Zack Snyders Man of Steel was a dark and brooding film lush with rich sets and action sequences. Of all of these, the most gripping is in the finale where Kal-El must choose to kill or to not kill. In this version, Zod and Company escape the Phantom Zone and come to Earth in hopes of taking it over and terraforming it into the new Krypton. Doing so will destroy the human race and Kal-El will not stand for this. As the violence escalates, Kal finds himself in a final life or death battle against General Zod. Climaxing in a fight that sends both Zod and Kal hurtling through the downtown Metropolis streets, propelled by punches, kicks and cape tosses, the two combatants are sent flying off into space. Locked in mortal combat as they plummet back to Earth, they land in a train station. Hoping to break Kal-Els spirit before he is defeated, Zod unleashes his heat vision on an innocent family trapped in the rubble. Kal pleads for him to stop but Zod refuses. Left with no choice, Kal snaps Zods neck, killing him instantly. As far as Superman moments go, this is the best of the best. The quality of the effects and music are superior and the payoff to the buildup is stark and consequence-filled. Using this battle and its aftermath as a setup, DC Comics is building a (perhaps loosely-constructed) cinematic universe beginning with the sequel to Man of Steel. Never before in Supermans long and inconsistent film history has there been a moment as exciting for the character itself or for the direction he may be taken in the wide open future of high-budget, realistic superhero movies.
David Wagner is an author/musician who splits his time between Oakland, CA and Istanbul, Turkey.
David has published two novels, both available on his website, and as a fan of movies, comics, and genre television, he is happy to be working with WhatCulture as a regular contributor.
