Why Man Of Steel Is One Of The Greatest Origin Stories Of All Time!
Written & Edited by John Darius
Man Of Steel is a film that has over the years quickly become an all-time classic in the eyes of moviegoers around the world, & has arguably been said by many to be one of the greatest origin stories ever told. Sent to earth from the dying planet Krypton, this new refreshing take on a classic tale centers around a young boy by the name of Clark Kent. Raised on a farm in Kansas in search of an identity.. a purpose, & lastly becoming the beacon of hope for all of humanity as the iconic & beloved superhero known as Superman!
Directed by Zack Snyder, written by David Goyer, co- produced by Deborah Snyder, & executive produced by Christopher Nolan, this underrated masterpiece is a film that I’ve always found myself encouraged to return to more times than I can count. Snyder’s vision is an incredibly well made re-imagining of a character that’s been around for over 70+ years, & has managed to reinvent & modernize him in the most exciting way possible.
.Rarely have we seen an actor to that of Henry Cavill physically embody what many have imagined the character Superman to be from the DC comics. Completely capturing both the heart & soul of this fan-favorite superhero in a way that feels authentic on & off screen. It is some of the best casting I’ve seen to date. I’m absolutely grateful to Zack Snyder for taking such an initiative in showcasing this spectacular vision.
The rest of the cast is just as impressive with the addition of some very well known A- listers in Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni & lastly Antje Traue. A talented well rounded group of actors that breathes so much life into this fantastic take on the DC Universe never before seen. Once again led by the legend that is director Zack Snyder.
One of the many interesting things I find most fascinating with this new iteration is the much more harsher grounded outlook in the mindset of Jonathan Kent(Kevin Costner) & Martha Kent(Diane Lane) as parents, raising a child not of this world. Knowing that if anyone truly knew of his existence, just how detrimental it would be for the rest of society as a whole. Giving us, the audience a much broader understanding of the journey & trials this character MUST endure before becoming the iconic hero we all know him to be.
Whether it’s saving a school bus or rescuing construction men from a burning factory, each of these cases mentioned in more ways than one go on in helping showcase the man Clark Kent truly is behind the S. The morals & ethics that are embedded into his core that helps further push him into finally accepting the mantle bestowed upon him b his other father in Jor-El played by Russell Crowe, since birth.
These words spoken by Jonathan Kent help perfectly describe the realistic, imperfect & sometimes cynical world Snyder has grounded this character in, & frankly… it’s genius! Setting aside the obvious fact of Clark Kent being an alien, he is first & foremost underneath it all, an immigrant.
That factor alone is something many people I feel can absolutely relate to both mentally & emotionally. Being a young male myself, I found many of the lessons Jonathan taught his son, to be an almost exact replica of the same lessons I had to learn growing up. Dealing with the reality that no matter what I do or say, I’ll always be judged & looked at differently than those around me. Solely because of the color of my skin.
Living a country that is arguably still healing from centuries worth of sorrow, fear, & hate, I had to realize at a young age that that my actions more than most, will always determine how I want the rest of the world to portray me or those of the same color as me. How I speak… how treat others… how I even choose to react to uncomfortable situations, everything… it all plays a vital role in the image I make for myself as a human being living in this society.
That is why whenever I see Clark having to deal the ramifications of revealing himself to the rest of the world, I immediately understand just why Jonathan Kent felt so strongly against those actions. Regardless Clark’s good intentions.
We live in a age where being different isn’t always met with open arms, & can majority of the time serve as more of a death sentence than anything else. Especially for many of us who are still to this day belittled, oppressed & stereotyped by those who may feel we don’t fit the “status quo” of what it may mean to be looked or accepted as human. So being able to resonate with a character that goes through similar challenges to that of my own, made my experience watching this film all the more worthwhile.
General Zod played by the incredible Michael Shannon, suffers from being a product of the wrongdoings of his society, & is in more ways than one a victim who at heart just means well for his people.
In this particular take created by Snyder, I’ve always seen Zod as someone who believes himself to be the hero of his own story. A man who at the end of it all has seen & faced death at first hand, & is now on a mission to go out of his way in preventing that same catastrophe from happening once again to what’s left of his kind.
Another character who acts as a perfect example of this is Faora played by the stunning & talented Antje Traue. A solider who after seeing her world crumble before her very eyes, wants nothing more than to the prevent the extinction of what remains of her race.
In many ways, Zod gives his people hope, in the same respect Clark does for the people of earth. An ironic twist that we don’t necessarily take notice of until further on in the film, & honestly is a subtle message implying that none of us are perfect.
We each have faults of some kind no matter our beliefs, & must realize that it is our imperfections that make us unique. Once we’ve begun to realize this, we can finally begin to take that next step into becoming something greater beyond our dreams!
Clark Kent is a representation of that greatness… & despite his mistakes, has never once lost sight of those ideals instilled into him by that of his parents. Even with the major events of killing Zod, Clark in the end, does this in service of protecting those around him. Never once believing himself to be above another, & it is wholeheartedly what truly makes him Superman at the bases of it all. The actions he makes & WHY he makes them… & what we should all aspire to be. Finding the best in ourselves, & working in portraying those same great qualities each & every day of our lives.
From its visuals, to the characters, to even its jaw-dropping choreography… Snyder does a fantastic job in telling this amazing story that dives deeper into the psyche of what it means to be human, & is the exact reason as to why I hold Man Of Steel to being the masterpiece that it is!
We’re all different one way or another & rather than allowing those differences to divide us, we should instead embrace them as gifts… Use them as motivation in building & striving towards a better & brighter future for generations to come…
Hope you all enjoyed this review, & let us know your thoughts on which films you think maybe underrated & deserves more recognition. We’d love to hear from you. So send us a message through our site & follow us on twitter & Facebook @Tweet_JVS! Take care!
DISCLAIMER:
NONE OF THE IMAGES ARE OWNED BY WRITER OR WEBSITE!
ALL IMAGES ARE OWNED BY WARNER BROTHERS & DC COMICS!