Man of Steel (2013) - Revisited

Back when I saw this movie in 2013, I found it to be a disappointment. I enjoyed exactly two scenes in the entire movie: the Superman flight scene and his aerial rescue of Lois (preceding the Smallville fight sequence). I also liked Antje's performance as Faora. Other than that, the movie did not impress me.

 

I found Man of Steel (MoS) to be the polar opposite of the Richard Donner/Chris Reeve 1978 Superman: The Movie:

• Cavill's Clark Kent/Superman is almost 100% humor/smile free (except for the last shot at the Daily Planet)
• Like Clark, the movie itself has a grim tone, which would befit Batman or Punisher or Spawn better.
• The cinematography choices is also dark and is probably one of the main reasons this movie did not strike a chord with me
• Lois Lane already knows Superman's secret identity, even before they meet. Plus the chemistry between Henry Cavill and Amy Adams is non-existent.
  
• Hans Zimmer's soundtrack does not have a single romance track. John Williams' love theme is still one of his best works.
• The action sequences are way overdone. The movie starts with one (set on Krypton), the second is set in Smallville and the finale in Metropolis. Except the first one, the special effects in the the remaining ones appear unfinished multiple times. We can overlook the lack of humor and the characterizations, but the way these action sequences have been handled is puzzling.
  

 

 

Revisited MoS after a long time and finally came to terms with it. This is a modern take on Superman in the same vein as BBC Sherlock is on the 20th Century Victorian detective. The obvious difference is that while the BBC show also takes deviations, it is a very well made show with great casting choices (among other things). MoS still remains a mixed bag. Yes there are some positives, but the movie still suffers from a number of weak spot. Let us get started.

 

The opening prologue on Krypton feels unnecessary and serves only to remind us that Warner Bros had provided only one mandate to Zack Snyder: make the movie as action packed as possible. If further proof is required, look no further than the casting and characterization of Jor-El. Clearly, Snyder is a fan of Gladiator - in addition to Russell Crowe, we have Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta and Hans Zimmer providing another bombastic soundtrack. One final link would Joaquin Phoenix who played Joker.

Back to the prologue - a good example of a prologue well done would be the one at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. That was such a good beginning to the movie and the trilogy. The Krypton sequence on the other hand looks generic and Jor-El is a martial artist/scientist who can go toe to toe with General Zod (Michael Shannon) and ride dragon like beasts (reminded me of Avatar though). 

 

This entire sequence could have been done away with and the money would have been better spent on making the Smallville and Metropolis action sequences better. The city wide destruction and Superman snapping Zod's neck has been widely criticized and commented upon. I can understand that these were justified from a story point perspective, but the low quality of graphics in the fight sequences is something that Zack could have improved on.

 

 

To give Zack and the movie due credit, I liked the scene where Faora-Ul (Antje Trauje) gives special breathing gear to Lois Lane (Amy Adams) in the Kryptonian ship. Also Superman struggling to adjust to the Kryptonian atmosphere was another nice touch. I mention this point specifically for one main reason: When watching Avengers: Endgame, I was struck by how Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Dr Stephen Strange and other humans were able to adapt so quickly to the atmosphere on Titan and breath without the help of any special instrument/aid. So kudos to Zack and team.

 

The other aspects that the movie absolutely delivered are the flight scenes featuring Supes and the Kryptonian ships. The design of the alien ships is another strong point. 

 

The final and the best thing about the movie is Hans Zimmer's soundtrack. Following John Williams' iconic work is a daunting task. Hans delivers a great theme to both Supes and Zod. The movie would lose half its impact without the soundtrack. Superman's first flight scene and his aerial rescue of Lois are two examples. Some might complain that it is bit loud, but I nevertheless enjoy the soundtrack and think of it as a great companion piece to Williams.

