3. Superman, Zod, And The Destruction Of Metropolis
Never have we seen a Superman film so lavishly laden with action...and utter destruction. Certainly there have been countless animated scenes of Metropolis crashing down in the wake of Superman's spoils throughout the years, but never have we had such chaos and calamity on cinematic film in the wake of Superman's wrath. Man Of Steel puts an end to the lightly damaged Metropolis of cinema-old, and ushers in a new generation of catastrophic devastation that even most "disaster" films have rarely seen. And this has divided many viewers of the film. Many critics and few fans find it all "over the top" or "excessive," while there are most other fans who find it all being just exactly "what the doctor ordered" in terms of a Superman film. Be that as it may, the biggest question of all that's being asked is: why does Superman let so many innocents die in order to stop General Zod? There will always be collateral damage in situations like this, what with a super-powered alien being trying to stop another super-powered alien being, all the while being inside the confines of an urban metropolis setting (it really is unavoidable, so get off your high horses!). But the larger question posed is this: how could he LET PEOPLE DIE at all?! Everyone must understand when approaching this new Man Of Steel film, Clark has never before been Superman. We see him for the first time don the suit, and head out into a world that may not accept him...in order to save them. And HE IS LEARNING. He has never before unleashed his powers like this, and he doesn't honestly know the extent of his strength and the damage he is causing - all he really knows is he must stop General Zod from ending Planet Earth. Again, Henry Cavill does a fantastic job of relaying all of this information during his first full-on battle on the streets of Smallville against Faora. You can see Cavill's Superman: he is unsure of himself, he is concerned with the evil opposite him, and he is unsure how to stop it all from tearing down his home town. Pay attention to this scene and you will see a Superman coming into his own as he learns the extent of what he's really capable of.
And the resulting destruction is nothing short of breathtaking. Superman pursues General Zod throughout the streets, and the skies, of Metropolis, crushing buildings and punching him in mid-flight across the skyline, leaving a wake of disaster in his path of pursuit. These scenes are everything a Superman film should be, and we have only hit the tip of the iceberg with Superman in the first Man Of Steel film. This was his first major battle, and we all know many more will follow, and all of the death and destruction that results from his first time being Superman is a part of his process in becoming the Superman we are all so familiar with these past 75 years. And as the film comes to a close, one final choice redefines the Superman character forever....or does it?...