steel. Lois Lane is a tough character to play because she has to be confidant, sarcastic, beautiful, and above all, smart. She’s meant to be the top of the reporter world and several actresses have given Lois her due on film including Dana Delaney (in the Superman and Justice League animated series) and Erica Durance (from Smallville). In my mind, it would be hard to top Durance’s awesome performance of Lois but Adams was up to the task. She brought with her Lois’s natural curiosity and sense of right and wrong. She’s Superman’s ally and confidant. She’s the first person outside of Smallville and his family that truly accepts him for who he is. She represents the best of humanity for Clark. I certainly hope she gets more of a chance to shine in Batman v Superman. Personally, I can’t wait to see her stand up to Batman and Lex Luthor. Oh and a fun fact - Amy Adams was one of the meteor freaks in the first season of Smallville.

THE FILM HAS AN ENDING;

There’s one thing that even the haters can’t deny about this film – it actually has an ending instead of a “sequel teaser” that Marvel has become famous for. I give a lot of props to Man of Steel for having an ending. I fear this may not be the case going forward with the Justice League films but for at least this one, it ended and ended well. The film didn’t end with Lex Luthor popping out of the shadows saying, “Well, something must be done about this!” or with Bruce Wayne watching the Metropolis footage saying, “It’s time I got back in the game!” or even with Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as Green Lantern saying, “Hey, say what you want about my movie but at least I took the alien OUT of the populated city for a proper beatdown!” Now that I think about it that’s probably more of a Deadpool joke than a GL joke but with Reynolds who can tell the difference?

Caption me!

Either way, the film let itself have a solid ending much like Nolan’s Dark Knight films. Sure there were little Easter eggs here and there but nothing like the mid-credit or post-credit scenes that Marvel makes us watch whether we want to or not.

Get the hell outta here, Howard the Duck!

I know this film has its critics and believe me when I say that I totally understand! However, Man of Steel certainly has a lot of positives. It's easy to ignore the good parts when the Internet focuses so much on the negative aspects. I try to be positive and appreciate the different adaptations of my favorite comics. After all Arrow looks almost nothing like the actual Green Arrow comic books!