Man of Steel, Retold by Men of Mediocrity

Film: Man of Steel
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe
Director: Zack Snyder

I cannot come to a satisfying conclusion to an argument I am having with myself. The Nicholas Cage-starrer Ghost Rider or Man of Steel. Which is worse? It really shouldn't be so tough. But…

You know the story. If not, let me just shamelessly rip off from the best first page in a comic book – All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. 

Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple.

Scientists Jor-El (Crowe) and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) send their newborn son Kal El in a spaceship to Earth while their home planet Krypton faces destruction. A rogue general Zod (Shannon) tries to stop them, but fails and is sentenced to the Phantom Zone. Krypton is destroyed, while Kal lands in Kansas, where he is brought up as Clark by a kindly farmer Jonathan Kent (Costner) and his wife Martha (Lane).

Young Clark grows up with a lot more baggage than other kids. As an adult, he starts roaming around the country using his strength, speed, hearing and heat vision to help people and to discover his real roots. He keeps a low profile for 33 years. (33, geddit?) Enter Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lois Lane (Adams), who discovers there is more to this average Joe than meets the eye. By then, old General Zod and his despicable bunch have escaped from the Phantom Zone and are prepared to lay earth to waste.

Cue man of destiny embracing his destiny.

So, what ails Man of Steel? The script, to begin with. Under the guise of reinventing Superman, David S Gower takes a Kryptonite knife to the mythos. An imaginative re-telling is interesting even if one doesn't agree. But this is more of a Find-and-Replace job. Gower forgets his Batman trilogy contributions and goes back to his Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance days. 

Zack Snyder was always a bad choice. He has style, but is yet to prove he has substance. He brings his visual flair to the Krypton scenes and they are impressive. Then he goes all melodramatic with young Clark. Once the action starts he goes for the spectacle. One could be forgiven for thinking we were watching a Transformers movie. Note to Snyder: You cannot out-Bay Michael Bay. So don’t try it. The result: Man of Steel becomes Darshini sambhar – thin, expansive, with no distinctive flavour.

The actors try their best. Henry Cavill makes a very likeable Superman. He is ridiculously ripped, though lacking on charisma, but then who can stand up to Christopher Reeve? Amy Adams may be a 21st century reporter, but for all her earnestness, her character comes off as more of an ornament than Margot Kidder’s ‘70s Lois ever was.  Michael Shannon had a role that he could paint the town red with, but he opts for restraint. Russell Crowe takes his role way more seriously than Brando ever did. Kevin Costner invests a lot of emotion in Jonathan Kent. It may be his best acting turn in years. Diane Lane makes Martha Kent way more fun than we have known her to be. The two make a great couple. Why hasn't anyone paired them before this?

It may have been a combination of Reeve’s charisma, Mario Puzo’s story, John William’s music and Richard Donner’s assured direction. When you saw Superman, the tagline stopped being one. You believed a man could fly. Man of Steel does nothing of the sort. During the brief moments when you don’t bang your head over the inanity of it all, you are left wondering what could have been. There is one last twist, one that has polarized viewers and Superman fans. Despite being a masterstroke/blasphemy, by the time Man of Steel reaches that moment, you are so drained you couldn't care anymore.

I was exaggerating in the first paragraph. Man of Steel has a better star cast, better effects, and minute-to-minute better moments than Ghost Rider. But then why do I get the same disgusted feeling I felt after I saw the latter?