5. The Superman Film We've Waited A Lifetime For
And so on June 14th, 2013 Man Of Steel arrived in theaters across the country with the highest of expectations and anticipation. The trailers ahead of the film's release were breathtaking, the cast was comprised of Hollywood royalty (and one relative newcomer!), and all signs pointed to a new Superman franchise for a new era. And they got it right, without question. The film delivers in every way we, as fans, had hoped, all the while being comprised of multiple, differing elements that came together with extraordinary results.
4. Emotion and Conflict
At its core, Man Of Steel is an emotionally driven, science fiction juggernaut...and it should be. For the first time in Superman's cinematic history, Man Of Steel gives us a defining look at the planet of Krypton, a civilization on the precipice of annihilation. And it is utterly breathtaking. This is Krypton how I have always envisioned it in my mind all these years: a thriving culture, vast with advanced technology, but at the brink of global devastation. Jor-El and General Zod, lifetime friends who soon become conflicted enemies, as their priorities shift in the face of planetary doom. Jor-El sends his newly, and naturally born son, along with the entire genetic blueprint for Kryptonian life, into a rocket, destined for a planet called Earth, which orbits a young, yellow star. Captivating and saddening, the opening scenes of Man Of Steel are ripe with sorrow, but also rich with hope for the Kryptonian future and the promise that very future holds for the people of Earth.
We know the story of Clark Kent and his upbringing. But as the film progresses, we are treated to the telling of the origin story a bit differently: we get brief glimpses into Clark Kent's past on Earth, raised as a human child with adoptive human parents back in Kansas, all the while he currently travels the globe in search of his true self, and also trying to decide for himself the one reason he's been put on our planet. We are witness to his deep connection with his Earth mother, Martha Kent, and how she firmly keeps him grounded, by bringing him peace whenever his life delves into chaos. And of course we are also privy to his close relationship with his Earth father, Jonathan Kent, who only seeks to protect his son from a world that's presumably not ready for everything Clark will represent to a race long thought to be on their own in the universe. Clark's Earth family provides him with a set of morals that have become the stuff of superhero legend, and Man Of Steel does an excellent, albeit somewhat brief, job of investing fans emotionally in Clark's upbringing and how this value-rich upbringing allows him to ultimately cope with being alone on his adopted homeworld, and instilling in him the faith to make the right choices when the time(s) come. Enter General Zod, and thus Clark is no longer a lonely Kryptonian. Arriving on Earth after Clark discovers a centuries old Kryptonian ship in the arctic, General Zod, and his crew from the ship in which they had been imprisoned, locate Clark and ask him to join their efforts in re-establishing the Kryptonian culture on Earth. Clark refuses, and thus he is faced with the crushing decision: to either save Earth, and its inhabitants who may not tolerate his presence, by stopping General Zod, OR allow Zod to complete his mission of resurrecting Krypton on Earth, and displacing the human race in the process.
Henry Cavill is at his best in this film when he is shown having to navigate his sea of emotion that's teeming with conflict: save Earth, or, ultimately be forced to kill the only surviving member of your own race. Cavill portrays Clark with an uneasiness that's never been on, or in, a Superman film before. For example, he is so unsure of how to proceed in the streets of Smallville when facing down Faora and Non, and you can see it on his face. The weight Cavill brings to his performance of this character can not be understated, and it can be seen across the entire film.
But Clark is never truly alone. Throughout his journey in Man Of Steel, he is gifted with relationships old and new. Clark meets Lois Lane; she believes in him and that the world will embrace him in the long run, and that he mustn't be afraid to try. Clark is also able to reunite with his birth father as he roams the halls of the ancient Kryptonian transport ship, learning from him the truth behind the circumstances currently laid out in front of him, and the rich history that comprises the Kryptonian culture. And of course he also has his Earth mother, his only living family member, who continues to reside in Smallville and is always there for her son when he needs to come home. Because of his deep emotional connection to these individuals, Clark eventually finds the strength to move forward and become the man both of his fathers always knew he could become. But his morality comes with a price, and his conflict with General Zod is the primary result of Clark's instilled beliefs versus the duty to his true heritage. The emotional backstory and subsequent transformation of Clark Kent into Superman has never before been put onto cinematic screens; Man Of Steel delivers on all fronts, tying heavy emotion to self struggle in the wake of global conflict. Clark Kent becomes more than just a man as the film progresses towards it's final act, and all the stops are pulled out in order to showcase a Superman determined to do the right thing. And now that we've finally come to blows, let's talk about the Super-action...