film review: man of steel

This looks like a review but it's really just an excuse to have Henry Cavill's face on my blog!

Man of Steel (2013)
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Rating: 8/10
IMDB

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

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It seems that public opinion over Man of Steel is mixed - the initial reviews (at least in the UK) were pretty positive but in the last week or so the internet has been awash with critiques. I have no history with the Superman mythology and so can only really review it in and of itself and I really enjoyed it! It definitely has faults - while the fight scenes are impressive the 3rd act is wayyyyyy too long, there are plot holes/consistency errors - but the first half was so great that I'm more than willing to forgive the gratuitous CGI fest towards the end!

Non-spoilery things worth mentioning:

• Henry Cavill is excellent both as Clark and as a human being! As Clark he is brings a real earnestness and emotional vulnerability to a character that could otherwise be untouchable. He looks amazing - my type has always been guys with dark curly hair and so his look in the last 3mins made me go all unnecessary!
• Lois Lane = lady hero!
• A+ casting of the young Clarks.
• The film looks gorgeous - I really really loved the visuals. The colour palate is muted but there are lots of lens flares and silhouettes. The opening sequence in particular is a real treat for the eyes!
• Hans Zimmer's score strikes the right balance of strength and hope and really enhances much of the action.
• The CGI was amazing! I was anxious to see how Superman's flight would look but it was great!
• The promo tour has been really excellent - I especially recommend the MoS cast on the Graham Norton Show.
• Henry Cavill's face!

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