Not quite super!

I’m usually in Zach Snyder’s corner … Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen all show a director with a wild streak that can’t be tamed.

Man of Steel is possibly the best example of Snyder’s love for violence and aggression, but … I hate to say it, it was way too much this time around.

It starts with a boom – a very loud one. It doesn’t end there either; the rest of the movie is filled with bombs, punches and people flying in all directions.

Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes and he deserves an amazing film. Man of Steel was meant to prove that Snyder can turn anything he touches into a soaring success, and although this movie wasn’t terrible, I was very disappointed.

There’s always the main man Superman though, who was, well … super! It’s a bird, it’s a plane … no it’s Henry Cavill with his chiseled jaw, his dreamy eyes and his exceptionally muscular body.

Some may argue he took the image a bit too far from the known Superman physique, but isn’t that the whole point – to revamp the character? It was just a shame that they got rid of that red underwear!

Man of Steel is all noise, crashing metal and explosions that soars into The Dark Knight trilogy territory and then crashes to the brain dead level of the Transformers franchise … a film with no comedy, no emotion and most importantly, no appreciation for time, throwing minutes of unneeded action to show viewers just how much money they spent on the visual effects.

Maybe I am being a bit too harsh, but I expected brilliance.

Following in the footsteps of Spiderman and Batman, this is the Superman Begins story.

The viewers are taken right to the beginning of Mr Kent’s (or rather Kal El’s) journey on his home plant, Krypton.

During a long and pointless prologue the audience learns that Kal El is the first naturally-born Kryptonian on the planet for over a century. The residents have been genetically engineering babies with a specific purpose to cater for Krypton. Jor El (Russell Crowe) and Lara (Ayelet Zurer) give birth to a miracle just at the time when their home planet is being destroyed.

After Jor El goes up against a military coup led by General Zod, he and his wife Lara ship Kal off to safety, sending him to Earth to live a ‘normal life’.

On Earth, almost one hour into the movie, we finally see Clark and his adoptive parents played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane. Both know that he’s special and have raised him with the knowledge that he holds alien powers that will one day help change the world for better or worse.

When General Zod and his minions appear on Earth 30 years later ready for revenge, Kal knows he must use his powers before Zod annihilates the planet and all the people on it. Finally, Cavill in spandex!

That’s pretty much it. The rest of the 143-minute movie is dedicated to explosions and action. Even with a little romance between Kal and Lois Lane (Adams), the film never gives a colourful or hopeful interpretation.

Visually this film is fantastic. The setting and backgrounds are very impressive and the scenes where Kal is learning how to fly are extremely thrilling, producing moments of real spectacle, but by the third act I was bored of the full-on and over-the-top destruction of the world.

Cavill is a great choice for the leading role. He has recreated an iconic character and made it his own. Adams, on the other hand, was a weird choice. There was no chemistry between her and Cavill, which made their short and brief romance seem far from genuine.

In my opinion, the worst performance of the film comes from Crowe. I only noticed his lack of acting ability in Les Miserables and now he just annoys me.

Shannon, however, stole the whole movie. He managed to create an alien evil force with his eeriness and tone. The only downfall was the endless brawls he was involved in. I understand that this has become the norm in comic-book movie adaptations, but the Superman-Zod showdowns go on forever.

I couldn’t help huffing and puffing waiting for the good guy to win! Once again, it appeared to be an excuse to work with the visual effects.

For many fans, Man of Steel will provide a fresh insight into an iconic character. Personally, I thought it was good but I have never been so tired watching a movie … I believe it is only uphill from here and there is more to come with Man of Steel 2.

*Showing in Cineco, Seef II, Al Jazeera Cineplex, Saar Cineplex