Let me start out here with a little back story…Now I am a normal dude who is interested in a ton of things, not just comics and pop culture stuff, kind of a jack of all trades but master of some. The things I’m interested in I am definitely passionate about and movies have always been a huge part of my life, especially comic book movies. I probably saw Star Wars in the theater but may have been too young to remember it, definitely saw Empire and Jedi as well as Indiana Jones, Superman 1 and 2 and all the classics. I even remember watching Mommy Dearest at this restaurant with a big projection t.v. with my mom right before we went and saw E.T., before directors starting retooling their movies to make them a little more palatable to their current belief system.

When Captain America: The Winter Soldier came out I couldn’t afford to get to a theater to see it…well let me rephrase that, I could afford it but I couldn’t afford to see it at the theater I wanted which was a real 3D theater that is about 40 miles away from my house. Being that I would rather enjoy my experience of seeing Captain America in all his bad ass glory in a theater that provided real 3D and awesome sound than sit in a run down theater with horrible sound, a shitty 3D and on a screen that feels like I am watching at home rather than a theater I was far from being able to see it opening weekend. Following opening weekend I had heard rumblings of how great this movie was (which after I did end up seeing it in my theater of choice I agreed and Tupperwared the shit out of that movie) I was anxious to hear all about it. I searched frantically for a spoilers podcast to hear all about it but most podcasts were either spoiler free or about as fucking boring and full of themselves as you could get. I came across Pop Culture Leftovers Podcast and after I read the description and decided to give it a shot. My first impressions were that these dudes spoke like me, had the passion for the material like I did and best of all they pretty much recapped the movie beat for beat and spoiled the fuck out of it. Unbelievable. I had just found my new favorite review podcast. I immediately went through and downloaded every review I was interested in their opinion on and it turned out I started from episode 1 and moved through the entire catalog at a break neck pace and laughing the entire time, looking like a complete tool at work and finding myself either strongly agreeing with them or disagreeing so bad I took to their Facebook page and posting my own comments. Guess what?! These fucking guys responded. Hooked. A podcast where your opinions mattered or at least they pretended like your opinion also mattered.

I listened to the Man of Steel podcast (Episode 8) having already seen it and having liked the movie but not loving it. My problem is that Clark is way too emo, the not saving Pa Kent, the last 40 minutes being nothing but non stop action that at times seemed hard to follow, and a feeling like this was not my Christopher Reeves Superman I and II. I was quite taken back when Brian from Pop Culture Leftovers not only Tupperwared it but was so pissed when Jake didn’t agree and starting pointing out the other things I ended up agreeing were wrong with it and ended up giving it just a Taste it, which is still a bone of contention to this day. So after listening to a recent episode where a mini argument popped up about this movie again I had to give Man of Steel another shot and see if I was over reacting or if I was justified in just Tasting this movie or Tupperwaring it and relieve some of my concerns on where the DC Cinematic universe was heading. I am going to rewatch Man of Steel and scene by scene give you my thoughts and opinions and at the end see if the rating should change. As the Joker says while he is expecting one of the two boats to blow up in The Dark Knight…”And here…we…go..”.

We start out with Kal El’s birth and our first glimpse of Krypton, which I like but am a bit biased to the crystal look of the originals but chalk that up to that the crystal look has deteriorated because of the over mining of resources that Jor El explains. Zod comes in and takes over, I really think Michael Shannon knocks it out for most of the movie with a few misbeats here and there. The fighting on Krypton looks amazing even with the few J.J. Abrams like lens flares. Jor El is a little too bad ass for my liking but honestly I am kind of glad he is because Kal has to get his natural fighting abilities from somewhere. Both Russell Crowe and Ayelete Zurer give great performances as Jor El and Lara. I really dig the Phantom Zone prison idea and really have no gripe about any of the opening. Tupperware the opening and is very promising so far.

We find Clark as a fisherman a la The Deadliest Catch on his way to help an oil rig on fire and we see Clark’s first heroic action saving not only the workers but the Coast Guard chopper and the first flashback of how he learns to deal with his hearing and x-ray vision and why he starts to feel like an outcast. The fact that those whales may or may not have been summoned by Aquaman is awesome no matter how much it is debated these days with speculation. One thing we know is that Clark is not above stealing from others when he takes the clothes once he gets to land. Another flashback showing his strength and his inner need to help and save others without second thought.

Now meet Ma and Pa Kent and see that Pa is worried that his son will be considered an outcast and how people will react to what he knows is an alien, but most of all Costner delivers one of my favorite lines and probably the most simple line when he says, “You are my son.” with the perfect quiver in his voice. Still wells me up. We see the unconditional love and concern for his sons future.

Back to the wanderer Clark who is now working as a bus boy in a diner and overhears about the Kryptonian ship being un-iced. Loved the comedic moment of the trucker finding his truck tangled up in the telephone lines. and we meet Lois Lane. Trying a little hard to show how badass she as I think that develops naturally throughout the movie on it’s own but whatever not a big deal still love Amy Adams performance and I am really glad they went a true investigative reporter instead of some reporter who writes well but seems to bumble her way into stories. Clark finds the Kryptonian outpost and inadvertently summons Zod, but that comes later. Lois is attacked by the sentry and we see Clark saving Lois for the first time, we also get our first look and the heat vision and is done nicely. Great scene and other than this being a hobo like Superman no real problems.

