Perhaps one of the darkest and most intense Superman Movies made to date, “Man of Steel” is being released into Australian cinemas Thursday 27th June. As a child, Kal El as he was named on his dying home planet of Krypton, is sent to Earth and is found, then adopted by Jonathon and Martha Kent in rural Kansas. A young Clark (his adopted name) learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.
Posing as a journalist and raised with the values of his adoptive parents, he feels alienated because of his unique super powers and struggles to find his own place in life. When the world is attacked, he uses his extraordinary powers to protect his new home from an insidious evil. He becomes the hero named Superman to protect Earth and its people.
Starring Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathon Kent and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White (Editor in Chief of the Metropolitan Newspaper), this reboot is not small on star power.
We may know the story of Superman well, but this version is surely in a galaxy all of its’ own. In previous instalments 1, 2 & 3 Christopher Reeve wore a comic book style blue and red lycra outfit, where we now see our hero in dark blue/black and blood red rubber suit (with the muscles moulded into the suit). Clark was a nerdy, comical kind of character in the early movies released in the 80s, whereas now he is a far more serious and brooding.
When remaking a well-loved classic, there is always a risk of ruining the character for those who have loved him for decades. Perhaps the Director of Man of Steel, Zack Snyder knew it was time to reinvent Superman for a new generation. With some serious competitors in the “Superhero” category in recent years, Superman has definitely entered the 21st Century.
Time will tell how fans will judge Man of Steel.
View Trailer Here