 

I did find couple of loop holes in the plot:

• In Zack Snyder's Justice League, it is revealed that General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) is actually Martian Manhunter in disguise. The question is: why did Martian Manhunter not help Supes against the Kryptonian invasion? He could have helped and still maintained his secret identity. Related query: how come Supes did not see through Manhunter's disguise, considering that he would have some anatomical differences from regular human beings?
• Another thing to note is that probably half of Smallville know's Superman's secret identity. After being rescued by Supes, Lois arrives in a police car at Clark's home in Smallville and addresses Superman as “Clark” right within hearing distance of the cops. So what was the point of General Swanwick's 12 million dollar worth satellite to keep tabs on Supes. Plus, cannot Swanwick (as Martian Manhunter) just read Supes mind and know his true identity. 
  

All in all, MoS is a better Science Fiction movie than a Superhero movie featuring Supes. I think of it as an alternate universe take (similar to JL: Gods and Monsters). 

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Image Sources: Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, Syncopy

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Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) - Recap and Review

After years of fan petitioning and online chatter, Zack Snyder's Justice League (or simply) Snyder Cut, has been released on HBO Max. This is a 4 hour long movie or a mini series (as some people would like to put it).

 

Spoilers ahead. Readers who are yet to watch the movie and would like to avoid details, are recommended to skip the post and watch the movie first.

 

The basic plot remains the same: Superman (Henry Cavill) has been killed by Doomsday. Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) are on a recruitment drive to build an alliance to stop the invading forces of Darkseid (voiced by Ray Porter), led by his minion/maternal uncle Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds).

 

 

This is not the first time that Darkseid has set his sights on Earth. He had made an unsuccessful attempt earlier, but was beaten back by the combined forces of Atlanteans, Amazons, Gods and a Green Lantern. The three Mother Boxes left behind are given to Atlanteans, Amazons and Men respectively.

This time, Steppenwolf is determined to acquire them and regain the trust and respect of Darkseid. It seems Steppenwolf has fallen out of the New God's good books.

 

But not every one is eager to jump the bandwagon. Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) agrees right away but Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) are reluctant.

 

 

 

Cyborg is content with helping out needy people by depositing cash in their bank accounts. Arthur is more than happy to rescue those in distress on his oceanic turf and celebrate his good deeds at the local bar.

 

Once the group does get together, it is time to bring back the most powerful member back to life. But this Superman is grumpy and may not be interested in working with others. 

Check out the trailer below:

The Snyder Cut is far superior to the studio mandated/mangled theatrical version that was unleashed upon unsuspecting viewers/DC comics fans.

 

The Snyder Cut differs significantly from the theatrical version in the following ways:

• We get our first glimpse of Black suit Superman in live action
• Darkseid makes his first live action appearance
• Martian Manhunter finally debuts in the SnyderVerse
  
• Steppenwolf's armor and backstory are improved
• Cyborg's backstory is fleshed out (arguably the most)
• Iris West has a cameo (in the strictest sense of the word)
• Ryan Choi features in the movie (DC Comics fan would know him better as Atom)
• The Whedonesque humor has been (thankfully) done away with, including couple of not-so-fun scenes with Wonder Woman
  
• The action sequences are much better in this version

Gone are the unfunny jokes and the frankly unnecessary scene of Flash falling on Wonder Woman in the midst of a fight scene (both courtesy of Joss Whedon). Zack finally gets to release his vision for the Justice League as he had originally intended it to be. Like Whedon, there are the inevitable Snyderisms that this 4 hour long movie is packed with: Lots of slo-mo scenes (and I do mean a lot) and ladies reduced to lusting after alpha male figures.

