Man Of Steel Spoilers: 10 Major Plot Points Discussed

7. Zod's Motives

Man of Steel

Another superior aspect of Man of Steel to prior Superman entries is its depiction of the villain, General Zod, played ably by a suitably unhinged Michael Shannon. While the 1978 Superman benefited from a similarly excellent Terrence Stamp in the role, there was a clearer black-and-white morality to the character; this isn't to say that bad guys need to be sympathetic, but he was essentially little more than a moustache-twirler, even if that did suit the campier tone of the film.

Here, however, we meet a Zod who is much more personable; though unquestionably a complete monster, his quest to seek out Jor-El and recruit him as a ruler like himself is understandable, as well as his disappointment when Supes refuses to co-operate with him. Zod's plan ultimately is to use Kryptonian technology to terra-form Earth, so that it has an atmosphere similar to Krypton, essentially killing every human being on the planet and allowing his alien race to thrive. As a diversion from Lex Luthor's shady tactics, this is a refreshing stew of sci-fi mumbo jumbo that's great fun to watch.

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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.