Man of Steel (spoiler alert)

Man of Steel is not a superhero movie; it's about alien conflict, don't let anyone tell you different. This version of Superman (as he was finally known towards the tail end of the story) has a plot focus. This is the very reason, the Superman character per se is a nobody, (Henry Cavill is a nobody do you honestly recall his leading role in Immortals?), Perry White is black (no offence; it's an objective highlight), Lois Lane knows Superman's secret identity & there's a good development of the occurrences in pre-apocalytic Krypton. If you are bringing kids to the show, please pre-empt them of the non-linear story line; there's a good deal of flashbacks going on. The whole chunk of Clark Kent's juvenile, Smallville passage was also omitted so do not try to connect this movie to the Christopher Reeve-era Superman, it's a variation for sure.

I deem this Superman revision as a 'director's clutch'; much deviation was done from the original comics to portray a darker, conflict-ridden story line. There's also a conscious highlight of Superman being an alien instead of highlighting the fact that he is indeed a normal human with outstanding human capacities- he is not human to begin with. The presence of General Zod & company showcasing their strength on par with Superman compounded that strong-because-you-are-alien fact. There was also a sense of purpose invoked in the plot; sufficient reminders that Superman was placed here for a reason & not just to escape a doomed planet.

However, Zack Snyder & company could have scripted the fighting scenes better; watching people with extra-terrestrial strength beating one another to a pulp got jaded after a while when you know the next strike would manifest extra strength, the next dodge- extra speed, the next impact- destroying more buildings- you get the picture.

Some take-aways from this movie:

1. The politically correct understanding that underwear should be worn inside & not outside regardless of whichever planet you are from
2. An ass 'S' from another galaxy is still an ass 'S' here on earth (thank you, Lois Lane)
3. There's always a 7-eleven out there in a desert town (you watched Thor?)
4. Nikon is the brand name that would invoke the wrath of an alien droid
5. If you wish to kill Superman, it is possible & the very blade that would do so is not extra-terrestrial- note how Clark Kent appeared clean-shaven after he donned the Superman costume? Ha!