Man of Steel (2013)

This superhero origin story to the first superhero in comics is like a really delicious feast that the chef keeps forcing you to devour even though you're full.  The result is that you enjoyed the meal but you leave the restaurant with a bit of a belly ache.  What makes this film ultimately so satisfying is the story.  David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan give us a Superman for our time.  It's darker in tone and is grounded in a reality that seems believable in a world that is completely void of any scientific credibility.   But that's okay because it's foundation is the stuff that makes Superman Superman which is great.  Henry Cavill is excellent along with the rest of the cast, including Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe as dueling dads.  The only thing that keeps this film from being truly great is the same problem all Superhero films are having lately and that's the Mayhem factor.   The repetitive action of superheroes blowing up skyscrapers and crashing into things is now just a cliché.  Modern audiences are no longer impressed and I personally find it tiresome watching such destruction.  I get it's somewhat necessary but at least make it as interesting as possible.  One example of this is with the World Engine, a device in the film that the villain Zod uses on planet Earth and really ruins Metropolis.  That was visually cool.  What's not visually cool is watching Superman fight other Kryptonians by pushing and shoving each other into buildings over and over again.  That's not fighting that's a poor excuse to show off how invincible these guys are.  In the sequel I really hope they show Superman actually fight it out with his fists.  Besides this overzealous desire to impressive us with action, I have to give director Zack Snyder a big thumbs up for a job well done.  Just watching Superman fly for the first time made me a believer in the future of this franchise.  Next time, I hope they bring on Lex Luthor and further the romantic connection with Lois Lane.   Grade: B+