 

 

Needless to say Zack Snyder fans will be lapping this up. I would also recommend the movie to both DC Comics fans and specifically fans of Supes. Supes has never been this good in SnyderVerse. Henry Cavill's screen presence is limited but we do get to see him play a relaxed/smiling Superman (at last). Some may argue that he did that in the theatrical version too. But there are a couple of major plus points to this performance:

• Cavill is no longer sporting the hideous (moustache removed) upper lip
• He is a blast as the Black suit clad Superman

Additional bonus: We get to see Supes in action with Hans Zimmer's Flight soundtrack in the background. This brings a great closure to Cavill's Supes in this trilogy. I did not like the fact that the theatrical version left out Zimmer's score. But that was to be expected, considering the studio and it's hired hack director did not care for the comic book characters or the fans and were solely focused on releasing the movie for some quick cash.

 

With Snyder back at the helm, that mistake has been rectified and here we have Supes in his full glory with Zimmer's fantastic theme music accompanying almost all of his scenes (even those teasing his return). The movie scores when Superman is onscreen and Cavill sets the screen on fire in the climactic action piece. Another great sequence is the team working together to bring back the last son of Krypton to life using the Mother Box. It is executed exceedingly well and hats off to Zack Snyder and his crew and actors for pulling it off.

 

Here is the clip from Man of Steel (for readers unfamiliar with the soundtrack):

 

 

I also liked all the scenes featuring Victor Stone and his fractured relationship with his father: Silas Stone (Joe Morton turning in another great performance). The Stones finally come to accept each other and this makes for some heart warming moments and adds the necessary heart and soul to what is essentially another superhero blockbuster movie.

 

None of the other characters have the kind of character arc that Victor goes through. His transformation over the course of the movie is terrific and Ray Fisher deserves kudos for an amazing performance. Fisher and Morton share the bulk of the work in carrying the emotional component of the movie. Joe Morton always does some of his best work in supporting roles and this movie is yet another feather in his cap. He had played a similar role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and even had a similar death scene, while operating a device controller.

 

 

This extended version makes us understand as to why Ray Fisher was so upset with the theatrical version and the supposed “unprofessional” behavior of Joss Whedon. He has (arguably) been the biggest casualty of Snyder's departure and the subsequent handling of the movie. The media has reported that the studio did not want a black character to be at the core of a million dollar superhero movie, but I think the right decision would have been to retain Cyborg's story line intact. Well, better be late than never. Hopefully, Ray Fisher will get his due and his career will rise to great heights again.

Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's Flash provide most of the laughs. Ezra Miller's expanded screen presence has both pros and cons: we get to see more of his personal life which is a plus. But his rescue scene of Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) and his scenes with his father, Henry Allen (Billy Krudup) are way too prolonged and just excruciatingly boring. Especially, the last scene between the Allens is the second most boring scene in the movie. (I will come to the first one shortly). And yes this version of Flash kind of fancies Wonder Woman but that is handled much better this time than the in-the-face and crass objectification in the theatrical version (Joss Whedon strikes again).

 

His attempts at the wide eyed newbie style humor in MCU Peter Parker style gets jarring very quickly. Seeing Flash worship Batman (especially one that is played by the not-so-likeable Ben Affleck) is irritating. But Barry's respect for Supes is understandable.

We get to see more of Willem Dafoe as Arthur's mentor, Vulko. Dafoe is always a sight for sore eyes and this movie is no exception. It is interesting to note that he seems to be taking lessons on hair care from Loki.

 

Amber Heard has some scenes as Mera but does not have much of impact.

Arthur has some scenes with Diana, where they overcome the long standing lack of trust between Atlanteans and Amazons. This works out well in the final action sequence, when they have each other's back. Contrast this with the Aquaman-sitting-on-the-lasso scene in the theatrical version, in which he inadvertently expresses his crush on Wonder Woman and you will gain a clear understanding of the different approaches taken by Snyder and Whedon towards the source material.

 

Like the 4 hour long movie, this post has already gotten quite lengthy. I will be covering the rest of the aspects in another post, which will be up shortly.

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Image Sources: Atlas Entertainment, DC Entertainment, DC Films, HBO Max, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, The Stone Quarry, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros., Warner Max

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