Film Review: Man Of Steel (12A), (U.S.A./Canada/U.K. 2013) (Director: Zack Snyder), Friday 14.06.2013 18:00, The Cameo Cinema, Screen One, Edinburgh

I was initially not fussed about seeing this, and although it would be difficult to pretend I was excited, I was certainly curious. What made me curious was Chris Nolan, the director of the 'Dark Night Trilogy' (2005 - 2013), was involved in a producing capacity and he tends to be regarded as releasing stuff of high quality. The other element that peeked my curiosity was that it has Michael Shannon playing General Zod (previously played by Terrance Stamp in 'Superman II' (1980)).

This is a 'supes' origins story. The detail about what happened to 'supes' home planet of Krypton is nicely fleshed out to a degree I have not seen in other 'supes' films, and incidents in his earthly upbringing are nicely told through flashback. Russel Crowe plays 'supes' biological father and Kevin Costner plays the Earth farther and neither manage to ruin the scenes they are in. Michael Shannon as Zod is very good and Henry Cavill as 'supes' very acceptable. Zod's suit for coming to earth I felt to have Geigeresque qualities. The means by which Zod & his forces intended to try to destroy the earth, turning it into a new Krypton, to my layman's brain felt to have a believeability to it.

Some of the fight scenes I felt to be over-the-top, even taking into account that they involve beings from a different planet who are used to differing gravitational forces and therefore have a greater degree of strength on Earth (although why this is the way it is, I felt to have been well explained). There is no Lex Luther and sadly for me there was no real excitement as there was never any real jeopardy. This is an issue 'supes' has always had. This is the crucial difference between 'supes' and 'the bat'.

Although there was no excitement for me, I can't deny that the film is well made and easily the best film by Mr. Snyder (300 (2006), Watchmen (2009), Sucker Punch (2011)). I f 'supes' is your thing, I'm sure you would get a lot from the film and find it very satisfying.

Rating: 07/10.