7. A Cast For The Ages
I think as pop culture fans in this day and age, we tend to take the cast of our favorite television programs and films for granted. Is it not mind-blowing to see actors come together for a single piece of film such as Marvel's The Avengers, where you had newcomers like Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, alongside Hollywood icons such as Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson, all of whom are starring in the same movie about superheroes saving planet Earth from an alien invasion??? Of course it is...but it also is not: we are too used to getting what we want from Hollywood, and we are spoiled movie-goers. But Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan take this big cast premise and turn it on it's side: they go even bolder with the cast for Man Of Steel, with the exception of casting a relative unknown in the title role of the film, who hits a proverbial home-run with his portrayal as Clark Kent / Superman. Henry Cavill is exceptional in Man Of Steel; he is now Superman. He embodies all the conflict within Kal-El as he struggles to defend his adopted world from a tyrant bent on taking over the planet. He is scared and angry, but also determined; all of which we can see on Cavill's face and feel through his actions as the film progresses towards it's climactic end.
Michael Shannon portrays Krypton's General Zod as a calculating menace. He is the ultimate Kryptonian patriot, always seeking to do what's best for his people, and his planet. As he hunts down Superman, he grows from patriot to madman, consumed with his hunger to re-establish the Kryptonian race on Earth and end Kal-El's existence since he refuses to join the cause. Shannon is electric; his presence commands your attention in nearly every scene he is in, and watching him transform from a Kryptonian ultraloyalist into a man lost within himself, engulfed in despair knowing he cannot win, is truly amazing. We all knew he would be excellent in this role, but his performance will become legendary as time moves on. And let's not forget Zod's 2nd in command, in all her unforgiving hate: Antje Traue was cast as the loyal, definitively evil villainess Faora at Zod's side...and the pair nearly stole the movie right out from under Cavill's Superman. The remainder of the supporting cast is exceptional: Russell Crowe is now Jor-El, redefining Marlon Brando's take on the character from the early Superman films, and taking the role to a much higher level that few actors could ever recreate; Crowe is casting perfection as Jor-El. With Diane Lane as Clark's strong emotional foundation as Ma Kent, and Kevin Costner's engrossing and emotionally connecting portrayal of Clark's adoptive father Jonathan Kent, Kal-El's entire family is comprised of some of Hollywood's most elite actors. Together they pull us into Clark's world, and ground us with him in his journey towards becoming the Man of Steel.
And that brings us to the most divisive casting decision that was made for the film: Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Listen...it works. She is now Lois Lane. Adams has made us all forget the stale performance of Kate Bosworth as Lois in Superman Returns, and Adams is the Lois Lane for this new era, firmly placing Margot Kidder on the shelf as this newer, more fearless reporter who ultimately falls for Superman. And Adams Lois Lane is just that: fearless. She is no longer the damsel in distress Lois Lane hoping Superman will save her, rather she is out on the front lines, looking for the next big story and doing whatever it takes to get there. Adams is fantastic as Lois Lane in Man Of Steel. And while the film itself has only scratched the surface of her relationship with Superman, the sequel will certainly cover newer, more in-depth ground for this iconic couple in the years that follow. Also what a nice twist with the filmmakers having already established that she knows his true identity! Now that we've looked at the story/backstory and the stellar cast, let's take a look at the awesome, and groundbreaking sound of the film itself...