Opinion: Man of Steel

I love Superman. I don't think I've ever met anyone who could say otherwise. Sure there are people who probably don't know much about him. I'd like to believe I lie somewhere between them and the hardcore enthusiasts. So when a new Superman reboot was announced, I was more than thrilled to see a contemporary realisation of the character who took the world by storm.

While I'm unable to write a proper review -- as I watched the film once more than a week ago, and thus am unable to dissect it to my liking -- I did leave the theatre with strong feelings about the motion picture. This is my opinion.

Beware: Spoilers ahead

The first thing that struck me with the Man of Steel was the cinematography.  The "home-video" style which we've seen in movies like Cloverfield added a human touch to a film that evokes more science fiction drama than superhero action. While effective, I felt it was overused. The predictable "shakey zoom-in effect" was used extensively and the filming style was occasionally disorientating.

I liked how we were able witness Superman's (Henry Cavill) development, mostly through flashbacks, from his birth to his rise as a hero. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Superman's two fathers, have a looming presence whenever they aren't on screen and their impact on Superman's moral character development is strongly felt.

One thing that I wasn't pleased with was the killing of Clark Kent's father, Jonathan Kent. Most superheroes are orphans, motivated by their loss to prevent the loss of others. Superman is different. While he lost his biological parents during the death of Krypton, he never really knew them until he became an emerging adult. He was raised primarily under the care of his foster parents on Earth. He has great power and chooses to use them for righteousness. He didn't need to have his parents killed to understand that crime is wrong and he could use his powers to stop it. This distinction separates Superman from most other heroes.

Moreover, the lack of acknowledgement of civilian casualties is staggering. While I understand that global conflicts can result in pandemonium, the end of the film doesn't reflect the sense of immense loss that just occurred on-screen. An entire city was leveled and none of that was even expressed by the characters or the world.

Also, I didn't think the romance between Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Superman was carried out well in the film. Sure, I'm glad they introduced this relationship in this origin story. I like this imagining of Lois Lane. I'm glad the whole "glasses and suit" disguise doesn't fool her; I mean it wouldn't fool anyone who was lucky enough to be right next to his face. But stopping to kiss her in the midst of battle? Come on. There's time for snogging later.

A huge controversy revolved around Superman killing Zod at the end of the film. This I was pleased with. Zod's death was entirely necessary. It was character-driven choice, and I would have much preferred a character-driven plotline with a solemn ending than an ending that just didn't make sense. Superman does have a principle that stops him from taking the life of another. I believe that he imposes this on himself as he believes he is responsible for the actions he takes and the resulting consequences. Superman begged Zod to stop his rampage through Metropolis. Zod didn't give him a choice. Another question comes to mind: How would you imprison an unstoppable foe? And even if you could restrain him, what makes you think you he wouldn't move Heaven and Earth to try and annihilate the people you are responsible for?

Despite shortcomings, Man of Steel is a film I enjoyed watching with friends. His "moral" training is definitely emphasised in this imagining of the character, and is a worthy origin story. I wouldn't buy a ticket for a second experience but I might consider owning it on Bluray or DVD.

Another small point is that hiding under a overpass in a tornado does not help. In fact, it is one of the worst places you could be when a tornado strikes. (jump: here)

Oh, I liked how Superman uses public transport.



Bernard Sam is an author at The Ops Centre. He is currently moving through the new Hannibal TV Series, after much anticipation.

On Comics: Japanese Vs American

Manga are comics with Japanese authors or in a Japanese style. A popular publisher which I will be mostly using as reference is Shonen Jump, with titles including Naruto, Bleach, Kuroko no Basket, etc. Manga has not always been popular outside Japan, however with the advent of the Internet, globalization has made culture (such as manga) more easily accessible. Manga, at least currently is well known for its distinctive art style. You know the clichéd large, shimmering eyes, small mouth and oddly styled/coloured hair with sometimes defies the laws of gravity. Yes, this is a huge generalisation, but in a nutshell it is true for the most part.

American comics, on the other hand I must admit are comics I’m not very well versed in.  Mind you, I am talking about the DC and Marvel publications. Here’s why:

            I.     The latest manga is available (for the most part) for free on the Internet. Good luck trying to find the latest Batman or Flash comic online. This makes it hard to get a preview of the series and whether or not it is a purchase you would want to make.

          II.     It just might be where I’m staying but American comics are expensive. A comic book with a little less than 100 pages would have an average cost of $25-35. A manga volume would generally cost $10-15 and have for the most part more pages.

        III.     The continuity is calamitous. I like a good complex story as much as the next guy but when you have more Superman versions than recall (which are mostly canon) it drains away the fun of reading as you most likely have to be a hardcore fan to fully understand the entirety of the story/ies.

The modern comics which I have seen from DC/Marvel usually have very nice art styles. Simply said I don’t think comics lose to manga if you are comparing artistic quality. Both occupy different niches but are definitely aesthetically brilliant in their own right.

As far as stories go I do like both manga and comics. One particular DC comic I was a fan of was the reimagining of Superman in a ‘what if’ scenario. In Superman: Red Son, we are treated to an account in which Kal-El's spaceship actually missed Kansas and landed in Soviet Ukraine instead. The story is non-canon but is nevertheless a good read with good art. The same can also be said about the V for Vendetta series that had an enthralling and engaging plot.

On the flipside, manga usually covers a lot more ground plot-wise. There are loads of genres, covering stuff like basketball (Slam Dunk, Kuroko No Basket, Dear Boys), cooking (Yakitate Japan, Addicted to Curry), Humor/Sketches (Lucky Star). In essence, manga do not generally follow the convention of hero and villain monodrama, which is a welcome change. The stories generally fluctuates  around a lot like an teenager's mood-swings, with the story line switching from comedic to serious  and vice versa in a heartbeat.

There are no winners in this comparison; I  simply compared Japan’s most prominent comic publishers to America’s. Deciding a on a definitive conclusion would be akin to trying to decide which food dish is the best in the world. It simply isn’t possible to make such a claim with people having different tastes and such. If you like a bit of variety in your graphic fiction, do give manga a chance and if you like a classic interpretation of good triumphing over evil, please do rush over to your superhero comic post haste.

The article represents the thoughts of the writer and only serves as a basic opinion on the matter. The usage of generalization is done to make an easier comparison and the author apologizes to anyone offended by this.