Our first look at Perry White, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, is listening to Lois and shoots down her story followed by Jor El teaching Kal El his true lineage and history where they fill the currently existing plot holes. Henry Cavill has now started to feel like he is becoming the character most of loved at one point in our lives. I am really glad that Jor El tells Clark that he is as much a human as a Kryptonian as I think that is what he is searching for and even though he doesn’t understand it as he says it, it is Jor El that tells him it’s okay to be human and use his powers he receives from being Kryptonian to better the world. This is where we see Kal testing his limits and learning to fly which lends itself to comedic moments and the first real joy we see on his face when he indeed does learn to fly. Tupperware that huge smile he gets and the way it looks and is filmed, breathtakingly beautiful and grand

This is when we get back to Lois and her search for Clark, which comes across as something Lois would indeed do and the fact she figures it out astonished me but I really like it because she should be this smart and focused. A little exposition and another flashback that is my least favorite moment of this entire movie. The arguing seems forced and not real and doesn’t feel of a Superman story to me. Pa knowing his son is stronger and faster doesn’t let him go save the dog, the stopping him to pretty martyr himself in some sort of Obi Wan type way. Toss it. Could’ve been much better, felt lazy and didn’t fit to the rest of his mythos, especially in this movie. Also having Perry reiterate what Clark had just told Lois his father had warned him about revealing his powers.

Diane Lane does a great job as Martha and you feel she really felt like Clark’s mother and we move into Zod coming to earth and demanding to have Kal turned over to him. I like that Clark goes to get the advice from the priest, being that I am not overly religious at all it felt right that you turn to someone who has an unshakable faith and moral compass to what they would do and kind of hit on the the themes that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had when creating Superman. It also gives us another flashback showing that maybe, just maybe people will change and you can be accepted for being different.

This part of the movies also brings a little comic relief when the Army has Superman in custody with him being in handcuffs and the banter he has with Lois as well as his quips to the Army personnel. Back on Zod’s ship and we see the effects the Kryptonian atmosphere is having on Superman and how Lois needs a breather to survive while on the ship. We get the exposition on Zod’s story of getting out of the Phantom Zone and his scavenger hunt across the universe on his hunt for Kal El. And as any good villain does explains his very precise plane to someone he feels has no way to stop him. Also apparently Zod only brought Lois on board so she could download Jor El’s consciousness to the ship, otherwise there is no really reason for her to be here. I like Jor El’s cool, calm demeanor here and almost Vulcan like lack of emotions.

Back in Kansas and we start our first Kryptonian fight and this is where I get a little perplexed, if they are still breathing Kryptonian air as they have breathers on, why do they have the strength of Superman already? It’s not until Zod rips off the mask that his x-ray and hearing take effect and Clark just out and tells him how to over come it by focusing. As much as I love the action in this scene it is still hard for me to understanding how these Kryptonians have this super strength and speed if they are still surrounded by Krypton’s atmospheric air, their cells have not drank the same level of radiation from the sun as previously explained earlier in the movie. I’ll give it a pass as a loophole and they need to give him someone formidable to fight but it moves it down to a Taste It for me right now.

We get a pause for the cause break in the action for the set up of Zod releasing the world engine to start transforming the Earth to Krypton and the lack luster reveal of the name Superman. This is also a lot hate for this film comes from because of all the people Supes and Zod “kill” during their fight, the truth of the matter is that most if not all of the killing happens from the destruction the world engine causes as well as the failing missiles and jets that are crashing in Metropolis. The action goes on for a very long time and but is cut back and forth well enough that it works but could’ve been a little shorter in my opinion. Zack Snyder does do a great job here with Superman and Zod’s fight. And now we come to the most controversial moment in a Superman story. Superman breaks Zod’s neck and kills him to save a family. Could there have been a better way to resolve this and save Zod for a future storyline if needed? Absolutely. No question in my mind. Was I taken back at first? Absolutely. How do I feel about it now? I’m okay with it. Strong taste it.

We end off with a couple of slightly humorous beats of Superman talking to the general and even giving a clue to his identity by telling him he grew up in Kansas but whatevs, I still chuckled and then the big reveal of Clark starting his new life as a reporter for the Daily Planet.

After a long review and some much needed deep thought on this movie and knowing what DC has somewhat scheduled in the pipeline I have changed my rating from a Taste It to a Tupperware, because even though I have issues with it, knowing where DC has the franchise going and proof from the gang at Marvel and you can indeed introduce characters that are larger than life or downright unbelievable as proved from Guardians of the Galaxy, they can pull some of Superman’s best story lines and incorporate them into this universe.

Overall my problems were minor compared to what I really enjoyed from Man of Steel and changed to a Tupperware because this movie is re-watchable and set up what will hopefully be promising DC Cinematic Universe. As always this is only my humble opinion and any opinions, disagreements or comments are more than welcomed and at the very least hope you enjoyed reading my very long article of what I think is a very good re-imagining of a character we all love and respect.

– David